Hong Kong Highlights
One of the best things about being an event producer is the travel. Having the chance to visit so many different cities around the world is fantastic, although unfortunately, we rarely have the time to visit the tourist attractions. Spare time is limited on our trips, but that means that when we do have a free moment, we like to make the most of being in a foreign city.
We were recently in Hong Kong to produce a major medical conference and we managed to find some free time to sample a few of the delights this city has to offer. We’ve been to Hong Kong many times over the years and it truly is an incredible city, with no shortage of things to do, but one of the best things has to be the food.
One of our favourite restaurants is The Peak Lookout. This restaurant is in a beautiful setting, located at the top of The Peak and offering spectacular views. It is the perfect place to enjoy a nightcap or share one of their huge desserts!
While in Hong Kong, something you must experience is the Ngong Ping cable car. Covering a total distance of 5.7km, the cable car provides a great way to see the city. All the seats face forwards though, so you can enjoy the views on the way up the hills, but experience the surreal feeling of travelling backwards on the way down!
We’re always up for trying new places, so if you have any recommendations, why not share them with us?
Macclesfield Express - 19th November 2008
macclesfield-express-hong-kong2
Manchester Evening News - 18th November 2008
Free Keypad Training - Tuesday 18th November 2008
We’ve been using audience response keypads for many years and are always impressed by how much they add to an event, so much so that earlier this year we purchased 1,000 of them. The keypads are a fantastic way to increase audience participation and understanding, but currently the keypads are only being used to a tenth of their potential!
Media 1 is therefore launching a new, free training service for event organisers to help them find out more about what the keypads are really capable of. As well as providing organisers with the opportunity to become familiar with the system the course will also demonstrate the wide range of uses they can have – from assessing audience feedback on debates, to managing AGM voting, and more.
Our first free training session is scheduled for Tuesday 18th November, so if you are interested in taking part or would like any further information, please email info@media1productions.co.uk
How-Do.Co.Uk - Wednesday 1st October 2008
Seeing The Greener Side of Business
These days a small carbon footprint is becoming an increasingly important business credential. Global warming is a hot topic, but for anyone involved in international conferences and events, how do we go about strengthening our green credentials?
Even for the hardiest environmentalists amongst us, it isn’t always possible to use the most eco-friendly products or equipment all the time - when we have a conference to produce in Hong Kong, a bicycle is going to be of little help, but in addition to the necessity for travel, think of all the wastage that occurs with everything from the stage carpets being skipped to complete exhibition stands being thrown out after a single use, not to mention energy for traditional lighting.
But we can make things better, by working together to look at new ways to minimise the impact of every event we do and by carbon offsetting those unavoidable flights.
For example, Media 1 has a stock set that has been used for all kinds of events since 1999! Constructed primarily from wood, not only has this set prevented the wastage of a huge amount of materials by avoiding continuous rebuilding, but it has also saved our clients money. The set is neutral in colour, meaning we use lighting to maximum effect – and if you’re worrying about energy, LED lights use a fraction of the power and enable an infinite array of colours to be displayed.
It just goes to show that being green doesn’t have to be a huge drain on your time and finances…it can be quite the opposite in fact!
If you have any green event tips why not tell us about them?
Manchester Evening News - Tuesday 21st October 2008
Manchester Evening News - Tuesday 12th August 2008
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1062134_media_1s_got_the_answers
Macclesfield Express - Wednesday 20th August 2008
Fingers on Buzzers!
OK, so who’s attended – or hosted - a conference or meeting, where you’ve felt the audience is losing interest? Chances are most people at some point. Holding audience attention is key to a successful event and this means not only providing stimulating content, but also making it interactive so the audience feels part of the proceedings.
It’s probably one of the reasons the TV programme ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ is so successful – the audience feels that they are involved - even if they’re just pressing a keypad, rather than acting as the ‘phone a friend’!
Media 1 has just invested £1/4m in the latest state-of-the-art technology, with part of the investment being spent on 1,000 Turning Point audience response keypads. This gives instant feedback on what the audience is thinking, while allowing confidentiality and anonymity.
This type of interaction allows you to seek opinions, test knowledge and reinforce learning, quickly and easily, while bringing events to life.
If you have any thoughts or experiences on interaction at events, we’d love to hear them.