As you continue to explore pivoting events to virtual, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with the variety of options and distribution platforms out there.
What we’ve learned is that while the functionality of a distribution platform is important, many of them work similarly. What truly differentiates a virtual event is how it’s produced.
A virtual event producer is the added factor that pushes the creative and technical boundaries on what your distribution platform can deliver.
But don’t take our word for it. See for yourself!
Below we’ve provided three virtual event examples that all used the same distribution platform, but different levels or types of production. The varying experiences and display demonstrate how production makes all the difference in your virtual event delivery.
1. Topical Content That's Worth Their While
Timely & Topical Presentation. When audiences are taking the time out of their day to tune in from home on their laptops, the next best thing to an in-person session might be to ensure that the virtual content you’re providing is worth their while. Take a look at a preview from our webinar on COVID’s impact on the 2020 election, featuring Leading Authorities exclusive speaker David Wasserman. We divided the frame between Wasserman’s webcam video and his topical presentation – highlighting supporting stats and visualizing cultural trends to reinforce his findings. Whether it’s a presentation created by your speaker or perhaps a custom designed graphics package from your virtual producer, providing valuable, timely content with supporting visuals makes your session a must-watch!
Rehearsed Talent. Our event producers also worked with Wasserman before the event to prepare him and go through tech rehearsals to ensure his internet and audio were strong, he understood the platform, and his delivery was ready for primetime.
Audience Interaction. The webinar also included a moderated Q&A portion. Attendees could interact with Wasserman by either pre-submitting questions or entering them live via the questions panel, where our moderator posed each question for Wasserman to answer as long as time allowed. This enabled the remote attendees to interact with the speaker, and feel like they were a part of the session.
2. Executive-Level Panel Discussion
Moderated Format. An executive-level event, this CEO Update webinar featured a panel of industry leaders participating in a timely discussion about the future of the meetings and events industry. Moderated by a representative from CEO Update, the format enables the conversation to flow in the desired direction and feature each speaker equally through the moderator’s direction.
Simple, High-Level Design. With a simple designed frame that focuses on the speakers themselves, the audience’s attention is drawn to the executives that are speaking – truly giving it the feeling of a discussion rather than a presentation.
Tech Rehearsals. Multiple presenters also means multiple tech rehearsals! Our producers met with each speaker to ensure that they were well-versed on the platform and that their technology and delivery were set up for success. It was important to ensure that each presenter felt comfortable and knew how to navigate the conversation with three other participants.
Audience Interaction. The discussion also featured interactive elements to keep audiences engaged and allow them to participate. First, the moderator ran a series of live polls to take the temperature of the remote attendees and keep the conversation relevant to the perspectives in the virtual room. By taking a live poll and sharing the results in the event, audiences feel included in the conversation and also can see their fellow peers’ perspectives.
There was also a Q&A element, where audience members could submit real-time questions through the chat. The moderator selected these questions throughout the event, trickling them into corresponding parts of the conversation and keeping the discussion relevant and engaging to attendees.
Sponsor Feature. This virtual event was also sponsored. Production allowed for a one-spot live feature of a sponsor representative to quickly highlight their message and introduce the content. This puts a face to the name for attendees, allowing the sponsoring brand to be front-and-center for the remote audience and kick off the event.
3. Elevated, Broadcast-Quality Experience
A Thought-Leading Webinar on How to Pivot Events to Virtual. This is a great example of how incorporating production can truly elevate the experience and create an engaging presentation for attendees. The event featured three subject matter experts, with a moderator who kept the conversation moving with questions, polls, and more.
High-Level Graphics and Engaging Content. Take a look at the carefully crafted graphic elements utilized throughout the event. From animated logos and lower-thirds, to a designed background, there were eye-catching components throughout the presentation that all reflected a cohesive event theme. The event also included intro/exit music to elicit the feelings of an in-person event, enhancing the experience with an additional entertainment factor. To help emphasize certain discussion points, you’ll notice the application of supporting video when it is relevant to the conversation. Varying the type of content during the event keeps audiences interested, engaged, and paying attention even when they are remote.
Preview, Test, Practice. Even though the speakers were internal, the team had multiple tech rehearsals with the producer to ensure that everything went smoothly. Reviewing everything from their background set up to their internet connection, it was important to preview the space, test the technology, and practice the content as much as possible to execute a seamless event.
Production Tech Crew. The broadcast-style program switches between single speaker shots and multipresenter panels, all while incorporating animated graphics and videos. On the back end, the presenters had their own custom views to help facilitate smooth transitions. Utilizing a technical crew including a streaming video engineer, audio engineer, and graphics operator, the event was able to deliver the quality of network television while utilizing the same distribution platform as the above events. Having a production crew to handle the live switching with graphics content, video support, and cameras enabled the program to simulate an in-person general session, all while the presenters delivered a worry-free presentation.
Audience Interaction. Audience engagement was encouraged throughout the event, and even before! Attendees were able to pre-submit questions during the registration process, and were also emailed a quick survey so event organizers could create the most valuable agenda. The moderator compiled these questions to frame the conversation, while also monitoring the live Q&A chat box during the program, to ensure the discussion was as relevant to the audience as possible. The moderator also utilized live polling, infused throughout the event with topics corresponding to the current conversation. These polls were also branded with the event theme, keeping a consistent look and feel throughout.
As you can see, these three virtual events look very different from one another, provided different functionalities and experiences, yet were all delivered via the same distribution platform. The differentiator? Virtual event production.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
Our team of virtual event producers stand ready to take your next event to the next level. We will work alongside your team to help you deliver the desired level of production, help you choose the right platform, and achieve your event goals.
Contact us today to brainstorm how we can partner together on all things virtual:
- Give us a call at 202-783-0300
- Shoot us an email at Contact@LAIEvents.com
- Chat with a member of our team right now