Banzai Acquires High Attendance, Creating Hybrid Event Management Tool
October 1, 2020
Seattle-based event marketing platform Banzai recently acquired High Attendance, a cloud-based virtual and hybrid event management software for enterprises.
Banzai plans to integrate its flagship marketing automation platform, Banzai Reach, with High Attendance’s platform to give Banzai customers — including Adobe, Chef Software, Dell, Pure Storage and other large enterprises — a seamless experience for growing and engaging their audiences.
“Currently the event marketing landscape is a mess,” said Brian Goldfarb, CMO at Chef Software. “It’s littered with half-baked solutions that were not built with marketers’ unique needs and desires in mind. It is exciting to see Banzai continue to invest in building out their offerings to help create, promote, manage and produce events.”
High Attendance’s event platform supports both online virtual events and offline events, enabling customers to host and manage both virtual and hybrid events from a single unified platform.
"High Attendance was designed for organizations to integrate all their events across any event management system within the enterprise to provide a global view and to unify the attendee experience across virtual and in-person events,” said Christopher Justice, founder and former CEO of High Attendance. "We are incredibly excited to bring together tools that will enhance the success of event marketers to deliver unique and customizable experiences that drive brand awareness and lead generation."
Justice has stayed on in a new role as vice president of Engineering at Banzai. In total, High Attendance adds 10 team members to Banzai’s growing headcount of more than 80 employees.
“The last purely offline event has already occurred,” said Banzai CEO Joe Davy. “The future is hybrid events. Every company in the world is now reaching their audiences through hybrid offline, online and on-demand audience experiences.”
He continued, “This is a $600 billion mega-trend that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and has quickly transformed the entire events industry.”
According to a recent survey conducted by PCMA, 70 percent of event marketing professionals have moved their face-to-face events partially or fully to a virtual platform, and many see that as something that will continue alongside in-person events going forward. The coronavirus pandemic may have quashed the longstanding fear that virtual events will cannibalize future face-to-face events: Less than one-quarter of survey respondents said that is something they worry about; 62 percent said that is not a concern they share.
“The collective swing to hybrid events has moved swiftly and dramatically, and it’s being driven entirely by the pandemic,” said IAEE president and CEO David DuBois. “It’s a new day in the world of event marketing and hybrid events, and having a virtual component is now essential for any organization.”
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact
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