10 Great ideas for memorable Corporate Events! Pop Culture Edition.

The highest priority for Corporate Events is Audience Engagement. In our experience, these ideas are always crowd pleasers. This article explores technical requirements and additional considerations that make these simple, cost-effective ideas work. Repertoire Productions can help you decide what will work for your Event, Conference or Live-Stream.

1. Integrated Video
2. Carpool Karaoke
3. Roast the CEO
4. Top Ten List!
5. A Live Band Accompaniment
6. Hire a Comic
7. Create a Pop Culture Theme
8. Podcast Segment
9. Sport Stars
10. Influencers, Authors, Content Creators

Let’s go!

1. Integrated Video. Check out this fun video Burning Questions with Ellen Degeneres.

Simple to produce and super-effective. The whole setup tells your audience, “this is going to be fun!”. Minimal Props, a Video Wall, and a good producer to tie it all together is all you need. Rehearse at your office to make your guests more comfortable before they have to get up on stage in front of their colleagues. Keep this spontaneous and informal, and maybe sneak in a business related question or two.

2. Carpool Karaoke Video

Use media as a segue between Presentations or to introduce the guests for a Panel discussion. Funny videos are a great way to make your c-suite executives more relatable to an audience they don’t interact with every day. This cost-effective format eliminates the risk of an untested creative idea falling flat but there are so many elements to get creative with…

We estimate $20k-30k for production, so this is a larger investment but it will be worthwhile. Your producer will need a Large Sensor 4k Professional Camera and at least 5 GoPros. An experienced Grip with the necessary rigging is critical. Audio equipment for playback, recording, and communications on-set cannot be underestimated. Don’t forget, you will need willing participants but it doesn’t matter if they can sing!

3. Roast the CEO… Carefully!

This can be fun, it really can. And it can be much cleaner than this example with Jeff Ross. Remember that questions can be vetted in advance to avoid unwanted surprises. The great thing is, this idea is easy to produce. When a Live Stream Event is set up, you have the Cameras, Mics, Stage, Lights and Audio equipment ready to go. Props, chairs, and a lectern are never too hard to find in a conference center or event space. You can have some extra fun with some cocktail jackets and evening wear to finish the look, but it isn’t necessary.

4. A Classic. We’re getting meta now folks… A top ten list within a top ten list! Check out David Letterman’s Last Top Ten List

This format is so old that it is back in fashion and never fails to get a laugh. Some clients take light-hearted jabs at competitors or even use this to address difficult business challenges in a humorous way.

More Great News! If you are setting up a Live-Stream event, you have the Cameras, Audio, and Screens ready to produce it. All that needs to be pre-produced are the onscreen graphics. Hint: the host/presenter dynamic and the desk are important elements that make the segment immediately identifiable, we recommend it.

5. A Live Band Accompaniment

Just like Jimmy Fallon or Stephen Colbert or used in any creative way you can dream up! We saw this used incredibly effectively by Stewart Butterfield, the CEO of Slack when we produced the Powering the Grid Event. When the chief security officer came out and cracked jokes with actual drum rolls, it was hilarious. It’s not at all surprising that Stewart Butterfield is a source of great ideas check out this recent article about his amazing background.

6. Hire a comic!

Between quarterly earning reports and fun stuff like building company culture… Here’s an idea, break up the show with a professional comic. We’ve produced events for many prominent Silicon tech companies, one hired Silicon Valley star Thomas Middleditch for their Annual Conference in 2018. Suffice to say it was a smash hit. No special audio-visual elements are required. Nevertheless, you’ll want nice cameras, wireless audio, and stage lighting to make the most of your investment. This will have an impact in real time at your event, and it continues to add value in Sizzle Reels and Promotion for your next event.

7. Create a Theme.

You don’t have to spend above the line dollars on Celebrities or Sports Stars for Audience Engagement at your Corporate Events. Create a theme and model your event around a recognizable idea. A partner like Repertoire Productions can create backdrops or short video content to get your ideas across and make your message more engaging. Photo Credit: hollywoodreporter.com.

8. Create a Podcast-Formatted Segment

To make a business update more interesting and engaging create a Podcast. This recognizable structure begins with a cold open, and your business update can be folded into a familiar, entertaining format. Pre-produced Audio “stings” will help transition between different topics. Bring Department heads onstage and interview them, discuss achievements with high performers in your organization. And you can tackle issues you want to address with questions from staged call-in guests. Repertoire can pre-load the content and help make it effective, you will be surprised how many ideas we can accommodate.

9. Sports Stars

Sports Stars from the NFL, NBA, and MLB are out there, and they want to work with you. Retired legends are often cost-effective. Folks will respond positively, even if the star isn’t the team or sport they follow. People respect achievement. Our Producers have recently worked with guest stars like Derek Carter, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and events with the Golden State Warriors, Oakland A’s, San Francisco Giants and more…

10. Influencers, Authors, and Content Creators can provide thought-leadership at your Corporate Event.

Find New Media personalities that are aligned with your brand or an unorthodox guest presenter that can help you build the company culture you are aiming to create. Maybe it’s someone from your community that is inspiring or giving back. Someone unexpected that affects your employee’s real lives, a charity organizer, a scientist, a pioneer, or someone incredible you heard on a podcast will surprise and delight every audience. Photo Credit: prweek.com