FIRST EVENT's Digital Team

First Event’s digital team was brand new in late 2020. In its first year, it was responsible for >20% of the agency’s revenue, having delivered the largest-ever virtual cryptocurrency event (itself award-winning) and created an in-house studio capable of delivering large-scale high-quality production with a fraction of the usual crew.

The studio delivered a 2x ROI in the first year, and is now for hire, creating another revenue stream. Since its creation, the team has won 30 new clients and 15 existing in-person clients commissioned virtual/hybrid events. And, there’s just seven people in the small, but perfectly-formed, digital events team. They span technical skills, account management and includes a dedicated virtual events specialist responsible for quality management. Combining the multi-skilled team with the studio investment means they can now run events with three people which used to require 15, meaning clients get even better value. With 15% of time spent on R&D – from desktop research to visiting conferences and speaking to suppliers – the team tries to stay ahead of the game. Building a bespoke virtual world for every online event is their signature. Crucially it’s not one inflexible platform adapted to the brief, it’s built from the ground up to client requirements. Pulling off the world’s largest-ever cryptocurrency event in 2021, in just seven weeks, tells you what this team is capable of. Sourcing and editing 73 hours of speaker footage, translating it into 4 languages, streaming for 48 hours non-stop, and coordinating the links between the virtual and in-person events was a huge task. 140,000 people attended online, 13,500 in-person, smashing the event targets and delighting the client. It's no wonder virtual and hybrid events are at the centre of First Event’s three-year growth ambitions. If the team can deliver this in their first year, what more is possible?