We are delighted to announce that 2Heads has landed a coveted spot on Event Marketer’s 2022 IT List, as one of the top 100 event agencies spearheading the experiential marketing industry.

The only guide of its kind, this 20^th edition of the IT list focuses on agencies pushing new boundaries with their clients through progressive global brand experience activity.

The IT list is a valuable resource for companies seeking the most forward looking agencies, from industry giants to independent boutiques and future-focused start-ups. In each honoree, EventMarketer were looking for meaningful capabilities that set clients up for success.

In their own words, ‘the application pool is much larger these days, but our mission remains the same: To make sense of the landscape, the people, the in-demand services and the best work, and to deliver it all—the Top 100—in one annual package.’

For the very first time, the It List was announced live in at the inaugural Agency Forum held Sept. 21 at City Winery at Hudson River Park in New York City with our Global CGO James Simpkins in attendance.

Recognised for excellence in Conferences/Events, Global Event Programmes and Trade Show programmes, Event Marketer commented on how 2Heads had ‘stepped up capabilities across gamification, game engines and the metaverse, with our launch for Bombardier’s G8000 business jet showing off the team’s experiential principles.’

Our North American team have made a significant contribution to our succession to their list as they focus on delivering experiential B-2-C solutions for brands such as Disney, providing narrative-led approach to global events such as D23 Expo 2022. As one of the top event agencies in North America, we now look forward to creating more meaningful experiences in 2023.

Read the 2Heads 2022 IT List profile and take a look at the complete list here.

2Heads focuses on local communities with their 2023 charity charter and annual event schedule.

At 2Heads, we recognise just how fortunate we are, and how all too easy it is to take the lives we lead for granted. We all face challenges in our day to day life; from here in the office to back at home. However, we also realise that there are those facing far more challenging lives and it is our hope with the launch of the 2Heads charity charter, that we can do a little to make a change.

As the business grows and evolves, 2Heads wish to play their part in making a real difference to other people’s lives. We could simply donate money, but we believe we should approach our commitment to charity as a team.

Through the good of our team’s hard work and as custodians of our futures, we hope that together 2Heads will rise to the challenge of making a difference and supporting those less fortunate around us.

It is with great pleasure therefore that 2Heads announce and welcome the three charities that we’ve chosen to support for our inaugural year under a charity charter. Voted for by our team, these charities fit exceptionally well with our values and focus on areas that support our vision of protecting the planet and supporting the next generation. 

For our first year, we have selected an initial target of £7,500 to raise for a selection of local, national and international charities and 2Heads will commit to match every penny raised.

We are looking to raise money through a schedule of varying internal and external fundraising challenge events and will keep everyone posted on opportunities for our clients and suppliers to get involved.

This Valentines days, 2Heads kicked off our charter by sharing the love in support of our charities. Members of our team bought a heart for the 2Heads tree and wrote messages of love and support for others in the team, creating a showcase of mutual respect and affection.

If you would be interested in joining us at any of our events, getting involved in any aspect, or would like to find out  more about our charity programme, please email our Charity Committee at charity@2heads.com.

2Heads win six WESA awards including five Platinum nominations and one Diamond at the World Exhibition Stand Awards 2022.

For the fourth year running, 2Heads were thrilled to be honoured by the judges at the World Exhibition Awards with no less than six glittering awards.

Building on the success of previous years, 2Heads received two Platinum awards for Best Stand and Best Activation at a Digital Defence & Security Event with QinetiQ and their hybrid event at DSEI.

2Heads proprietary virtual platform EventHive VX was again recognised with a Diamond award for Best Digital Event Experience as 10x Genomic’s first virtual conference Xperience ’21 enjoyed further recognition.

Perennial favourite of the judges, Playtech and Bombardier recieved Platinum for Storytelling at ICE 2020 and Best Aviation Stand at NBAA 2019 respectively, and Belden continued their award-winning journey with a Platinum award for Best Storytelling at a Digital Event.

Belden honoured 2Heads and the whole team with their kind words: ‘In May 2020, our #CIC Team partnered with 2Heads to convey the story of our brand for our CIC Virtual Grand Opening Event. In achievement for the design and execution of the event, 2Heads has been awarded the 2022 BEST STORYTELLING AT A DIGITAL EVENT by the World Exhibition Stand Awards.

Paired with the CIC leaders to share the story of the new location, 2Heads creatively facilitated an event that showcased and communicated the spirit of the CIC. Our event was attended virtually by 1,000 visitors in over 60 countries, all made possible by the design and platform of 2Heads. We are proud of our partnership with 2Heads and look forward to continued teamwork in our innovation centers.’

ICE London brings the world’s foremost gaming businesses together each year in February at London’s ExCel. With over 30,000 attendees from over 150 countries, it is an opportunity to engage and make an impression that cannot be missed.

ICE London is a buzz of interaction, large spaces, giant venue, big audience and huge opportunities up for grabs. ICE really does live by the ‘go big or go home’ mantra. The event footprint is vast and to make the most of the opportunity brands need to own the immediate environment around their designated location by being disruptive and creating a destination.

Sure, you can enhance your exposure by bolting on the touchpoints – lanyard branding, concourse advertising, activation zones and event sponsorship. However, this should be curated in unison with your experience to create true value. A joined-up campaign is a powerful and memorable experience. It’s about the connections, aligning the reels and delivering that multi-line big win.

You are an established gaming business. You are doing great, but you strive for more. You want to raise your game and have the appetite to progress. You want to understand how you can make that jump and make it feel like an easy step forward.

Seldom do gaming brands make the most of the opportunity. It’s quick and easy to get functional – it works fine. Brands can have a workable space, but have they moved their brand perception and advocacy forwards. At 2Heads, we are experts at making those connections happen and collaborate with our clients to create winning strategies.

You want to elevate your brand and rise above your competitors. You crave an experience that is more than a booth space. You seek an environment that encourages the audience to engage with your team and your brand.

With over 12 years’ experience delivering excellence at ICE, 2Heads has seen the market flourish. Our clients have advanced their brands and their position in the market with our collaboration. Together, we have created work that extends beyond a 3-day moment in time.

Consider what your audience want and need to know. A 3D manifestation of your Brand guidelines and Website is not necessarily interesting and meaningful to your audience. Nor is token indulgence in something techy that doesn’t serve real purpose.

ICE is first and foremost a business event, but it can still have a sense of fun – serious fun. There are good ways to garner attention and ways to create unwanted negative notoriety. This is an industry that is always under scrutiny. It is important to be responsible and mindful of the perceptions created – your brand must stand out for the right reasons.

Cut through the noise, improve your odds of success and invest your time and energy in collaborating with 2Heads to understand and implement what can really make a difference. To create a destination at ICE requires a true sense of purpose. You must have a point of difference, a perspective or an offering that brings true meaning to your brand experience. When it is true, it is brilliant, and people engage better.

At ICE you can take your audience on the journey they crave. Offer them the things they need and value the most. Play to your businesses strengths and seek to advance your brand – don’t just show up!

As we gear up for Event Tech Live London 2022, we take a look back at our Key Note Speech on Gamified 3D environments from last year’s event.

Our Digital & Content Director Nick provided a forward-looking introduction to 3D environments and the game-engine technology making a difference across the B2B sector.

An event for anyone in the marketing, events and brand communication world investigating gamified experiences and 3D environmental worlds, revisiting these tech solutions provides an excellent insight into new ways to reach audiences.

Join again our Managing Director, Paul Godwin as he challenges Nick in this lively session and discuss the opportunities for gamified experiences in the future, hopefully providing you with new ways to amplify your audience engagement.

What a year 2022 has been so far for event agencies! Fresh from Disney’s Oscar’s LA party, we take a moment to pause and reflect on some of our favourite events and brand environments of the year.

2022 kicked off for us in style as we returned to Singapore Airshow for our 20th year, this time partnering with Rolls-Royce and Collins Aerospace. Two weeks later, we opened up HAI Heli Expo in Dallas with Airbus Helicopters. One of our favourite shows, we were thrilled to be back creating brand environments for one of our oldest clients.

March proved to be an even busier month for 2Heads with virtual conferences for Element Bioscience and 10x Genomics flagship Xperience ’22. Our event agencies in US were in full party mode, hosting the Disney Advertising Sales client party in the Ocean Room of the American Museum of Natural History, while our digital team produced the first fully hybrid conference for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Geneva.

April – The US office kept the party alive with the beautiful Disney Pre-Oscars party held against the backdrop of the Los Angeles skyline. Some of the team ventured to Nashville with Illumina for the Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting while in the UK, we returned to the EXCEL for our 11th year at ICE London Totally Gaming with Playtech.

Preparing for your next event or exhibition? Interested in how the 2Heads team can bring the creative to your environment? Lets have a chat. We can talk virtual, live or hybrid, no problem. Just drop us a line @ hello@2heads.com.

Distributed and hybrid working are here to stay. But will metaverse technologies make the reality of future work better or worse for workers and their employers? Nick Rosier, our content and digital director investigates.

The idea that creative teams can thrive online has long felt more like fantasy than reality. Most onboarding packs are crammed full of digital tools and platforms, but the sad truth is that most stifle creativity rather than unleash it.

Finance tools, time trackers, CRMs, Kanban boards – the digital landscape of businesses today is focused on productivity, efficiency and measurement. Where does culture come into play? Where are communities built? Microsoft Teams and intranets have their place, but can we do better?

Maybe creativity in the metaverse is the answer.

As spending on office rent goes down, how far can investment in the virtual world get us?

2022 will be the year that businesses invest in virtual as well as physical spaces for their teams.

The average cost of office space in London is over £500 per person per month. A 50-person office might cost over £300K per year in rent alone. What would it look like if businesses invested, say, half of that on virtual spaces to build culture and happiness?

The opposite of creativity is uniformity. Current trends in digital tools for teams have brought us to a flat (or Swiss) design singularity, with apps drawing from a narrow pool of design rules and constraints. We’re effectively building 1960s office cubicles for our online work lives: hyper-functional, but far removed from what makes us happy and creative.

Environment is fundamentally linked to creativity. Sparks of insight and seeds of ideas are borne from immersion in nature or new experiences and environments. Could we create a passive experience of simply going for a virtual walk in a forest, or flying across a mountain landscape, as a setting for standups, workshops or focus time? This type of virtual reality (VR) immersion increasingly has a presence in healthcare settings for patient convalescence and rehabilitation. Could it also help burnt-out teams and stressed individuals?

Platforms including Mozilla Hubs and Spatial have led the charge in developing collaborative virtual spaces. They have tested the waters with some success and have proved the use case. The tools used to create spaces on these platforms are still in their infancy and need more development to allow the quality and immersion of the 3D environments to come to life. To become an integral part of our work lives, they need integrations with apps from Adobe, Microsoft, Autodesk and other day-to-day tools of the trade.

Connected virtual spaces as a force for good in hybrid workplaces

Health and wellbeing have long had a foothold online with meditation on YouTube, mindfulness apps, learning material and mental health support. Relaxation is important for productivity. Without time to think, we’re running the hamster wheel of work and end up being ‘busy fools.’

Digital wellness facilities help teams to wind down or stay in a positive state of mind between activity at work. It’s important to destigmatize and see the value of empty spaces in our calendars and celebrate free time, rather than relentless back-to-back meetings.

The style and positioning of a virtual environment is a mirror of values and brand. Heavily themed spaces give new hires and prospects a strong sense of company culture from day one. We need to go beyond custom Zoom backgrounds to give our teams a sense of identity and shared purpose.

While visual environment is one important piece of the puzzle, we shouldn’t forget the power of sound. Music can form some of the strongest memories and associations. A track can bring back crystal clear memories or put us in a certain frame of mind. As a creative business, music is key to pitching ideas and creating strong emotional responses.

Music is a powerful part of experiences such as going to a sports game, watching a TV show or even turning on your computer. Repetition creates strong memories and associations. Designing music as part of a work-based metaverse could be used to trigger the best mental states for collaboration and innovation.

Accessibility and privacy

We need to think about democratizing access to these spaces. Creating experiences aimed at different senses helps to make spaces inclusive.

Beyond physical accessibility, the workplace metaverse needs to be relevant and accessible to non-digital natives, and avoid creating age or culture divides. Even more fundamentally, we need to consider hardware investments. While wearing a VR headset for eight hours a day might be a far-fetched ideal, we can at least look at monitors, headphones and even stereoscopic screens as a starting point.

Concerns around being over-tracked, over-connected and unable to switch off need to be addressed upfront. Here, perhaps, a privately-managed corporate metaverse has some benefits over a data-sales driven public metaverse such as Meta.

Hybrid working has so much potential, and we’re at the forefront of that innovation now. The technology is out there, and it’s up to businesses to take its potential seriously and invest. Natural selection will sort the gimmicks from the transformative experiences. Which do you think will survive?

Interested in how the Metaverse could enhance your digital or physical event? Or would you like to know more about the brand environments we are currently creating for brands? Just drop us a line @ hello@2heads.com

Did you miss our article in The Drum on the undisputed champions of the product launch? No worries, our Business Director, Dan Hall’s insight is all here.

In this article, Dan unboxes the success behind Apple product launches and share how challenger brands can get the Apple effect without an Apple budget.

Long lauded as the world’s most beloved brand, what is it about Apple that makes their product launches seem like blockbuster movies, and motivates consumers around the world to camp outside their stores? We attempt to demystify the Apple Effect to show how you too can deploy similar tactics without necessarily having an Apple-sized budget.

Strategic Tactics

Proprietary events – Apple famously only ever launch new products at their own events. They make their consumers wait and then go big. Last year Apple only held three product launches, two of which were sizable. The largest, their September launch, led into the big consumer spending months of Oct, Nov and Dec, and they went for broke, launching iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, Apple Watch series 7, and the new iPad and iPad Mini. Have you considered your own flagship event? All of Apple’s tactics are illustrated beautifully by this one event.

Stealth Marketing – Apple know how to heavily influence industry events like CES 2022 by dropping the buzziest announcements involving their accessories during the event. Apple’s Find My Network, a smart door lock that requires a iPhone was the talk of this year’s show. They used this ‘invisible presence’ before in 2019 when they posted a giant billboard on the strip near CES on privacy, which was Google AND Amazon’s main topic for the show. This sort of planning takes time but can be highly impactful.

Power of Rumour – Apple keep to 3-4 events each year but make them big, dropping little hints in the press of what is to come to set the rumor mill churning and ensuring huge online and physical attendance. Surely the easiest of Apple’s tactics to follow.

Launch tech – To build hype and keep conversations going before and after the launches, Apple created their Apple Events app complete with business leader podcasts. Anyone can watch past keynotes, hosted by Tim Cook. Can your customers re-watch your launches on-demand?

Business Tactics

Stick to the Vision Statement – Steve Jobs in 1997 said ‘Apple is dedicated to the empowerment of man – to make personal computing accessible to each and every individual so as to help change the way we think, work, learn, communicate.’ This narrow vision hasn’t changed to this day. Everything they launch has to meet the criteria, otherwise it goes in the bin. They say no to thousands of projects and stick to launching only those that 100% fulfil their mission.

Powerful Partnerships – Though Apple didn’t have any new products at CES, they made sure their technology can be found in everything from new backpacks to earbuds. CES 2022 saw a deluge of new products designed to work with Apple’s Find My location service and MagSafe charging system. By integrating their innovations with other products, they let their peer brands launch their innovations for them. Proving partnering with others to launch innovations can work well. 

Success in China – Unlike Amazon whose product launches never gained traction in China. Apple found a way to break through, bringing them acclaim worldwide. Understanding Chinese consumer needs and the fact many young Chinese do not have TV’s, they focused on big screen launches. These launches also focused on video gameplay, connecting them to a middle class with a higher purchasing power. Though China may not be your market, decoding the needs of your desired demographic and focusing your launches just on that could be a tactic for success.

Technology Decoded

Fine-tuning the Innovations of Others. Apple didn’t strictly invent most of their famous core products, from internet phones to touch-screen, they weren’t the first. What they do well is fine-tune innovation for market consumption. Their launches focus on how they ‘Do it better.’ No matter what your product, does your launch focus on the same?

Customer Experience. Interestingly, Apple product launches are not just about the tech itself, but the user experience and customer service. They put their friendly interface at the front of every launch. Its as recognisable now as the Apple motif itself. Is there a UX approach you can use for your launches, an element of aftercare that can be the standout focus?

Apps – The power of apps. Of course for Apple, this is putting their money where their mouth is. But not only do their launches always focus on the versatility of IOS capabilities, but they make sure there is an app for launch itself, allowing people to explore the breadth of their products. Building an app for your launch is not difficult now and shows a more evolved approach.

Content – Every Apple product launch of the last three years has contained two important content elements; colourful, diverse live-streamed video and presentations from international 3D environments to ‘show’ the power of their products. Immersive tech is thread into everyone of their launches from Tim Cook walking out of the desert onto a stage to the new iPad launch from a 3D render of a San Francisco laboratory. It might sound obvious, but the quality of your content can make all the difference to your launch.

Fundamentally, Apple succeed because they keep things simple. They use the same key principles to launch their products every year with such consistency that their loyal consumer base both know what to expect and are never disappointed. Continuity and a slavish adherence to their mission statement is communicated every time. While famed for innovation, Apple is also not afraid to take the ideas of others and make them better. They are happy to be the cool outsider and build their brand in their own way, connecting their launches in subtle ways to the industry but never falling in line. They have their own vision and they believe in it. Hence the rest of the world does too.

Launching a new product? Interested in how some of the factors above could enhance your digital or physical event? Or would you like to know more about the product launches we are currently creating for brands? Just drop us a line @ hello@2heads.com

2Heads win four awards including Gold for Best Product Launch at this year’s Field Marketing & Brand Experience Awards 2021

2Heads returned from the FMBE award ceremony in Oxford last week with a glittering array of awards following a very successful evening for the team.

Building on the success of their debut entry in the FMBE awards last year, 2Heads received Gold for Best Product Launch with 10x Genomics and their virtual conference Xperience 2021.

2Heads proprietary virtual platform EventHive VX was again recognised with a Silver for Best Virtual Hybrid Event as Belden’s Grand Opening of their Consumer Experience Centre enjoyed further recognition.

A perennial favourite of the judges, Playtech, were awarded Silver for Best Immersive Event for their partnership with 2Heads at ICE 2020 and the whole 2Heads team were also recognised with a Bronze in the Grand Prix – Brand Experience Agency of the Year category.

‘James Simpkins, Managing Director of Experiential had this to say about the sparkling haul. ‘It’s great to see 2Heads win four awards, especially for a relatively unknown brand in the UK like 10x Genomics to win Gold in such a highly contested category as Best Product Launch. And with a virtual event as well! It shows how social strategy and curated content are becoming all important for successful launches.’

2Heads were also thrilled to be able to attend the award ceremony in person, with peers from all areas of the events industry coming together and networking. With a forward looking vibe, the general consensus amongst the guests was that events were to celebrate, network and look forward to the return of a full events calendar.

2Heads win both Best Virtual Platform and Most Creative Agency in Event Technology at this year’s hybrid event

2Heads proprietary virtual platform EventHive VX has been recognised as the Best Virtual Event Platform at this year’s Event Tech Awards. 2Heads were also recognised as the Most Creative Agency in Event Technology for their work with Disney, Bombardier and Belden with the launch of their Hybrid Customer Experience Centre.

Paul Godwin, Managing Director of Digital had this to say about the double win. ‘These awards are great recognition of our digital and content teams. For their work to be praised by the judges means a lot to all of us especially as ‘getting creative’ is what we love doing. We’re constantly evolving our solution-based approach to include a wealth of options from experience design, augmented-reality, broadcasting, motion-graphics, streaming, networking and video content creation.’

‘There are no borders on the experiential methods we’re now using with brands to communicate their products and services. Our in-house digital team created their first online web conference in 2000 and are now using game engines, real time rendering and platform ideation to create meaningful experiences. Winning the Best Virtual Events platform also confirms the strength of EventHive VX which provides the base from which most of our hybrid and virtual events evolve. Our Virtual Conference for 10x Genomics was one of those virtual events that caught the judges eye.’

2Heads also presented the keynote session on the second day of the live event. The discussion featured Paul and Director of Digital Content Nick Rosier as they introduced game engine technology across the B2B sector. With a focus on an 18-month project with Bombardier Paul & Nick discussed the creation of assets in virtual 3D and deep-dive the pros and cons of using this tech for B2B communication.