Event Tech Live hosted its first-ever US & Canada edition last week, a fully virtual event taking place over three days and offering over 100 sessions. The event was packed with valuable content and expert speakers, but one session from Day 1 stood out, receiving comments like, “This is a very well prepared and delivered session. The best of the day!”
The session, “From Essentials to Extraordinary: AV for Hybrid Events,” was hosted by Simon Mesler and Dave Mueller from Image Audiovisuals, as well as professional Emcee Carolyn Strauss, and was presented in a simulive format. This allowed for the session to be streamed as though it were happening live, while the speakers were able to engage with the audience in the chat during the session.
The most immediately noticeable feature of this session was that it was filmed in a broadcast studio, which allowed for a very high production value – which, as we know, is the key to successful online content delivery – including a branded environment and an embedded presentation that didn’t detract from the speakers.
Pre-recorded sessions done in this way can be a great option for virtual and hybrid events as they help mitigate the potential for technical issues and can be perfected in advance. The speakers also joined for a live Q&A afterwards, so attendees were still able to have real-time interactions with them as well.
The Emcee began by delivering an introduction to the speakers and the session topic, and kept the discussion focused and the energy level high throughout. The speakers were also enthusiastic and provided actionable, practical tips – such as advising that event planners budget around 20-25% more for hybrid events to allow for both in-person and online expenses – which were much appreciated by the viewers, with one attendee commenting: “Most notes I’ve taken in the first 5 mins all day.”
The session felt very much like a television broadcast and was kept to about 20 minutes, which helped with engagement. Of course, simulive sessions filmed in a production studio in advance are by no means the only formats that can be successful in a virtual environment, and Event Tech Live proved as much. Nevertheless, this session was a great example of a virtual session done right and can offer valuable tips to planners and speakers looking for inspiration.