Organising a live stream
What is involved?
Organising a live stream: what’s involved?
Live streaming is hard to imagine everyday life without. As physical meetings have become more difficult in recent years, more and more organizations are turning to the next best thing: organizing online events / livestreams. In addition, hybrid events today make it possible to reach a much larger audience. No longer does the size of a room determine the size of the audience because everyone can also attend virtually from their couch or office at home.
Live streams thus provide the solutions to various problems. But organising a live stream in a professional way, how do you do that?
Preparing for the livestream
Organizing a professional live stream involves a lot. That’s why it’s good to get a few things straight before you start.
Online or hybrid event
First, it is important to determine whether the event should take place entirely online or whether it should be a hybrid event. In a hybrid event, part of the audience is physically present and the rest watches via a live stream. The advantage of a hybrid event is that it can easily interact with the live audience, while a fully online event has the advantage of requiring only a relatively small space.
Furthermore, there are a number of organizational issues that must be determined in advance:
- How many speakers are there?
- Is there a chairperson or presenter for the day?
- Are there remote or on-site speakers?
- Do individual videos need to be played?
- Who does the directing?
Table of contents
Live stream location
Once the broad outlines of the event are set, you can start looking for a suitable location. Do you already have something in mind? And does that location fit the event you have in mind? A beautiful space with a good look is of course a good start but also consider the practical side. After all, is there a fast and stable Internet connection available? Can you easily put equipment there and can you easily load and unload it at the location? With a hybrid event, of course, you must also think about public accessibility and adequate parking.
Stage setting live stream
The stage setting is also important. A live stream filled with individual presentations will require different preparations than, say, a panel or table discussion. In addition, it is also advisable to think carefully about the atmosphere the online event should convey. This could include the scenery and graphics used when hosting a live stream.
Content and communication
Live streams are actually rarely a one man show. A professional online event often involves multiple speakers. In addition, interaction with the audience can be a component. Perhaps speakers will call in to speak? Therefore, it is important to communicate well with all speakers. Clearly agree on what content they want to share and how they want to share it.- Do they have a PowerPoint presentation and can they share it ahead of time?
- Do they have videos to play?
- During the event, will they want to “click through” the presentation themselves or will someone else do it?
During the event
On the day of the live stream, it is, of course, important that everything is in good working order. Guests and speakers need to know where they stand; technology needs to be up to par.
Guidance
If there are (guest) speakers coming up, it’s nice if they know where they stand well in advance.
- Because how do they come up and where do they sit/stand?
- In which camera should they look?
- Is it wise to go over any (technical) questions prior to the interview so they can prepare?
- It might even be wise to do a full rehearsal before the live stream starts.
- A good script is essential to the smooth running of the event. The event manager must be the link between the technical facilities and the program.
- Last but not least: time monitoring! The clock must be watched so that there remains a rhythm to the live stream. Of course, the audience’s attention must not be lost.
Lighting, image and audio
And then, of course, there is technology. Are speakers easily understood and visible? Is the room nicely lit and is the online connection in order? Can (in)callers connect effortlessly? All these things must have been extensively tested prior to the live stream to ensure a nice end result.
After the event
Even when the event is over and the stream is offline, the work is not done.
Depending on the client’s requirements, another full recording can be made of the live stream. This can be an integral broadcast but, of course, the footage can still be edited and cut into a perfect final product.
Finally, with an evaluation discussion, any areas for improvement for future events can be considered.
Need help organizing a live stream / online event?
After reading this guide, could you use a helping hand in organizing your online event? Or would you rather outsource the entire operation? AudioVision is happy to help! Together we will look for the ideal way to manage your online or hybrid livestream, with the right organization, planning and equipment.
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