The World Business Council for Sustainable Development evolve the conference world with a full hybrid experience.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a global community of leading businesses driving systems transformation for a better world in which 9+ billion people can live well, within planetary boundaries, by mid-century. Together with its members, WBCSD seeks to accelerate the required transformation of businesses, their value chains, and the systems in which they operate to tackle the three pressing, interconnected challenges of climate emergency, the loss of nature and mounting inequality.
To drive this transformative agenda, WBCSD’s community of sustainable leaders come together at the organization’s flagship events, one of which takes place in Montreux every year.
The Brief | Changing Up Conferences
2Heads was delighted to be invited to create WBCSD’s first-ever hybrid Liaison Delegate (LD) Meeting in 2022. The award-winning forum held a series of live and virtual sessions over three days.
In 2023, WBCSD wanted to forge forward with the inclusive format and briefed 2Heads to push the boundaries with a content-rich and hybrid-experienced conference that attracted senior decision-makers from the world’s leading businesses and created the best possible platform for them to address the ever-pressing sustainability challenges.
The Liaison Delegate Meeting served as the launch pad for WBCSD’s new brand framework and all engagement needed to place their new look front and central.
The Solution | A Fully Hybrid Experience
Whether delegates were in Montreux or attending from elsewhere in the world, WBCSD and 2Heads created a meeting experience that offered the same benefits to discover, debate and solve challenges collectively.
The WBCSD conference featured top sustainability experts who spoke over three days. The schedule was carefully crafted to deliver a seamless, informative, and captivating program.
The daily plan prioritized delegate enjoyment and interaction through hybrid breakout sessions. These sessions were designed to guide guests to the most suitable session for their business needs. The plan also included networking and hospitality opportunities to bring the conference together. Mindfulness was also placed on the agenda, with a morning session of meditation and yoga offered to all guests and a conference structure that encouraged participation and interaction to stop event fatigue.
We partnered with award-winning virtual platform Gther to build a ‘twinned’ event that was 100% embedded in the DNA of the Liaison Delegate Meeting. As opposed to just streaming a live conference, special consideration was given to roundtable structures so online audiences could interact with live audiences. Mentimeter polling and live chat systems were used for engagement and were managed by real-time curators.
The Gther-powered event App created a fully branded micro-verse that immersed audiences in the refreshed look and feel, whether registering in person or online.
Across the hybrid three days, 2Heads partnered with WBCSD on all aspects of the conference, from experience design, production, broadcasting, motion-graphics, streaming, networking, video and editing content creation to:
- Create a fully hybrid plenary conference that brought international speakers to a world-accessible stage.
- Offer guests unparalleled access to WBCSD thought leaders and break-out sessions.
- Showcase a solutions-based approach through immersive ‘moments and timelines.
- Launch WBCSD’s first thematic hybrid lunch format with four simultaneous meetings on redefining value, climate, nature action and equity.
- Redefine the hybrid event with over 48 individual hybrid sessions on offer.
- Generate conversation through fully interactive tools, including apps, polling, online chat and an event micro-verse.
- Allow guests to engage and download essential content from a fully branded media library, updated in real-time with new sessions.
- Connect guests with experts in the fields of sustainability and offer a range of roundtables to meet individual needs and questions.
- Manage over 600 delegates and VIPs from over 50 countries.
The Results | The Numbers Speak for Themselves
- 3 days of live and hybrid networking events, panel discussions and workshops
- 8 hybrid breakout sessions over two non-plenary days
- Flagship plenary day featuring six interactive plenary sessions with renowned experts and a webcast.
- 4 thematic hybrid lunch meeting and 3 Meditation sessions for inner balance
- Dedicated first timer networking event, lunch meetings and briefing sessions.
- 11 half circle debate & learning session and 29 roundtable debate & learning sessions with 4 sessions on average active every two hours
- 4 live reporting session
- 18 networking and hospitality events including the Liaison Delegate Dinner and the Gala Dinner with a keynote speech from famous Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard
- Over 200 speakers and presenters with 20 guests minimum per session
- 600 live guests and 1,100+ online guests in attendance
- 6,500+ Online engagements
- 771 streamed hours of video
- In total, 48 hybrid sessions ensured visitors worldwide could participate in pushing the all-important sustainability agenda across global business.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development lead the way with their first hybrid Liasion Delegate Meeting.
WBCSD is the premier global, CEO-led community of over 200 of the world’s leading sustainable businesses working collectively to accelerate the system transformations needed for a net zero, nature positive, and more equitable future.
They do this by engaging executives and sustainability leaders from business and elsewhere to share practical insights on the obstacles and opportunities currently being faced in tackling the integrated climate, nature and inequality sustainability challenge.
The Brief | A Conference for the Modern Age
A key annual forum for WBCSD to deliver its agenda and enable its members to collaborate on solutions is the Liaison Delegate meeting held in Montreux, Switzerland. Held over 3 days, the LD meeting was delivered both live and virtually, and attracted senior decision makers from many of the world’s leading businesses to tackle the planet’s ever pressing sustainability challenges.
The Solution | A Hybrid Immersion
Focusing on a intensive schedule of plenary sessions and breakout roundtables, we worked closely with WBCSD to ensure every delegate journey was smooth, informative and engaging.
We also built a ‘twinned’ event on our proprietary software EventHive VX for all of WBCSD’s international delegates unable to travel. Across the hybrid three days, we hosted an online conference with experience design, production, broadcasting, motion-graphics, streaming, networking and video content creation to:
- Livestream the Liaison Delegate plenary conference worldwide
- Offer guests unparalleled access to WBCSD thought leaders and speaker sessions
- Showcase a solutions-based approach through immersive ‘moments’ and timelines
- Provide an online networking event for those unable to physically attend
- Allow guests to engage and download essential content
- Connect guests with experts in the fields of sustainability
- Manage VIP invites and delegates from over 40 countries
The Results | An International Community Engaged
Guests from over forty countries were able to join WBCSD and their expert speakers at the Liasion Delegate meeting regardless of time-zone and scheduling differences. The WBCSD vision was creatively delivered to delegates via break out rooms and plenary experiences experienced both physically and digitally. Conversations, debate and discussion between WBCSD and guests hugely increased understanding and helped form plans for the future. The Conference App and virtual twin event hosted on EventHive VX allowed a seamless immersion into the content and livestream for international visitors. The Liason Delegate Meeting enjoyed 400 attendees in Montreaux and 30,000 online engagements over 15 sessions with almost 20,000 unique views of content and sessions.
QinetiQ set the bar high at DSEI with a multi-layered delegate experience.
DSEI at the ExCel London is the UK’s premier defence event, connecting governments, thought leaders and the entire security supply chain on a global scale. For QinetiQ, a world leading centre of excellence for industry research and development, their presence at this event was highly important. As developers of cutting-edge technology and integrated solutions, discussion and demonstration of their innovative approaches was critical to the success of their presence at DSEI.
The Brief | Hybrid Interaction Available for All
DSEI presents a range of valuable opportunities for networking and QinetiQ wanted a suitable platform for business in both the physical and online space. The team challenged 2Heads to create a fresh, unique look to their global show programme which would be launched at DSEI and evolved into 2022. All guests, from virtual to live needed access to relevant content & in-action demonstrations so to feel part of the QinetiQ community. Interactive elements needed to be considered and intuitive so to strengthen relationships, share knowledge and allow guests to engage in QinetiQ’s latest capabilities.
The Solution | A Hybrid Product Immersion
To launch QinetiQ’s forward-looking approach, we developed a physical space focused on flow and shape. User journeys were planned around ergonomic shapes to channel guests towards six zones reflective of QinetiQ’s core offerings. Engagement awaited in interactive totems and physical models with the seamless touch to content approach working well. A software screen innovation, guests were able to seamlessly launch video assets as they dove deeper into a products capabilities.
We also built a ‘DSEI-twinned’ event on our proprietary software EventHive VX. Across the hybrid three days, we hosted QinetiQ’s online conference with experience design, production, broadcasting, motion-graphics, streaming, networking and video content creation to:
- Unveil the latest integrated solutions QinetiQ had to offer
- Offer guests unparalleled access to QinetiQ’s thought leaders and industry guests
- Showcase a solutions-based approach through immersive touchpoints
- Provide an online networking event for those unable to physically attend
- Allow guests to engage with rich content at their fingertips
- Connect guests with experts in all fields of the defence sector
- Manage VVIP invites and delegates from over 10 countries through EventHive Sync.
The Results | A Deeper Hybrid Connection.
Guests from over ten countries were able to join QinetiQ and their experts at DSEI regardless of time-zone and scheduling differences. The QinetiQ vision and range of capabilities was creatively delivered to stakeholders who experienced the event both physically and digitally. Conversations and interactions between team and guests hugely increased understanding and connections for the future. The touch to content application allowed a seamless deep dive into product offerings that represented a step change in how QinetiQ promote their capabilities and online, QinetiQ at DSEI also enjoyed 6000 engagements over 350 sessions with almost 1800 individual views of content and demonstrations
The Brief | A Showcase with Meaning
As a digitally led business Airbus wanted to connect with potential new employees at international eSports event Gamescom in Cologne. At a show well-known for highly competitive engagement innovation, Airbus chose 2Heads as their agency to merge experiential marketing with digital solutions. Inclusivity and diversity were a crucial message and 2Heads designed an event that centered around the Airbus all-female gaming team, Out of the Blue and the crowd’s interaction with them. Using the hybrid event tech setup, we invited participants into a physical space to take part in a virtual tournament of ‘League of Legends,’ against the OOB team with the opportunity, once engaged, to learn more about Airbus via other digital solutions.
The Solution | A Non-stop Streaming Hybrid Event
Airbus Social media wanted to use the campaign to promote worldwide visibility of the Airbus brand and career opportunities. We created the campaign #LEVELUP in support of the event as it spoke to both worlds, career progression and gaming; both fueled by the drive to reach the next goal. #LEVELUP was supported by press releases, a three-week social media campaign to engage key influencers and in-show promotional giveaways with all sign-ups to the tournament engaged online.
The physical space we created was pure gamer architecture with the focus on the digital immersion once entered. We even put the full setup on show with full light and sound decs, 90” screens, live stream setup and caster control monitors. From engagement through VR showcases and Hololens Airbus demonstrations, we used digital aspects to create content opportunities for the audience to populate their own social media feed. Within the full packed agenda, we merged physical events such as live robotics programming experience with the digital such as the Airbus coding competition. To create real energy around the space, our team also developed a series of Event Hacks; takeover moments with screens, sound and lighting being ‘hacked’ to run a tight crowd interaction sequence, ending with giveaways of exclusive branded swag from Airbus and the OOB team. These moments only lasted 2-3 minutes but resulted in crowd surges of 180-200%.
The Results | A Focus on Guest Interactions
A key part of the strategy was to highlight diversity and inclusivity in tech careers. By opening up challenge matches with the OOB team to anyone from the audience, Airbus celebrated the diversity of people at GamesCom and the wider gaming community. Dwell time as a result was considerable, we recorded a big increase in brand awareness, and visitors came back day after day to continue the experience.
What we liked about the 2Heads concept was the way it told a full comprehensive story about our presence at gaming events as Airbus, and the partnership Airbus is building with eSports.
Airbus Employment Marketing
- 36,000 visitors over the 4-day event with 3,000 direct interactions in the tech demos.
- The #LevelUp campaign enjoyed 11,300 social media interactions
- There were a further 1.6 million online impressions, including 62,800 Instagram story impressions and 158,000 Facebook impressions
- The twitch live feed enjoyed 2,640 visitors during tournament time and hundreds of video recording views.
- The tournament was fully booked throughout the 4 days with the original 8 team slots increased by 250% to 20 team slots. During the tournament 185 different people battled the OOB all female team
- Crucially, Airbus benefited from a substantial increase in applications and conversions for job applicants directly from the event.
Belden’s hybrid CIC launch signals bright future for experiential marketing.
With the advent of the pandemic and a growing need for sustainable alternatives to air travel, consumer innovation centres are growing in popularity again. We were commissioned by Belden to build their physical centre in Stuttgart, Germany. Belden Inc, a global leader in high quality signal transmission solutions, have a comprehensive product portfolio they needed to market and we proposed a hybrid solution of digital and physical CIC spaces to allow their visitors experience a near parallel immersion into this portfolio and ethos.
The Brief | A Multilayered Approach
- Design and build a physical customer innovation centre in Stuttgart that showcase their innovative solutions and illustrate how Belden securely transmit the growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today’s applications.
- Design and create an augmented reality digital twin of the CIC for global visitors to enjoy, and evidence Belden as the center of the global transformation to a connected world.
- Design and deliver their first global virtual and hybrid event in a way that would capture the depth of their expertise as encapsulated in the two CIC’s.
The Solution | A Virtual Grand Opening
We created and hosted a hybrid grand opening on our proprietary software EventHive VX that included experience design, production, augmented-reality, broadcasting, motion-graphics, streaming, networking and video content creation to:
- Unveil the new state-of-the-art virtual CIC.
- Offer guests unparalleled access to Belden’s new CIC.
- Showcase a solutions-based approach.
- Create an immersive 3D experience and networking event.
- Allow Belden’s guests fully-enabled mobile and remote access to CIC.
- Create engaging rich content with visual glimpses into the center environment.
- Provide guests with full access to networking sessions with Belden experts.
- Create content for social media outreach.
The Results | A Tangible Return
Through game engine technology, 2Heads designed a version of the CIC that excited and enticed with creative elements not possible in real life. With delays to the launch of the physical CIC, Belden were able to launch their online version to a much wider audience via a grand opening ceremony held online via EventHive VX.
Our internal stakeholders were blown away by the new format and are already looking forward to the next one! The virtual event enabled us to access our key customers around the globe and kept them engaged throughout. The platform is really strong and complimented the Belden content and speakers perfectly, also allowing our audience to interact in a meaningful way
Ghislaine Burmeister | Marketing & Communications Manager | Belden
The Belden CIC launch enjoyed over 1000 VIP guests from sixty-one countries and hosted over 2,700 sessions. From this there was 13,000 direct interactions and the virtual CIC continues to receive an average of 200 visitors per day.
Rolls-Royce wows guests with digital immersion reception.
Rolls-Royce wanted to promote their ‘Pioneers of Power’ vision to key business stakeholders and decision makers at a tier one aviation event Paris Air Show. An important date in the Rolls-Royce show calendar, PAS draws together over 140,000 industry professionals, 3,500 journalists and 180,000 members of the public.
The Brief | A Digital Welcome that Works
Rolls-Royce wished to focus their presence at PAS on their VIP guest’s journey and ensure every experience; from greeting, meeting and presentation was reflective of the company’s brand. We were chosen to provide a welcome that stood out, evocative of Rolls-Royce reputation as pioneers of the industry whilst still reflecting Rolls-Royces brand values as they conducted business with their peers.
The Solution | Showcasing the Future
We created a central digital experience to showcase the breadth of the Rolls-Royce portfolio to invited guests by way of a 360-degree welcome content canyon. Juxtaposition of different wall angles and additional hidden spaces with synchronised film created a full immersion experience that positioned Rolls-Royce as a world leading industrial technology company in a changing world.
The digital showcase of external façade and internal welcome activations incited visitors to linger. A fully digitalised reception consisting of ten separate ‘walls’ of LED screens told one cohesive story of Rolls-Royce’s product portfolio before taking viewers into Rolls-Royces’ vision for the future. Through full height motion-graphics, we ensured the Rolls-Royce corporate narrative was demonstrated in a way that was tangible and interactive. The result was a high impact experience for delegates, disrupting the way chalets are normally presented at aviation events.
The Results | High Impact
The chalet was absolutely fantastic and I’ve had really positive feedback from a number of senior visitors. Suffice to say, people are already getting excited about what we might have up our sleeves for Dubai.
Simon Carlise | Strategy Director | Rolls-Royce
This ‘hybrid project’ combined the talents of our digital content team with the experience of our live team. Using virtual reality (VR) helped the internal team and client to visualise how the final experience would work and brought the space to life in an immersive preview.
Rolls-Royce’s unique environment helped position them as a pioneering industrial technology company that invests in the future; an aviation giant that disrupts the norm and pushes for change via digital engagement.
