Atmosphere 2022
Category: Hybrid Event
Creative Agency: RockIt Events LLC, www.rockitevents.net
Production Agencies: GJS Media Productions Inc., www.gjsmedia.com

The new normal for many events became a kind of split personality, divided between those comfortable in person and those more relaxed with pixels. That was the reality for HPE Aruba Networks, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, when it hosted its annual Atmosphere technology conference for 2022.

Hosted at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Aruba allowed both online and in-person attendees to customize their Atmosphere schedules with the presentations, sessions, receptions, training, and demonstrations that best suited their interests. One of the most popular features for in-person attendees was the Innovation Zone, which was laid out in trade show style, featuring booths that hosted a slate of product demos.

Three days of keynotes were broadcast across the globe in a trio of time zones (one time zone for each day), comprising Pacific Standard Time (PST), Central European Time (CET), and Singapore Time (SGT), ensuring that the virtual attendees in those zones could engage with executives during live question-and-answer sessions. Audiences outside the Americas had opportunities to gather for smaller, in-person watch parties Aruba coordinated in their respective countries. By carefully balancing its audience's preferences, Aruba seamlessly blended both in-person and virtual events into one cohesive occasion.

Atlassian Team '22
Category: Hybrid Event
Creative: Atlassian Corp., www.atlassian.com
Production Agency: InVision Communications Inc., www.iv.com

After three years of holding its annual event in the digital wilderness due to the pandemic, Atlassian Corp. kicked off its Team '22 hybrid conference at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas. With a goal of magnifying Atlassian's position as the world's premier teamwork-software brand, the event offered its 2,000 attendees three distinct ways it could engage: in-person, virtually, and at global events.

Even with such a broad audience, the company connected specific audience personas with each of the three ways to experience the conference. The in-person experience was custom-made for brand champions, enterprise accounts, and senior decision makers. The digital-only version focused on content geared to the core customers while also reaching aspirational audiences, such as business teams spanning from legal to marketing to human resources, and consultants. Additionally, the company arranged watch parties in a variety of international locations, including Berlin, Sydney, Nairobi, London, and New York.

The unified encounter – meaning, those attending both digitally and in person – included content personalized for IT admins and teams, engineers, and more. Those tuning in virtually enjoyed a Netflix-like format to navigate content with extended breaks, allowing them to move through the event as though they were physically adventuring at a festival from stage to stage.

Canon Across America Tour
Category: Road Show/Multivenue Event
Creative/Production Agencies: Pinnacle Exhibits Inc., www.pinnacle-exp.com

How do you introduce a full portfolio of medical imaging solutions when your busy customer base is scattered across the United States? If you're Canon Medical Systems USA Inc., you tap Pinnacle Exhibits Inc. to help deliver its brand story directly to its clients in a way that held their busy schedules as the hub of consideration. So in March 2022, Canon kicked off a 10-month, 56-city road show to target hospitals and clinics, which became the cornerstone pins on the map. A dedicated marketing campaign allowed additional facilities to fill in the gaps with new destinations.

The custom showroom featured six spotlighted modalities displaying computed tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound, vascular, molecular, and X-ray capabilities. Each area had a dedicated expert for one-on-one interaction, and medical professionals learned about the latest in imaging technology, exclusive educational opportunities, and bespoke engagements, all during their lunch breaks.

Canon's logistical undertaking brought the future of medical imaging to the doorsteps of American clinics in what one judge noted was a "truly customer-centric activation." Nearly 1,200 appointments were scheduled, and brand awareness skyrocketed with almost 121,800 new visits to Canon's website, resulting in 156 new sales opportunities and 2,900 personalized customer interactions.

2022 Phillips 66 Power Ahead Marketing Conference
Category: Dealer/Distributor Event
Creative Agency: Hargrove Inc., www.hargroveinc.com
Production Agencies: Encore Group (USA) LLC, www.encoreglobal.com

Every three years, Phillips 66 Co. and its four brands – Phillips 66, Conoco, 76, and Phillips Aviation – bring together its franchise owners for a three-day marketing conference focused on learning by day and playing by night. But COVID interrupted the organization's schedule, and after five years without an in-person event, Phillips 66 was ready to punch the gas and race toward the 2022 Power Ahead Marketing Conference.

With Hargrove Inc. and Encore Group (USA) LLC overseeing creative and production, respectively, Phillips 66 delivered a couldn't-miss conference featuring a custom-built presentation stage that included an arrow-shaped scenic wall, with more than 90 feet of AV walls. An expo hall featured 55 exhibits and the Innovation Pavilion, which housed a workspace, the Power Theater where attendees engaged with industry experts, and the C-Store of the Future where attendees experienced a futuristic convenience store that integrated mobile pay features.

One attendee called the event "magic," but it wasn't sleight of hand that drew in 1,200 attendees – a 15 percent increase in attendance over the previous conference. Instead, the team took a measured, strategic approach to creating an engaging awards gala, an expo, and educational sessions linked under comprehensive Phillips 66 branding that solidified franchisees' commitment.

.conf22
Category: User Conference
Creative Agency: Splunk Inc., www.splunk.com
Production Agencies: InVision Communications Inc., www.iv.com

Splunk Inc., a data-mining software company, derives its name from spelunking – the exploration of caves and mines. Exploring digital information caves and mining for data may sound like a lonely time, but Splunk made sure that the six days of its .conf22 user conference at the MGM Grand Las Vegas was an interactive celebration of Splunkers (i.e., users) the world over.

The Welcome Soirée gave attendees a sneak peek of the source=*Pavilion show floor – the beating heart of the conference. During the event Splunkers explored the Pavilion starting with the Community HUB, where newbies could visit the First Time Run Booth to learn about the .conf experience. A DEI Art Gallery showcased art that bridged cultures and conversations. And the Splunk Zone, described as "the place to get splunky," featured product demos and a first-of-its-kind NFT Slot machine that allowed attendees to make a unique Buttercup Pony. The company also took over MGM Grand's pool areas for an extravaganza that featured none other than Snoop Dogg, performing as DJ Snoopadelic.

The week-long conference closed with Splunk seeing a 142 percent increase in social engagement compared to .conf21. Nearly 60 sponsors saw more than 20,000 leads come in during .conf22. Whether mining innovation or prospecting for new users, it's clear .conf22 struck gold.

#ForYou Summit
Category: Virtual event
Creative/Production Agency: MC2, an MCH company, www.mc-2.com

Considering it was an inaugural event, the 2021 TikTok #ForYou Summit was a bit of a mystery before it went live. The goal: Build a virtual platform demonstrating the myriad ways clients can showcase their brand to the masses using TikTok's advertising opportunities.

Attendees discovered a dynamite virtual experience that jived with the creativity and joy associated with the popular social media platform. Event organizers hosted meetings and live broadcasts in a space mimicking TikTok's vibe. The company hosted smaller events for creators and agencies in a "self-serve" format. A main stage hosted keynote presentations and The Meeting Square enabled TikTok sales professionals to chat with customers. Exclusive, password-protected Creator Corner sessions allowed small groups to learn from star TikTok creators.

The preparation and creativity demonstrated at the event paid off, leading to the scheduling of 45 themed client engagement events and more than 50 follow-up meetings. "I loved the branding, detail, and cool client engagement event themes," said one Corporate Event Awards judge. Perhaps the greatest demonstration of the event's success is that TikTok immediately began working on additional events with MC2 following the summit, resulting in the social media platform's first-ever event for small and medium-sized businesses just a month later.

PeopleForce
Category: User Conference
Creative/Production Agency: The Freeman Co. LLC, www.freeman.com

When you think of electric cars, your mind leaps to Tesla. When you think of internet search, your mind turns to Google. When TriNet Group Inc.'s customers think of HR, the provider of human-resources services wanted them to associate the company name with "thought leader." The catalyst for this mind-grab would be "Passion, Purpose, and Perseverance," its livestreamed 2022 PeopleForce event aimed at a target audience of small and medium-sized businesses.

Held in Brooklyn, NY, the event was backed by a stage design whose glamour suggested the Oscars and Broadway, while a dream team of TED-talk-level speakers, such as Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger and primate expert Dr. Jane Goodall, enthralled a live and virtual audience that exceeded 3,500. Roughly 30 sessions, such as "Unfettering Entrepreneurs from Self Limitations" and "Laying the Foundations – Mentoring Tomorrow's Next Gen Leaders," were chosen based on its audience's pain points.

Like a hit Broadway play that takes to the road to reach the audiences who couldn't catch the show on the Great White Way, the event traveled across the country, setting up in Boston, Miami, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. By the end, its audiences linked Trinet and "thought leader" as easily as they might have paired Holmes with Watson, or Lennon with McCartney.