Well what a month it's been here at On!....
Since developing our new OnLine product and getting to grips with the various platforms, we have delivered some incredible events for many blue-chip brands all looking for a quality alternative to live events which have all had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
“Thank you so much to the team working their magic in the background. I can honestly say that we were totally relaxed in delivering this event with the full knowledge that we had a team of people in the background to press all the right buttons and provide full technical support when required with our audio and video connection”
To receive feedback like this from our very first online event reinforces the decision to focus our efforts on “virtual” in 2020.
It’s a scary time for everyone at the moment and quite frankly, everyone is on a massive learning curve which is why we introduced our OnLine service. Having the security of a team of people fully skilled in technical production (not a bunch of geeks with coding capability) behind you when you go live to screen has proved to be the thing clients are looking for right now.
Our OnLine service in the virtual world is essentially a direct replacement for the “guys at the back of the event dressed in black”. We operate all the functions of the stream…..video, audio, PowerPoint slides, Videos, Speaker notes, voting etc etc all in the same way you would expect to at a live event, but from a remote location. This gives the presenters the confidence to concentrate on their message and really focus on building their connection with the live audience.
Feedback from the presenters has been overwhelmingly positive too….
“I joined via the presenter portal expecting a load of hassle. Instead I found the entire process seamless. A few days before the event someone from On was there to talk me through my hardware set up and to make sure I was clearly visible and audible. Everything was discussed from lighting to positioning meaning that on event day, all I had to do was click on the link and I was transported into the presenter green room”
“The presenter green room was a brilliant addition to the service allowing the show producer and other colleagues to talk to the presenters separately and also allowing us to rehearse away from the main event. By the time I came to my session, the event producer counted me in, switched my screen to show the presenter view (my slides, my notes, and a countdown timer) and I was away, safe in the knowledge that everything was being looked after behind the scenes”
Of course, our technical support doesn’t end with the presenter. Using our live skills in vision and audio mixing allows us to ensure the audience receives an engaging mix of live video, pre-recorded content, panel sessions, keynote talks, Q&A and polls…..all of this set against beautifully designed branded backgrounds to make the experience all the more professional……..just like a live event.
To support the on-line service, we have also built a live studio in our offices in the Midlands. This features professional cameras, quality microphones and audio equipment, studio lighting and an LED wall backdrop allowing your presenters to broadcast their sessions from a professional studio environment with high-speed dedicated internet connections ensuring the stream out is the very best it can be. We will cover the studio once again in a future news article.
Finally, the one thing that has become very apparent is the need to host the event on the right platform. Many things will influence the decision here such as “live or pre-recorded” content, number of delegates, interaction, agenda items such as breakouts etc, delegate flow, company IT policy etc. We have learned very quickly that making the right choice of platform will make the difference between event failure and success.
So, if you are considering switching your live event from live to virtual in the coming months, we’d be happy to talk you through all the things we’ve learned along the way and to give you a demo of what your event could look like in this new world. We promise, as event professionals we won’t blind you with science or talk down to you. It’s an exciting new world of possibilities which with the right partner, is worth exploring. You could also just do a Zoom call!