Collingham company Collab provides tech support for Clean Energy For America gala to celebrate President Joe Biden's inauguration

A company in Collingham was on hand to help at a Democrats inauguration gala to celebrate President Joe Biden taking over the US presidency.

Remote members of the Collab team joined more than 2,000 guests for the virtual black-tie Clean Energy For America event on Wednesday evening.

The quartet of staff, who have been running virtual events, offices and social venues for UK and international businesses, community groups and even sports fans, spent several hours welcoming guests and troubleshooting minor tech issues.

Steff Wright, Collab executive chairman, said: “It’s been a whirlwind working with professional partners both here in the UK and overseas who called on us for support for this once in a lifetime event.

“With more than 2,000 guests in attendance, it just goes to show that anyone can use this software to bring people back together safely, even when they’re separated by geography and lockdown restrictions.

“It has been an honour to help out our peers in America, who called on our experienced team to help them deliver a high-quality multi-presentation event and in return we got front row seats to one of the biggest nights in recent history.”

The Clean Energy for America gala featured a host of big names, including Billie Eilish, Jeff Bridges, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Akon, and The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir.

The graphic designers from Collab have been working on a range of virtual venues to simulate office, educational and even social venues.

In support of the inauguration celebrations, Collab designers created a bespoke Democrats Gala venue, which was used by a Los Angeles events company to host their inauguration watch party.

Sophie Rookes, Collab’s Event Manager, said: “What an incredible night! As things began state-side it was already 11pm here, but our team were quickly prepped by the main organisers and swiftly moved into our virtual halls to look after roughly 300 guests in each hall.

“As the event began, we took up our usual tech positions, helping people get used to navigating the space, moving from floor to floor and table to table, turning on their mics and cameras and managing the sound of the main presentations where a host of celebrities introduced some of the biggest names in the environmental sector.

“The presentation aspect was a real crowd pleaser but by far the most enjoyable part of the evening was the networking that was taking place in each of the four main halls and later in the after-party venues, where entertainment ran for the remainder of the event.”

Collab, which is built using the same software that was used for The Clean Energy for America Inaugural Gala, has already established two virtual offices, hosted national and international events and even provided a sports bar for Lincoln City supporters.

To find out more about using Collab as a virtual alternative to an office, for events or social gathering should access the free demo on the website www.collab.org.uk