Awards for a Professionally Executed Virtual Training Event.
In 2020, the year that the world was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSW Training Awards ceremony was held as a virtual event for the first time since its inception. To recognise the candidates’ efforts and to keep up the momentum and tradition of the awards program, it was essential that the event be reimagined into an online format thus ensuring attendee wellbeing and safety by live streaming the proceedings to an entirely remote audience.
The Challenge
The NSW Training Awards ceremony is an important event in the annual calendar, and with 2020 marking 65 years of this respected awards program, Training Services NSW engaged Forum Group to manage the transition of the event to be completely digital, which required technical program management combined with complex planning methodology and sponsorship services – ensuring the occasion was seamlessly executed and a wonderful experience for all stakeholders and remote attendees.
Online Engagement
With the awards function being presented on Facebook LIVE, online engagement spiked during the event, with over 227 comments placed into the post comments feed and 123 unique reactions were recorded on the ceremony broadcast post.
The online legacy of the event has and will be leveraged for months after the event as Training Services NSW continues to showcase each of the winners in a series of posts on Facebook. To watch the NSW Training Awards presentation click here
How We Made It Happen
Alignment of ob Forum Group delivered virtual event management services and sponsorship acquisition and management services to successfully deliver the NSW Training Awards.
Services delivered included:
- Technical direction and management including AV and IT services.
- Integrating theme music, event graphic assets and scripting to create a branded and cohesive broadcast experience.
1 hour and 17 minutes virtual broadcast presentation development including animation, voice overs, music and live speeches. - Concept development and theming sourcing for the back drop and staging.
- Management of the virtual event Facebook LIVE platform.
- AV management and show calling for those presenting in the studio.
- Script writing for MC David Collins (Executive Director, Training Services NSW).
- Manage the Welcome to Country presented by Yvonne Weldon booked through the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
- Sponsorship services including managing the sponsorship acquisition program and the associated sponsor requirements; strategically developing the prospectus sponsorship tiers; acquiring new sponsors as well as maintaining relationships with existing / previous sponsors. Each sponsor was provided with recognition via the online Facebook LIVE event platform.
The Results
The client was delighted with Forum Group’s technical expertise and extensive prior experience in delivering virtual events for corporate, government and association clients. This experience allowed the Forum Group team to swiftly transition the traditionally face to face awards ceremony into a digital format, with the assurance that the detailed program took into consideration the online experience for remote attendees.
Conducted as a not-for-profit event, the NSW Training Awards funding was financially supported by allocated government funds and sponsorship revenue. Despite the shift from a physical event to a virtual event, sponsorship revenue recorded was an increase of 15% compared to 2019 (including new and repeat sponsorship money).