During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings and online events have become an accepted alternative to face-to-face (F2F) experiences. GES, one of the world’s leading live event companies, is taking a major step toward embracing change, identifying new growth opportunities, and, ultimately, redefining what it means to come together. GES is introducing its newest venture, Spiro™, an integrated marketing solutions agency. Spiro strengthens GES’ abilities to manage traditional events and offers a new set of capabilities to deliver virtual events and hybrid experiences.
“Due to the changing marketplace, the needs of our clients have shifted,” said GES Executive Vice President N.A. Exhibitions Jeff Quade. “The evolution of Spiro, formerly Brand Experiences, allows us to leverage enhanced service offerings any time of the year to our valued corporate accounts and events partners.”
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Skilled in analytic, strategic event management, creative design, and production, Spiro sees in-person, virtual, and hybrid events alike as opportunities for immersive, interactive storytelling and brand loyalty-building. “The launch of Spiro comes at a very opportune time for our industry and clients,” said Spiro’s Global President, Jeff Stelmach. “The past two years have reinforced the critical value of events and experiences in connecting people. Now, some people might meet up in one place while others are joining online. Some interactions take place entirely online. It’s not about meeting people with similar interests in a single location — it’s about people with similar interests meeting up in the mediums where they are. We see this as an opportunity to draw even bigger audiences and attract attendees who might never have been able to ‘attend’ live events before.”
Recently, Spiro helped one client, Cisco, create an immersive F2F experience at World Expo in Dubai. Cisco’s role was critical. As the event’s premiere digital network partner; their goal was to showcase new technologies, bring people together and create strategic partnerships and alliances between countries. Spiro created Cisco Grove, an 11,000 sq.-ft. marriage of modern workplace and integrated lifestyle, including a hidden VIP doorway and fully immersive branded tunnel leading to a digital innovation site. With a bright array of colors, digital signage, modern furnishings, and an amphitheater for dynamic demonstrations, the attendees were wrapped in a 50-ft. curved wall of messaging and data-driven connections for a sustainable, inclusive future.
On the virtual event side, when the US Air Force and Space Force, in partnership with the Defense Digital Service invited cybersecurity researchers (hackers) to apply their skills and competitive nature in an all-out satellite security challenge, they turned to Spiro to design and build a unique 3D environment called “The Hackers Den,” a multi-room virtual environment where online participants could watch the digital teams’ progress, learn about cybersecurity in space, and participate in other interactive activations.
“There have never been so many ways for businesses and organizations to thoughtfully engage with their key audiences — and gain access to new ones,” said Spiro’s Chief Marketing Officer, Carley Faircloth. “One of Spiro’s key offerings is creating Communities of Practice – a design approach that positions events as catalysts for ongoing community. Through this proprietary approach, experiences are elevated beyond the transactional, to pay dividends to the experience deficit global audiences now face.”
Reach Jeff Quade at jquade@ges.com; Jeff Stelmach at jstelmach@ges.com; Carley Faircloth at cfaircloth@ges.com
