Uniquely Heroic

Unique Corporate Event Planning Ideas

Posted on by KHart

If your team already knows what to expect from your annual company meeting, or they’ve seen some version of the same PowerPoint presentation ten times now, you may be due for some fresh corporate event planning ideas. Your attendees will thank you for it!

Corporate event planning ideas should be guided by your brand personality and strategic goals, with thoughtful consideration of location, entertainment, and timing of activities. The key to your attendees’ delight is in the details! To make your next gathering one to remember in all the right ways, here are a few corporate event planning ideas and tips to keep in mind. To illustrate how impactful these corporate event planning ideas can be, we’ll be using an example of an intimate event set at a beautiful Napa Valley vineyard that had pitch-perfect planning and execution.

Recommended Reading: Heroic’s Guide to Corporate Event Strategies

Gather with purpose

Carefully evaluating a venue’s location is integral to the success of any corporate event. If you’re gathering in person, gather with purpose. With that in mind, it’s important to let the “why” of your event” inform the “where” and “when.” When companies were hosting events at the height of the pandemic, they had to select locations that allowed planners to create standout experiences while also adhering to health safety protocols. Also, sometimes it’s just more fun to be outside. For example, we were wowed by a financial service company and their perfectly executed corporate event at a Napa vineyard. The ideal location and California sun gave attendees a refreshed perspective and a memorable experience. 

Timing is also a big factor here. If your vision is to create attendee experiences outside of a hotel’s 4 walls,  there’s such a thing as too much heat (and humidity) and then there is the hurricane season. Consider both the geography and the time of year if you want ideal outdoor conditions.

 A venue’s layout also affects the flow of the event, so be sure to consider how open or intimate a space you’d need to achieve your desired impact. Have you ever attended a breakout session in a rock climbing gym? You wouldn’t forget it if you did. How about an early yoga lesson on the beach? Don’t be afraid to get creative with the space!

Get creative with entertainment

Strategy should guide all corporate event decision-making, and entertainment is no different. Whether you’re hiring a musician to play between work sessions or a comedian to roast the CEO at your awards show, unique entertainment choices are a great way to engage and inspire your attendees. Think about what kind of performance might help your employees break out of their everyday mindset. Could they use a laugh right now? Or do they want to be inspired? The difference between the success of a stand-up comic or a motivational speaker could lie in the needs of your attendees.


Whatever talent you might hire, the best way to make corporate entertainment unique is to incorporate it in a creative and surprising way. If you’re hiring a band, consider asking them to write an original song specifically for the event. If you’re hiring a magician, think about which team members have great personalities for being on-stage assistants—it could add an extra touch of fun and connection to the performance.

Make it interactive

Interactive performances and events make an impact. Any opportunity to directly involve your attendees is only going to elevate the event. This could be as simple as inviting attendees on stage or offering attendees to “drink and draw” along with an instructor. 

Going back to the winery event example, a highlight was the team of jugglers that performed at the award ceremony. Some jugglers were dressed as waiters, and, midway through the presentations, began tossing wine bottles about as if by accident. This fun and unexpected surprise kept attendees engaged throughout the ceremony. Creative entertainment choices like this excite your attendees and have them looking forward to the company’s next event for months to come.

Personalize the experience

Another great way to keep your attendees engaged is to design the experience with them specifically in mind. What do your attendees need? Let that need guide the event idea. If your employees haven’t met yet, and they need a team-building exercise, an escape room might be a fun corporate event planning idea for the team. Or even if you know that you need your attendees sitting in chairs all day, there are ways to personalize that experience.

Let’s go back to the winery example one more time (we really loved this event!). As the attendees moved through a beautiful winery all day, enjoying the wine country scenery and juggling waiters, they were also each given a personalized wine bottle. The wine was delicious, the inscriptions on their labels were thoughtful, and no one left the event feeling like a number. It’s attention to detail like this that makes all of the difference for event planners’ success.

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Don’t forget the fun

When designing an event, consider your attendees’ feelings and how you want them to feel. Let the meeting agenda and your unique event activities evolve from there, and whatever you do—don’t forget the fun. It’s safe to assume everyone wants to let their hair down every once in a while, and a unique corporate event planning idea has the power to transform your attendees’ mindset. 

We’ve all seen the same presentations over and over. We’ve all sat in familiar rows of chairs, facing a seemingly endless lineup of corporate speakers. For your next event, consider flipping typical event planning ideas on their heads. When you think outside of the box, you’ll inspire your attendees to do the same.

 If you’re looking for a corporate event production team that thinks of everything, contact Heroic today.

Please Welcome Debuts with Studio Audience at Studio15

Posted on by KHart

On Thursday, August 18, Heroic Productions launched a brand new, innovative event series called “Please Welcome”. Designed specifically for corporate leaders, marketing, and event professionals, Studio15 @ Heroic buzzed with the sights and sounds of live production, in front of a studio audience. But don’t worry! If you weren’t there, you can catch the broadcast in a few weeks.

“Please Welcome” is a quarterly experience, created by the event strategists at Heroic. Kris Campbell, VP of Speakers & Entertainment, explained that one of many challenges event professionals face today is selecting and booking the best talent that represents, enhances, and punctuates overall event objectives. There are many, many options. And often, while conducting an online search, the one that rings your bell is on the page you didn’t get to because you ran out of search-steam. That’s exactly why working with a talent strategist like Heroic is the answer.

As an example of how the right talent enhances a brand experience, Heroic welcomed and presented Denise Soler Cox onto the inaugural “Please Welcome” stage. At the onset of the event, Kitty Hart, Heroic’s VP of Brand Experience, told us we were in for something special. And she was right.

Denise Soler Cox is a first-generation Latina, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, and keynote speaker. She floated onto the stage with grace and wrapped her arms around the audience with a beautiful explanation of what it means to create a sense of belonging; something she realized is a deficiency for many. 

Resonating with corporate leaders all over the country, Denise is in high demand as she poses the question, “How can we ask people to be their ‘full selves’ at work if we don’t provide a space for people to experience Belonging?” As leaders understand that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is now DEIB (B for belonging), there is still much to be done to help people understand the critical nuance needed to authentically build the feeling of belonging for EVERYONE. 

You can learn more about Denise by contacting Kris Campbell and viewing Denise’s film trailer. 

When’s the next “Please Welcome”? Sign up for our news so you’re always in-the-know for everything #UniquelyHeroic!

Heroic’s Guide to Corporate Event Strategies for 2022 and Beyond

Posted on by McKenna LaFave

If you’ve ever driven with kids in the car, you’re familiar with the question: “Are we there yet?” That’s what it has felt like the last two years for anyone who plans corporate events or develops the corporate event strategy.

With joy in our hearts, we can finally proclaim: Yes! We’re there!

Now it’s time for a new set of questions. Like, how have corporate events changed? What are the latest corporate event trends? And, what’s the best way to get started planning? 

We’re here to address these questions and more, including:  

  • How to reignite your corporate event strategy
  • What’s trending in corporate events 
  • How to create memorable brand experiences 
  • How to start planning your next corporate event 
  • How to measure your event success 
Corporate Event Strategies Guide CTA

How to reignite your corporate event strategy

Prior to the pandemic, in-person events were the gold standard for brands. It’s almost as if the event wasn’t live, it didn’t happen at all. As a result, virtual events, which existed long before the pandemic, often took a backseat to in-person events.

That sentiment is shifting big time.

Virtual events have hit their stride. In fact, we believe in-person events that include a virtual offering play an integral role in any corporate event, especially when you need to: 

  • Reach a bigger audience
  • Accommodate folks who are unable to attend in-person 
  • Manage your travel budget

What’s trending in corporate events? (How to give it that wow-factor)

Every day, we talk to brand and marketing leaders about their event goals and objectives and two things keep bubbling to the top of those conversations.

People want connection

Whether it comes in the form of networking with new people or reconnecting in person with longtime colleagues, the trend is all about establishing and strengthening relationships. 

This is especially true for companies that went from 100 percent in-office to 100 percent remote in a very short period of time. When planning your corporate event, be strategic with your agenda structure and create space and creative tactics to encourage connection, teamwork and celebration. 

People want to have fun

After two years of staring at laptop screens, people are ready for something different – they’re ready to meet in-person. We’re seeing more interest in laughter, inspiration, balance, real-talk and fun. 

Frankly, we’ve never been happier to have speakers and entertainment as part of our core offerings.

Bringing in outside speakers and talent that are aligned with your event goals create that momentous experience for your audience. While the phrase “surprise and delight” may seem overused, this is definitely the time for it. 

How to create memorable brand experiences (on stage, on-screen, or both)

Lasting impressions rarely happen by accident. They take vision, creativity and lots of planning. Showing up strong at your next event starts with nailing your goals and objectives. This is the springboard for your ever-so-important event strategy. 

What’s the format?

Shakespeare couldn’t have predicted just how true his “all the world’s a stage” line would be in today’s world. The stage can be physical, like at an in-person corporate event. Or the stage can be “on-screen,” like during a virtual event.

What options does the format offer for branding?

In-person events offer more familiar opportunities for communicating your brand in the overall event design – think scenic elements, graphic design, signage, collateral and swag. All of these remain important and should be part of your overall event strategy as they impact the experience you are creating for your audience.

Virtual corporate events have plenty of branding opportunities, too.  

When we produce events for the small screen, we use what’s called a virtual platform to deliver the event. This virtual event technology is an intricate component of your event strategy. It not only sets your event apart from everyday Zoom or Teams calls, it supports the content and experience you are creating and managing.

Virtual events offer many opportunities to let your brand shine. From your pre-communications strategy to registration, to the login screen and pre-show lobby, to your mainstage, breakout rooms and so on – integrating your brand into the design of all touch points is critical. 

Your audience should know immediately that they are at your event, just as you do when you see an Apple launch or the NFL draft, as every detail supports the brand and the goals and objectives of the event.    

A friendly word of caution

Maybe it was living through two years of Zoom calls from home, but we’ve noticed audiences have a low tolerance for technical mishaps, poor quality, awkward transitions and lackluster production. Be sure to invest the time and dollars to make your next event feel special (whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid). Your audience has been waiting for it.

How to start planning your next event

We all appreciate the gift of time, and that’s certainly true in the events industry. Where possible, our clients bring us into the planning process early. We’ve earned a seat at the table by bringing an objective clarity to their event goals and by providing a seasoned, strategic approach to planning and execution.

It is beneficial to nail down essential considerations early, especially:

Event location

This is driven by many factors including the type of meeting (incentive will drive the location/type of hotel), demographics of your audience (east/west coast, etc), airport accessibility, union/non-union labor city, expo component, your budget, etc.

Venue selection

This is critical to your event flow so approach this with a concise list of “must haves,” including: quantity and size of breakout rooms, General Session square footage/shape/ceiling heights with no low-hanging chandeliers, your preferred seating layout, staging/scenic footprint, flow of meeting space, outside meeting space, reception areas, and now more important than ever – the hotel guidelines and budget add-ons.

Site visits

Involve your production partner as you consider a venue for your event and include them on your initial and follow-up site visits. Their view is a combination of technical and production savvy and a discriminating view on what is possible to execute at a specific venue. Your production partner sees different things during site visits that should be factored into the technical budget. They will inquire about rig points, power, load-in restrictions and can also provide specific requests before a contract is signed. 

If event marketing is part of your strategy, you know the importance of making the event unforgettable. That’s where working with an outside partner can make all the difference in delivering a unique experience that drives your messaging and goals. They can:

  • Help you articulate your goals and objectives
  • Focus on understanding your target audience and what drives them
  • Discuss problems your audience may have directly or indirectly related to the event subject matter
  • Drive creative ideas and content that support your brand, messaging and engage your audience
  • Ask hard questions like – what do you want your audience to feel, to do after attending your event
  • Take broad ideas and funnel them down to what is impactful
  • Work with you on timeline management
Corporate Event Strategies Guide CTA

Timeline for planning a corporate event? 

There’s no magic number or foolproof equation. It all depends on what you’re trying to achieve and the support and resources. For example:

  • Do you need to bring people together quickly for an announcement? Or are you sharing a new strategic direction for the company?
  • Is it a brand-new product launch? Or the next iteration of an existing product?
  • Is it a one-time special recognition event? Or an important fundraiser?
  • Is your approval process straightforward or multi-layered with many stakeholders?
  • Is accessibility to leadership’s calendar accessible or impossible?
  • Do you have a budget to support partnering with an agency to produce and execute your meeting or are you driving solo?

Measuring the success of your corporate event

No matter how meaningful an event is, it also needs to deliver measurable value to the business. Who doesn’t want to show ROI to their leadership? Which route you take to measure your results depends on the goals and the corporate event strategy you established. For example:

  • Traditional measures – You can follow up with your audience using an email poll or survey.  
  • Technology – Virtual event platforms provide a wide variety of stats and data about your event – like how often people engage on the platform, which breakouts they attended, or which content they reacted to.  
  • Content-related goals – Let’s say you have an annual sales meeting. You could track customer engagement or retention after the event. If you introduce a new sales process, you can measure whether you have an uptick in sales after three or six months. If you host a state of the business update, you can follow it up with interviews.

It’s your move

We hope these corporate event tips and insights are helpful – especially as you’re thinking ahead to your next event. Let’s chat if you get stuck in the process. Our team would love to help you reignite your corporate event strategy.

The Hero is YOU – A Closer Look at Heroic’s Rebrand

Posted on by McKenna LaFave

For more than 18 years, Heroic has helped many of Minnesota’s top 100 companies ensure that their messages are seen, heard, and remembered. It’s been humbling to have so many brands trust us to amplify and illuminate their important moments.

Recently, we reached a point in our journey where we felt our own brand needed a refresh to more accurately represent who we are, what we do.

While we are known by many for expert audio, video, and lighting services, we’ve become much more than that. Organically and over time, we’ve grown into a one-stop, event creation and production company that unifies audiences by amplifying their stories. 

It looks a little different around here at Heroic

From the beginning, we’ve been deeply aware of how the power of performance and presentation can transform an experience. Our new brand identity reflects the idea of transformation while serving as a reminder that every event we design and produce ensures our clients emerge as Heroes of their own story.

That’s why the central element in our new branding is a hero. The style is based on a tangram – one of those puzzles that creates a shape – and is grounded in the concept of transformation.  

The logo represents how our experience uniquely positions us to reconfigure and rearrange our expertise into the best order to help you tell a story.

In other words, we put the right pieces into the right place at the right time to transform your event into an experience – whether it’s our premier production team and studio facilities, strategically selected speakers, or jaw-dropping entertainment.

To build on the idea of transformation, we also created a branded pattern made from the shape of our hero’s cape. 

Then, we chose a modern font and fresh color palette to round out our new look. The color green is bold and exciting, just like the experiences we create. 

Every brand has a story

Every brand has a story – a reason for being and a vision for moving forward. Sharing these stories and future visions is where Heroic comes in.

When we create an event for our clients, we find the details and themes to amplify, strategically weaving the most important concepts throughout every moment. It’s the core of what we do: making a brand’s story shine through deep immersion, ingenious creative, and transformative experiences.

By rebranding, we did the same thing for ourselves. 

Throughout the creative process, we worked hard to stay true to our roots, authentic to what makes us great, and consistent in always buttoning up every detail, because even the smallest touchpoints matter.

While our new look is different, our mission remains the same: to rally your stakeholders, team members, and valued partners – moment by moment, person by person – to take the future by storm, making each person a hero in their own story, inspired by the best in all of us. 

Ready to amplify your story?

Are you at a place in your company’s journey where you need to create a momentous experience? Do you want the kind of big beginning that integrates seeds of ideas, strategies for change, and sparks of success? 

Let’s talk.

Heroic is a complete creative event production company that can amplify your brand strategy through impactful live and virtual experiences. Known for being incredibly passionate about our work, we’re also experts at turning key information and initiatives into entertaining and illuminating experiences. 

The result? 

Our clients bolster understanding, rally stakeholders, and energize action—all as a natural outcome of unforgettable, flawlessly executed events.

How to Choose an Event Production Partner

Posted on by McKenna LaFave

Nothing is more important to the success of an event than partnering with a company who can ensure your visual and audio components are executed flawlessly. But, with so many companies out there, how do you decide which one is right for you and your event?

The key word here is partner. The right event production company will be more than a supplier of equipment and labor. You can take advantage of their years of experience to get sound advice and new ideas that can make your event more interesting, fun, or all-around impressive. Choose the right partner, and you can actually look forward to your event instead of worrying.

What should you look for?

Experience

What is the company’s track record? Do they have solid testimonials? What’s their experience working events similar to yours in size, venue, and complexity? Don’t make assumptions about what they can and cannot do because services and capabilities vary from one company to another. How much of their capacity is in-house, and how much do they outsource?

Creativity

It takes more than efficient AV set-up, execution, and tear-down to produce a seamless, memorable event. It takes artistry and imagination. Can they think outside the box and offer suggestions that will improve the vision of your event or add technological elements you’d never have thought up yourself?

Willingness to work within your budget

Everyone has a budget regardless of the size or scope of their event. The right partner will have your back here, with no hidden fees or last-minute surprises. They’ll help you get maximum bang for your buck, advising when it’s best to spend more money and where you can cut costs without compromise.

Communication

Choose a partner who is a good listener and an eager participant — excited to assist with planning your event as well as execution. That strengthens the quality of your production, eliminates misunderstandings, and makes ongoing communication easier. Equally important, it ensures the final event meets your business goals in ways that clearly communicate your brand.

Teamwork and a Great Culture

Camaraderie counts. You want a partner whose people work well and happily with each other because how they function as a team affects the work they do for you. Do you like them? You’ll be spending a lot of time together, much of it under stressful conditions. You want fabulous results, but getting there shouldn’t be torturous. So, how’s their sense of humor and “cultural vibe?”

You’ll find that not every event production company is a good fit for you or your project. Frankly, if you don’t like them or believe in their expertise and talent, you won’t trust them. And trust and flexibility are critical when you’re producing any event. Choose well, though, and you’ll find a long-term partner who will be a multi-value resource when it comes to creating flawless, unforgettable future events.

NEW WORLD, NEW YEAR, NEW BRAND

Posted on by McKenna LaFave

A letter from our CEO

It is with great pride that I introduce you to a newly designed and updated Heroic Productions brand identity! After 18 wildly exciting and successful years, we decided it was time for this cobbler to get new shoes and better tell our own story.

Having supported and partnered with our clients over the years through brand launches and countless monumental events, we have a wonderful, new story to tell. After all, turning 18 is a pivotal “coming of age”. In lieu of a raise-the-roof party…as most 18 year olds do, we chose to mark the occasion with a rebrand that more effectively represents Heroic Productions, today. 

Those who know us from “back in the day” may remember us on stage as Temporary Heroes, a popular R&B band. We called ourselves “Temporary” because once the gig was over, it was each of us musicians that were responsible for striking the set, packing equipment, and schlepping the gear home. For the few hours on stage, we were everyone’s hero as they sang and danced, and simply enjoyed the sights and sounds. 

The ethic of intense practice and crafting a performance to perfection is what led to the creation of Heroic Productions. Over the past 18 years, we’ve amplified and illuminated event experiences on countless stages and virtual environments. Our work has taken us all over the world proudly supporting event production needs for many of Minnesota’s top 100 companies as well as national Fortune 500 companies, ensuring that their messages are perfectly seen, heard, and remembered. But audio, video, and lighting were just the beginning. Today, we are a one-stop event creation and production company that unifies audiences by amplifying their stories. We help make a brand’s story shine – in person or virtually through ingenious creative and immersive experiences.

We may look different today but our mission remains the same: to rally stakeholders, team members and valued partners – moment by moment, person by person – to take the future by storm, making each a hero in their own story, inspired by the best in all of us. 

I expect some of you may say, “Well, it’s about time, Jon!” 

My response? This team is just getting started. Our new brand identity is a future-focused signal of our ever changing world, and a reminder that every event we design and produce ensures that our client walks away the Hero as audiences leave inspired and wanting more. 

Thank you for being part of Heroic’s past and inspiration for our future, together.

Now, take a look around our new website and reach out to the Heroic team when you’re ready to make your next event legendary!

Jon Young
President & CEO

Guide: Planning for impactful Hybrid Events

Posted on by McKenna LaFave

Combining virtual and in-person events is more than a trend – it’s the new normal. Here’s what you need to know about hybrid event planning.

You’ve probably heard this before. Here’s a shocker: The shift to hybrid event planning is a great opportunity! 

Webinars, online conferences, and virtual events serve specific purposes because of flexibility and safety – in-person and live experiences engage people differently. And in person, you can be 100% confident everyone is wearing pants!

Continue reading “Guide: Planning for impactful Hybrid Events”