The events industry is, naturally, one which has borne the brunt of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and accompanying lockdown restrictions. So many of the events that many of us were looking forward to, were obliterated in a poof of smoke. Revenue was lost and sponsors were dejected, wherein it felt like the events industry would witness an implosion of tectonic proportions, quite literally.
While events have been postponed and event planners are already gearing up for events to return in a big-way in 2021, we have come to embrace online events, the likes of conference event app platforms and many more. From this will stem the birth of hybrid events, an offline event that streams online as well on the side. In this piece, we’re going to take a look at tips and tricks for making hybrid events work and how to prepare for the future of events as and when in-person resumes.
As we mentioned, in-person events will start again soon but most of them will be a mix of virtual and in-person events with live streaming options. It is therefore imperative that we have an appropriate response to the humongous challenges that sorting out infrastructure and related technologies can pose to us.
In some cases for big enough venues like a hotel or conference room even more sophisticated technologies like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality need to be taken care of. The emergence of a 5G world enables so many opportunities to host seamless events across the vast expanses of the world with people from different backgrounds mingling together. Presenting to you a list of tips for the efficient management of hybrid events.
- Using the right camera: It is no news that good cameras make for an abundant and crystal clear visual experience and is indeed one of the key necessities of running a live streaming hybrid event.
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- Do you have panel discussions that need closeups? Do you have a wide range of guests who need panning and focus accordingly? What are your camera requirements?
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- b. Screen size: You need a camera which is able to stream according to all the screen types a user can possibly use to tune into this event.
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- Do you need a visual rich feature which supports HD streaming
- High-Quality Microphones: People working with Event Sign up Apps, Virtual Conferencing Seminar Platforms and the likes have hailed audio quality as being among the top things that you need ensure is delivered with uninterrupted and noise-free quality. Wireless Lavalier Microphones have proven to be noise-free and look sleeker on your conference speakers and provide less ambient noise. Consider deploying an audio operator who will be in charge of the sound quality and muting and unmuting of mics as per requirement. In addition, you will be needing mic runners who will get into the audience for the Q/As, as remote listeners will be engaged if they’re able to hear the questions directed at the speakers.
- Robust Internet Connection: It is needless to say that in order to live stream without any hiccups, it is of paramount importance to have a stable, standalone internet connection in order to stream seamlessly across the world. You need to ensure that there is a hard-wired connection dedicated solely for the purposes of Livestream and that no other device has access to the internet. A frank discussion with the ISP(Internet Service Provider) will help you ascertain the bandwidth required in order to host events at your scale.
- On-Site Tech-support: Since these hybrid events are now going to be heavy on tech, it is imperative that there is a team tech -support professionals on-site to help with any hiccups in the system. These should be people with end-to-end know-how of the technological parts involved in the organization of the event.
- Test, Test, Test: Before the event commences, take some time out in making sure of the equipment, the electrical need being met and setups that need to be in place for the event to run smoothly. Lighting, Camera and Audio is your holy trinity to ensure in addition to the supporting tech.
Embracing a combination of virtual + in-person events i.e. hybrid events are the future of events. “No event will be 100% offline” claim industry experts. However, all is not lost, events still need hosting venues and a lot of additional supporting tech which means our essence of events will stay intact and need we say that with the new virtual events, our ability to host events will only see a step-up in reach and audience engagements.
