Kilat Events Management is reinventing the way the industry operates with the innovative “Virtual Venue”, which promises to greatly increase reach at a fraction of the cost of a physical event.

“The Virtual Venue is a new innovation that allows us to continue our passion for events, in accordance with Covid-19 precautions and measures. It’s the ultimate digital events solution able to cater to all a client’s needs.

“The flexibility of the Virtual Venue allows it to adapt to a huge range of events – conferences, e-gaming, concerts, product launches and much more. The beauty of the Virtual Venue is that it is able to reach huge audiences at a dramatically lower cost than a ballroom-based event,” said Kilat’s head of accounts Alex Dance.

Kilat thrives in an increasingly competitive industry by constantly innovating to “raise the bar”, Dance says.

“Our ethos is to always raise the bar for our clients. If a client says ‘we want this’, we will say ‘okay, you can have that, but what about this – why don’t we do it even bigger? Let’s do something that has never been done before in Cambodia’.

“We strive to be the first to do these kind of things by bringing in different technologies – and we pride ourselves on being the most dynamic events company in Cambodia,” he said.

Kilat means “lightning” in Malay, and it can also be used to describe something done with such excellence that it is difficult for others to follow. And with this at its core, Kilat Events Management attracts a number of top names.

Boasting H&M, Manulife Hong Kong, Tiger Beer, Anchor Beer, Emirates, Chevrolet and Oppo among its clients, Kilat has also serviced clients such as Smart and supported the major international music artists they have bought to the Kingdom, including American singers Charlie Puth and Demi Lovato, as well as K-pop star Rain.

“We are fortunately approached by many types of major industry players, and due to a wide network within the Asean events industry, we also service international clients executing here in Cambodia,” Dance said.

With Cambodia cautiously entering the “new norm”, Kilat – following a “record year in 2019” – aims to remain strong in the market by being dynamic and flexible.

“Earlier this year we expanded to create a digital marketing and R&D department, which includes talented young Cambodians. The team is responsible for our LED content, for example.

“They recently put together an EDM Virtual Venue sample video. This would have been outsourced before, but now we can do it all in-house,” Dance said.

With the market relatively young in comparison with its neighbours, Cambodia’s events management companies work across all segments, Dance says.

“Apart from weddings, no one event company champions just one sector of the industry, which includes conferences, concerts and gala dinners, for example.

“Concerts are our forte as we have all the equipment, the sound, the lighting, the screens, experienced programmers – we can put on a big, big show. We are renowned for the big international standards. And this is what we want to bring to Cambodia.

“Kilat is unique due to the fact we have a fully functioning technical department with our own equipment, allowing us to bring innovative ideas and set higher technical standards,” the Briton said.

Kilat’s virtual events are ongoing, with a range of interesting initiatives being launched online such as “Tech Talk with Kevin” and other programmes and content, while the popular Battle of the Bands is set to return to the Kingdom’s television screens in October on MyTV.

“For sure, a shift towards the digital realm has already taken place and we feel events will remain like this to an extent. Live and integrated marketing campaigns are most likely the future. That being said, physical, tangible events will continue, albeit with stricter health and safety precautions.

“We have to be flexible and adapt to the social changes, like in any other industry. Our resilience has prompted innovation, and we are now able to offer digital marketing services in addition to the Virtual Venue.

“We will continue to development fresh initiatives and strive for an even brighter future,” Dance said.