Making the most of video at a live event

We’ve written about our live streaming successes and how they can bring live events of any size to a wider audience, but event video can go much further than that.

Author: Buz Ross   |  Tags: , , ,

It’s expected that we would recommend video being used throughout the whole process of an events life, but to reach your potential audience, using video is the most successful solution.
Within your event planning, videos will be integral to all the various life stages of the event. It can be used promotionally in the build-up to the event, FAQs, short videos as part of presentations, live streaming, after event round-ups and publicity footage for the following events you have planned.

So where should you start, and what videos do you need?

The type of event you are organising will drive this, taking into consideration the theme, subject matter and your audience demographic, all helping to define the style and type of video to be created.
It is also at this planning stage that you need to consider the objectives and aims that the videos will achieve for your event.
This blog is an overview of the types of video you could be creating, please do get in touch if you would like to discuss a specific event and the videos you would like to create.

creating teaser trailer and sizzle reels

Building your event profile with video

The event you are planning could be the first of its type, or it could be a returning event coming back for its tenth year, whichever it is, it still needs to communicate quickly and clearly.
Whatever type of event you are organising, your potential visitors, delegates, guests and attendees need to understand the event atmosphere, get an idea of the content that they will experience at the event, and how the event will enrich them or their business.
Most events require either time off and or time out of the office, and with more and more events becoming ‘must attend’ people must make choices at an early stage on what they will and won’t attend.

Using video you can maximise interest in the event from as soon as you announce the date, building interest in it prior to tickets being released.
This is where you would use a ‘teaser trailer’ or ‘sizzle reel’ to stimulate and tease the viewers.
If it’s your first event and you are without existing footage you can use graphics to represent the event, mixing in stock footage. You need to excite the viewer, in turn, encourage them to want to attend, plus share the content with friends and colleagues.
If you have speakers or contributors you might be able to encourage them to be interviewed, this can give the video more definition and can help to define the content.
If you have a face or image or the event, or maybe even the venue, you can also use this to make a visual connection for the viewer, making connections or using storytelling is more likely to leave the viewer feeling more engaged.

If you’ve already completed a series of events you can take clips recorded at your previous events, including speakers, group and audience shots, exhibition stands etc to build a short video to showcase the best of the previous events and mix in new graphics and potential new footage to promote the event.
You can also use footage that was captured by attendees from previous years. By putting a call out across social media you can request imagery and footage, this also lets people know there is a new event coming up.
Most people will be happy to share footage, credit their footage and share this online, plus you could encourage more people involvement by offering free or discounted tickets for the new event.
Using footage shot by people taking part creates a fantastic atmosphere, it’s more authentic being from the attendees’ point of view rather than a more corporate overview, and it often captures more fun or interesting moments than an official camera operator would be able to capture.

Whatever process you use to create this video or series of, keep it short, snappy and engaging. By doing this, making the video more engaging, people are more likely to share, therefore increasing ticket sales or registrations in the lead up to the event.

countdown videos and launch content

It’s time to go live, countdown with video

In the build-up to the event you’ve done everything you can to maximise your audience, they are ready for the event to start.
You need to keep your audience informed, up to date, don’t need to leave them waiting for information. Using a countdown video, you can draw your delegates in and get them ready.
Launch with a video introduction for either the first person or speaker on stage, or show a video that you’ve created which introduces what will be happening throughout the whole event dependent on your audience or type of event.
Using video in this style gives you a variety of options to converse with your audience and after the event, it can be used with footage shot at the event as a highlights video.

We would recommend that you maintain the use of video to highlight key messages during speeches, use countdown videos between main talks to help people understand when they need to be seated or where the next talk will be. By keeping your audience informed, they will be more engaged with your event and content.

discussion on stage at a conference

Livestream and speak to the rest of the world

We have spoken previously about our award-winning live streaming solutions, it is now an integral part of any live event.

Some organisers might fear that by live streaming you are encouraging people to stay away from the event and watch only bits from the comfort of their sofa or desk, but that is misguided. It isn’t about just what you share of this event, it’s the impact it can make on following events.
Live streaming your event means you are more likely to have more people want to attend your next event, 67% of live video viewers are more likely to buy a ticket to a concert or event after watching a live video of that event or a similar one.

By live streaming you enable the rest of the world to join you, plus it ensures that no one at the event need miss an important speech by using the live feed in other areas of the event. It allows everyone in the main area to get the best view in the house with live relay screens throughout the main rooms/stages.

Once each element of your live streaming is complete from a talk, speech, discussion or performance is complete you can start to build a library of content to use both at the rest of the event and going forward.

Within videofrog, we now have additional edit options for live streaming, which we will be blogging about soon if you’d like to find out more about those you can get in touch with us.

The live streaming footage library can be used to build and develop a series of reference videos for the attendees of the talks/discussions/speeches that they may have missed, plus to advertise the following events.

Your footage is also invaluable for media companies, who will often use it during the event, or in the future as a reference point for a new story, this is, of course, all free advertising for your event.

interviews for talking head videos

Speaking to your audience

As a company, we produce many different sorts of event video, pre-event, countdowns, overviews and of course live streaming solutions, but one we consistently produce and is seen as an industry standard across events are talking-head/interview style videos.

When you have speakers and company team members together who may often be spread over the country or even further afield, the chance to get people on camera together or separately is a fantastic opportunity.
Organising videos such as these in advance can enable both the event organiser plus the participating companies to put time aside during the event schedule to capture interviews, small group discussions and feedback videos. These can be used to supplement the content used during the event.
By planning this into your event video production, you could include the offer of producing a video for potential speakers to encourage their participation in the event.

To keep the videos engaging, you should shoot complimentary ‘B’ roll footage of people at the event, combining shots of your audience or delegates mingling, talking, interacting and enjoying themselves with the interview of your speaker for example. You could include clips of them on stage, plus reaction shots of the audience.

This type of video can add another level to your overall event video content and enable you to have a much more rounded series of videos.

thank you to our audience

It’s a wrap, what next?

The event has finished, you’ve said your goodbyes, packed away everything involved, want to sit back and relax? Maybe a little premature, this is the perfect opportunity to speak to everyone who has just attended your event. Hopefully, positivity about your event will be at a high and remind them all what a great time they’ve had.
You can send out a recap video to all your registered attendees, keep it short, sweet and say thank you, you want them to retain the warm and fuzzy feeling they had at your event. You can finish it off with the date of the next event, and how much you are looking forward to seeing them there, with a link for tickets/sign-ups if you have that in place.

You can encourage this fuzzy feeling by requesting they share their experiences too. Ask for them to share their videos of their experience at the event, this could be footage shot at the event, plus their responses to it. If you used an event hashtag, ask them to use this as well, this way they continue to advertise the event, and you can track how many people that came to the event are still taking part and their reactions/feedback.

Add your thank you video to your website and any social media outlets that you’ve used for the promotion of your event. It acts the thank you and as a reminder, ready until you start the process all over again.

There are so many other things you can do too, and we’ll look at that soon, but this is a starting point for your event video creation and solutions.

If you need any help with your event videos, give us a call on 01962 870408 to discuss your ideas, or you can fill in our contact form.

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