Julie Honse, Sr. Manager of Sales Events and Customer Engagement for Vetsource called on the Apple Box team to help re-imagine their event into a 2-day fast-paced 100% virtual event working within the constraints of the Covid-crisis while still cultivating a sense of much needed connection during a time of #socialdistancing.
Apple Box provided consultation, creative design, and end-to-end production management for the entire event. The team met weekly over Zoom to outline priorities, develop a run of show, and execute the program’s objectives. We got to know each other’s pets and children QUITE well. #workfromhomelife
Honse knew from personally attending virtual events that attendees quickly lose interest if the content doesn’t keep them on their toes, so she called on our Apple Box producers to help create a fast-paced broadcast.
The result? Sponsor reels, customer interviews, team member spotlights, Kitten yoga, Kelly Clarkson’s DJ, a live illustrator, upbeat fitness moments, silly blooper reels, a scavenger hunt, live trivia game, and a Nashville song writing session all kept attendees tuned-in across the two days.
Unknown ROI around a virtual event left Julie’s internal stakeholders skeptical leading up to the event and this made for a tight budget at the beginning of the planning phase. Julie called on Apple Box to create custom sponsorship packages for the virtual event to help fuel her production spend, knowing high-quality production is paramount for online engagement.
The result? Honse says the virtual GTM conference exceeded sponsorship revenue expectations. “Doing it virtually, we actually brought in $14,000 more than our last face-to-face event,” she says.
Describing GTM 2021 as “near perfection,” Honse says the event was a huge success for attendees and sponsors alike.
“The survey results were just through the roof, people loved GTM so much,” she says. Honse says the event exceeded expectations in multiple ways, from surpassing revenue goals to seeing record engagement in the session chat. “Some people told me they liked it more than the in-person event,” she says, adding that the virtual format made some attendees feel more comfortable asking questions or engaging with the programming.
A great event is designed with every detail carefully considered, even the “down times.”
We believe virtual event breaks should still keep the energy up, while giving people the space to step away if needed. Here’s a clip from one of the GTM breaks. Hit play >>> to get a glimpse of the DJ in action! Shoutout to the polished, professional and upbeat DJ Will Gill with Zoom DJ’s and live illustrator Chris Shipton with Live Illustration UK.
The culmination of Vetsource’s 2-day GTM conference is always an awards gala celebrating the achievements of their sales team. We kept the energy high featuring a message from the winner’s manager and live applause after each reveal!
“Everything looked so seamless… and the winners felt so appreciated” says Honse. It was a special ending to a needle-moving event.
“The Apple Box team provided expert guidance and service as a true extension of our team. They assisted in shaping our agenda and session formats to create a fast-paced and tight delivery that was polished and professional and most importantly, kept our attendees engaged and participating throughout the event.
Their help managing our presenters and entertainers and advising to help them give their best delivery was invaluable! When it came to event day, the “onsite” execution was spot-on and helped facilitate an extremely positive experience for both our audience and our planning team. I look forward to working with Apple Box again–and soon, I hope!”
-Julie Honse, Sr. Manager VetRx Sales Events and Customer Engagement
