Fix8Group

FIX8GROUP: INNOVATING IN LOCKDOWN

Following the launch of a brand-new virtual presentation solution, OctoCue, the Manchester-based creative and technical event solutions specialist discusses manufacturing new products, building a virtual studio, and the future of live events post-pandemic…

The quality of the delivery and the clear communication of the messaging behind an event has always been the driving force in the planning and execution of FIX8Group’s services. In the wake of a global pandemic, there has been a shift in the delivery of those messages, from a live environment to one via an electronic means. The company saw that presenters wanted to be able to focus on delivering their messages but with access to tools to deliver the high production values that they are used to in a live event– that was the driving force behind the development of OctoCue. No more ‘next slide please!’ like we have all heard over the past three months. For over six years, FIX8Group has been developing an in-house content and 3D studio department to drive the improved design and visualisation of live events. “Creating complete realistic virtual environments has been a big part of our event planning and production service for both live and virtual event content delivery for some time now,” FIX8Group Technical Director, Paul Williams began, speaking to TPi on now-ubiquitous conferencing software tool, Zoom.

“We have also had extensive previous experience in extending our live event delivery to a wider audience, with additional livestreaming over the preceding years. This has meant that our existing event workflow has

managed to seamlessly switch from being predominately live in-person delivery, to now almost entirely remotely delivered events.”

FIX8Group delivers remote events just as it would a live event, where the technical team manages the delivery of the presentations, supporting video and presenter feedback (slide notes, timers, etc.) leaving the presenter to focus on delivering their presentation as smoothly as possible. “We saw no reason why this should change for virtual events,” Williams stated. “Equally, where a small radio cueing device (slide clicker) connects the presenter to the technical team to keep the show in sync at a live event, we saw that at the time no such tool for remote presenters existed.”

Simply put, FIX8Group’s goal was to bring the same professional and smooth presentation delivery style that we are well accustomed to by facilitating for live events as well as the virtual meetings market. “Six months ago, there were two extremes of virtual live events: the standard Zoom call – informal and not technologically advanced; and the broadcast event – treated like a television broadcast with lots of rehearsal time and a much bigger budget,” he explained. “There was nothing that sat in the middle.” Williams’ realisation that there was a gulf and people’s desire and their budget was what drove the innovation of OctoCue, in line with the company’s ethos. “We want our clients to understand that there is a middle ground between an Oscars-style spectacular and a Zoom meeting.”

FIX8Group Senior Project Manager, Ben Hyman joined the conversation: “There is now a set of tools being made more widely available to help clients who previously wouldn’t have livestreamed events make impactful and engaging experiences for their audiences,” he said, adding that he believes that the average viewer relishes the ability to share content with people in real time.

“Technologies have been developed very quickly over the past few weeks and months and brought to the masses. End users can improve what was a very conventional webinar, webcast or livestream – where the sophistication comes, is when the audience grows and begins contributing across the world – and production needs to be brought in as a proper remote production.”

Wi lliams believes that the constantly improving toolset is allowing people to improve their DIY, domestic livestreams, however, the Manchester-based creative and technical event solutions specialist’s value starts to come into play by “transforming these digital events from disjointed web meetings into a smooth flowing quality event for the audiences,” he continued. “We’re extremely lucky that our investment and focus has always been in the technological glue that holds events together, so we have the advantage of being able to turn our control equipment and expertise of virtual events into a much more sophisticated end result, without having a juggernaut of warehouse kit to find work for.”

In an ever-changing, dynamic market, the speed of change in the sector brought on by COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions on movement and gatherings has meant that, after the initial concept was decided upon, R&D for OctoCue had to be accelerated to a much faster pace than usual. “The need for high-quality tools to assist virtual events became extremely great in a very short space of time.”

Williams reflected on the extremely busy period helping customers and clients get to grips with the disruption to their planned events schedules. “It has been a very steep learning curve for many of our agency and direct customers, as their entire messaging strategy was based upon delivery at face-to-face events, so they have seen considerable upheaval in their ways of working,” he reported.

“It has not been without its significant challenges as, along with most events companies in our industry, we saw the same complete revenue collapse from the cancellation of all the live events we had been working on

for the rest of 2020, with question marks over some of the early 2021 events times is listening out for what clients want to achieve and what their as well.” challenges are in their ‘new normal’, and working out how we can adapt

Whilst face-to-face meetings will undoubtably return to the events what we know and understand to meet those objectives in a robust and market over time, Williams predicted that there cost-effective way,” Williams commented. will be a fundamental shift to the inclusion of “The world we work in using technology people by remote link – both to contribute to and to further communication has always been consume – to even the most traditional of event fast-paced – what’s available, how technology is formats, as the reliable and lower cost of systems consumed. The pace has only ever accelerated to facilitate this become more mainstream. in the past 25 to 30 years, so anybody who sits

“We ’ll continue to work to develop professional and plugs away at the same old thing without and reliable tools to help the people putting on innovating is always going to be on the back foot,” these events deliver the best show and messaging they can,” he said. “In the short term, we’re “There is now a set of tools Williams quipped, “and that was before 2020!” In 2020, Williams explained, adaptability and looking at enhancements to the feature set of being made more widely innovation is key to succeeding both commercially the initial OctoCue product and where we can provide hardware solutions and native software available to help clients who and to meeting the customer’s needs. “Above all, it’s challenging and mainly fun… When I left solutions to improve the presenter and technician previously wouldn’t have university, I told myself that I didn’t want to work in experience, with more exciting releases to the offering in the coming weeks and months.” livestreamed events make a job where I was doing the same thing every day and I think, after 25 years in this industry, [the past

During the Zoom chat, the duo also exclusively impactful and engaging seven years as part of FIX8Group] I have succeeded revealed the development of a virtual studio, with a master control room and a gallery for the experiences for their in that aspiration. It’s not necessarily always been plain sailing, but I have succeeded in that at least – studio to create a robust, easy-to-use and socially audiences.” and long may that continue.” distanced solution for those looking to add more production value to their live events, with a more Paul Williams TPi Photos: FIX8Group holistic approach. “Succeeding in these troubling FIX8Group’s Technical Director www.fix8group.com