In our previous blog post, we talked briefly about the need for a online platform and how we created ‘My Anywhere’ to fulfil those needs for our clients. 

For a few weeks now, we’ve been teasing you with the idea of ‘My Anywhere’ but what actually is it? 

In this blog post we will cover:

• A full explanation of  ‘My Anywhere’
• The need for virtual media platforms
• What can the platform be used for?
• The future of online events  

A full explanation of ‘My Anywhere’

We briefly mentioned in our previous blog post what ‘My Anywhere’ is and how it works. But we want to talk more fully about its benefits and the countless opportunities it can offer our clients. 

Firstly, ‘My Anywhere’ is a virtual media platform, offering a completely bespoke online events service to a variety of clients. 

At Solution17, we wanted to create something to fill the gaps we were noticing in the market for online event platforms. 

As Covid-19 took hold, we noticed the need for events to move online as they could no longer be held in person.

Since then, the lockdown has been eased, but the necessity for online media platforms has skyrocketed. 

We’ve also realised that the demand for this isn’t just down to Covid-19, but reaches a wider range of needs than we first anticipated. 

The best thing about ‘My Anywhere’ is that it is completely customisable and made from scratch for each client. 

This means that whatever you need to use it for, we can create it from the ground up to give you a unique online event experience for your customers. 

The use of live streams, pre-recorded content or even a mixture of the two means that the event can cover all eventualities. 

If it’s not possible or necessary to live stream the event, pre-recording it is a great way of still giving your customers an engaging experience without the risk live shows pose. 

However, live streaming is also a fantastic option as the energy will be electric.

A mixture of the two is great for events that don’t constantly need to be live. For example a conference that has live talks that the viewers can interact with while including pre-recorded breaks offering information that the viewers don’t need to actively participate in. 

We can also offer polling, surveys and Q&A sections where viewers can interact live with questions they are being asked or queries they may have during the live streams. This works really well for lectures and conference events. 

The need for virtual media platforms

Over the last several months at Solution17, we have experienced first hand the demand for events to be moved online. 

Although originally this seemed to be down to Covid-19’s impact on in-person events, we soon realised that many industries would actually benefit from a pivot towards digital, as they just do not need to be in person.

Of course, some events such as festivals are always better in real life. However with ‘My Anywhere’, festival events can now be opened up to everyone.

This means those who were unable to attend festivals before due to finances, disabilities or travel restrictions can now attend these shows online.

This is just one example of how an event can still be online while happening in real life too. 

If festivals are allowed to go ahead again next year in reality, the event could also be streamed live online so those who still can not attend can get in on the action via the online platform. 

There are so many opportunities that can be harnessed by the online media world. 

You may be wondering how revenue can be generated for event hosts using ‘My Anywhere’.

This will mainly be included through the ‘tents’ or ‘break out rooms’. Companies can offer their brand as a sponsor on the event and gain valuable traffic and awareness with visibility from attendees to the virtual venue.

For example, if a food business wanted to sponsor an online festival event, they could buy a ‘tent’ in the food section and when visitors go to the food section and click that ‘tent’, they receive a discount on food from the company. They could even use their discount to order the food to their homes while enjoying the event! 

Ad breaks are also a great option for sponsors to advertise their content in between videos or live streams. 

What can the platform be used for?

The range of events the platform can cover is almost endless. 

From sporting events, fashion shows, music gigs, conferences, mass voting events and lectures, the possibilities are truly endless.

A fantastic example of this is our recent venture with Aster, a house sharing group for those looking for homes. 

We built an online platform for their annual general meeting, which is usually held in-person every year. 

Due to Covid-19, their planned 2020 event couldn’t go ahead as usual. So Aster contacted us to create an online event platform for the conference.

We created an entire platform from scratch, which allows their clients to watch pre-recorded videos explaining the improvements over the last year. 

Viewers could then view a live stream of the chairman answering questions that were being sent in by viewers and shareholders. 

We were also able to run a poll that counted live votes from the viewers on important subjects that affected them. 

This gave us insightful information in real time which was very helpful.

Another example of how the platform can be used is for a sporting event. 

Through the online platform, viewers can experience live sporting events from the comfort of their own home. 

With football matches at the moment still not being able to cater to live audiences, using this online platform would change the viewing experience for fans completely. 

Imagine getting a unique log-in to the event. Once you’re in, you can explore the arena and visit different areas created for various sections of the event. 

Before the match begins, one ‘tent’ could host a warm up from the players, showing what they do when preparing for a game.

In another ‘tent’ the commentators could be giving viewers the low down on the championship so far. 

The match could play live on the main stadium section, meanwhile viewers could visit different ‘tents’ that have live Q&A’s from players after the match. Another room could be available where you can send in live questions for ex players and commentators. 

These are just a few examples of how ‘My Anywhere’ could be used.

The future of online platforms and events 

You may be thinking that when Covid-19 has passed and events are able to happen in reality, there will not be a need for online platforms anymore. However, we believe it will be quite the opposite.

We have already learnt so much from this venture. We are starting to see the ways in which these types of platforms have been needed for sometime. 

Many events that will start up again will still benefit from having an online presence for those who are not able to attend. 

For global events, travel can be costly and having the event online would save lots of unnecessary travel and pollution. 

Conducting conferences online such as the Aster event proved that they work very well online. It also saved time commuting to venues for something that can easily be done from the comfort of home. 

We don’t want to see live events obsolete, everyone here at Solution17 loves live shows and in-person interaction. However, we can also see the need for these types of online events. Especially when they are coinciding with a live one. 

For now, this may be the ‘new normal’ but we believe this is the future!

For more information on how to get in on the action, contact us!