This piece was written entirely by our client straight after this project, with the message ‘this is what we think of you guys, use this however you like!’
Switching to Virtual: Background
Samaritans have successfully joined forces with Quadrant for a number of years on large-scale, in-person events, but the virtual event offering that we have received from the team in 2020 has been totally transformational in terms of what can be achieved with digital means.
When the pandemic took hold we were at risk of having to cancel Council of Samaritans – a critical, annual conference that would typically bring 300 senior stakeholders from across the UK and Ireland under one roof. However, Quadrant’s quick pivot to a virtual event offering enabled us to achieve our immediate charity goals and create a powerful and convincing sense of togetherness via a bespoke ‘virtual venue’, during a time when it was impossible to bring people together in person.
Solution
Quadrant enabled us to achieve our business goals in the following ways:
The bespoke app that Quadrant created for us enabled us to create a sense of a destination on the day; replicate all of the features of the real life event to imbue a feeling of familiarity for delegates during an uncertain time (including a marketplace and a virtual post-it note ideas wall) while being clear and easy to navigate for even the most digitallydoubtful delegate.
The interactive features were particularly valued by delegates such as the chat and Q&A functions which appeared alongside the ‘main stage’ so they didn’t have to navigate away from the presentations while connecting with colleagues.
The production and technical support allowed for incredibly slick and professional viewing from a delegates perspective including organised and smooth transitions and ‘stingers’ to aid the organisation and flow of the day.
Customer care is clearly a strong point for Quadrant: the team were always quick to respond in a detail orientated and organised manner, and really took the time to explain the new ways of working. The behind-the-scenes green room support allowed speakers to feel confident and relaxed on the day and post event the team generated reports and uploaded on demand content quickly.
All of this has proven to us that virtual events can be equally powerful as in-person events. We were very grateful that we were able to work creatively with a team like Quadrant during the pandemic to enable us to deliver this event successfully in a new and exciting way.
Delegate Feedback
“Even outside of the current climate this format is so efficient and effective.Messages are delivered so well.”
“Very impressed at the reliability of connections, timings and smooth transition to breakout session. Opportunities to ask questions and use chat facility excellent.”
“It was really well put together, easy to navigate around and it did make me feel like I was part of an event.”