Hey

Here's what's new this week:

• Three Awards in 24 Hours: Gevme takes home Event Tech App of the Year (third straight win) and Adaptation & Innovation on the global stage.

• Coldplay + Kiss Cam = Corporate Meltdown: What event teams can do to stay one step ahead.

Awards & Accolades 🏆

Gevme Wins Big: Top Honours at Singapore MICE Awards & EIC Global Awards

Three trophies. Two stages. One day.

It’s official: Gevme is the only tech company to win Event Tech Application of the Year three years in a row at the Singapore MICE Awards.

And just hours later, we picked up the Adaptation and Innovation Award at the EIC Global Awards – recognising how we rebuilt faster than the rulebook could keep up.

These aren’t small wins. They’re proof of what happens when speed meets substance, and every team shows up like clockwork:

🔹 Rising to the challenge no matter the time.
🔹 Running multiple flows on one system without a single leak.
🔹 Constantly evolving a system that meets highest security standards

We’re proud. We’re grateful. And we’re not slowing down.

Here’s to setting the benchmark for event tech – and raising it every year.

What Just Happened 🧐

Proof Your Event Against the Next Social Media Blowup

Two weeks ago, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was filmed at a Coldplay concert in a moment with his Chief People Officer that sparked online backlash. Chris Martin’s mic-drop line – “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy” – sparked an internet firestorm.

What followed:

• July 19: Byron resigned after being placed on leave

• July 24: Cabot stepped down as well

• Now: Cofounder Pete DeJoy is interim CEO, overseeing the company’s damage control and leadership search

• Then: Astronomer dropped a self-aware PR campaign featuring Gwyneth Paltrow via Ryan Reynolds’ agency to steer attention back to its business

Two Weeks Later: Why This Should Terrify Event Planners

Yes, he messed up. But here’s the part no one talks about: if it happened at your event, your brand can still get burned, even if you did nothing wrong.

And now it’s messier. Andy Byron is reportedly planning to sue Coldplay and the event organisers, citing emotional distress and lack of consent. Even if it doesn’t hold up in court, the threat alone keeps the story alive, and drags more names into the mess.

A public controversy doesn’t need your fault to drag your logo into it:

• Your crew films a keynote → someone does something inappropriate in the background → that clip circulates.

• Your social media tags the event hashtag and suddenly you’re in the middle of a scandal you didn’t cause.

You don’t need to be guilty to end up in the fire.

Event-Proofing:  How to Stay Out of Headlines You Didn’t Ask For

Sure, the Coldplay clip came from a concert, not a corporate forum.  But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply to our world.

Because at business events, we do the exact same thing every day:

• We film crowds.

• We post snippets online.

• We use faces, sometimes without explicit permission, to market future editions.

The difference? When something goes sideways at your event, the stakes are even higher. You’re not capturing fans in a stadium. You’re documenting people in work mode: founders, policymakers, CMOs – whose jobs depend on reputation and context.

So even if your team didn’t cause the drama, you can still end up:

• Being tagged in viral posts

• Getting requests to pull footage

• Having to explain to a speaker why they’re trending for the wrong reasons

Here’s how to reduce the risk:

1. Get your T&Cs screamingly clear
Start at registration. Say it plainly:

“We film our events. Footage may be used for marketing. If that’s a problem, here’s how to opt out.”

Make it unmissable. Not hidden in some privacy policy footer.

2. Establish no-film zones

Create marked areas where attendees can speak freely, chill, or have private conversations, without worrying they’ll end up in someone’s LinkedIn reel.

Post signs. Add icons. Mention it in the emcee announcements.

Tip: One organiser used a simple green-red sticker system at check-in. Green = happy to be filmed. Red = please don’t.

Another created "camera-free lounges,"especially near coffee areas or partner meeting zones. Subtle, but deeply appreciated.

3. Train your content team to have good judgment
Your crew isn’t paparazzi. Instruct them to:

• Pause filming when someone seems uncomfortable

• Avoid zoom-in shots on private or awkward moments

• Honor a request to stop filming on the spot

4. Set an on-site removal/takedown system

If someone says “hey, that shouldn’t be online,” don’t pass them to legal.

Assign a team member who can review, remove, or blur content immediately. Even better, include signage about who to contact on-site for these issues.

Tip: One organiser created a short QR code-based “content flag form” linked to a WhatsApp group monitored by the media team. Fast, private, and handled in hours, not days.

People's Behavior ≠ Your Fault. But Risk Management Is Yours.
Yes, individuals need to be accountable for their public behavior. If someone botches it in front of thousands, that’s on them.

But event organizers? You’re still the gatekeeper. Yes, attendees should know better – but they also trust you to set the tone. They came to do business, not end up as unintentional TikTok material.

Bottom Line

You can’t control what people do at your event — but you are responsible for the environment you create.

That means making it clear when cameras are rolling, building in opt-outs, and being ready to respond fast when things go wrong.

Because once something goes viral, it’s too late to say “we didn’t mean to.”

If you're reviewing your own event policies after reading this, here’s a one-pager you can drop into your event comms, reg forms, or venue signage. 

Expect the unexpected, but not at your event.

Gevme turns “What if?” into “What’s next?”

Have a suggestion? Hit reply and fill us in.

See you next week,

Team Gevme

P.S. If someone forwarded you this email, consider signing up here. You won't regret.