Corporate Events, Incentives, Conference Management | First Event

Digital Global Conference Just Eat Tech Fest 2021

Client

Overview

Our client is a leading food delivery organisation with a global technical team. In 2021, they wanted to bring their dispersed technical workforce together virtually for the first time, creating an inclusive and inspiring experience.

A man wearing glasses works at a desk with multiple computer monitors, a laptop, speakers, and a microphone in a modern office with blue-tinted lighting during Just Eat Tech Fest 2021. Just Eat tech fest event team

The Challenge

The client’s vision was ambitious: to bring thousands of people together in one seamless digital experience. But with multiple countries, time zones, and content streams to consider, the event came with some big challenges:

  • Host a large-scale digital conference with 1,700 delegates from five countries across seven time zones.

  • Combine internal and external speaker sessions across multiple streams.

  • Engage delegates in a virtual environment, providing both networking and learning opportunities.

  • Deliver a smooth, stable, and user-friendly digital experience, despite being the client’s first global digital conference.

Our Solution

We approached this project knowing that a digital event of this scale would need meticulous planning and a fully immersive virtual environment.

  1. Bespoke digital platform

    We designed a custom event website to host the four-day conference. Delegates could log in ahead of time to create personalised agendas, ensuring they engaged with sessions most relevant to them from day one.

  2. Interactive, multi-stream content

    With twenty-five speaker sessions across two concurrent streams, we provided a mix of internal and external expertise. Each session was supported with a chat function for live Q&As, allowing delegates to engage directly with speakers and peers.

  3. Enhanced participant experience

    To replicate the energy of a physical event, we integrated a digital mosaic wall, a photobooth, and a networking area for attendees to share knowledge and connect organically. A green room allowed speakers to meet and rehearse before going live, maintaining the professionalism of the sessions.

  4. Attention to user experience

    Every element was designed to ensure a smooth, intuitive experience, from navigation on the platform to video streaming quality, recognising that tech-savvy delegates would expect seamless delivery.

Why

It Worked

High engagement and satisfaction: Delegates were impressed with the platform’s UX and stability, with interactions via chat and networking areas enhancing participation.

Scalable and repeatable: The success of this first global digital conference led the client to decide to make it an annual event.

Seamless execution: Our proactive team support ensured speakers and delegates across seven time zones were guided and supported throughout, avoiding technical or scheduling issues.

Platform design: Careful platform design, interactivity, and pre-event preparation can replicate the energy of a live conference virtually, enabling global teams to connect meaningfully without physical presence.

An animated street scene at Just Eat Tech Fest 2021 shows avatars themed as burgers and donuts clustered at the start line of a virtual race. Shops and trees line the street, while a timer in the top left corner displays 03:38. A woman wearing headphones and a jacket labeled CREW works at a desk with two monitors, one displaying a colorful diagram or map and the other showing text, during Just Eat Tech Fest 2021. A water bottle and notebook sit on her desk.

“JET TechFest was our first attempt at a global digital conference. I cannot overstate how lucky we were to work with First Event on this project and we were able to produce an industry-standard four-day event with delegates and speakers from five countries in seven timezones. The success of the event means we have decided to make this an annual event and very much look forward to working with First Event again.”

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