Melbourne based events business Woohah Productions have pivoted their 19-year-old business to adjust to coronavirus lockdowns and revenue declines, resulting in major growth for the business during an exceptionally tumultuous period.
It was estimated that cancellations in the Australian events sector would account for the loss of $35 billion and 92,000 jobs for the economy in 12 months. When Melbourne’s first restrictions were introduced on March 13, Woohah Productions, an audiovisual production house located in Braeside, made a decision that would transform the way they work to keep their business afloat.
Founder Arosh Fernando pivoted Woohah Productions into front-facing event management to position the company as a leader in hybrid and virtual events through the pandemic. It took four days to create Studio45, one of the largest ready to use broadcast studios in Melbourne.
Through Studio45, Woohah Productions were able to shift an upcoming face-to-face client event on the brink of cancellation, the Arnold Sports Festival, to a hybrid ticketed event that streamed to over 3,000 viewers worldwide.
In total, since initial restrictions began, the company has hosted over 88 virtual and hybrid events, connecting over 81,000 people from 104 countries across the globe.
“We’ve been truly overwhelmed by the response Studio45 and our virtual event platform has had during the pandemic,” said Woohah Productions’ founder, Arosh Fernando.
“It’s not only enabled Woohah Productions to stay on our feet, but we’ve been able to collaborate with other companies in the event space to keep their teams working too.”
Once launching Studio45, the company hosted a range of hybrid and virtual events from corporate conferences, award ceremonies, Easter Sunday church services, music performances, and virtual fashion show conferences for clients such as the Victorian State Government, Hype DC, Sunglass Hut/OPSM and Woolworths Group.
Source: Supplied.
When Stage 4 lockdown hit Melbourne in August, Arosh and the team had to leave Studio45 and take their event business totally virtual.
The company created the Kasō virtual event platform, which hosted virtual conferences and award ceremonies through the use of 3D architectural programs and integrating with video-sharing platforms like Zoom.
In these branded virtual worlds, attendees could explore different rooms, watch speeches, visit exhibitor stands, play games, and engage with other attendees through chat and video links.
With Australia beginning to move out of restrictions, Arosh believes that virtual and hybrid events will still stick around for a while to come.
“As the country, and Victoria in particular, starts to re-open and physical events begin to make a comeback, we believe that virtual and hybrid events will still play a vital role in our company moving forward,” he said.
“We’re finding that companies who are investing in upcoming events are looking to mitigate risks and by creating hybrid and virtual events they’re setting up a fool-proof contingency plan. We’re proud to be bridging the gap and providing virtual
experiences that are fun, interactive, and engaging and can be attended from anywhere in the world.”
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