In the world of software development, Red Hat is a shining example of a company that thrives on the free exchange of ideas and expertise. Founded on the principles of open source, the company recognizes the value of connecting people and facilitating seamless communication. Its Red Hat Live program educates, informs, and entertains people around the world who are interested in its technology solutions.
But with customers and employees spread across more than 40 countries, providing engaging events became a challenge. The Red Hat Live team needed a solution to streamline the hosting of internal and external events, as well as create a more meaningful experience for participants. That’s when they turned to BlueJeans.
Simplifying Event Organization
The Red Hat Live team found a reliable and user-friendly tool in BlueJeans Events, which enabled them to simplify the setup and organization of internal and external events. The team started by streamlining the events experience at the company’s headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, making it easier for employees to host events and collaborate.
Since then, the Red Hat Live team has relied on the platform to deliver informative, interactive, and fun gatherings — from town halls and monthly department all-hands meetings to webinars and expos. They even brought renowned guests, such as Star Trek actor William Shatner, to charm audiences.
“Another area we use the platform is for revenue-generating events,” says Christian Binder, Red Hat’s Senior Events Coordinator. “Customers have high expectations when they’re paying to see or participate in an event, and we count on the reliability of BlueJeans Events to meet those expectations.”
Providing Interactive Experiences
By using BlueJeans Events’ interactive tools such as chat, Q&A, and polls, Red Hat has engaged participants on a deeper level, ensuring each person can contribute, regardless of their location. With the moderator dashboard, the Red Hat Live team has full control over event proceedings, effortlessly managing chat, troubleshooting issues, and maintaining a smooth flow.
In addition, the platform’s polling tool has enabled Red Hat to collect valuable feedback and data from attendees.
“Polling is huge for us,” says Binder. “When we run events that are revenue generating, for example, we might run a poll that says, ‘do you want us to follow you up?’ or ‘what would you like to learn more about?’. You can then filter the attendee list for that data and act on it to drive revenue for the company.”
Easing Management Through Third-Party Integration
Red Hat didn’t stop there — the company has integrated BlueJeans Events with popular third-party platforms such as Google Calendar and Certain Event Management. This has further simplified event setup and enabled Red Hat’s marketing department to easily manage registrations for events via the company’s website.
According to Binder, “This is something we started doing during the height of the pandemic when everything was virtual and we needed to find a way to help our marketing department run all the webinars it organizes. It works really well.”
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Red Hat successfully hosted an impressive number of events, reaching as much as 130 a month during the crisis. This was made possible by its swift pivot to virtual-only events using its BlueJeans platform.
“We knew we were entering uncharted territory,” says Binder. “Fortunately, we were accustomed to doing 40–60 BlueJeans events per month to connect people to events they couldn’t attend live. Now we were in a spot where no one could attend events in person — everything was virtual.”
Uniting Global Teams
Adopting BlueJeans Events has enabled Red Hat to foster greater collaboration among its global teams. By flawlessly organizing and running large-scale, interactive events and meetings, the Red Hat Live team has significantly contributed to the growth of the company’s sales pipeline. Its commitment to providing quality experiences earned Red Hat events a net promoter score of 50 or above throughout the pandemic.
With more than 1,300 events hosted on BlueJeans Events in 2022, Red Hat continues to bridge geographical distances, deliver engaging events to customers, and promote a culture of collaboration among its teams around the globe.
“Thanks to BlueJeans Events, Red Hat Live has been the glue that has kept the Red Hat community around the world connected,” says Binder. “We achieved the connection we usually get from face-to-face events virtually.”
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About the Author
Sharni Medina is the Director of Customer Marketing at BlueJeans Network, where she is responsible for sharing the voice of customers through customer-driven content and supporting business reference needs. Prior to joining BlueJeans, Sharni worked at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, leading their customer advocacy and referencing organization. Sharni holds degrees in Education and Physical Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. Outside of the office, Sharni enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
