An event video prepares trade fair staff for the IAA when it captures the enthusiasm of a training session and records the key content at the same time. For Audi Training, we devised two event videos and produced them on site, with the participants themselves explaining the facts about the vehicles. They were filmed, edited and premiered in less than 48 hours, each on the evening of the second workshop day.
At the Audi Training Centre at Munich Airport, two target groups were prepared for the trade fair in two 2-day workshops: first external promoters and hosts, then internal employees. Each group was to go home with its own event video that would motivate them and remind them of what they had learned before the trade fair – the content, but above all the enthusiasm and passion.
The project at a glance
| Client | Audi AG, Audi Training Germany |
| Occasion | Preparing trade fair staff for the IAA |
| Location | Audi Training Centre at Munich Airport |
| Industry | Automotive, trade fairs, corporate learning |
| Video type | Event video with training video elements and employee statements / interviews |
| Scope | Two two-day workshops, 4 shoot days |
| Result | Two event videos of approx. 3 minutes each, one per workshop group |
| Delivery | Under 48 hours from the start of filming to the premiere |
| Agency and production | Pathfinder Studios |
Who is Audi Training?
Audi Training Germany trains internal and external teams for Audi AG and turns them into brand ambassadors. Before a leading trade fair such as the IAA, this includes preparing the stand staff both professionally and emotionally: the teams need to know the new models and convey the fascination of the brand.
How do you prepare trade fair staff for a leading trade fair such as the IAA?
Trade fair staff are well prepared for a leading trade fair such as the IAA when product knowledge and enthusiasm for the brand come together. The stand staff must master the data of the new models while also conveying what Audi stands for.
A leading trade fair leaves no room for mistakes. Audi Training therefore got the teams fully committed to their assignment in a double workshop, first the external promoters, then the internal employees. Our task as the agency was an event video that does two things at once: capture the euphoria on site and serve as an anchor for the facts they had learned.
Why is a classic event video not enough for employee training?
A classic event video conveys the mood, but not the content. It was clear from the first meeting with the marketing and training departments: smiling faces in slow motion alone don’t add much value.
The facts from the workshops also had to go into the event video, without it feeling like school. For Audi, enthusiasm and passion mattered more than completeness. A special twist: the event video had to be ready at the end of the second workshop day, so that the participants could watch it before heading home.
How does an event video combine training content with enthusiasm?
An event video can also be an enthusiastic training video when the participants explain the content themselves. Instead of using a voice-over, we brought the workshop participants in front of the camera straight after their sessions; with editorial coaching, they repeated the key content in their own words, addressed directly to the viewers (in other words, themselves).
The creative concept for both event videos consisted of three building blocks:
- Statements instead of a voice-over script: no stock phrases read out, but colleagues explaining as equal partners what really matters at the trade fair.
- The vehicles at the centre: dynamic shots of the models speak to the trade fair team’s passion for cars.
- The atmosphere of the workshop: laughter, exchange and team spirit become the core of the event video when it comes to remembering the passion and enthusiasm on site.
“The biggest challenge, but also the biggest opportunity, in training videos is not the technology, but the person in front of the camera. Our experience in scripted feature film production makes even people without presenting or acting skills come across confidently and likeably on camera.” – Tom Wolt, Marketing Consultant & Director
How we present employees, customers and public figures convincingly on camera:
How quickly can an event video be ready after an event?
An event video can be ready while the event is still running if the editing suite, graphics and music are in place beforehand. For Audi, we set up a complete post-production unit on site and condensed up to 8 hours of raw footage per day into a three-minute event video overnight.
While an assistant editor backed up and pre-sorted the raw footage during the day, the overnight editor cut at night. We had finalised the graphics, CI overlays, animations and music weeks before the event. Redundant broadcast cameras and professional audio set-ups made sure nothing was lost. The head of training approved the video on site, in the evening in his hotel room.
“Time pressure is always the final boss in video production. When you have to render an event video for more than 100 people in a hotel room at 3 am, the music, overlays and colour profiles have to be ready. For me, this shoot was one of the finest examples of workflow optimisation.” – Yvonne Schwalowski, Marketing Consultant & Film Producer
What did the event video achieve for Audi Training?
The event video worked twice over for Audi Training, because it also served as a training video: the premiere on the evening of the second workshop day was the highlight of the event, and afterwards it gave participants an emotional and factual reminder before the trade fair.
The participants saw themselves on the big screen. That strengthened team spirit, and everyone went into the trade fair weeks motivated. Once the head of training had approved the first event video in his hotel room that evening, we had his full trust for the second workshop. Altogether, Audi has commissioned us several times, each time for event coverage with a dynamic target group.
“What the Pathfinder Studios team pulled off overnight is incredible. They captured the mood of the workshop perfectly. The film was the ultimate motivation boost before the IAA.” – Ralf Faigle, Head of Audi Training
“At an event of this scale, we have to be able to rely 100 per cent on our partners. Pathfinder has proven that they have on-site productions and overnight edits completely under control. The finished video looked perfect – and it was produced in less than 48 hours.” – Markus Apfelbacher, Event & Sports Marketing, Audi AG
Find out more about our event videos here:
Which companies benefit from an event video that doubles as a training video?
An event video with a training function is worthwhile for any company that wants to rally many people behind a shared goal in a short time and anchor what they have learned beyond the event itself. Typical occasions:
- Trade fair preparation for stand staff and promoters
- Sales and dealer training
- Product launches and roll-outs
- Kick-offs and strategy meetings
- Onboarding events for new employees
What can other companies learn from the event video for Audi?
- Let the participants do the explaining. Content that colleagues put into their own words sticks better than a voice-over script.
- Combine enthusiasm and facts in one event video. Mood alone achieves nothing at the trade fair, and facts alone don’t motivate.
- Prepare everything that can be prepared. If graphics, overlays and music are ready beforehand, there is time on site for the story.
- Keep using the event video. As a reminder before the trade fair or as an introduction to the next training session, it works beyond the day itself.
Our services for Audi Training
- Briefing and creative concept: two target groups, two event videos, content and visual language
- Preparation of the questions and key messages for the statements
- Editorial coaching and interviews in front of the camera
- Direction and filming on site, including staging of the vehicles
- Mobile post-production on site: editing, colour grading, sound design
- Motion graphics, CI overlays and animations, produced in advance
Credits
| Client | Audi AG |
| Agency and production | Pathfinder Studios |
| Director | Tom Wolt |
| Producer | Ivy Thomas |
| Camera | Thomas Adolph |
Frequently asked questions about event videos
Planning a trade fair, a training session or a corporate event?
We’ll gladly advise you on how to turn your event into an event video that makes an impact beyond the day itself. No obligation, and as equal partners.
Yvonne Schwalowski · +49 2251 773 99 66 · office@pathfinder-studios.de
