Instead of cutting back on its educational programme this past year, Galderma Australia increased investment and created an entirely new way of reaching more health care professionals (HCPs) than ever before, with its hybrid education event and clinical training symposium, First Impressions by Galderma.
More than 6,000 delegates located in 15 cities in 12 countries, attended four different events over three days, with presentations from 13 international speakers.
It was held on 19 March 2022 at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney, with simultaneous multi sites across these cities: Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, Bangkok, Manila, Singapore and China.
The Aussie arm of this global player has received Galderma International’s top award (Global Best Practice Award) for completely changing the way the company conducts training and knowledge sharing – utilising a future-forward event format that can be translated across industries.
How was the event delivered?
The event leveraged streaming and dynamic 3D technology from Synergy Effect to engage with international Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) presenting to HCPs right across the JPAC region.
Synergy Effect, was awarded national Winner of the Best Live or Hybrid Brand Event at the 2022 Australian Event Awards, for its work with Galderma on the First Impression symposium.
The Sydney location was then converted into four training clinics, where HCPs could undertake hands-on training under the highly regarded KOLs’ supervision.
Each live location across the region was hosted by Galderma representatives and had live speaker and audience feedback throughout.
Synergy Effect created customised a 3D, 360-degree Galderma-branded dynamic set which blended virtual models with interchangeable backgrounds. Stage integration allowed remote international speakers to be beamed on stage to join in-person presenters for interactive and educational presentations and healthcare technique demonstrations.
The main stage, located in Sydney, was extended by live event venues in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, plus high-quality satellite delivery to China audiences, as well as live online attendance worldwide. A dedicated mobile interface was designed to heighten guest engagement. It was simultaneously accessed by the widely dispersed audience, encouraging real-time conversations, feedback, session contribution and interactivity throughout the three days of the program.
What were some of the highlights of the event?
Experiential hubs for educational/brand-engagement activations were incorporated at all live sites, including eye-tracking technology, quiz leader board with live results, a photo booth with virtual projections, live polling, and more. At a time when brands and guests are craving connection, education and fun, these activation solutions really delivered impact.
As Arj said, “For the first time ever, HCPs across the JPAC region, from regional towns or non-metropolitan areas, could engage directly with international experts located around the world, and each other, in real-time engagement. The high-touch, high-quality education this symposium delivered ensured HCPs were kept up to date, and their patients were not held back.”
Tell us about the main venue in Sydney.
The Venue is a state-of-the-art warehouse conversion with industrial and modern design elements, and three flexible event spaces.
The Main Venue is an expansive room featuring 7.6-metre high ceilings, polished floors and 90 metres of white walls that are ideal for large scale projection, perfect for an immersive experience. Seamlessly divide the space with flexible rigging and floor to ceiling draping to host up to 1,400 guests. The Foyer is accessible by vehicle and ideal for red carpet arrivals and pre-function experiences before continuing into The Main Venue.
The Studio at The Venue has been created in collaboration with NW Group to offer a flexible, multi-purpose studio space that can be used for live conferencing, filming, and broadcasting virtual or hybrid events. It offers comfortable, carpeted space with amenities and functional waiting room facilities, which can host a live audience of up to 200 guests in front of a custom 8.4m x 3.3m projection backdrop.
With the technical resources, digital production services and experienced personnel to direct the most complex of shows, The Studio is fully equipped to provide the solution for a hybrid event such as First Impressions by Galderma.
Were there any challenges and how did you overcome them?
Synergy Effect director Michael Fleck said months of planning went into creating the First Impressions launch.
“There are all sorts of technical layers and expertise required to design and deliver a premium multi-dimensional event like this and our 20+ years of experience in satellite broadcasting came to the fore. Our mission control team weren’t on a learning curve like much of the event industry was when COVID hit, so we quickly pivoted in the planning and production stages, bringing together complex audience engagement strategies with technology solutions. As a result, Galderma demonstrated an entirely new way of delivering high-quality educational content to engage with large audiences in a meaningful way, along with a high-quality brand experience – a real future-forward event strategy.”
Galderma’s managing director of ANZ, Ercument (Arj) Ates initiated the decision to deliver the First Impressions campaign launch in March 2022.
“As the industry leader we felt it was our responsibility to commit to an ongoing education programme during COVID-19 to ensure HCPs were kept up to date on the latest products, best practice and applications,” Arj said.“So we challenged ourselves to think differently and worked with the team at Synergy Effect to develop a world-first in HCP education, that could be delivered with certainty and adjusted to restrictions in different markets as they adapted.”
What was the feedback?
Arj said Galderma’s education programmes play a key part in cementing the company’s reputation as an industry leader.
“The events we run for HCPs are the most powerful way we interact with our market. It’s why they are always high quality. I knew we had created something special but the noise around the event was way beyond expectation. Unsolicited, guests used words such as magnificent, wonderful, brilliant, incredible, and best-ever – that’s never happened before, particularly on social media.
“The speakers also claimed it was the most innovative and exciting event at which they’d spoken in the industry. Given how many events some of them do, it was a strong endorsement. And almost immediately after the completion we started receiving requests from HCPs to be invited to the next event.
“The symposium set the bar to a very high standard that we plan to exceed year on year. Post-event survey showed 99 percent of guests said the experience exceeded/met their expectations, 86 percent said the event exceeded industry standard. It also delivered significant return on investment, with 94 percent of attendees reporting that they will incorporate additional Galderma products into their practice.”
Global award winner First Impressions wasn’t just a winner for the guests, it was also a winner for Galderma in Australia. Galderma’s head office has established a Global Best Practice Award and for the first time, the Australian office won.
“This is a major recognition for the team, as they were extremely proud of the event and the results it achieved,” Arj said.
