The Georgian Angel Network (GAN) is a renowned angel investing organization that aims to foster a thriving startup ecosystem by connecting investors with promising early-stage companies. To achieve this goal, GAN hosts an annual Angel Investing Winter Summit, where entrepreneurs and investors come together to network, learn, and explore investment opportunities. In 2023, GAN sought to elevate its summit to new heights by incorporating a hybrid event, i.e. a virtual event for Day-1 and a conventional in-person event at the Alpine Ski Club for the forthcoming Day-2 & 3. They partnered with ibentos, a leading virtual conference platform, to deliver an exceptional and interactive virtual experience for their attendees. As per the agenda the GAN 5th Annual Angel Investing Winter Summit had to cover the following aspects:
- Angel Investing trends in 2023
- Investment updates
- Economic Updates
- Big Data, Cloud, A.I. and Security
- Driving Incremental Value via Digital Transformation. Where do companies invest for growth and efficiency?
- Sector Education Series: Heath Tech, Clean Tech and Ed-Tech
- Keynote addresses, workshops and panel discussions with Angel investors and CEOs
Challenges:
- GAN desired to create a seamless and engaging virtual conference that would mirror the energy and excitement of an in-person event.
- They needed a platform that offered extensive customizations to align with their unique event agenda and branding.
- The virtual environment had to be visually stunning and easy to navigate, providing attendees with an immersive experience.
- Ensuring a smooth transition between the virtual and in-person components was crucial to maintaining attendee engagement and interest.
ibentos Solutions:
In close collaboration with GAN, ibentos developed a customized solution for the Angel Investing Winter Summit 2023 using its experience in building dynamic and aesthetically pleasing virtual worlds.
Branding and Customization:
GAN was able to adapt its branding and event theme to every area of the virtual conference thanks to the ibentos platform. GAN’s visual identity was regularly portrayed throughout the virtual world with logos, banners, colour schemes, and typography.
Realistic 3D Virtual Environment:
ibentos built a magnificent 3D virtual reproduction of the Alpine Ski Club to simulate the feeling of attending an actual event. With a high-definition graphical walkthrough that provided the impression that they were there in person, attendees could virtually explore the facility.
Immersive Auditoriums and Networking Lounges:
ibentos created and set up lifelike auditoriums and networking lounges inside the virtual world. Advanced live-streaming technology was installed in the auditoriums to broadcast keynote addresses and presentations with ease. In the networking salons, attendees could mingle and make connections with one another, just as they would in person.
Seamless Navigation:
Attendees could easily navigate the virtual conference thanks to ibentos’ user-friendly and intuitive navigation technology. The website offered simple directions, interactive maps, and readily available schedules to make it simple for users to locate and join sessions.
Live Investment Drives and Workshops:
GAN’s vision to offer live investments and workshops was efficiently executed on the ibentos platform. Startups and investors could engage in real-time, fostering a nurturing environment for collaboration and learning.
Results and Impact
Jan Bailey, a seasoned speaker and corporate trainer, presided over the official launch of the GAN Angel Investing Winter Summit 2023. The virtual world, which ibentos created using 3D rendering technology and was a lifelike copy of the Alpine Ski Club, was captivating and left the spectators in amazement. Participants may virtually ski along a course that was peppered with sponsor signs before arriving at the lodge.
Rooms were created to imitate particular spaces at the ski club in order to make it seem convincing to the virtual participants. Largely because of the amazing virtual conference experience offered by ibentos, the GAN Angel Investing Summit turned out to be a great success with its enormous auditoriums, enormous lobbies, and exclusive networking elements.
Brought the Angels Onboard:
The GAN Angel Investing Summit 2023, made possible by the ibentos virtual conference platform, was a one-stop, all-inclusive grand event that brought together the Ontario angel investing industry’s three apex organizations under one roof: the Toronto Business Development Centre, the Ontario Centre of Innovation, and Angel Investing Ontario.
Explosive Attendee Engagement:
Attendees were engrossed by the realistic and engaging virtual world, which led to better participation rates and extended session times.
Unlimited Global Reach:
By incorporating a virtual component, GAN was able to expand the audience for its event beyond physical bounds.
Impressive Networking Opportunities:
The interactive elements and networking areas allowed attendees to forge deep ties with other attendees, speakers, and possible investors.
Future-Ready:
Because of the summit’s success, GAN is thinking about introducing virtual components into their future events and utilizing the ibentos platform for better involvement.
Positive Feedback:
Attendees praised the virtual conference experience’s realism and seamlessness in their overwhelmingly positive feedback to GAN.
Michael Badham, Strategic Financial Advisor, Corporate Finance, StrategyTools Master Trainer, International Business Valuation Professional Education and Managing Director of Georgian Angel Network, proffered this thoughts on this year’s winters summit and said “Everyone agreed it was a creative and fun way to create a good buzz about the event. GAN members are ready to invest alongside members from York and Niagara, subject to completing the due diligence process. We are excited to welcome the ibentos team to Canada and for them to contribute to building Canada as a start-up ecosystem.”
On the first day of the conference, ibentos was able to provide the virtual attendees an innovative solution, led by an example of how an immersive experience can change the entire notion of virtual events in our minds. The event went off without a hitch and proved to be a terrific attempt to demonstrate a standout product in GAN’s portfolio in addition to delivering a solution for building an engaging virtual event. The event planners were able to concentrate on the event’s content without having to worry about the virtual presentation as a consequence of the seamless and stress-free experience they had.
The partnership between GAN and ibentos demonstrated the potential of virtual conferences to complement and enhance traditional in-person events. The GAN Angel Investing Winter Summit 2023 stands as a shining example of how a well-executed virtual conference can foster growth, collaboration, and innovation within the startup ecosystem.