Case Study: Bespoke Virtual Poker Tournament

Client  Rapid7
Agency  emc3
Event  Bespoke Virtual Poker Tournament

Challenge

Rapid7 are known for their fantastic company culture. They are also renowned for throwing some of the industry’s best get-togethers and creating some incredible immersive experiences at various tradeshows and conferences. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BlackHat Conference was taken online and transformed into a virtual event. As one of the event’s main sponsors, it was down to Rapid 7 to create an online version of their renowned end of conference party in Vegas – an experience tough to match from the comfort of your own home. ​

Objectives

The objective of the event was to give BlackHat attendees the chance to unwind, network and have some fun after a few days of content, as well as give the Rapid 7 team a chance to interact with customers. The team wanted the event to have a Vegas theme running through it and allow customers to immerse themselves in the Vegas lifestyle for an evening. ​

The event

We partnered with Rapid 7 to create a custom, non-cash exchange poker site coupled with Zoom integration. With a greeting from poker professional Daniel Negreanu, players were assigned to breakout  rooms to play against their table opponents. The top 9 earning players from round one were invited to the Grand Finale game for a chance to win a trip for 2 to WSOP 2021. ​

What we did differently from a normal live event?​

As attendees couldn’t hit the poker tables in Vegas Casinos, our platform enabled them to get a similar play experience, however no money was at risk, allowing all players to participate to the max. Instead of a stage appearance form talent, we were able to get Daniel Negreanu to dial in from Mexico, and commentate on the play, this also meant that attendees were able to chat with him, and ask questions – something not always possible at a live event.  Taking the event online meant that people from all over the world could participate, even those who normally wouldn’t have been able to make it to Vegas for a week. ​

What we did that was the same?​

To ensure this event stood out as a Rapid7 event, we had to ensure that the site was completely custom branded. The attention to detail was extremely important, with even the playing cards on the table having custom branding. 

Testimonials:

Having partnered with emc3 for our company kickoff in January, they were our natural choice when looking for an agency to help with our virtual event. We’ve found the emc3 team to be equally skilled in virtual and live event delivery- from ideation and planning through execution and follow up. I continue to be impressed with their creativity and attention to detail, not to mention they are an absolute pleasure to work with.

Sue Fontes Sr. Director, Experiential Marketing Rapid7

Account Manager, Saskya Liney added:

“Having recently picked up two awards at the C&IT Americas Awards for our work in the virtual and live events space, we were pleased to have an opportunity to curate an immersive virtual experience focused on driving employee engagement. Businesses everywhere are missing the power of human connection right now, so it’s vital we provide creative solutions that enable teams to connect virtually while we can’t meet in person!”