Delivered as a live awards broadcast this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 was a resounding success.
The event took place on the evening of Friday 29 May, with MC Vince Sorrenti and presenters broadcasting live from Momentum’s Sydney studio into attendees’ homes, loungerooms and boardrooms.
The Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 is an exciting awards program that recognises the finest young lawyers from across Australia.
Achieving 30 Under 30 status offers the foundation for career progression, providing industry-wide acknowledgment for professional competency, while highlighting a passion for the law and a dedication to personal advancement.
The program recognises the depth of talent and outstanding achievements of Australia’s young lawyers under 30 years of age, at the beginning of their careers. It’s also a great opportunity for young legal professionals to celebrate and network with industry peers, friends and family.
The live, talk-show-style presentation event for 2020 included live interviews with finalists and winners, direct from their homes and offices.
Many participants also dressed to impress in their best black-tie outfits and ball gowns all accessorised with a multitude of pets, media walls, and even a social-distancing rock concert, during the evening of celebration.
A newly-developed app also kept attendees connected throughout the event, maximising networking opportunities with a one-on-one chat function and a live social wall.
Momentum Media’s head of strategy – legal, Will Magee, was enthusiastic about the increase in engagement the live broadcast achieved.
“Typically, with the 30 Under 30 awards, we’ll have 800 people in a ballroom. However, for this broadcast we had over 1,500 different active logins engaged, equating to an audience we estimate at well over 3,000 people,” Magee said.
“There were gatherings and parties all over Australia – with many families, partners and colleagues dialled in watching the broadcast together, social-distancing.”
“Typically, these awards are mainly closed to just the professionals. Our broadcast opened it right up, allowing people at home to celebrate the achievements of a family member, friend or colleague in a way they would otherwise not get to experience.
Two of the award partners joined at the awards studio to announce finalists and winners, while others chose to announce theirs from their offices from a range of locations across Australia – which is reflective of how people are now operating in the ‘new normal’ environment, Magee said.
“It’s something we’re likely to see more of in the future by way of hybrid events. We’ll have a few thousand beaming in virtually plus guests joining us at an in-person awards presentation that we broadcast live from.”
“It’s all part of our learnings through COVID-19. It’s a forced change – something we might not have thought about if we hadn’t been presented with this challenge.”
“As we start to see restrictions ease, we’re equipped with a whole new set of tools that enable us to cater to a much broader market and deliver an even better experience for our communities,” he said.
To view all the finalists and winners from the awards, plus replay the broadcast, click here.