#MarketingEventsAwards 2021 spills: Above Creative Events' plans to shape the events scene ahead

Above Creative Events (ACE) is an event management company based in Malaysia. It specialises in events planning, award ceremonies, social events, conferences and virtual events. ACE was also a finalist for Best Virtual Event (B2C), and won Bronze in Best Use of Hosting Platforms at A+M's Marketing Events Awards 2021.

In an interview with A+M, Micky Ng, founder of ACE, shared how hybrid events will set the scene in 2022. Ng also talks about fostering customer relationships despite the increased adoption of tech tools.

This interview is done as part of A+M’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?

Ng: The past two years have been difficult for everyone, not to mention which industry you come from. As of the end of the year 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the global economy and people was forced to adapt the remote work. On 25th January 2020, Malaysia detected the first case of COVID-19 and on the same day, we received bad news.

We got a call from our Denmark client and they decided to cancel their annual APAC events for six locations due to the outbreak. The day after, we received overwhelming notices from organisers on event postponement and cancellation. At the same time, we received inquiries and requests to pivot the events online. We realised the seriousness of the global issue and we knew that we cannot respond to the crisis by going back to what was. Ever since the beginning of 2020, our team worked harder than ever to research and measure the possibilities.

Yet, ACE was the lucky one. We have our own in-house IT team and virtual solution team to come into the virtual business model. We survey around for any necessary solutions. Finally, in April 2020, we successfully developed our virtual event platform. By developing this model, we expect our clients to adopt a more realistic approach in response to the high platform flexibility and stability. We believe our virtual event platform gives some sense of realness to events through digital experiences.

I am proud to say that our virtual event service has been powered by several awards such as the Malaysia Book of Records and Golden Bull Awards, among others. Today, we received the recognition - Best Use of Hosting Platform from Marketing Events Awards 2021. In the absence of physical events, we embrace the challenges and together with our clients, be the conqueror of virtual events.

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

Ng: Upon deployment, our virtual event platform was widely utilised in organisations, including GLCs, MNCs, PLCs, and corporates. In the past two years, ACE has seen over 700 virtual events activations globally.

The world is slowly opening up with the protection of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Some of the countries have now eased travel restrictions as well as mass gatherings. In fact, physical events are most likely to bounce back, yet not fully operational. Virtual events stayed the dominant form of the new normal in the event trend. To say that the years 2020 and 2021 are the year of virtual events, ACE foresees the year 2022 is going to be a big year for hybrid events.

Hybrid events combine the virtual elements into the traditional event structure to gather attendees in a physical venue while also connecting attendees in a digital platform. Interestingly, a hybrid event attracts and reach global attendance with a wider range of audiences. There is a chance of a 50% increase in engagement. Well, some companies will find the hybrid events respond better in guaranteeing success for businesses. However, contingency plans are a must due to the current uncertainties and there is still a lot to learn on event technology tools and execution knowledge.

Hybrid events might be slow in adoption, but we believe speed does not matter, progress is progress.

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

Ng: As mentioned above, people were trying to adopt the massive transformation of event format and remote work in the past two years. As a result of being forced into the new norm, the world introduce new heights of hybrid events. Hybrid events merge the best parts of physical and virtual aspects, the planning process does not dismiss concerns such as venue capacity, geographical barriers and safety issues. On the contrary, hybrid events emphasise the event experience, event value and event success.

With the comeback of physical events, we can finally physically friend punch again. In any event, the health regulations require more attention to detail. Reports found that ever since the pandemic, health and safety becomes the primary consideration to evaluate their comfort level when attending a physical event. Being aware of the rapid spread of new coronavirus variants, we will be more than adhere to the local health guidelines.

ACE has been immersed in the virtual world for the past two years and we know that the virtual models are here to stay. With this in mind, one thing that cannot be neglected is that all events despite scales will be hybrid or virtual in the next two years. This leads the event planners to be constantly mindful of the implementation of event tech, in order to strengthen the virtual-live balance. In addition, an advanced virtual event platform has the power to collect valuable data and ultimately, ROI optimisation.

Regardless of how things change in 2022, ACE as the staunch advocate of the event industry is ready to evolve with trends and capitalise on the good markets.

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

Ng: The pandemic world has accelerated event technology and digitised the event industry. Nearly everyone in the past two years is getting used to video conferencing tools and we have more access to digital tools. When it comes to events, people are no longer looking for the content, but the experience. So, a great event must take caution on the convenience, accessibility, diversity and interactivity to be more accommodating. While physical events can be challenging due to the current travel restrictions, the hybrid event is a great space for learning and networking opportunities - plus, get a toll free for interactions between the on-ground and remote audiences.

On 29 September 2021, the Department of Environment engaged us to host World Ozone Day 2021. The webinar aimed to promote the well-being of global life against climate change. Significantly, the post-pandemic world has also increasingly been concerned about environmental sustainability. If you have been to an event before, you have probably received lots of promotional items.

Let’s be honest. You might not be going to throw those travel mugs or pen drives into the dustbins but you might be putting them aside for years. According to EventMB, a standard event produces 1.89 kg of waste per day per event attendee. In fact, the amount of carbon emissions produced is more than you know. Hybrid event technology is now slowly bridging back to a different normal. Well, gone are the days of printed materials and we should take eco-friendly measures to incorporate them into a great event.

All in all, there are too many ways to justify whether the event is great. Contingency plans are essential to ensure the comfort level. Anyhow, good plans are the routes to get there.

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

Ng: The role of the physical event industry has been forever transformed. In the year 2019, when people were trying to adapt to the virtual world, then the hybrid format comes. The approaches to the world of marketing that event planners need to undertake as compared to the two years before are entirely different stories.

We cannot deny the fact that video consumption in the past two years has been significantly increased. Essentially, video is a powerful tool to create a sense of inclusivity and well-delivered content. Hence, leading to a high level of website traffic with a broader range of target audiences. The event industry has now more reliant on digital technologies to fulfil such expectations. Where we found values at the forms of hybridisation was having more access to the global and that access gathers a massive of data. 2022 or later, digital takes an extraordinarily important role in reshaping the role of events in terms of hybrid.

The event operation team is experiencing a big transformation in using technology to continue community development. With respect to the marketing objectives, lead conversion has become the top priority for the current event model. Therefore, the event operation team will need to constantly work hand in hand with the digital team and sales team to embrace the new challenges and generate strategies. A good balance among the teams will foster brand awareness, and in the near future, convert valuable leads into qualified opportunities.

In general, marketing takes time. Instead of constantly changing marketing strategies, ACE knows that for all marketers, prioritising the customer relationship and staying close with clients are the key factors for long term brand engagement.