How do you create a successful Zoom party?

If there’s anything that COVID has taught us, it’s how to think on our feet and adapt. The folks at Skiddle have certainly learned how to do so, and we’re sure as a promoter you’ve had to as well. Even though it’s been a difficult year for our industry, one silver lining has to be all the inventive events we’ve seen come out of this situation. These include events such as drive-in cinemas, and now a Zoom Dance party!

We chatted to promoter Ryan Tutt, creator of Zoom Dance, on how it’s been setting up a regular Zoom party and what he would recommend to other promoters during this time.

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Hi Ryan! Tell us a bit about why you created Zoom Dance and how successful has it been so far?

Hi, it’s my pleasure! Zoom Dance was created in March 2020 when we experienced the first lockdown in the UK due to COVID-19. Our first few events were created to raise money for the NHS, who were and still are under a great deal of pressure. We see attendees from all over the country attending and enjoying the concept.

We have had so much great feedback and so many kind words from people that have been isolated and we have made these people feel connected to others in this very difficult time. The number of attendees still continue to go from strength to strength. The online platform allows us to reach a very vast group of people and we now have regular attendees from all over the UK, Germany and the US. 

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How did you pull it together from start to finish?

The Zoom Dance team have been excellent from the start. It has taken a lot of work to put together a successful structure and was a gradual effort of trial and error as we ventured into this new world.

Having great DJs that put in an appearance time and time again and a promotion team eager to put across our USP has captured the attention of many that work within the events industry. It’s just like any other form of invention, if you have a great idea and have the will to push your idea forward, anything is possible!

The structure of Zoom Dance was key – many platforms are adjusting to paid online events and we found the right platform to work with. We also gave attendees something different which allowed us to grow into an online event that attracts people time and time again.

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A lot of skeptics will ask “what’s the point, it’s not like a real club anyway?”. What’s your response to the haters?

What a great question! Where there is ambition and a will to create something different, there will always be haters. The *favourite* quote I have come across is: “Why should I pay for a livestream when there are so many big brands doing them for free?”.

However, I remind people that this is not just a livestream! We have heard time and time again from previous attendees that they actually feel like they have been on a night out. The phrase “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it” springs to mind here. It’s not for everyone, we are aware of that, but I don’t think you can comment on the experience if you haven’t tried it.

We can only see it as flattery from the haters to take the time to make such comments and push forward in our quest. 😉

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Tell us about some of your favourite Zoom Dance moments.

My personal favourite moments of Zoom Dance come in the form of feedback because that really is my favourite thing. Countless positive messages we receive really does warm the heart. From couples expressing how much of a good time they have together, to isolated individuals expressing that we’ve given them a given a social relief to in these unpresented times. As long as the positive feedback continues, so will Zoom Dance…

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What would your advice be to promoters who are struggling to adapt during this time?

Find your USP, find the right platform and focus on interaction. A lot of online platforms are working hard to make things more user friendly for promotors to utilise. In our case, as we started so early during the pandemic, there was a lot of work going into a structure and getting things right.

Things have progressed since then, so people looking to start online events may not encounter as many problems as we have had to overcome, because we’ve all gotten used to working with online systems during the pandemic.

Make sure you think beyond just a livestream and make your target audience feel a part of what’s going on rather than just a spectator.

Zoom Dance are already in talks with big event brands and are looking for other brands to work with to open up some more opportunities.

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About Skiddle

Skiddle is currently the UK’s biggest What’s On guide, providing a free facility for event promoters across the UK to list their events online and sell tickets through our independent ticketing service. We currently work with over 35,000 UK and European promoters, at over 30,000 venues. We specialise in helping events through that critical growing phase by providing the marketing and technology support that you need. Start listing your events today!