What A Difference A Year Makes

This time last year - on this very day, in fact - I was hosting a two-day event at Excel, London for an audience of over 3,000.

What a difference a year makes, eh?

I’ve been hosting live events for many years now and I absolutely love what I do.

The buzz I get from a live audience is the best feeling in the world and I’m forever honing my craft as a crowd pleaser as a result.

Here’s a video I made from a show I did a year ago today, it gives you an idea of what I’m talking about:

But then everything changed.

Now of course you don’t need me to remind you of what happened. But it’s interesting to think about how best to react to life throwing a curve ball our way.

My advice? Pull something out of your hat.

You’ll be surprised what you might find there.

In my case, it was the fact that I’ve also been working in TV for the past 15 years - writing, performing, consulting - you name it. So transitioning into the virtual events world was not a giant or intimidating leap. And as of right now, all my shows - from hosting events to interactive magic (or both) - are all available virtually.

I know, I know. I thought the same thing and decided it’s totally worth the lawsuit.

I call this new arm of my act ‘Netrix’.

(and yes - I know it’s cheeky but come on - how could I resist?)

The point is, I approach these online events like TV shows - because that’s exactly what they are.

Watching a live event, in an environment with others is very different to being hunched over your desk, often alone, staring into a laptop. You see, the way we watch a screen and absorb the information or communicate with others is very different to being part of a live crowd.

Different mediums create different watching habits. Just pointing a camera at a live event and hoping it will engage, just won’t cut it.

You have to embrace the rules of telly.

You have to know the rules before you can break them.

Thankfully I did this learning in not so pressing times.

So as lockdown 1.0 hit, I went to work, collaborating with clients focusing on transforming planned live events into live TV experiences (also spending far too many hours writing puns around the word ‘virtual’).

I’m not going to lie, it was a little shaky at the start. Missed muted introductions (I know you’ve done that too) and Mr Cooper (the family dog) insisting on a cameo. But as I ironed out the kinks and embraced the ‘new normal’, I noticed that rather quickly, it all became a lot of fun. Creativity and engagement is what I love and that’s certainly what’s called for right now.

You see, get it right and the only real difference is that the audience connection requires a WiFi connection. So that’s what I’m doing now, a year on from that packed house at Excel, I’m packing myself into people’s houses.

And having delivered over 200 online events in the past 6 months, you could say I’m hitting my stride.

The funny part is that one year on, to the day, I find myself on stage again, albeit virtually. Hosting an awards evening to a few hundred people sat at home, waiting to be engaged, entertained - and more importantly - connected.

And with all the other speakers dialling it in, it’s important I don’t do the same. I don’t think I will though.

Because whilst it might be far from the norm, I’ve never been one for normal anyway.

(Oh, and if you’re looking for help with your virtual event, here’s a sneak peak at some of the shows I’m currently offering. But make sure to watch this space - there’s a lot more on the way… )