#MarketingEventsAwards 2021 spills: Unearthed Productions on how COVID-19 shaped the future of events

Unearthed Productions is a Singapore-based events experiential agency focusing on creating experiences for clients online and offline through its 360-degree event solutions. Some of the brands it has worked with include CapitaLand, Epson, Lazada, Shopee, Singapore Heart Foundation, Singapore Institute of Technology and Under Armour.

It was also recently awarded bronze for Best Community Event, Best Government Sector / Non-Profit and Best Use of Live Streaming; silver for Best Use of Sponsorship / Partnership; and gold for Best Use of Influencers / KOLs at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Marketing Events Awards 2021. 

Adam Piperdy (pictured), founder and chief experience officer of Unearthed Productions, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that after two years of virtual events, brands may be reluctant to completely step out of their new-found comfort zone. He also said that he expects to see a rise in hybrid events in 2022, as brands have seen components such as polls and speaker-to-audience conversations are more effective virtually.

This interview is done as part of MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s winners and finalists’ interview series for Marketing Events Awards 2021. To find out more about the awards, click here. 

Tell us a little bit about how the past two years have been for you, and the steps you’ve taken to survive and thrive in a tough industry?

Piperdy: I think I speak for everyone in the events industry when I say that the pandemic set in motion a seismic shift in our direction. We had to pivot quickly to virtual events, so the playground for events switched from being big, sprawling but crowded spaces where perhaps we didn’t have the capacity to give everyone undivided attention … to smaller, but dedicated production studios armed with cutting-edge AV equipment designed to translate all that brouhaha into a top-notch experience for each and every audience member behind a screen. You could say the proliferation of virtual events brought us closer to our audience because we’re now able to connect with each of them directly.

But we definitely couldn’t have achieved this without our partners. All of us in the events industry were and are in this together, so instead of seeing each other as rivals, we play off each other’s expertise and strengths. One of the partners that we have had a really enjoyable time working with is Pigeonhole Live. Pigeonhole Live allows us to easily integrate interactive features such as Q&As, quizzes, polls and surveys into our event livestreams to engage the audience.

Especially at a time where the climate is so challenging, it’s very heartening to see all of us in the events gather our collective minds to recapture the hearts of the audience and prove the resilience of the industry at large.

With markets slowly opening up, what do you think 2022 will be like for you?

Piperdy: I think it’s still a fluid situation. Moving forward, we’re expecting greater demand for hybrid events. But virtual events have been so popular over the past two years that we think the audience will take some time to adjust to attending an event physically.

While all the tools that we leverage to engage the audience over a screen - such as quizzes, Q&As and polls - still apply to a physical audience, they won’t have the same immediacy in a physical setting as they do virtually - at least traditionally. So our focus for 2022 will very much be on finding new and creative ways to engage the physical audience.

Right at the top of our list for 2022 is to really promote two-way traffic between the speakers and the physical audience, so we can have a similar level of immediacy. For example, we’re exploring the use of companion apps for our events. These apps allow our speakers to drip feed exclusive information to the audience and hook the audience’s attention with games and contests that can be accessed via the apps.

What are some of the new challenges you are preparing yourself for and looking to counter?

Piperdy: A major contributor to the immediacy that the audience gets in virtual events is the virtual background or more specifically, a 3D virtual stage. Gone are the days where virtual events are packed with suspect virtual backgrounds. Today’s virtual events are well-produced with what we call a 3D virtual stage. A 3D virtual stage is an intricate background that mirrors a real-life stage, both in looks and in pizzazz.

This is a double-edged sword because the audience will now expect every stage to have that kind of surrealism. In the case of virtual events, it’s as simple as dressing up the 3D virtual stage with additional elements from a computer. But at a physical stage, you really have to bear in mind the extra costs of creating an elaborate set from scratch, then embellishing it with even more complex components.

So the question is: How do we meet the audience’s expectations while keeping in line with the budget? How can we integrate technology into a set design to give it extra oomph?

At our dedicated studio Hybrid Experience @ Suntec City, we have equipped an eight metre-wide cinematic LED wall that enables us to create an incredible level of immersion and orchestrate an amazing atmosphere. We are also looking to roll out more customisable offerings, so we can more effectively create the exact experience that our clients are aiming for.

In this new world that we are living in, what do you think a great event really looks like?

Piperdy: I think a great event in this new world should be able to connect with every audience member, whether he or she is attending the event virtually or physically. It’s an event that provides a seamless and immersive experience, so much so that it transcends the pandemic. At its core, a great event brings people together and unifies them towards a common cause.

Case in point: We recently produced The Purple Parade 2021 concert livestream, an annual movement to support inclusion and celebrate the abilities of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). 150 people watched the PwD-led concert in person at our dedicated studio Hybrid Experience @ Suntec Singapore, while 23,000 more tuned in to a livestream of the hybrid event. A large part of the concert was filmed with a point-of-view shot to replicate an "in-the-seat" experience for those who were tuning in to the concert livestream.

At the same time, we designed a hospitality zone at the studio - exclusively for the physical audience. It had exhibits that shed light on the stories of PwDs, a number of interactive displays and a photo booth.

This is one of the ways we democraticise the event experience, so even if an audience member is tuning in to an event virtually, he or she isn’t getting a lesser or different experience. Rather, he or she will get an equally great experience. Yet at the same time, there’s a small incentive to encourage people to attend the event physically, if they get the chance to.

What will be the role of events in the world of marketing in the future?

Piperdy: I think today’s consumers are increasingly sophisticated, so the question that more and more brand owners are asking is: How can we bring more value to consumers? Events represent a unique proposition for brand owners because during the pandemic, virtual events exploded as a way for them to connect with and engage consumers.

I believe this foundation will continue to be built upon in the future. At the very least, we’re going to be seeing more tailored live shopping experiences. But already, we’re seeing brand owners who leverage events to launch their products virtually or boost awareness of their brands.

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