1. Sustainability is a Key Advantage of Hybrid Events

One of the clear benefits of hybrid events is they allow you to pursue more sustainable practices. 

The reasons for this are many. For starters, consider that more people staying at home means less travelling and, therefore, fewer emissions used.

Secondly, fewer in-person attendees suggest less catering is needed, meaning further reductions in your carbon footprint.

Of course, hybrid tech events will still require energy consumption. However, there are still plenty of sustainable event initiatives to explore if that’s a goal for your brand. 

2. Hybrid Events Can Lead to Higher Return on Investment

Event organisers are realising hybrid events are the future partly because they can lead to an increased ROI.

Because, after all, managing money is key to being a good event organiser. And the costs won’t just benefit planners either. It also means reduced costs for your attendees too. They won’t need to worry about the cost of transport, accommodation, refreshments, babysitters, etc.

With this in mind, it’s important to remember that, with hybrid events, you’re essentially hosting two different events – one live, onsite, and the other virtually. Your experiences will vary across platforms and can be costly. Hybrid events, though, can increase your return on investment through increased sponsorship options, increased partner visibility, and higher attendee options.

3. Increased Attendance at Hybrid Events Are the Future

It stands to reason that hybrid events of the future will lead to greater attendance. The reasoning follows that if your event takes place in-person, then only people in a commutable area are likely to attend. However, if there’s the option of remote attendance, then anyone in the world can go.

And, of course, more attendees lead to greater brand exposure, dissemination of core messages, increased revenue, and more significant data collection.

4. Higher Engagement With Virtual and In-Person Attendees 

Virtual events boomed due to Covid-19. However, event planners and event technology weren’t quite ready for it. Engagement was generally said to be the primary issue.

However, the event industry has rallied. Thanks to brand new hybrid event trends and fresh event platforms, sincere and meaningful engagement is now a reality.

This increased engagement has been primarily found through utilising gamification. Research shows that this technique leads to around 87% of attendees feeling more socially connected.

The tech industry has explicitly been very into it. Take Jive Software’s Jive World – a tech-orientated gamification app – where virtual attendees play and collaborate all day in between sessions to win badges and further cool incentives.

What all this means is that there is no longer a figurative and literal barrier between virtual and in-person attendees, thanks to hybrid event technology. The future of hybrid events will see that virtual attendees are finally part of the show, not just the audience.

5. Hybrid Event Technology Leads to Networking Opportunities

One of the big complaints from virtual and in-person attendees at hybrid events has been the poor networking opportunities across platforms. However, thanks to improvements in hybrid event technology, networking at future hybrid events will be worth people’s time!

Our platforms have been specifically designed to optimize the networking between virtual and in-person attendees. Our hybrid capabilities allow for in-network on-site and virtual attendees connect with audio or text chat using one interface. 

So now you have the hybrid event technology to make it possible, how about the motivation to really get it going? In our case, we love to use these creative ice breakers for conference networking.

6. Micro-Experiences Will Give Hybrid Conferences More Depth

One of the hottest hybrid event trends that will be a huge hit for the tech industry is micro and mini experiences.

One-dimensional events are a thing of the past, and thank goodness. Event planners are now beginning to utilise micro-sessions to give their events more depth and more sincere engagement for their virtual and in-person attendees.

Walmart stores across the U.S. have 17,000 Oculus Go VR headsets equipped with Strivr training. Associates will be able to access training on-demand, with fewer needing to travel to academies. More than 1.4 million of their associates will benefit from their VR training programs this year.

The results have been awe-inspiring. Employees that underwent VR training reported 30% higher employee satisfaction, scored higher on tests 70% of the time, and logged a 10 to 15% higher rate of knowledge retention than before VR.

So whether it’s a hands-on workshop session, a networking experience, or just some fun games, offering a breakaway event away from the main hybrid conference will keep your guests busy and keep them entertained.

7. Unique Exhibitor Opportunities at Hybrid Conferences

Hybrid events are the future because they offer depth, particularly in the virtual realm. This is perhaps most clearly in the case of exhibitor opportunities.

Exhibitor profiles are great for our friends in the tech industry as they invite their attendees to become active participants, attendees who explore instead of watch. In short, they’re the event planners’ key to deep immersion.

Our exhibitor profiles are designed to be totally customizable and perfect for collaborating. So whether it’s for networking, fun games, or empowering your sponsors, the floor is yours!

8. Sponsorship Advantages of Hybrid Events 

In times gone by, an event sponsor would be happy with their logo plastered somewhere in amongst the stage design. But today’s benefactors want more. They want engagement; they want to be a part of the event itself, not just the people who hand over checks.

This is one of the benefits of hybrid events. They offer a depth of opportunities to sponsors to engage with your audience. Hybrid events can also offer exclusive branded swag, like NFTs, for example. This can be part of their gamification techniques in the form of a competition, or it can be a freebie to lure in hesitant attendees. We’re already seeing this take place with giveaways with big names like DC doing a superhero NFT giveaway for every attendee registration.

Our hybrid event platforms are specifically designed to give your sponsors high-quality leads.

9. Marketing and PR Benefits of Hybrid Events

 One of the emerging advantages of hybrid events is that they are becoming effective forms of marketing and PR campaigns.

Firstly, they yield fantastic data for analyzing your event, resulting in a greater understanding of your audience than ever before. Because, as we mentioned, the increased attendance makes for a bigger pool of data to sink your teeth into.

And then consider the kind of data you’ll have at your command. With our hybrid event technology, you’ll automatically have data collected and analysed!

Secondly, you can use your hybrid event to create new content you can use to promote your brand. 

And finally, hosting a prestigious and impressive hybrid conference in and of itself is a valuable branding exercise. It gets your name out there, and by association, people will recognize your company as a tech-savvy group looking to the future.

10. Flexibility for Planners and Virtual and In-Person Attendees

Now, our final point on why hybrid events are the future: they’re flexible. They’re flexible for attendees as they give them an option, and moreover, they add security if you suddenly can’t make it.

They’re empowering for event planners too as they protect your hard work from unpredicted outbreaks, last-minute venue disruptions, guest speaker cancellations, and so on.

Wrapping up

So there you have it, why hybrid events are the future. A place where you can experience the best of both worlds. 

If you need help producing your next hybrid event, make sure you book a meeting with one of our event pro’s. 

“It’s not just creating new experiences, it’s about knowing and delivering the best digital experiences for each participant. It’s the responsibility of the team to use the best data and insights to accomplish that.”  

 Read more at Martech Outlook

The COVID era prompted an industry-wide pivot to virtual and hybrid events. Now, virtual and hybrid are here to stay — and that’s a great thing. For attendees, these events offer expanded access to events anywhere in the world, with more opportunities for networking and learning. For planners, it means much bigger audiences, increased revenue and growth.

Now, however, many planners find themselves looking for partners who will deliver the technology that can meet their expectations. The success of your virtual or hybrid event comes down to whether or not your technology can provide a seamless and connective experience.

It’s important to choose a technology partner who can prove their core business is the planning and delivery of interactive and engaging online events. It’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing a platform that looks pretty but is a pig to use. It’s also easy to get seduced by clever sales people working for professional conference organisers who told us all 3 years ago that online events bastardised attendance. Given their lack of understanding of the opportunities online events bring to planners, attendees and sponsors, how can you trust what they’re telling you now?

A lot of providers are rushing new products to market, and they haven’t learned enough about hybrid and virtual. Have they actually supported an event like yours?

Look for case studies. How have they solved problems for planners like you? For example, GigTV has concrete examples to point to, like our event with MTAA – Medtech 2021 or the 36th Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council Trade Expo

A lot of providers offer a CMS (content management system) and a support team to help when needed. But what level of “support” does this actually mean? In the middle of your event, you don’t want to end up with a ticket at a help desk.

In our experience, robust support and account management are worth the investment. When thinking about an app, account management might not be top-of-mind. But once you’ve worked with (or without) it, the value quickly becomes apparent. A good team asks the right questions, listens to your goals, crafts a plan with the features you need, and provides direct access before, during, and after the event.

Before beginning your search, have a list of your KPIs (key performance indicators) ready. With any software tool or platform, you’ll want to make sure you have clear visibility and access into the metrics you need. That could include data such as:

• Registrations, sign-ups, and other actions taken before the event
• Number of unique users who logged into the virtual platform or downloaded the mobile app
• Unique users tracked on a virtual platform and/or mobile app over the entire event lifecycle
• Session attendance: Total views for each session, including number of “On-demand” views
• Engagement actions: Polls and other actions taken during sessions
• Sponsor data, including ad clicks, content views, downloads, and lead capture

This one is pretty straightforward. Does the provider have strong privacy and security provisions? You’re going to be capturing a lot of attendee data, and you want to be absolutely sure it’s safe. Make sure your provider takes this seriously. GigTV uses government-level encryption, robust network boundaries, access controls like role-driven access, and other important best practices.

A lot of factors go into your decision, including cost, functionality, and service level. Don’t make your decision based on cost alone. You want a partner who will work with you in the trenches to provide high-level of service from start to finish. Selecting the most advanced platform might also seem attractive, but also risky, if you don’t understand how best to leverage it. You want someone that understands genuine hospitality and that the right technology helps deliver it. At GigTV, we are a unique hybrid event technology partner that offers innovative hybrid tech solutions. More importantly, we take the time to show our customers how to use our technology to create the best possible event experience.

And just like that, it’s November! With most of 2021 behind us and a new year on the horizon, now is a great time to reflect on event learnings and experiences so we can help you plan for the future. Here are our Top 5 Dos and Top 5 Don’ts for event planning so you can strut into 2022 like it ain’t no thing!

The past two years have truly tested the flexibility and agility of planners across the globe. After navigating tough waters and uncharted territories, we’ve learned that many barriers don’t have to equal a canceled or subpar event. Understanding the complexity of a challenge or limitation can help you select an available and robust solution that allows you to address issues while still executing a successful, strategic event.

For example, we’ve seen many live events successfully shift to a virtual or hybrid format. Building on that and looking forward to next year, if large-scale, in-person events are situationally problematic, lean on an integrated technology platform to deliver beyond-expectation event experiences powered by AI while staying within budget. Keep moving forward with event tech that makes a road closure a welcome detour.

This one is for both you as a professional and your attendees. Let’s start with you. The past year (at least) has been stressful for many. Maintaining a work-life balance is integral to an overall healthy lifestyle. Set boundaries to keep work and home separate by disconnecting at a set time each day. While working, delegate tasks and communicate effectively so team members understand their roles and are empowered to support the goal. Get help by leveraging event management tools to create a workflow that reduces stress and boosts efficiency.

When you plan an event, keep attendee-burnout in mind. Events – whether in person, virtual or hybrid – can be overstimulating, which threatens an overwhelming experience. We’ve seen this pitfall pop up in an effort to deliver bigger, better experiences. In the new year, consider allocating downtime for eventgoers. Incorporate time in between activities, free time, social time, and/or activities that allow the mind and body to take a breath and stretch. Everyone appreciates a break!

Remember that engagement can mean something different to each attendee. Make sure your events offer something for everyone. Opportunities for engagement exist before, during, and after your event, all of which are key ingredients to a positive experience.

Vary the types of engagement throughout by including participatory activities like team building, facilitating conversation or chat rooms where participation is beneficial but voluntary, leveraging social media engagement opportunities, offering giveaways and chances to win prizes, or using technology to personalize engagement with AI. There are so many possibilities when it comes to how your attendees can interact with your brand and sponsors. Work with engagement experts to create memorable experiences that last even after an event is over.

Not only should you give yourself plenty of planning time but build ample wiggle room into each event. Be sure that activities, presentations, lectures, etc. are not scheduled back-to-back and have a bit of a buffer built in. This enables attendees to absorb what they’ve just heard or seen, gather themselves if they must physically move between locations, and prepare for what’s next.

Event management solutions can take care of your timeline with session tracking data. This insight can help planners discover how long attendees spend at different exhibits and provides a birds-eye view of event flow. Understanding such data points exposes where you may need some extra time in future schedules for optimal experiences.

Your event ally is more than just the sound guy or tech help. Fortunately, these days you get to work with a partner, not just a vendor. Capitalize on the value of a specialist team and dedicated account manager who will collaborate with you through the entire event process, from pre-planning to execution and follow-up.

Oh yeah, and the good ones can cover all the techy stuff too, for both hybrid, and virtual meetings. Your tech should bridge the gaps and invite the virtual, live. With features like Go Live and enhanced Exhibitor Matchmaking, your virtual audience will feel at home (no pun intended) at your next virtual or hybrid event. Harness the skills of talented meeting professionals who bring more to the table than just the tech!

In the new year, stay committed to thinking outside the box! Content will continue to evolve in its placement, display, and absorption. Seize a chance to have fun and be creative with it by implementing assets such as gamification, live surveys, and polls, push notifications, chat rooms, and so much more.

Being mindful of your brand’s voice and tone, consider content that is easily shareable (think infographics, reels, and quotes), able to be repurposed (think blogs knowledge articles), relevant and timely (think user-generated content), referential (think pre-recorded content), engaging (think live surveys), and stimulating (think gamification).

Remember to consider content platform and display. While some video content may work well for a large screen, utilize technology that can deliver a superior mobile experience for smaller screens as well.

Though navigating the event industry is at times difficult, the lessons of the past year have been insightful. With our shared knowledge and common goal of making event magic, continue to leverage learnings to your advantage in 2022:

• Don’t let barriers become limitations.
• Avoid event burnout both in planning and execution.
• Budget for providers who can meet all your event needs.
• Keep engagement opportunities diverse.
• Use past learnings to inform future events.
• Build sufficient time into event schedules.
• Look beyond just the tech help; partner with a powerhouse.
• Stay current with content style and delivery.
• Prioritize safety and security, even if it means pivoting formats.
• Keep at it! Learn more about how we can support your passion for planning.

We can’t wait to see what you do the next year!

For further reading: When you plan an event, keep attendee-burnout in mind. Events – whether in person, virtual or hybrid – can be overstimulating, which threatens an overwhelming experience. We’ve seen this pitfall pop up in an effort to deliver bigger, better experiences. In the new year, consider allocating downtime for eventgoers. Incorporate time in between activities, free time, social time, and/or activities that allow the mind and body to take a breath and stretch. Everyone appreciates a break!

Digital and hybrid events can no longer be seen as just an emergency solution for the challenges we faced during the pandemic. Virtual events are the type of meeting format that soon will be seen as the new normal. The reason? Digital and hybrid events offer new opportunities and save your and the environment’s resources. It is already a safe investment for the future.

What is the attitude towards new digital events, in the event industry? Are the virtual events here to stay when the pandemic restrictions are gone? LinkedIn made a huge survey where 200 event agencies answered. According to the study, we see that:

• 45% of B2B events are expected to remain fully virtual after the pandemic.
• 72% of them want to continue to invest in virtual events.
• 77% are interested in hybrid solutions for future use.

The increased popularity is due to more organisations realizing what a valuable investment virtual events are for organizers, sponsors, and partners – as well as for exhibitors and participants. Not to mention the value it brings to the environment. So how can you take part in this virtual success?

Here is a simplified calculation example:
200 people from the same organisation will participate in a physical event that lasts one day with overnight stays. It requires:

• Two working days including the trip. The average price for a hotel room is about $200 per night. Add another $100 for food and drinks, and the same amount for the average travel cost. This results in a cost of over $58 955
• 200 x 15 hours = 3 000 hours. If we set an internal cost of $100 per hour, the calculation cost for time required is almost $300,000.
• In addition, there is the cost of any temporary service for customer service and support.
• Costs for loss of production and loss of revenue are also added.

If 200 people from the same organisation are attending a virtual event for one day, it requires:

• No overnight stay and no travel costs.
• No lost working time due to travel, 200 x 7,5 = 1500 hours. With the same internal cost of $1000 per hour, the estimated cost for working hours will be $147,389. Halving any additional services related to customer service and support.
• The risk of loss of revenue is halved. And the possible loss of production is also halved.

The simplified examples above result in reduces expenses of almost $60,000 – with better use of production utilization of hours of $148,363

And we should not forget that fewer business trips play a significant role in the environment. Sustainability is an important aspect of digital forms of meeting, as they help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Should we, as in our calculation examples, assume that the 200 participants would travel 200km, round-trip, with two people in a medium-sized car, the emissions would be close to 4 tonnes.

In other words, a transformation towards digital and hybrid events, where the larger proportion are digital participants, would bring both financial benefits to your company and help you reduce your general climate footprint.

Can virtual meetings give you the same opportunities to network, mingle, and have individual conversations, as a physical one? This is a common question when it comes to the outcome and value of a virtual event.

There is, of course, no doubt that we have become more experienced and accustomed to spending time digitally in recent years. In addition, the digital tools we use today have developed, not least due to the increased need for more advanced services. So digital meeting platforms can offer participants mingling features and networking possibilities with traditional webinars and video meeting formats.

In addition, there are various functions in virtual event platforms that can provide you with smart solutions for different types of events. You can often choose to have features such as chat rooms, break-out rooms, and video calls. In this way, all participants can easily interact and communicate with each other during ongoing lectures, seminars, and workshops.
Another key feature for virtual conferences, where investors and entrepreneurs play a key part, is the possibility to book individual meetings with other participants, even before the event goes live. In other words, virtual events can give you a lot of networking opportunities and give you a lot of value back.

How can virtual events benefit sponsors and exhibitors? Well, their marketing will get a wider reach and greater accuracy.

On the virtual platform, they are no longer dependent on the right person to enter their booth. Participants who are of interest can be filtered out and exhibitors can contact them directly. A digital solution gives them an overview of which companies all the participants work for. And participants can easily get an overview of all the exhibitors and their offers. This makes it easier for both the participation and exhibitors to identify each other and connect.

A virtual event also makes it possible for sponsors and exhibitors to present themselves and their products during a much longer time period than during a physical event. On a virtual platform, they can keep and continue to show their content after the live event has past. The organizers can also share, for instance, interesting seminars and webinars on a virtual platform to keep the event alive and attract visitors for a longer period.

The transformation from physical events to start creating virtual or hybrid events involves many important steps. Which technology, administration, planning, and presentation is required? Book a video meeting with one of our event specialists and take the first step to create a fantastic event for your participants.

From inboxes and Slack channels to texts and DMs, it can feel like we’re in nearly constant communication with co-workers and colleagues. So many messages, so little time. Have you ever felt drained from simply responding all day, and realized you haven’t gotten that much work done?
The concept of virtual fatigue comes into play with virtual events. You’re behind a screen, watching and learning from speakers and interactive content, doing your best to pay attention and stay focused. We get it: On top of all the other challenges you’re facing, engaging with others virtually may seem energy-zapping. Many of us have been craving face-to-face interaction since the pandemic hit last fall, and trying to network from behind a screen just doesn’t seem like it can be the same—right?
That’s all changing. Over the past year, we’ve been refining our offerings and launching new tools to help you navigate the complicated world of virtual and hybrid events. We’ve debuted new tools to make a critical part of those events—networking!—fun (really). Hear us out through two case studies.

The client:

Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council 36th Annual Trade Expo.

The challenge:

As with any hybrid event, we faced the challenge of helping this event’s virtual audience to feel like they were right there alongside in-person attendees. How could we bring the live stage, which took place in Brisbane, Australia to those watching from home offices (or living rooms, or bedrooms) throughout the country?

The networking solution:

We implemented one-on-one video chats between our live audience and virtual participants—think of it like FaceTime in a professional setting, but with a playful spin. The live audience could use a function on the event platform to video-call a sponsor who was tuning in on the virtual platform. (All they had to do was log in, select a sponsor, and call.) From there, they could chat, walk around the live event to show them around, provide a front-row seat to the live content, or even give them the rundown of the coffee break pastries, providing them with a full, well-rounded experience with the event.

The result:

In hybrid events, it’s so important to connect the experience for virtual and in-person attendees, and we accomplished that in part by incorporating this video chat. Both in-person and virtual attendees were thrilled with the feature, reporting having fun with the tool. Virtual participants reported feeling there without actually being there, and being well-connected to the live content.

The client:

Governance Institute of Australia

The challenge:

As with any event, we faced the challenge of helping this event’s audience make the most of their time and to leverage networking opportunities. How could we enable delegates to connect with relevant people, content and products during their limited time attending the event?

The networking solution:

We implemented a match making tool based on interest tags that were collected at registration. These tags were used to identify the delegates interests based on their role, career, expertise, need for info etc. Think of it like Tinder for professionals, but without the swipe left. Delegates, speakers and vendor staff could see who was attending and see what they were interested in. The platform listed all recommended people, sessions and products based on the interests that everyone listed. (All they had to do was log in, confirm their interests then browse) From there, they could chat with like minded people, find content relevant to their interests, add sessions to their schedules and sync with their calendars, research and talk with speakers, visit the exhibit hall, request a meeting with another delegate, speaker or vendor, or post their ideas and comments to the whole crowd knowing they were connecting with people they knew had the same interests. This valuable networking tool provided them with a full, well-rounded experience with the event.

The result:

In virtual events, it’s so important to stick with strategies that we enjoy as humans and not rely on technology to do everything. We accomplished that by using technology to enable more meaningful one on one’s, by matching people’s interests. Everyone was thrilled with the feature, reporting having fun chatting with each other and arranging meetings. Participants reported feeling there without actually being there, and being well-connected to the content, people and solutions on offer from vendors.

In Part 1, we covered some basic facts about livestreaming (In case you missed it – Livestreaming 101: Basic Best Practices for Events), and we left you with some questions to help guide your decisions on how (or whether) you should incorporate livestreaming into your next event.

In Part 2, we’ll take a look at the different types of content created at most events and which types of content make compelling livestreams.

Educational Content
Corporations, associations, non-profits, universities, government institutions – they all throw events. And while these events will differ in a myriad of ways, one thing they all share is an educational component. It could be a tech user conference, where the goal is to teach users how to get the most from a new feature or to further develop their skills with the product. Educational sessions are the central purpose of most professional association events.

While there’s a lot of room for creativity in educational sessions, when it comes down to it most follow the classic classroom model. The chalkboard may now be a 16 by 9 projection screen or monitor, but the concept itself hasn’t changed much. That’s because what people expect from educational content is precisely that: education. Another thing about the classroom model is that it’s stationary. All this makes educational content a good place to start if you want to get into livestreaming – especially for organizations that award certificates, points or other incentives for participating in continuing education at their events.

Things to consider:

Session access – if you’re delivering proprietary or sensitive information in your sessions – or if you intend to charge money – then you want to make sure you’re employing a platform that allows you to limit access to your livestream. 

Audience participation – one great thing about actually attending a seminar is the chance to ask questions of the experts on stage. You’ll want to extend the same opportunity to your livestream viewers. It can be as simple as announcing a Twitter #hashtag in your livestream where viewers can ask questions. Or you can select a livestream platform that supports viewer comments.

Entertainment Content
When it comes to throwing an event, few can compete with the team at Salesforce. And part of what makes Dreamforce – their flagship event – so great is their commitment to putting on a show, as evidenced by the huge bash at San Francisco’s Pier 70 at Dreamforce 2015, where the Foo Fighters, Gary Clark Jr. and The Killers performed for a packed and electric crowd.

And yes, I know what you’re thinking. There’s no way most of us can book two Grammy-winning acts, and one that’s been nominated – for our event. But that doesn’t mean we can’t put on a show.

But for events that do have live entertainment – it could be a musical performance, a comedian, a poetry slam, a fire-eater, a karaoke competition, talent show, lip sync battle, or an 8-bit video game smackdown – a livestream will allow your remote attendees to join in on the fun. Oh and by the way, our live streaming platform will let attendees participate from anywhere on the globe. Imagine that. 

Things to consider:

Legal constraints – If you intend to livestream any kind of professional performance, you need to make sure to negotiate that into the performance contract ahead of time. There are also all kinds of sticky rules around broadcasting copyrighted content – and as we’re not lawyers, you should probably check with one before you start streaming your .mp3 collection on your company’s Youtube channel.

Production issues – While livestreaming is super-simple compared to traditional broadcasting, it can get really complex (and expensive) – quickly. A single, stationary camera is extremely simple to set up. As you add extra cameras and start moving them around (all good things when you want to entertain your audience) the degree of difficulty is exponential. But that shouldn’t stop you from delivering the best livestream you can. Start simple, and build up from there.

Experiential Content
This is a really fun one. And it’s an area where recent technology has created a ton of potential. Advances in video conference technology let your remote attendees participate in group sessions as if they were in the room. A wave of mobile streaming apps – like Periscope or Meerkat – let you stream from any mobile device, anywhere. Some of these apps even support GoPros. Imagine giving your remote attendees a first-hand, POV experience of exploring the event space and conversing with exhibitors in real time – as if they were there.

Things to consider:

Network access – Event spaces are not known for having great mobile service. Part of that is because there are simply too many people using their devices at the same time –  a clogged network is kryptonite for mobile streaming video. If you plan to use mobile streaming at your event, you’ll want to use a stable network – like a dedicated wifi network. Make sure your venue can provide you a strong wifi signal throughout the entire event area. And if they can give you a dedicated channel – one that’s used exclusively for your livestream – that’s even better.

Social media – As opposed to streaming platforms, mobile streaming apps like Periscope and Meerkat are very much social media. And the rules of social media apply. Just as it takes a strategy and effort to build your Facebook and Twitter audience, you’ll need to begin building your mobile streaming audience well in advance of your event. It also means that you’ll have less control over who is able to access your livestream.

Sound too hard? That’s what we’re here for. Our team of professionals do this everyday, so you’ll always be in good hands.

For more information on livestreaming your event, or to get in touch to discuss your next event, click the button below. 

Whether you’re trying to reach a broader audience, cut costs, raise revenue or repurpose event content, incorporating livestreams as part of your event strategy is worth considering.

If you keep reading, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started livestreaming your next event – from deciding which parts of your event to stream to choosing the right platform and equipment to suit your needs to what to do with your livestreamed content once your event is over.

But first – the basics. Here are 3 basic things about livestreams that you need to know, but were afraid to ask.

Question #1: So what is a livestream, anyway?

“Livestream” is a blanket term for a group of technologies and techniques that transmit live video over the internet. Livestreamed content comes in many forms – from a short clip captured and shared with a mobile device, to a complex, highly-produced event.

Some types of livestreaming content are pretty easy to grasp – like when a local TV station broadcasts its 5 o’clock news program on its website. Another example is the startup, BroadwayHD.com, which is working to bring live theater performances to a wider audience over the internet. In these cases, livestreams are simply another way to consume content that was made for another medium – in these cases, television or live performance. 

Other types of livestreaming fall much more firmly into the realm of the internet. For example, the Smithsonian National Zoo livestreams a 24/7 video feed of the panda enclosure. While there are certainly a lot of people who want to watch Mei and Bei Bei blithely chew bamboo all day, it’s not the sort of thing that earns its own cable channel. So on the internet it goes.

Another thing that makes livestreaming unique: audience participation.

Sure, there are plenty of livestreamed events that maintain the classic speaker/spectator relationship. But most streaming platforms allow at least some audience feedback, and a few even let the audience become part of the show. Popular livestream apps like Periscope, for instance, are as much a part of social media as a livestream. That means viewers can communicate fluidly with the presenter and other viewers in real time.

What all these livestreams have in common is that they use mobile and/or internet technologies to transmit live video content – which allows for far more flexibility (and a far lower “cost-of-entry”) than traditional broadcasting. That means that anyone savvy enough to make a Skype call can broadcast live content over the internet with little to no cost.

Put another way – livestreaming is the democratization of live broadcasting.

Question #2: Should I livestream my event?

Whether or not you choose to stream parts (or all) of your events depends on what your goals are. Do you have a potential audience for your event that, for one reason or another, can’t make it to your event? Do you have engaging and/or informative content that you want to make available to a larger audience? Or are you just hoping to show off what a tech-savvy planner you are?

If you’re only interested in the latter, then perhaps livestreaming isn’t right for you. There are plenty of showier ways to incorporate technology into your event. And an event livestream – like any technology – is only effective if there’s a strategy built around it.

But with the right strategy, your event livestream can be a relatively low-cost and an easy way to reach a larger audience, repurpose the great content that comes out of your event and even increase your event revenue.

Question #3: Is livestreaming hard? What about cost?

Yeah, I know that’s two questions. But the answer is the same: It depends.

Like most things in life, setting up a livestream for your event is only as hard (or as expensive) as you make it. And how hard you make it really depends on what you’re streaming, why, and who you audience is – which in turn depends on type of event you’re planning and what your event’s objectives are.

That said, setting up a livestream is easier and less expensive that you might imagine, so long as your goals and strategy are realistically set from the beginning.

To start, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the purpose of my event (e.g. education, member engagement, fundraising, lead generation, event revenue)?
• Am I trying to expand my audience or re-engage a dormant one?
• How much time, effort and cash am I willing to devote to livestreaming?
• What kind of content is created at my event, and why would people be interested in it?
• How much audience participation do I want to allow?
• Do I want to control access to my livestream or allow anyone to access it?
• Do I want to charge money for my streaming event?
• What’s more important: increasing revenue in the short term or the long term?
• What do I want to do with my streamed content after the event?
  

Want to know more? Click the button below for a free no-obligation discussion about your upcoming event.

So, what to do with livestream content?

Your event’s over, your attendees have all returned to their 9-to-5s and you’ve got a bunch of footage that you livestreamed from your event.

You might have footage of your keynote speaker, interviews, or educational sessions. Or perhaps you shot scenes in the exhibitor hall, the event floor or even at an off-site party. Whatever footage you’ve captured, it represents a lot of hard work – and it’s a valuable asset that you want attendees to see. But where to start?

Here are a few options that you’ll want to consider, depending on your organization’s goals:

Give it away for free!

Whether you’re goal is to build brand recognition or simply drive interest for your next event, sharing your streamed content for free in the follow-up of your event is a great way to impact large numbers of people. It’s also quite easy to do. Simply set up a YouTube channel and post your videos. Then you can share your videos via social media, embed them on your website, share them with your email list – the possibilities are endless.This strategy works great for keynote speeches (make sure you have permission, first), speeches from your CEO or other executives, experiential footage from the event floor, an event recap video or a compilation video from an off-site party.P.S.  You don’t need to be a technical wizard to put together a good compilation video. There are plenty of tools that make it pretty easy to edit video.The advantages of simply giving your content away for free is that it eliminates barriers between your great content and the people you want to reach. Whereas a paywall or even a lead generation form may discourage someone away from your video, the immediacy of free, un-gated content – especially when shared over social media – means that more people will see your content, your event brand and your organization.

Use it to drive leads!

Using your event video to drive leads poses two distinct challenges that you don’t face when simply giving it away:First, you need a platform that allows access control. This can either be done through a third-party streaming service or through a marketing software solution, like Marketo.Second, you need to be thoughtful of the type of content that you gate. When you ask a person for their information, you are promising them something in return – so the content you deliver needs to be valuable and relevant.Educational sessions make great gated content, so long as the information presented is relevant to the people you’re targeting – like industry trends, best practices and strategies for improving job performance. Industry keynotes are also a good bet.Whatever gated content you choose to promote, it’s important to be upfront and honest about the benefits that your potential viewers will get in exchange for their contact information – otherwise you risk losing your credibility with them.

Use it to increase revenue!

Monetizing your content carries with it the same challenges as lead generation – only more so. You’ll want to ensure that your platform is super-secure (do your research!) and that your content is delivering on the promise you make to your audience.Again, educational content can work well here – especially if that content can be viewed as part of a certification program. This is a strategy that professional organizations have been very successful with.Monetizing your event footage may be a way for you to offer content you might not otherwise be able to share. For instance, performers are hesitant to (or sometimes deadset against) you posting footage of their performance at your event. However you might be able negotiate a deal with a performer in which you share the proceeds from selling that content.

Reuse! Reuse! Reuse!

Not all the content that comes out of your event livestream needs to be video – or, at least, it doesn’t need to be only video. In order to truly get the most from your captured footage, you need to look for ways to repurpose your content.Write summaries of your recorded educational sessions and post them to your blog. Rip the audio from them and create a podcast. Write case studies, best practice guides or infographics based on the industry knowledge you captured in your livestream.And don’t forget to sift through that content for quotes from attendees, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors that say positive things about your event and your organization. That way you’ll have yet another resource when it comes time to promote your next event.Most importantly, when it comes to event content – use your imagination. It’s quite likely that the best use for it hasn’t been thought up yet.

This post appeared originally on the World of Webcast blog and is written by Timothy Mercer, Senior Content Marketer at Cvent.

To get you and your colleagues thinking about – and perhaps planning for – your own digital events initiative, we’ve distilled five key insights from PCMA’s Digital Experience Institute.

Define your goals and establish metrics. 

Well before the cameras are turned on, you need to define what you’re trying to achieve by adding a digital component to your face-to-face event. For example, let’s say you want to live-stream in order to extend your event’s reach and generate more interest in your organization. In that case, you may want to track the number of digital attendees you get and then follow their behavior after the event. For instance, did they . . .

• Open post-event emails?
• Make any purchases?
• Become a member?
• Register to attend online again the following year?
• Upgrade to attending in person?

By demonstrating that you have purposeful goals and a way to measure them, you’re more likely to get buy-in from stakeholders. On top of that, the data that you do end up gathering can be extremely valuable in helping you continually improve your digital strategies.

Wade in wisely: strategize and start small.

Speaking of strategies, even if you’re already gung-ho about digital event options, you still need to be deliberate about how you begin incorporating them. A good rule of thumb is to start small. By doing that, you’ll be able to use each digital endeavour as a learning experience upon which you can improve the next time around.

This also helps from a budgetary standpoint. If you’re new to the world of digital events, your executives may be wary of allocating funds to something they deem experimental. Easing into things with carefully selected – and closely tracked – virtual options will help you establish a path of year-over-year improvement.

Focus on engaging your digital attendees. 

First, you’ll likely need to be selective with what goes online, so choose content you think will be particularly compelling for your online viewers. But that’s only the beginning. Your digital attendees want to be more than just observers. Prevent them from feeling like second-class participants by making a concerted effort to engage them:

• Use event MC’s to lead discussions on social media
• Use facilitators to connect online attendees directly with event sessions, especially for Q&A opportunities
• Give online attendees a chance to provide feedback with features such as on-the-fly polling
• Expose online attendees to experiences that go beyond regular sessions and take them into the conversations going on in the hallways

One note on that last point: Based on feedback from online attendees, PCMA has successfully begun conducting “virtual happy hours” as part of its regular online event programming.

Seize the power of repurposing. 

Let’s say you’re live-streaming keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and Q&As with industry experts. You should seriously consider capturing all that great content. The resulting video can be repurposed for a multitude of other uses:

• Rebroadcast it to an audience that may be on the other side of the globe
• Repurpose it for educational use and develop a searchable library of video resources
• Slice and dice video content to create promotional videos for your website
• Have transcripts created and convert insights from the video into blog posts, articles, whitepapers, and e-books

Think long-term: this is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Remember that tip about starting small? Consider PCMA’s approach. Through careful planning and beta-testing, PCMA learns and adjusts each year, and then expands its online event presence accordingly.

More specifically, PCMA began planning for digital events in 2009 and then live-streamed just six sessions the following year. Today in 2018, at its most recent conference, PCMA live-streamed 19 sessions, 63 interviews, four virtual happy hours, and two lunch-hour tech-focused spots – plus it captured a ton more for people to review on-demand. That’s an impressive scope of online activity, but it’s important to note that it’s the culmination of a nearly decade-long process.

If you’d like to start adding live-streaming and other virtual features to your own annual events and conferences, please click the button below for a no-obligation consultation.