How BMG Proved That Virtual Events Can Be Fun and On-Brand

About BMG

BMG is a new kind of music company for a new world. With a strong brand identity and a reputation built on fairness and transparency, BMG serves artists and songwriters worldwide. When the pandemic forced their annual Christmas party online, they needed more than a video call -- they needed an interactive, branded virtual experience that would bring employees from across Europe together for the first time.

The Challenge

The platform needed to allow for genuine interaction and connection -- an opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and meet new colleagues. But above all, it could not feel like a typical internal meeting. It needed to provide escapism and deliver the energy of a real Christmas party, even though everyone would be joining from their own homes during a pandemic.

BMG also wanted the event to represent their brand -- not only in its visual design but in how the platform was set up and what it could do. They needed live streaming, breakout rooms, gamification, and more. But they also needed a platform flexible enough to use those tools in a way that suited BMG, with full technical support and event expertise behind it.

"We wanted to allow groups to chat, hang out, listen to music or take part in games and quizzes without having restrictions in place on how long they had to join each room or activity."

Jess Dowling, Office Manager, BMG

The Solution

The live stream session kicked off the party with a mass connection, bringing all attendees together for end-of-year updates and announcements. Awards and recognitions were shared and celebrated via instant emotive reactions and live chat.

BMG made full use of breakout rooms and content options, with activities including live cooking lessons, quizzes, hangout rooms for casual chatting, and video-on-demand music playlists. They even ran a fundraiser -- all within the platform.

The Canapii team gave BMG the freedom to include as many activities and sessions as they wanted. They were not restricted to a set number of rooms, and rehearsals for the more complex sessions ensured everything ran smoothly on the night.

"It had to be a BMG event, hosted by a virtual platform, not a virtual event that BMG booked, and Canapii gave us exactly that."

Paul Schafer, Office Manager, BMG

Results

The freedom attendees had during the event was a highlight, and engagement across the platform was outstanding. Live polls and quizzes proved extremely popular, with 52 attendees fully immersed in a challenging music quiz. The live DJ sets allowed BMG DJs to play their music to real audiences for the first time in a long time. There were still 100+ people active on the platform well into the after-party hours.

"300 BMG employees joined the Christmas Party and the feedback has been fantastic. Even now, a month later I'm still receiving messages to thank us for what we created."

Paul Schafer, Office Manager, BMG