Insider Events – CSAE's Tête-à-Tête Partnered with FMAV

CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau Network's Tête-à-Tête
January 29, 2020
EY Centre, Ottawa

This was the 30^th anniversary of this ever-growing event that features outstanding speakers and over 150 exhibitors. This year’s theme was “Look Back Face Forward”. Tête-à-Tête is always offered at no cost to all association and not-for-profit executive directors and employees, meeting and event planners, as well as government procurers. Attendance was approximately 1,200 for this year’s 2020 event.

New AV partner

Although most of the sponsors and partners for Tête-à-Tête are long-time contributors, this was the first time that FMAV has partnered with this event. Members of the planning committee: Heather Cleat, Riccarda Galioto and Kathryn Boire, were not afraid to break away from the “let’s do what we did last year” mentality, thus allowing FMAV to create a unique and engaging experience for attendees.

Rigging Challenges

Budget is always an obstacle, especially when it comes to rigging. It was challenging for FMAV to showcase its products as an outside, third party vendor, while adhering to venue regulations. For example, the main stage needed 10 ft openings to allow direct access to the fire exits, which interrupted the look of the front of the room.  We also did floor supported rigging for the main stage setup to alleviate some of the costs to rig in the ceilings.

Biggest Triumph

FMAV was pleased to be acknowledged by veteran planners as “setting the bar higher”. It’s not always easy to innovate because there are always bumps along the way. The audiovisual company was delighted to work the CSAE organizers, who asserted “this is the smoothest this event has ever been to execute”.

Modest Budget

FMAV wanted to create an immersive experience that activated the senses to ensure that the “Look Back Face Forward” theme and 30^th anniversary was tied into the design of the meeting space. It would have been pointless to execute a large-scale, high-end production, to which the target audience would remark “Well, that was nice, but I could never afford to do that.” Instead, FMAV implemented an AV setup considered typical for a 1,200-person event, with a target budget of around $50,000.

The technology had intention, engaged the senses and created a new experience, but also maintained modest AV components that the Association market could afford. One thing to note was the satellite stage with a lectern, which eliminated long wait times for sponsors to walk through the audience and access the stage to present their messages.

Supporting the Mobile App

As usual with innovation, there was some hesitation to overcome. One new feature this year was the mobile app designed to encourage delegates to interact with sponsors. FMAV strove to support adoption of the app by ensuring related content was displayed on the projection screens. DE Systems showcased a short video that gave instructions on how to compete in the mobile app Monopoly game to earn points and prizes.





 







Article compiled by Disa-marie Cameron, Account Manager, FMAV

Article edited by Melanie Hudson, National Association of Federal Retirees