When Steve Jobs introduced the iPad 2 in March 2011, he was greeted with thunderous applause. Partly because he made an unexpected appearance, but also partly because of the excitement built around the event. The iPad 2 unveiling was a hugely anticipated event, and you could bet that everyone in the audience was dying for the event to start. Everyone was seated (until they saw Steve), everyone knew when it would start, and everyone was incredibly excited.
Each event that you run may not have the hype of an Apple product launch, but you can just as easily get a similar effect by beginning your event with a video countdown. Below are three reasons why you should do just that, and begin your event with a video countdown.
1. A video countdown gets people in their seats.
Have you ever run an event that you couldn’t start because there just weren’t enough people in their seats? This is why you need a video countdown. Before an event, people can be catching up with their friends, with no real urgency to get to their seats, because they’ll just find their seats when they have to. This may not be a problem when you only have 20 people, but if you have many more, getting lots of people into seats quickly can be a real challenge. Do yourself a favor and start with a video countdown. Give people the urgency to get to their seats.
2. A video countdown commits you to a start time.
When you begin your event with a video countdown, you have effectively set the starting time of your event in stone. Your audience now knows exactly when you will start and there’s no backing out. This accountability is great for everyone involved! If you have a band, then they now know exactly when they need to be tuned by. There’ll be no waiting around after the expected starting time of your event, because there will be no confusion as to exactly when the event is starting. Build the professionalism of your event by starting on time with a video countdown.
3. A video countdown builds anticipation.
Sure, an Apple product announcement has inbuilt anticipation. What you may not know if that your event does as well, just not as much. People are at your event because they want to be, and there’s probably something about your event that they are looking forward to. When they see the countdown start, they know in their heads that what they’re here for is about to start. They begin to anticipate what’s coming and their emotions build. This effect is made even greater if the countdown has a soundtrack. Music pumps people up! So start your event with a video countdown, and get people’s hearts racing.
I hope I’ve convinced you of the worth of video countdowns. Even though your next event may not be an Apple product launch, I’m sure you’ll still be able to get people excited and sitting down through the use of a video countdown, and hey, you’ll probably start on time too.
[Images via FreeHDCountdowns and lumix2004]
Terry says
The countdown is however less effective when they intentionally have the countdown end 5 minutes AFTER the “official” start time of the service.
They in essence changed the start time to 5 minutes after the hour.
Calum Henderson says
Definitely Terry, the end of the countdown needs to be at the start time of the service. Starting the countdown at the official start time of the service is sloppy and unprofessional, and event should start when it is advertised to start.