Author: matt

Texas Commencement Update 2022

What will commencements look like in 2022?

We are so grateful that the 2021-2022 school year has been back to “normal” for the most part. Seniors all over the country are ready to celebrate their accomplishments and receive their diploma. It’s a marked change from the 2020 commencement season, where lots of schools were forced to cancel commencements altogether.

In May of 2021, in the wake of mask mandates and capacity restrictions for indoor venues, most ISD’s and collegiate ceremonies moved outdoors.  ISD’s that had football stadiums found themselves using their facilities to create outdoor commencement spaces and events, with social distancing being the glue that held the event together.

Outdoor commencement ceremonies are still taking the lead in 2022.  The CDC has recommended mask use, even in outdoor environments.  The CDC is also recommending social distancing in seating and in common areas.  At In Depth Events, we are noticing that social distancing seating is still a factor in the wake of the Omicron variant.  Safety is on everyone’s mind, and it’s important to create an environment to have your loved ones there to experience this moment of individual recognition together while still maintaining a level of safety and security for attendees and graduates.

Seating Examples (click for full sized)

Social Distancing Seating for Commencements

In 2021, In Depth helped our clients to pioneer options for social distancing seating on the field for graduates and their families.  While some clients opted for 10’ distancing, most clients opted for 6’ distancing on the field.

Our favorite seating arrangement was a design that allowed a 1+4 seating configuration – the graduate is provided a chair, and four chairs were placed behind him or her for immediate family members.  Friends and other family members were allowed to sit GA in the stands.  This allowed the closest and most supportive people to actually be on the field with their graduates and made for a much more interactive experience for graduates and their families.

Virtual Events and Live Streaming of Commencements

What we have learned more than anything else in the past two years is that live streaming is here to stay.  Families have quickly gotten used to the convenience of watching their graduate walk across the stage.  Our analytics data have shown family members from all over the world watching in real time as their graduate received their diploma.  Adding chat features allows viewers to be able to interact with the stream.

Although this technology has been available for years, it’s only in the wake of COVID that the average person is familiar enough logging on with their mobile device or computer and watching in real time.  People have their favorite streaming platforms, and In Depth can offer multiple streams at the same time for users on YouTube, Facebook, and other streaming platforms.  Our experienced technicians and state of the art video equipment allows for a trouble-free viewing experience for families all over the world.

Providing rental equipment for outdoor commencements

Most ISDs and colleges don’t have the equipment in house to produce an outdoor graduation ceremony.  Never fear!  For decades, In Depth Events, Inc. has been an industry leader in commencements, and we are proud to use the latest technology and equipment for our commencement clients.

We provide staging and crystal-clear audio to your live attendees, presenters, and graduates.   We also provide the video and streaming equipment to provide live streaming services for our ISD and collegiate commencement clients.  Any other production needs – just ask!  We provide generators, lighting, and even confetti cannons for our commencement clients looking to spice up their ceremony.

Please contact us with questions about your next commencement.  We look forward to hearing from you, and working with you and your staff to create the perfect commencement event.


*Canceled* Dallas St Patrick’s iHeartRadio Block Party

UPDATE 3-12-2020:

The Parade and Block party, in cooperation with the City of Dallas has officially been canceled due to the overwhelming response to the Corona virus. We support the decision and hope to see everyone join us next year. 🍀

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The 41st Annual Dallas Saint Patrick's Day Parade's Official Block Party

The Dallas St Patrick's Day Parade is a long-standing Dallas tradition of celebration, stunning floats, day parties, and great times with friends and family. This year the Dallas St Patrick's Day Parade & Festival is teaming up with In Depth Events to raise the bar on this awesome event! This event is for those 21 years of age or older, please bring a valid photo ID.

When: Saturday, March 14 from 9 am to 5 pm

Where: Energy Square on the North west corner of Greenville Ave and University Blvd

What: Food Trucks, Beer and Spirits, and Live music by The Texas Bluesmen and Dj B Dash

Indie's Block Party will be the largest event at the Parade! Don't miss out on the best afternoon Dallas can offer.

Tickets (21+)

 

For free General Admission Tickets Click Here. In Depth Events is offering two levels of VIP access for this day of Celebration. You can purchase with the form below or view the ticketing page here!

VIP All Day:

Exclusive access to the VIP section with private bars, restrooms and our raised observation platform with full view of the festivities and parade. The observation platform is covered for protection from Dallas weather, and we’ll have tables and chairs included in the price of the ticket for you to sit back and enjoy parade AND the party!

VIP Block Party:

Got plans for the parade? Are you all about the party?  The VIP Block Party ticket is just for you! At 1:30 pm this ticket gets you into the VIP area where our Parade Observation platform turns into VIP access for the biggest St Patrick's Day Block Party in the City! Just like the VIP All Day except a little later. Get exclusive access to the VIP section with private bars, restrooms and seating for the show.


July 4, 2017 – An event management firm’s Recap!

Like most event management and concert production firms, July 4 is one of the busiest weekends of the year. We had several clients, but two of them really stand out for two very different reasons. Please enjoy our recap, and feel to ask questions in the comments!

City of Celina – Social media and event management for municipalities

The City of Celina is one of the fastest growing municipalities in the State of Texas. The demographic mainly consists of upwardly-mobile young parents with small children. City government is growing as fast as the City itself is – which leaves very little time for planning events. However, city events generate a feeling of community and civic pride, and are a true necessity for growing areas. How does city staff balance their time in promoting events vs other municipal responsibilities?

In Depth Events was able to provide an In Depth solution for the City of Celina’s Splash and Blast event. This patriotic event features live music, fireworks, waterslides, and plenty of food and crafts vendors. We were able to help city staff by handling all social media promotion (including video promotions), sponsorship procurement, and other event management services, such as banner creation, poster creation and placement, and day-of-show sponsor and volunteer support.

Our efforts helped to increase event sponsorship by over three times the amount they had in 2016. Furthermore, the event sponsors were pleasantly surprised with nearly five times the amount of attendees from previous years. Our pre-event social media promotion, combined with monitoring and responding to questions during the event on social media platforms, really paid off for the City of Celina.

Austin Symphony – location-specific concert production services in Austin

The co-founders of In Depth Events have been working with the Austin Symphony for years, providing the perfect stage and rooftop system for the official Fourth of July event for the City of Austin. Unlike most events in Austin, which are designed to bring tourists in – this event is specific to Austin citizens, and Austin people are serious about their music. So how does an event management company handle a concert event for one the most discerning audiences in the world?

With integrity and professionalism. The lawn at the Long Center is one of the most challenging setups we do. It starts with a 15-degree grade to setup our 40’x40’ load bearing stage and rooftop system. This makes usually mundane task like leveling a stage (or driving a forklift) much more difficult. Combined with 100-degree temperatures and an 80 pieces symphony orchestra on stage, this show is challenging to say the least.

Once again, the staff of In Depth Events knocked it out of the park. In addition to building the perfect stage and rooftop for the occasion, we were also able to add a touch of our event management services by designing a custom banner for the rooftop structure. This small addition made a huge difference in the look and feel of the stage, and promoted HEB (the title sponsor) in a far more attractive and visible way than before.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this recap. Please feel free to ask us any questions about these events in the comments – and please contact us for your future event needs. We look forward to hearing from you, and working with you!


HoustonFest 2017 at the University of Houston – Social Media Videos

Shooting interview format videos – the In Depth staff on event site

Just a few months ago, the staff at In Depth Events was invited to HoustonFest, an event thrown for student attendees on the campus of the University of Houston.  The event was designed to showcase some of the exciting things that Houston has to offer the students of the University of Houston, as well as promoting on-campus organizations, such as CougarByte and the Student Program Board.

The In Depth Events staff was there with an in-house video crew to shoot candid interviews of vendors, program organizers, and attendees.  These videos, complete with lower thirds, gives the person watching them a real sense of being at the event.  Each video is kept to a 1.5 minute maximum, perfect for use on Facebook and Youtube to promote the event and the person being interviewed on Facebook, Youtube, and other social media outlets.

The importance of GREAT video production for social media

Bad audio?  Bad video?  If you don’t use quality equipment and behind the scenes personnel, your videos, your audience, and your conversions will suffer!  With the HoustonFest videos, we wanted to show a fun campus and provide some great interviews for use by the University, the Student Program Board, and vendors.  By using a quality production company like In Depth Events, the overall look and feel is transmitted in a positive way.

We’ve seen cell phone videos and there’s no question they work for consumer-level social media.  Families singing Happy Birthday, a video of a friend’s new puppy, or your nephew on stage with his junior high school choir is great.  However, when it’s your brand on the line, it’s important to use professional production equipment and staff.  At In Depth Events, we specialize in making video specifically for social promotion – all within your budget.  We won’t sacrifice the quality of your brand for finances!

Interview format videos worked great for the event at the University of Houston.  Other types of events may need other video styles.  Vendors and other clients may have completely different needs.  In any case, our experts are here to help.  Contact us today and let us know the scope of your project.  We look forward to hearing from you, and working with you!