COVID-19  •  Members

Chab Events Reinventing Event Management During COVID-19

The Chab Events founders share how they want to shape the way companies and organisations connect with their audience without a physical presence.

The phrase “We are facing unprecedented times'' has been repeated by many companies in email blasts of late. They are certainly not far from the truth but where some see uncertainty, others see opportunity. For Chab Events, a Singapore-based turnkey corporate event management company with expertise in experiential marketing and video production, the COVID-19 crisis is an opportune time to pivot the services it offers in a calculated and effective manner.

As entrepreneurs who are no strangers to the hustle of adapting to change, Guillaume Chabrieres, Alexis Lhoyer and Louis Bommelear, co-Founders of Chab Events share how remote working has changed the user experience, and what lies ahead.

The best step forward has been to shift our attention to the digital realm with Chab Lab. In an age where 'live experiences' are the new luxury, it is a move that will better serve the needs of our clients in the long run and allow us to do what we do best -  provide impactful experiences.

In April 2020 alone, Singapore has seen over 8,000 companies call it a day and fade off into the sunset. Those still fighting the good fight, have had to make tough choices with regards to employee management and spending to stay afloat. According to Guillaume, this has been an interesting learning curve that allowed them to tap into the innovative ideas of each team member and utilise the passion that they have for their job.

It has shown him and his two business partners how to “rethink strategies” and offer clients exactly what they were looking for. The result is a talented team of professional event planners, who have come up with solutions despite the social restrictions in place for the safety of the public.

Remote work is now the “new normal” and companies have turned their attention to innovate and engaging ways to ensure that employees still enjoy a human connection with others. Forgoing the traditional method of having to choose a venue and deciding on door gifts and more, companies now get to focus on the crucial aspect of building solutions where they can strengthen relationships.

To meet these demands, the team sat down for multiple brainstorming sessions to figure out innovative solutions. The result was the exploration of using digital solutions such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, interactive photo booths, livestreams of DJ playlists for home dance parties and more.

Another idea is organising a full digital exhibition experience where the three-dimensional world is crafted from scratch with individual rooms designed for specific purposes. Participants will have an avatar created for them, providing them with access to the conferences, meetings and parties that can run simultaneously.

At last count, the teams in both Singapore and France have seen interest pick up in these digital alternatives to physical events as clients are searching for unique alternatives to host conferences for 1,000 guests and more. Crafting virtual conferences, breakout sessions and marketplaces for guests pose their own set of logistical challenges and each option is modified to suit the specific requests of each client. The goal however is always constant: Create events that reach the masses without putting others at risk.

Before COVID-19, these would have been deemed unorthodox methods when looking at hosting events. But according to the trio of entrepreneurs, the change has received positive feedback — an indication that this will be an indemand service even after the restrictions are lifted over time.

According to Louis though, that does not leave physical events in the dust. "As Europe slowly revives its economy and opens up borders, businesses are looking ahead at hosting events in the last quarter of the year," he said. "It provides Chab Events an opportunity to merge Chab Lab with physical event planning, an opportunity to reinforce the expertise in a new world where digital events will be a part of the events industry.”

The biggest challenge for the team is learning how to host such events in the age of experience when authentic connections are what holds everything together. Clients want to connect with their audience, yet wonder how digitised and non-physical methods can still achieve this.

“We have had to spend more time looking at the psychology of how each proposed method can achieve this. How can you use virtual reality or live streams of any live performances to encourage human interactions?” shared Guillaume.

He elaborated that for Chab Events, the secret lies in understanding the needs of the clients and then tailoring a proposal that best fits them. To better serve clients, each member of the 30 person team is also undergoing professional training for areas outside of event planning so that clients can enjoy a truly 360-degree experience. From public relations training to design courses, they are upgrading their workforce to ensure that they are fully equipped to respond to clients when the occasion calls for it.

“We’re looking at a whole new world once these circuit breakers are lifted. We perfected connecting with our audience as event planners and now we’re learning how to do so in the age of experience without a physical presence. It means evolving as a team and adapting,” Alexis concluded. Indeed this new phase of event management will no doubt take flight.  

 

Learn more about Chab Lab here, and follow Chab Events on their website, Youtube, IG and FB

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