We are always thinking about good uses of the “Virtual Space” where we are spending so much time. While virtual events began as a necessity, they are showing true staying power. There are some advantages to virtual events like a widespread reach and more enthusiastic engagement than we see at in-person events. Nate Haskell, Lime Crane’s Executive Producer, predicts that “Creative and polished virtual events will not be going anywhere when life returns to normal. Virtual Events have dramatically changed the corporate communications landscape.”
This month, we produced one of these creative virtual conferences with our friends at Coca-Cola Bottling UNITED. They had an inspiring vision for a Women’s Leadership Conference that would feature guest speakers, presentations from their own female leaders, and be broadcast live to women leaders across the six-state footprint of UNITED.
It was an ambitious plan. Linda Sewell, Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications knew that,
“This was the first time Coca-Cola UNITED brought together 400 of our women leaders. With an event this important, we knew we needed a partner that was experienced, creative, and easy to work with. Lime Crane provided all that and much more. They were truly a huge part of the conference success.”
Lime Crane was happy to help. A couple years ago, around International Women’s Month, we produced a high-energy piece featuring the “Women of Novelis” which was an inspiring look into women with incredible skill and passion for their work in aluminum recycling. Our lead editor, Julie van Jaarsveld, took the footage shot across the country and told their story.
We wanted to bring that same energy and enthusiasm to UNITED’s virtual Women’s Leadership Conference. Linda and team put together an inspiring slate of speakers from both inside and outside the organization and found a fantastic keynote and celebrity host to run the event. We met weekly with the conference team to find the most compelling way to structure the sessions, and to make sure the show was as smooth as possible. Additionally, we specialize in making every presenter feel comfortable with the technology, guiding where needed, to make sure everyone is confident. The hands-on attention puts leaders and panelists at ease.
The day opened with an address from Chief People Officer & VP Gianetta Jones along with President & CEO John Sherman expressing their appreciation and excitement for the day ahead. The first speaker was Walker Johnson Jones, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder and current board member. Walker presented two videos that covered not only the history of UNITED as a company, but also featured the successes and achievements of the other 4th generation Johnson women. The video, produced again by Julie at Lime Crane, was a huge hit and brought weight and impact to the event.
The attendees were then treated to a day of interactive panels moderated by Linda and Christy, as well as presentations from additional speakers like Angie Morgan, author of the hit Spark. Throughout the day, the guest host made sure to keep things interesting by playing Coca-Cola trivia games with giveaways and playing short video “shout outs” from Carrie Underwood, Ms Terry Saban, and Alabama Governor Kay Ivy. It was an enriching, full event that began after breakfast and was wrapped up by lunchtime.
The most important goal for the UNITED team and for Lime Crane was to make the event feel special. As event organizer Christy Danzy put it,
“We are in Teams meetings every day. This needs to be different. I wanted to be ‘transported’ to this event, and not feel like I’m at work.”
The plan was that the attendees watched the conference on a private, custom branded website that played a single live stream that Lime Crane produced. Panels were guided, professional graphics and HD video were used, and attendees had a rich set of ways to interact like live polling and Q&A sessions. In the end, Gianetta Jones, Chief People Officer and Vice President commented,
“Everything looked so professional! It felt more like a TV broadcast than a Teams meeting.”
Lime Crane has been producing events, both virtual and in-person, for years. As Christy said,
“People kept asking if I was stressed, but I said, ‘I am good.’ I felt totally prepared and knew Lime Crane had it under control.”
Our team is extra invested in making events work that have a greater purpose. For UNITED to fully fund and support a complex virtual conference, they demonstrate their support for women in the organization. We could not be happier that the event was a complete success.
About Lime Crane
Our team has over 25 years of experience in video communications. We offer a rare mix of high-level expertise in Video Streaming Technology, Video Production, and client relations that you will not find anywhere else. Read more about the professionals on our team here.
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