In multi-city and global events, bringing a brand to life consistently across different cultures and contexts is a real challenge and also a real opportunity.
With consumers and internal team members spread across cities and continents, companies are increasingly turning to multi-city and global events for sales kickoffs, training exercises, celebrations, product launches, and more.
Coordinating logistics across multiple locations is complex, but the real key to success lies in conveying a consistent experience that elicits an emotional response across every touchpoint.
“A brand isn’t remembered for what it says. It’s remembered for how it makes people feel,” says Valerie Bihet, founder of VIBE.
In other words, slogans come and go but companies need that connection to last.
Attendees in different countries and with myriad cultural backgrounds will have different tastes and sensibilities. Yet the message must resonate across all of them.
Here is how planners can master multi-city and global event execution without losing the cohesion tying activations and experiences together.
Start with your event blueprint
Multi-city events require balancing global brand consistency with local cultural relevance. Achieving this goal takes meticulous planning and coordination.
The first step is to create an outline that will guide teams across various locations.
This blueprint should include standardized elements that unify the experiences under one brand. Examples include key messaging, visual identity, and peak moments like a celebrity or executive keynote.
Make sure to build in flexibility to adapt to cultural preferences. Food, beverage, and music should all reflect local tastes and watch pacing to stay in step with locals’ expectations.
“A reception in Dallas will feel different from one in Chicago,” says Valerie. “That’s not inconsistency, that’s cultural fluency.”
The same principle applies with different regions and industries. For instance, the venue, F&B, and music choices VIBE selected for Ivalua’s Procurement Innovation Summit were unique for that audience, but Ivalua’s upcoming Summit in Chicago will play off the Second City’s atmosphere.
Despite the differences, the results are two completely different events that still felt unmistakably the same brand.
Regular check-ins and communication between the client and local organizers can create a seamless experience. Technology tools like workforce dashboards allow you to set tasks and monitor progress regardless of location. Implementing real-time communication protocols across time zones will also facilitate stronger teamwork.
Localize your experiences to enhance the impact
Effective events feel personally designed for the audience. Your goal should be to build a brand connection on an emotional level with attendees, whether they are customers or staff.
VIBE uses a 360°+1 approach in which we add an emotional element (the +1) to the event’s circle of life (the 360°). This is the moment when the brand reinforces that it sees and understands its audience.
For example, Champagne resonates with French audiences, but liquor at the bar is usually preferred by attendees in Latin America.
Make teams understand the why of the event
With ambitious, global events, the brand’s executive team will set the goal and provide direction. It’s up to planners to handle on-the-ground activation.
Providing context is crucial in this handover. It’s one thing to follow instructions, but quite another to understand the purpose. Small, but important touches add layers that appeal to the senses. Those are the foundation of memories that last days, weeks, or months after the event.
It’s essential to create a communications system to monitor progress to safeguard against pitfalls. “Don’t just forward a document; you need to brief your teams directly,” says Valerie. “Clear documentation reduces 80% of communication breakdowns.”
There needs to be a balance between overplanning, which can cause the event to become stale, and underplanning that results in a generic outcome.
Having relationships with local vendors adds a layer of knowledge that benefits planners. That inside info allowed VIBE to recreate Provence-inspired environments in Toronto, Atlanta, and Phoenix, three extremely different cities, for regional sales meetings for L’OCCITANE, Valerie says.
“Our vendors really understood what we wanted to do culturally; they understood our audience. That made it happen,” Valerie says.
How to select the right formats and timing
Multi-city events can be simultaneous or staggered. Each has their benefits depending on the company’s objective.
Simultaneous events work well for:
- Employee engagement days
- Product launches
- Global announcements
Staggered events have the advantage of allowing brands to build toward a grand experience. They also may be more feasible depending on logistics and budget.
With either format, planners can show a flair for the dramatic. “You can pass the flame like the Olympics across regions,” Valerie suggests.
Be sure to adjust pacing for better engagement and retention. American audiences tend to have shorter attention spans than Europeans, notes Valerie. So, plan for 20-30 minute sessions for U.S. groups but about 40 minutes overseas.
Study how you did to improve next time
They say a planner’s work is never done, and it is important to perform a post-event analysis.
There are three key areas to study:
- Emotional impact
- Brand consistency
- Audience satisfaction
Compare performance across regions and use the insights to refine future activations. Each event is a learning experience for planners and attendees.
VIBE has assisted a variety of brands with multi-city and global events. Learn how we can help your brand connect with audiences across the world. Book an initial strategy call with Valerie today.
