Author: gerda
We are looking for an Executive Producer to work at our office in Helsinki.
You will manage international corporate event projects from proposal to production. We expect you to have previous experience in event management.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead powerful event experiences globally
Create global event concepts, commercial offers and budgets
Build production plans to manage project milestones to meet event goals
Efficiently communicate with teams all around the world
Travel on-spot to make it happen
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Passion for live events
Strong project management and problem-solving skills
Fun, positive, “Let’s do it” attitude
3-5 years of relevant work experience for the position
Excellent communication skills, fluent in spoken and written English
Proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint
WHY NJ PRODUCTION?
Award-winning Event Marketing Agency
Passionate, collaborative, and highly motivated team
Building the future of live events for sustainable businesses
Cosy, sustainable workspace in Helsinki
Travelling with events globally
Motivating salary and benefits
NEXT STEPS
Tell us about your previous success stories in the world of event management
Send your resume to work@nj-production.com (Confidentiality guaranteed)
Contact our CEO, Jonas Olsson, if you have any questions at jonas@nj-production.com
All available positions
How to prepare for Hybrid Events?
How to prepare for hybrid events?
As the world is slowly opening up, we see that events are also transitioning from fully virtual into hybrid formats. Now is the time to think ahead and redesign the event experience for your audience.
The past year has greatly influenced peoples’ habits and preferences. Technology that supports remote meetings and events has taken a leap forward in evolution and innovation. Although all event formats – virtual, hybrid or in-person – will have their place and a purpose, we think that the biggest challenge and reward ahead lies in redesigning your event experience for the hybrid format.
What is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event is any event where an in-person and virtual audience joins together to engage and interact in the same event experience.
7 steps to plan a hybrid event
1. Clearly define your event purpose and the value it brings to your target audience(s)
The first cornerstone of any event – virtual, hybrid or in-person – is a clear definition of its purpose. Whom is it organised for? What are the goals of the event and key messages for the target audience? The answers to those questions will be the foundation of planning and managing your project.
Also, consider how the pandemic has changed peoples’ behaviours and what you can do to accommodate the needs and wishes of your target audience. This will help you find the right format.
2. A hybrid event can be organised with many combinations of different formats
In its simplest form, you have an in-person event with the main studio, and the virtual audience can join, interact, and influence content the same way as in-person participants.
Hybrid hubs are a great option when organising international events. In this case, content is shared from the main studio to the regional hubs, where it is possible to have in-person events. It is also possible to bridge hubs and cross share content. Be bold to create true dialogue and empower the feeling of being part of a community.
In addition to the shared experience, hubs can organise their own regional program around it.
3. Choose a platform that best supports your event goals
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Event goals, target audiences, and key messages will guide you to the right platform selection. You can read our tips on how to choose your virtual or hybrid event platform here.
4. Create program structures tailored for in-person and virtual audiences
Essentially, you are organising content for different audiences in one event. Think about the program length, which parts are united, and which are separate for your audiences.
Usually, the in-person event’s duration is longer than the virtual. In-person participants need time to move around, and they have breaks together to network. The virtual audience usually needs a shorter program because people lose focus, easily tire, or get distracted behind their screen more quickly.
Since the program flow is very different in in-person hubs and virtual events, plan a supporting program with moderation to guide the audience through the virtual experience while others have an in-person networking break. The virtual audience should feel that they are always guided and supported and that their experience is planned.
Think that you are organising two events – plan the event journey for in-person and virtual audiences with unified parts.
5. Build the main studio to be live audience friendly
It’s important to remember that you are creating an event experience for the in-person participants at the main studio. They need screens to see the streamed content and what the cameras are showing. The screens can display supporting materials, event visuals, keynote presentations, the host, and maybe even the participants themselves at some point.
The main studio needs to be more than a streaming hub. There should be a lobby and registration area, food and beverage, and all other amenities to make the in-person event participants’ experience at the hybrid studio as high quality as it would be at a solely in-person event.
6. Apply lessons learned from virtual events – plan new content flow
Organising fully virtual events have given us many lessons that can be applied to in-person events. Attention spans are shorter, and audiences are more demanding when it comes to content. For example, 45-minute live presentations do not work that well in a virtual format. Your hybrid event can benefit from sharper and snappier content to keep your participants engaged and energized.
Planning ahead, think about what content should be live and what can be pre-recorded and how will the main studio audience experience the recorded parts?
7. Be inclusive with engagement & networking
It’s important that your virtual audience feels engaged and part of the event.
Think about three different types of engagements: in-person, virtual, and united engagement. By using an event app, everyone can take part in the same Chat, Q&A and Polls or even engage in one-on-one video meetings regardless of their location.
A successful hybrid event manages to blur the line between physical and virtual engagement.
It is a great time to think about how your event experience can be redesigned to become hybrid ready and start planning.
If you would like to know more and perhaps have a virtual coffee to talk about hybrid solutions, get in touch by booking a meeting directly in the calendar.
Read our other posts
Case study: iLOQ - Unlock the future
If you don’t have the muscles, you need balls 😎
As we are looking towards the future, sometimes it’s good to look back at amazing past events.
Let’s study the case of iLOQ’s “Unlock the future” event which won us the Best B2B Event award in Finland. iLOQ is a fast-growing Finnish company that has transformed mechanical locking into highly functional and immensely secure digital access management.
iLOQ approached us with several exciting business challenges. They were (and still are) growing fast and they wanted to launch a new product, introduce their new brand identity, strengthen partnerships, and deepen relationships to create new business. They also wanted to celebrate their 15th anniversary. As we started to build the concept, we agreed that to make an impact, we need balls.
Solution
We created an industry platform where partners, customers, key personnel, and media could share a unique experience together. This way, by putting together separate event budgets into one, we could maximize the impact.
As iLOQ’s mission is to disrupt the locking systems industry, they also wanted to lead the way in creating an extraordinary brand experience by building their own world to present their vision, customer success cases, and future outlook.
We created the “Unlock the Future” event concept to illustrate how iLOQ is unlocking the future with its revolutionary locking systems. The concept and storyline united all the details of the project into a powerful “WOW!” experience that the participants are still talking about.
iLOQ’s CEO opened their future vision through digital storytelling, which concluded with the launch of their new product S50 that received audible gasps and a standing ovation. The audience was welcomed to step into the future through the digital gate which was built on the main stage from massive LED screens that had just been unlocked with iLOQ’s newest product. It was an impactful and emotional moment, which perfectly emphasized how storytelling can elevate your event, leave a powerful impression, and create long-lasting memories.
The official event concluded with a celebration and visualisation of iLOQ’s amazing 15th-anniversary journey during the final dinner. It was a sentimental moment illustrating how far they had already come and what exciting future lies ahead.
Results
The event was an absolute success and exceeded all expectations. The unified industry event bravely served different target audiences. 73% of customers predicted purchases from iLOQ to increase in the next year, customers’ Net Promoter Score reached an all-time high at 71 and the launched product (iLOQ S50) signed 5 large partner projects.
The powerful brand experience strengthened all partnerships within the iLOQ family. It was really the moment where the new iLOQ brand came alive.
See what iLOQ CEO, Joni Lampinen had to say about the event:
We were very pleased with the overall look and feel of the event. It was very dramatic, professional, and sharp. Participants were literally blown away. It helped to raise the profile of iLOQ as an employer and took our brand value to the next level. I look forward to continuing the partnership going forward. – Joni Lampinen, CMO
About NJ Production
NJ Production is your partner who puts the event experience in focus. We are passionate, we care, and we rise up to the challenge. If you would like to know more and perhaps have a virtual coffee to talk about hybrid solutions, get in touch by booking a meeting directly in the calendar.
See the event showreel
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How to be more human in the Virtual World
While we are spending so much of our time in an engineered virtual world, it’s important to remember our human side.
Emotions expert Camilla Tuominen and event futurist Noora Olsson talked about the importance of emotions in the virtual world during a fully contactless interview at NJ Virtual Studio.
Camilla and Noora discussed the challenges of virtual leadership, the importance of emotions and social interactions, being courageous, creating innovation and much more.
Would you like to know how to successfully lead yourself and others in the Virtual World? Here are our key takeaways:
1. It’s important to understand and lead emotions while communicating through screens
This will help you understand how to keep your customers and team members engaged. It’s also beneficial to be on top of our own emotions to utilize that energy to perform even better.
“What are your team and customers feeling?”
2. Surprise and curiosity are powerful, but often underused emotions
Surprise wakes up our brains. Curiosity opens us up to new information and ideas. In the Virtual World, this can be done by switching up formats, upgrading virtual event platforms, scripting interactive content, and using engaging performers. But don’t reveal everything right away – keep people curious to find out more!
“When we are curious, we are all ears open and eager to know more.”
3. Leave room for human interactions
Take 5 minutes from your meeting to crack a joke, laugh, and have small talk. Science says that laughter gives us an energy boost, clears our mind, and lowers our stress. It creates connections and trust between people. Best of all, it gives our brain free happy hormones!
“Laughter is free dope!”
4. Shut up and listen – two-way communication is key
By allowing people to talk, they can sometimes reach their own solutions. Let them interact and make them feel heard. In a virtual setting that could mean giving participants the opportunity to influence the content and flow.
“Pay attention and really be there for the other person!”
5. There are many ways to be brave
In the corporate world, it could mean speaking out, asking a question, or disagreeing.
“Courage is not just for superheroes!”
6. Have the courage to do things differently
There is a risk of embarrassment or being ridiculed when doing things for the first time. But it’s important to remember that right now we are all in the same boat and nobody is perfect.
“Try new things – test and pilot!”
7. Allowing people to feel “negative” emotions creates a safe environment
Disappointment, failures, and disagreements are all part of human nature. Allowing people to feel these things creates trust and allows innovation and new ideas to flourish.
“You cannot have innovation and ideas if you don’t have failures or disappointment.”
8. Innovation is born from good relationships, trust and being vulnerable
Innovation is not something that can be ordered from employees. It’s the result of a trusting environment. There are no wrong ideas or questions.
“Embrace the situation and just be human!”
These are unprecedented times for everybody. Leading our emotions is key to successful virtual leadership. We encourage everyone to be more courageous, try new things, leave space for emotions, and express them openly. Be more human to break through digital barriers.
Be courageous, curious, and imperfect!
Camilla Tuominen is an author, illustrator, keynote speaker and a true ambassador for emotions in the corporate world. Connect on LinkedIn and Instagram, visit her website at https://www.camillatuominen.com/
Noora Olsson is an event futurist, creative director, and partner at NJ Production. Connect on LinkedIn.
Watch a clip from the discussion
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Be safe and stay connected with fully contactless Virtual Studios
As COVID-19 safety measures are in full effect in many parts of the world, people are encouraged to limit their contacts as much as possible. Thanks to technological advancements, attendees and organisers can be united in the same virtual event experience without coming together physically. And the best part – it can look like your brand and be engaging with the help of our Virtual Studio.
What is a Virtual Studio?
We can create your dream studio in a virtual format. Your fully branded Virtual Studio will have an animated virtual stage and screen, where contributors can connect from where-ever they are, including the comfort and safety of their (home)office. Best of all – while being fully contactless.
In addition to being the safest option for corporate events, Virtual Studios are also budget friendly. There is no need to rent a physical studio or event venue, fly in contributors or think about additional COVID-19 health measures.
Fully virtual and contactless with high quality
Virtual Studio will have the highest quality streaming and it is possible to upgrade the contributors’ connections. Home Studio kits can be delivered to upgrade your contributors’ sound, lighting, and camera. You can easily immerse speakers in your Virtual Studio environment with backdrops or green screens. Virtual Studios have many possibilities to bring people together while also making it exciting and engaging with creative technological solutions.
Virtual Events are here to stay
Virtual event formats have firmly secured their place in the event industry. It is worth considering what type of events can benefit from this format today and in the future.
For example, opting for a virtual event means fewer people travelling and fewer resources spent, which makes it a more sustainable option. That means it can help organisations to reach their environmental sustainability goals.
We believe that every event format has a place and a purpose. Think which events in your calendar could fit into a virtual format and possibly even work better that way.
Our takeaway from these turbulent times is that your event can deliver meaningful content, create valuable connections, be creative and inspiring, all while being cost-efficient, sustainable, and completely contactless.
You’ll believe it when you see it? Let’s have a virtual coffee and start planning today.
Book a meeting directly in the calendar using the button below.
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11 tips on how to choose a virtual event platform for 2021
Today there is a jungle of platforms available to help share your content online. We see how many organisations are struggling with choosing the right platform to host their events. They are looking for a tool to make virtual events more engaging and appealing than Teams meetings and webinars. Organisations need a solution that gives them more opportunities and insights such as communication and engagement tools, business metrics, and sales & marketing systems’ integrations.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Event goals, target audiences, and key messages are so specific that there is no “one platform” that solves it all. But we can give you some guiding pointers to help you with making that decision.
Here’s a quick checklist of capabilities to look for when choosing your virtual event platform:
1. Attention – how to win it and keep it
First impressions matter. To get attendees, you must win and retain your target groups’ attention. This is especially important in a series of events. Find out how the event platform handles the invitation and registration process.
Attendees should immediately recognize who is sending the event invitations, reminders and other communication. Consider the design and whether you would like to add visuals or embed a video.
Can you track your communications, so that you know how well your messages were received and improve when necessary? Make sure that the platform uses an e-mail and SMS system with the highest deliverability so that your messages don’t end up in junk or spam folders.
2. Accessibility – everyone loves simplicity
Make your virtual event as easily accessible as possible. Do participants have to create an account and a profile? Consider whether this is necessary for your event.
Are you catering to a global audience? Will your platform be accessible from countries with user access restrictions such as China? It’s also good practice to carry out connectivity tests prior to the event to ensure access. All to guarantee that your audience will reach your event.
3. Customizations and branding – build your world
Think about what aspects and how much does the platform allow you to customize. Does everything feel like it’s a part of your world and brand? You can create the most immersive experiences from branded event invitations, ramp-up activities, URLs, branded and customized engagement tools, to post-event actions. Find out your possibilities.
4. Engagement – an engaged attendee is a happy attendee
What opportunities and tools does the virtual event platform offer to engage with attendees? Make sure that you have the possibility of two-way communication. This is what drives the event experience and helps you get to know your attendees better.
5. Metrics – identify business opportunities and save time
We cannot stress enough that metrics reveal business opportunities. It’s important that you set goals and targets so that you can later measure the success of your event.
Ask what kind of metrics you can get from the virtual event platform. What is the lead generation process? Does the platform give attendees engagement scores or something else to assist with identifying potential business opportunities? You might have hundreds or thousands of attendees. This lets you know where the most potential business is – what a time saver!
6. Integrations – make it fit your needs
One of the key things to consider is easily getting that valuable metrics data directly into your sales & marketing systems. Using a platform that is also open to different pre- and post-event tool integrations makes life a lot more convenient.
7. Production and set-up – look for quality and expertise
Ask what kind of connection opportunities the virtual event platform provides. Do you want to stream exclusively from (home)offices? Do you need a supporting studio set-up for recording? Would you like to go for the highest quality production and set it up like a live TV-show?
Find out whether the virtual event platform provider also offers technical and video production professional services. While everything is handled backstage, you can focus on stage.
8. Streaming – the quality that matches your event format
Different platforms are built for different quality streaming. Depending on what type of production and set-up you choose, make sure that your platform supports the streaming quality. Ask what are your options.
If you are organising an international event, make sure that the platform supports global streaming.
9. Support – there when you need it
Ask what type of support the platform provides for presenters, attendees, and organisers. Is there a live help desk available?
Also, find out where is your support. Time zones are especially important when you have a global reach. You or your attendees might need to get in contact with someone immediately when any problems arise.
10. Commitment and pricing – eliminate surprises
When planning your procurement, think about how fast your company makes decisions. Discover how long is the platform’s onboarding time.
Usual commitment options for virtual event platforms are either per event or an annual plan. Consider what type of commitment are you comfortable with and what it means for your organisation.
11. Security and backup solutions – basic hygiene
Make sure that your virtual event platform is secure, fully tested, and ready to perform. It should also be load tested to make sure that it can smoothly handle traffic from all your attendees and presenters.
Confirm that the virtual event platform has all the essentials for you to be able to comply with privacy and data security regulations. You should know the location of your data, so find out where are the servers.
And of course, ensure that there are well-functioning backup solutions. You think you don’t need them until you do!
How we got here…
Our teams have invested a lot of time analysing and testing different virtual platforms to find out how we best can support our customers. We were also navigating in this virtual jungle. We know the pain of trying to choose a virtual event platform. We felt that we could not find the right fit to replace live events. The available solutions were too technical, too boring, without enough engagement possibilities.
We wanted to differentiate from the competition, be fully branded and have engagement as in live events. Our mission is to create a virtual event that would feel like a live event.
We believe that we got as close as we can by creating Global Virtual Hub platform. It’s an all-inclusive, business-first, fully tested and ready to perform virtual event platform.
If you would like to know more and perhaps have a look at your possible solution, get in touch by booking a demo directly in the calendar or by simply sending a message.
Global Virtual Hub showreel
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We at NJ believe that every event format – virtual, hybrid or live – has a place and a purpose.
Nowadays, many of us are constantly in and out of virtual meetings. It’s great to see how people and companies have skillfully adapted to the situation in the world. Humans really are experts in overcoming adversity!
However, this does not come without its challenges. Perhaps you have seen that while people show up, their engagement is not as high as you would like. Your attendees might be experiencing virtual meeting or webinar fatigue because all those everyday Zoom and Teams calls look and feel the same.
Three key areas to upgrade your virtual events
We at NJ are very curious about human behaviour. Since the virtual event boom started, we have been observing and studying both organisers and attendees. From this experience, we have identified three key areas to successfully deliver a virtual event:
1. Branding – differentiate from competitors and everyday Teams meetings
Your virtual event should be your world. Plan your brand journey and attendee experience carefully because each touchpoint is an opportunity to tell your story and leave an impression. From invites to custom engagement tools, each step must stay true to the look and feel of your company and culture.
Did you know that some event platforms can design tailored emojis and reactions specifically for your event? Ask your next event partner – there are probably more possibilities than you can even imagine. Your virtual space is your event venue, and it should be branded as such. Create a wow-effect when your attendees step in and most importantly, stand out from routines and competition.
2. Engagement – humans are social creatures
Plan your content so that people can engage, interact, and be a part of the dialogue. As they are listening, they also want to feel heard. All live interactions should be carefully planned and moderated. Your event partner should help you create motivating event communication for your target audiences to keep them engaged before, during and after the event.
While planning your attendee journey, prepare each touchpoint so that engagements support and are relevant to your business goals. No touchpoint should be without a plan and no action without a purpose. Engagements are not only important for the attendee experience, but they also bring main input for the third key point: business.
3. Business – it IS personal
Engagements bring you metrics, metrics, metrics! Virtual events have opened many new opportunities to get valuable information for sales, marketing, and HR departments. Although there is a tendency to collect as much as possible, it is important to first identify what data is really relevant and specify appropriate metrics.
Together with your event partner, describe your lead generation process and determine how it translates to your virtual event setting. Find out whether your virtual event platform can provide engagement scores for your attendees to help with lead qualification. Integrations with existing sales and marketing tools make it significantly easier to make use of that precious data. If you had hundreds or thousands of attendees, how to know where is the most potential business and who to contact first?
Rethink your virtual interactions
Focus on creating the most valuable attendee experience. When navigating the world of virtual events, your biggest ally should be a competent partner with knowledge and experience. It can be difficult to make decisions when you don’t exactly know what you need. That’s why your partner should be more than a “yes-man” who just delivers exactly what was asked. Your partner should challenge you to make you better because they care about the best possible outcome. Now is the time to rethink, pilot and take your virtual events to the next level.
About NJ Production
NJ Production is your partner who puts the event experience in focus. We are passionate, we care, and we rise up to the challenge. If you would like to know more and perhaps have a look at your possible virtual solution, get in touch by booking a demo directly in the calendar or by simply sending a message.
Meanwhile, you can check out these links:
- We really love what we do — just look at our latest showreel.
- Planning your next virtual or hybrid event? Head over to NJ Virtual Hub.
- Your next virtual event might get 10 times bigger attendance than your previous in-person event. Read more about how our customer Newsec pulled it off.