4 General Session Sets That Will Get Everyone Talking


Every section of your conference is important, but the general session area presents the premier opportunity to inspire your attendees. Here are four general session sets that leveraged cutting-edge technology and innovative designs to elevate the experiences.

Event: AOL 2013 Sales Conference
Location: The Fontainebleau Hotel and Resort, Miami Beach, Florida
Behind the Set: PRG

In 2013, Stacy Lambatos, Director, Corporate Events, AOL, told PRG that the company was looking for something different in the Sparkle Ballroom since it was the second year that the conference was at the same resort. PRG executed both a new look and feel and another way to present the content with an “Arena” in the round for an audience of 625 people, which fit perfectly into the space. PRG developed a robust technical design to showcase content and to add ROI – Return on Impact.

Event: PCMA 2014 Convening Leaders
Location: Hynes Veteran Memorial Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts
Behind the Set: Freeman

To maximize the balcony space viewing capacity at the Hynes Veteran Memorial Auditorium, Freeman designed a stage with no “back of house.” With stage presenters arriving from the main floor of the audience, the set instilled a tighter sense of community among the 4,000+ attendees at Convening Leaders. A professional DJ infused a dose of high energy into the pre-session space, and a countdown timer at the front of the room helped build anticipation for the beginning of each session.

Event: i2i Events Group – Bett 2013 – “The Bett Arena
Location: ExCeL London
Behind the Set: GES

i2i Events moved Bett 2013 to ExCeL London to accommodate more visitors.  i2i asked GES to deliver a feature stage area for  presentations which would form the centerpiece of the show. It needed to include sponsorship opportunities – both digitally and in print. GES engineered a striking tiered seating structure which spread around all 360 degrees of the arena space and overlooked a central stage. This allowed for 1,000 seats in a confined space without impacting audience visibility and comfort.

Event: TCT 2013 – Cardiovascular Research Foundation
Location: Moscone Center, San Francisco, California
Behind the Set: PSAV

With a curved 22’ x 150’ projection screen at the front of the room, PSAV helped captivate the eyes of every attendee at TCT 2013 with live surgery transmissions from around the world. The experience was more than high-definition viewing, though. With live interaction between the panelists and surgeons, it delivered high-definition engagement, too. PSAV developed a custom in-ear monitor system for moderating physicians to ensure participants were comfortable.

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