Transitioning 'Artist Appreciation' to a Remote Event
Challenge
With the onset of the pandemic, the traditionally in-person ‘Artist Appreciation’ event needed to be transitioned to a fully remote format, without losing the engagement, fun, and personal connection that made the in-person event so special. The Senior Director of Game Art reached out for ideas on how to make this happen.
Solution
I collaborated with the department leads to create an interactive and engaging virtual event using Miro. The goal was to maintain the sense of community and excitement despite the shift to a remote environment. Dave Pryor, Senior Director Game Art, created the characters for the board based on our slots.
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I developed a new system for the raffle that kept the spirit of the original in-person event. Using a virtual prize board, we coordinated with leads to ensure a smooth distribution of prizes. The raffle wheel removed winners after their prize was claimed, preventing duplicate selections and adding fairness and anticipation to the event.
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To keep participants entertained while they awaited their turn, I added various activities to the Miro board, encouraging interaction and maintaining excitement. This ensured that downtime was minimized, and participants remained engaged throughout the event.
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I worked with a core team responsible for logistics, with each member playing a key role in the event's success. While I facilitated the raffle board, another team member tracked prize recipients and assigned leads to deliver the prizes. Our sound engineer kept the beats and sound effects on point, while the Senior Director manned the wheel.
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This event, most importantly, is centered around gratitude. Each lead would highlight a few of the artist's accomplishments, and what makes them so awesome once their name was drawn.
Results
The virtual 'Artist Appreciation' event was a success, receiving high praise from all participants for its fun and engaging format. We successfully ran the event remotely from 2020 through 2022, maintaining strong engagement despite the virtual setting.
The virtual format was so well-received that it set a new standard for how we could engage and appreciate our team remotely, creating a model for future online events.