CONTEXT
The business and societal shift accelerated by COVID-19 prompted a dizzying global demand for the evolution of cloud-based technology, and no company is better prepared to meet that demand than Microsoft.

In early March of 2021, Microsoft held its annual Ignite event – a free, 48-hour digital opportunity to inform developers and IT professionals about important, upcoming product innovations and updates. Featuring keynotes, technical workshops, and breakout sessions, the event is meant to allow users to connect directly with experts on future services and products. Touch was brought on to communicate Microsoft's vision through presentations, videos, motion graphics, and creative production services and to offer valuable insights and perspectives on how to best bring the Ignite experience to life.

OUR APPROACH
This year, with over 150,000 attendees joining virtually and with the technical requirements of organizations expanding at lightning speed, Ignite was poised to provide dynamic and innovative solutions to the evolving needs of the IT community. With only one month to produce the show, the Touch team was on hand to swiftly and seamlessly record, edit, and produce five featured sessions and two keynotes.

We began our work with an in-depth audit of presenter content, working with content owner teams and designers to develop a unique presentation approach and identify speaker and demo technical requirements. The process resulted in easy, intuitive, relatable, and even funny presentations that educated and engaged viewers. Jared Spataro’s session, for example, pushed the envelope and challenged the traditional corporate keynote model. Instead of the typical keynote filmed on a stage, we filmed Jared in various locations that conveyed the nature of hybrid work: sitting on his couch, in his dining room, in the kitchen, and walking to the elevators at the office. All of those set changes helped to keep things interesting and relatable. It resulted in a more intimate, less corporate feel that was far more engaging and enjoyable for the audience.

“The Hybrid Workplace” was the second-most viewed session overall with 40,191 engaged viewers, with its edgy, humanistic approach being dubbed the “gold standard” of keynotes going forward. Also produced by Touch, “Easy, Intuitive Webinars with Microsoft Teams” hosted by Lars Johnson and Christina Torok were among the most-watched sessions on Day 1, and Nicole Herskowitz’s “The Latest Innovations with Microsoft Teams” earned two spots in the Top 10 most-viewed feature sessions.

Overall, attendee engagement was consistently strong, with viewers spending an average of nearly 130 minutes on content. And despite the tight timeline, the show was flawless, drawing plenty of chatter from tech-centered media and social media channels alike, with the client overjoyed at the outcome.