Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1381100
he only certainty of these past 12 months has been knowing that uncertainty lies ahead. Whilst this has come as a challenge and an adjustment for many businesses, for our global video production company Dreamtek, whose core foundation lies in technology and virtual event production, it was simply a part of our everyday business model. With production teams and facilities strategically distributed across the globe, the organic structure of Dreamtek en- ables us to be agile and adapt to global changes. What was essential from the moment the UK went into lockdown in March 2020 was to devise a strate- gy that focussed on our virtual/hybrid event experience whilst emphasising our remote production support expertise. I am delighted with how well we have adapted to the enforced changes, and our ability to fulfill the varying require- ments of different clients has left us in an excellent position as the world of events and entertainment moves into a perma- nently-hybrid future. From keeping large audiences en- gaged in entirely virtual formats, to overcoming Zoom fatigue, to streaming events that had keynote speakers all over the world — our teams have been able to use their expertise to identify which plat- forms and methods can best overcome these new challenges. In a fast-paced and tech-powered world. Keeping up is key for the survival of any business, and the entertainment space is currently going through significant technological changes to enable it to adapt for a very different landscape. Our teams were already well versed in the execution of virtual and hybrid pro- duction, which gave us solid foundations to act on. Initially, people wanted to try and simply migrate the same format of a live event into a virtual context, which we knew wasn't the answer. Not only do you have a completely different set of techni- cal challenges to handle, you're engaging the audience in a completely different way. In my eyes, there is not one platform that is truly compatible for every pro- duction. Just like in the physical world, decisions should be made carefully, exe- cuted with precision, and always with the audience front of mind. This is the only way to ensure that your audience walks away with the intended experience, and of course that they return next time! At Dreamtek, we want to make live virtual and hybrid events the most en- gaging they can be. There are advan- tages to each type, but the beauty of hybrid practices is that you can create an in-person experience that is intimate while sharing the experience with the world virtually. The challenge here is en- suring a consistent experience for those at the event in-person and those online. Our recent partnership with Liberty & Co. marks the beginning of a fantastic collaborative era for events. In our case, this means industry leading video and production joining forces with creative, marketing and experiential expertise, creating a fully fledged end-to-end creative agency. The future of entertain- ment will be significantly more inclusive because of this. Just think about it, a live theater production — with only a handful of people in the seats, but hun- dreds watching via digital access tickets from anywhere in the world. You can incorporate additional touch points, like gift baskets or virtual 1:1s with the actors for VIP digital tickets. With the right expertise and execution, hybrid events offer the ability to create an even more immersive experience than live events. As a production company, we knew we would need to expand our offering to be able to stand confidently at the forefront of hybrid entertainment, which is where our partnership with Liberty & Co. really comes to life. Two special- ist teams, coming together to grow, develop and thrive through the power of shared experiences. There are certainly more challenges ahead, but this is an opportunity to revolutionize and grow our industry. Entertainment and events have been struggling for years to create live ex- periences that meet consumer expec- tations while being affordable. Hybrid practices offer production, events and entertainment an opportunity to tap into much-needed revenue and provide exhilarating experiences for guests. The future of entertainment is hybrid, and an exciting future it is. HYBRID ENGAGEMENT IS THE FUTURE, NOT THE INTERIM BY VICTORIA NEESON CEO DREAMTEK LONDON & NEW YORK CITY HTTPS://DREAMTEK.TV DREAMTEK CREATING ENGAGING LIVE, VIRTUAL & HYBRID EVENTS T BUSINESS www.postmagazine.com 31 POST MAY/JUNE 2021 Dreamtek has teams and facilities distributed across the globe.