What I learned from emceeing the Nobel Prize of The Internet Awards that you can apply to your virtual event.
I recently had the privilege of emceeing for The Marconi Society’s Gala where Andrea Goldsmith became the first woman ever to be awarded The Marconi Prize. If you’re unfamiliar with the forward-thinking mission of The Marconi Society,
Its mission is to bring the organization's vision, expertise, and connections to support technology and digital inclusion innovators who are connecting the world.
So what did this master of ceremonies learn being in the company of some of the brightest minds of tomorrow and legendary leaders of the internet at The Marconi Society Gala? I’m glad you asked:
#1 - If you can’t get together, still gather virtually!
Held virtually through the CVent platform and streamed live on YouTube, attendees of the VIP reception and ticketed gala tuned in from all over the world, representing Princeton University, Stanford University, UC-Berkeley, MIT, Facebook, Google, Intel, and more.
And yes - this was not the original plan and vision for this prestigious award and celebration, but with the shifting landscape of the pandemic, the shift to a virtual event was met with roaring attendance and celebration.
It didn’t matter the time zone, attendees showed up in black ties and evening gowns as requested of such an occasion. The chat was FULL of cheers and the party went long past the virtual curtain fell, with many attendees staying to chat, congratulate the winner, and soak up the evening’s cheer.
#2 - The virtual stage is an opportunity for many voices!
When the decision to go virtual was made, the opportunity to pre-record and stream live speakers opened up - which is one of the many perks of virtual events.
Taking the task of coordinating, recording, and editing off of the client’s to-do list, I was able to help coach the toast-givers for the reception on the timing, lighting, and framing of their videos, ensuring that all was captured for the event for streamlining purposes.
Paired with the awesome RedStory Company virtual event and AV production team out of Nashville who handled the live speaker prep and all AV checks, event streaming, lighting, and staging, the flow of the event had a natural blend of well-timed transitions between videos, live toasts, the award winner’s reactions, promotional videos and my emcee banter and engagement tying the 2-hour event together!
One of the coolest things we got to witness first hand was during the VIP reception for Andrea, where she sat on camera with her husband and we were able to pull videos of friends and sponsors, but then open the floor up to toasts. We heard live from her mentors, friends, students, and more - it was inspiring and the cheers were flowing! A special moment for all - and recorded, too, so that it could be shared, replayed, and cherished forever!
#3 - Every awards event has the ability to inspire action
When many organizations think of awards ceremony or awards gala, they think award presentations - but The Marconi Society wanted to go beyond the incredible honor and prize and make their virtual event full of emotion, message, and impact that would create change in the lives and minds of attendees. How? 3 ways:
SPEAKERS: This event included many powerful ones, beginning with Vint Cerf, Chairman of The Marconi Society and chief internet evangelist of Google. As one of the founders of the Internet, Vint spoke not only as a leader and visionary, but a friend of Andrea and champion of The Marconi Society, his stories about the past and possibilities of the future ringing like truth with the attendees.
FEATURE THE FUTURE: During the awards, attendees heard from Joseph Kakande of Facebook, a former Young Scholar of The Marconi Society and current board member - who announced the 4 young scholars for 2020-2021, reminding everyone that the mission and work for the future of connecting our world is being pursued actively, with vigor and commitment.
BIG INSPIRATION, SMALL ASK: Right before the award was presented, I had the honor of introducing Larry Irving, CEO of The Irving Group to the virtual stage. Larry delivered a TEDx-style talk, focused on redefining the digital divide - a term he coined in 199X. Not only thought-provoking and inspiring, Larry’s talk included tangible ideas and solutions for continuing to close the digital divide between people who have access to the Internet and people who are unconnected or under-connected.
When Andrea took the stage, her acceptance speech included calls to action, too. Her speech, shot in Princeton’s stunning XXX Hall where she is the Dean of XXX, called for her colleagues to celebrate women professionals doing incredible work - and for her mentors and friends to know how much she cherished them.
Big Inspiration - redefining the digital divide, winning The Marconi Prize….
Small Ask - stay active in conversations with your politicians/cities, support your female colleagues
From celebrating an incredible woman, Andrea Goldsmith, the 1st Woman (and not the last) to be awarded The Marconi Prize to gathering some of the greatest living minds in telecommunications together to share the future
Rewatch the main part of the awards here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjivamSZ_JI
Learn more about the Marconi Society at http://Marconisociety.org
Interested in having Rachel as your awards emcee and celebration partner? Let’s talk and create something special!