Don’t Let Your Hybrid Meeting Be An After-Thought!
Prior to the pandemic, you had one meeting to plan…the on-site one. During the pandemic, you had one meeting to plan…the virtual one. (Yes…we’re ALL glad that’s behind us now!) But wait…Now you must add a hybrid element to your live event and then you learn it’s not as simple as adding a camera and broadcasting it on Teams or Zoom! (By the way…if you didn’t know that before reading that sentence, please read carefully!)
In the second of our 3-part series, "Doing More With Less," we continue to explore ways your Production Partner could help with the challenges you are facing when planning Hybrid events.
Do you actually have to plan TWO meetings?
The answer is...
Each audience has specific and unique needs and the way they experience the content is completely different! But your resources are spread thin, and you don’t have time to plan two meetings or hire a virtual event specialist. Don’t fret…the right production partner can help!
First, when you’ve finished discussing the live event with your Production Partner, spend a little more time discussing the vision for the virtual element. Once they learn the goals that you’ve established, they can take it from there!
The first thing your Production Partner will do is get to work building your “virtual venue”. Yes…this is the platform! Just like a hotel, not all platforms are built the same. Using your needs as their guide, your Production Partner will find the right platform that will best suit your audience and goals. They will also set up all the live session links for the event…but did you know that they can also handle sending them to your remote attendees, so you don’t have to worry about it?
Second is to consider the viewer experience. A Hybrid event is like a live sporting event, a news broadcast or even an awards show. Think of how those experiences would be without the benefit of the hosts & commentators.
A hybrid event is the same.
The remote audience needs an MC or host dedicated strictly to their needs in order to provide proper context, and to fill in “dead air”. Your Production Partner can help you find this person.
The remote audience also requires special branding graphics, Picture-In-Picture (PIP) looks as well as lower thirds graphics, that are different than what is happening on the screen in the room. Your Production Partner will help provide these features for all broadcast elements.
Third, don't forget customer support. On site, when an attendee has a question, they look for specific uniformed helpers, or go to a registration or help desk. What does the remote audience do when they experience challenges? The right Production Partner will provide help as a part of their service, so you don’t have to worry about it. They will monitor the chat and will respond in real time to any technical issues that are brought up or establish a call-in number for a help desk.
Finally…like with all physical properties…accessibility must be considered. Your Production Partner knows this and will make arrangements for services such as Closed Captioning and American Sign Language so none of your remote attendees miss any detail.
At AVmedia, our family members understand the events industry and they understand the technology behind a successful hybrid event.
If you are doing all you can but you still need help, contact AVmedia. We take pride in being “One Team: Seamless With You” before, during and after your event.