Background

The Santa Monica Chorus, a dynamic chapter of Sweet Adelines International, qualified to perform at this year's Sweet Adelines International (SAI) Competition, held from October 28 to November 3, 2024, in Kansas City, MO. This prestigious event featured performances by 32 choruses from around the globe and nearly 50 quartets, creating an inspiring but logistically complex environment for attendees.

To enhance the attendee experience, SAI provided an event app featuring high-level schedule information, contest results, and venue details for the Kansas City Convention Center. However, this app was unable to address the specific and intricate scheduling needs of each chorus attending the competition. To bridge this gap, Santa Monica Chorus turned to Eventene to provide their own event app to cover their needs as an individual chorus, empowering them to effectively manage their group’s unique itinerary within the larger event framework.

Challenges

Managing a 70-member chorus traveling as a cohesive unit within a massive international competition presented several logistical challenges:

• Individualized Schedules: Each chorus needed tailored rehearsal times, transportation coordination, and costume prep timelines that were absent in the official event app.
• Real-Time Communication: A dynamic messaging solution was necessary to keep all members updated on changes, meeting points, and social gatherings throughout the week.
• Attendee Directory: an interactive directory of the chorus members and guest attendees, along with their contact information forinstant communications.

Eventene provided the perfect solution, enabling Santa Monica Chorus to organize an "event within an event" and communicate efficiently, reducing stress and helping members focus on their performance.

How Eventene Enhanced the Competition Experience

Information-Rich Tabs for Essential Event Details

‍The organizers added custom tabs within Eventene to share critical event information tailored to the needs of Santa Monica Chorus members. The chorus organizers needed no programming experience to customize theapp and could manage the changes entirely on their own, using Eventene's self-service admin app. In particular, the following areas were especially helpful in the app.

• ‍Event Information: Essential event details, daily affirmations, physical warm-up routines, and essential health tips‍
• Contact Info: contacts for key people for any last minute questions‍
• Lodging: complete information on where the chorus was staying‍
• Costume and Makeup Instructions: Detailed guidance, ensuring all members presented a cohesive and polished look on stage.

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Custom Agenda for the Santa Monica Chorus

‍Using Eventene, the Santa Monica Chorus organizers crafted a custom agenda to complement the main SAI event schedule. They organized all key details pertinent for their chorus as follows:

• Specific rehearsal and performance times
• Costume preparation timelines
• Transportation logistics to the venue and between locations
• Personalized notifications to keep members on schedule for each task
• Side events during the week
• Group dinner reservations

Each chorus member received access to the Eventene mobile app, where they could view their personalized agenda and receive timely push notifications for critical reminders.

Online Directory for Easy Member Contact

‍The chorus also leveraged Eventene’s built-in attendee directory feature to create an online roster of all its members. Profile included photos, emails, mobile numbers, section details, and SAI member numbers. Members could simply click to call or text each other directly within the app, a significant improvement over paper directories.

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Real-Time Messaging for Constant Group Connectivity

‍One of the most appreciated features was the Messaging section. Chorus members could share updates, coordinate meetups, and even post selfies to celebrate their experience together. This messaging function allowed spontaneous communication, building excitement and cohesion within the group. The Messaging center in this event consisted of an event feed for everyone to participate, private room chats, and personal 1:1 chats between individual chorus members.

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Results and Impact

Thanks to Eventene, the Santa Monica Chorus management team reported a substantial improvement and time savingsin organizing and coordinating their group at the competition. Key outcomes included:

• Streamlined Planning and Organization: The custom agenda and information tabs reduced logistical confusion, keeping everyone on track and prepared.
• Enhanced Engagement: Members and guests appreciated the personalized experience and found it easier to connect, stay informed, and celebrate together.
• Director Feedback: The chorus director and management team agreed that Eventene was a “game-changer,” helping them stay connected and organized within a large, complex event.

Conclusion

Eventene transformed the way Santa Monica Chorus managed their participation in the Sweet Adelines International Competition. By providing a tailored, interactive app experience, Eventene proved to be invaluable for organizing this 70-person travel group, and the feedback highlighted how effective it was compared to past years.

With Eventene’s ability to service “events within events,” other choruses and groups attending large-scale events can benefit as well from this approach to coordination and communication. Santa Monica Chorus’s success at this year’s competition serves as an inspiring example of how Eventene can enhance performance logistics and enrich group experiences in high-stakes environments.

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