Hosting compelling member events and preparing for Emmy awards season with the Television Academy and zkipster

In the first of our Case Studies with the world-renowned Television Academy, we took an exclusive look behind the scenes and spoke to the talented professionals who oversee the Academy’s event ecosystem as they prepared for the return of live events. 

For the second installment, we once again checked in with Amy Pierce (Manager, Event Production) and Barbara Chase (Senior Director, Event Production). We were keen to find out how it is to be back in the midst of in-person events, and to gather more exclusive insights as they deliver a busier-than-ever schedule of Television Academy member events and geared up for Emmy^Ⓡ Awards season.

Live events are back with a bang post-pandemic

Over the past few months Academy members have been able to reconnect with their peers at exclusive mixer events and membership drives, insightful talks and panels hosted by the Television Academy - and powered by zkipster.

While many have taken place in person, and live events are the Academy’s main focus for 2022, professional development events have been taking place virtually and then made available on-demand. This successful format will continue, as it’s easier to book a variety of participants who may not be based in Los Angeles and the events are therefore accessible to an even wider audience.

The Television Academy’s comprehensive, compelling event strategy and understanding of its target audience is key; keeping members engaged throughout the awards cycle and helping to maintain the Academy’s influence and position at the heart of the TV industry, and it is executed and amplified with the help of digital tools like zkipster.

Emmy awards season

The serious business of awards nominations and voting has been a key focus for Television Academy members. This year, more awards contenders were vying for voters’ attention than ever before, thanks to the raft of shows that were released to coincide with the Emmys eligibility period. Studios hosted their own FYC (“For Your Consideration”) events to woo voters alongside the Academy’s own busy event schedule in advance of the Emmys nomination announcement on July 12.

Awards season got underway in Los Angeles, the spiritual home of the Emmys and the natural habitat of professionals who work behind and in front of the camera, with the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards Presentation on July 23, followed by the Creative Arts Emmys on September 3 and 4. Awards season culminated in the 74th Emmy Awards telecast on September 12, with Barbara, Amy and their colleagues working with producers Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment on this year's show.

All eyes were on TV’s movers and shakers, with the ceremonies televised to a combined audience of millions and celebrated with glamorous galas. While zkipster is proud to power the majority of the Television Academy’s events, our tool isn’t currently used for its awards presentations. However Barbara hosted the Academy’s second ever Los Angeles Viewing Party at the Godfrey Hotel on Emmy Awards night, and used zkipster to manage and check-in some 400 specially-invited guests.

“And the winner is…”

Amy,  Barbara, and their colleagues are responsible for executing and overseeing the countless processes and work streams that keep the Television Academy events machine running smoothly; everything from running event data analytics through zkipster to rolling out the red carpet on awards day.

In our opinion, they deserve golden statuettes for going the extra mile and rising to the many challenges presented by this unique awards cycle with energy, excitement and a willingness to adapt, innovate and explore new ideas and opportunities.

We began by asking Amy and Barbara: how do you prepare for your large member events, galas and awards ceremonies, and how has your planning evolved in 2022? 

Barbara has almost had to start with a blank slate this year, needing to first “work out which of our event planning to-do lists to use to plan each of our events. Some involve talent, a show, or a presentation, some simply aim to provide a great experience for our members, and each has a different set of requirements.”

When we spoke, Barbara was waiting for confirmation on the venue for a particular event: a hotel, a ball room, a theater, and outdoor venues were being considered, along with the potential to factor in a grand installation.

She said, “we need to wait longer than normal for confirmation on the venue and adapt accordingly, so this means a shorter lead time.” She also noted the new sweet spot for attendance and capacity: “right now we wouldn’t have 600 people in a 600-seat theater, it’s outside people’s comfort zone. We aren’t back to using all of our own event spaces quite yet either, including our Governors Room, which only has space for 150 people.” Fortunately, zkipster makes it easy for them to manage capacity and track guest attendance in real time at their events.

Amy spoke of the uncertainty event professionals everywhere have been feeling, with details still shifting constantly and the need to rethink and reimagine everything from the way food is served to air filtration due to Covid. Those instances where event timings have been pushed right up to the wire are unusual for the Television Academy, and can obviously make planning very challenging. As she says…

When you’re in events, planning is your best friend, it is key!

Amy Pierce | Manager | Event Production | Television Academy

…words for event organizers to live by that feel even more relevant in 2022, when we must plan for every eventuality: even extremely rare instances of bad weather in Los Angeles. When it rained at this year's Emmy Performers Nominee Celebration the team was forced to regroup at the last minute and move the whole party inside!

Though they are overcoming fresh challenges and managing increased workloads, the team is feeling extremely positive, with Barbara noting that “things we might not have overseen previously are being added to our plates, but we’ll get everything done to our usual high standards.”

Amy added that “it's so much easier to plan virtual events that only have a dial in - it takes a lot more to get people to meet in person! But we are so happy that live events are back.”

What are your hopes for your events this Emmy awards season? 

We want to explore new experiences with our guests, and for them to come to our events and feel comfortable. Of course we want our events to run as smoothly as possible, and we also want to figure out quickly what worked and what didn’t, and shift accordingly.

Barbara Chase | Senior Director | Event Production | Television Academy

Do you compare your events to what others are doing?

“100%!” said Amy - something all event professionals can surely relate to. She added “we’re self-critical, and we’re always interested to know what our peers are doing and how they’ve adjusted their events. We’re very aware of what’s going on in our industry, constantly comparing and looking for ideas.”

The Television Academy clearly has a vibrant and highly engaged member community - tell us more about membership.

Television Academy members are creative professionals seeking exchange, excitement and connection, and membership helps them form lasting, impactful bonds with their peers and grow their networks. Speaking of peers, members are grouped into 31 different peer groups, each representing specific fields of expertise within the television industry, from art direction and hair and makeup to sound and special visual effects.

Many of the Academy’s exclusive, member-only events are peer group-specific, and with zkipster they can easily segment guests and create multiple guest lists. As an entertainment production hub with densely-woven professional networks, Los Angeles is where both the Academy and most of its members are based, and where the majority of the Academy’s events take place: they are an essential part of the member experience.

Amy noted that “many people think that you have to be invited to join the Television Academy, but in fact if you are working in the industry, you can qualify, so we’re focused on getting that message out to potential members. Member cultivation is key.”

In fact we touched upon the importance of member cultivation events in our first Case Study with the Television Academy. Qualified members are also able to vote for and therefore decide the winners of the coveted Emmy Awards.

As a community of “content creators with a global reach”, the Academy is always looking to better serve and represent its members; encouraging new members from under-represented groups, keeping diversity and inclusion front of mind when producing shows and panels, and using tools like zkipster to capture deeper member insights.

Every member counts, whether new or old, and the team strives to make amazing events that welcome and celebrate them all.

• Read the first Case Study in the series - The Television Academy’s return to live events with zkipster: an exclusive look behind the scenes.
• Read the third Case Study in the series - Enhancing the Television Academy's events with digital workflows and data insights from zkipster.

Header image:  Sarah Niles at the 2022 Emmy® Awards Performers Nominee Celebration. Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images.