You’ve probably heard that live streaming is either really expensive, or will reduce attendance, or is only relevant for massive events like Glastonbury or Dreamforce, but is this true?
With platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube live and Periscope on the rise, it’s more important than ever to understand how video could play a role at your event.
Video has been part and parcel of the event tech landscape for the past decade. Offering the perfect means of creating a record of your event, and providing great content to display on screens at the venue and populate websites with, a video has become an essential and versatile marketing tool.
Video technology has moved on thanks to the popularity of apps like Facebook Live and Periscope, live video streaming has brought zero cost broadcasting into the mainstream, creating new and exciting opportunities for the live events industry.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that live streaming only makes sense for massive events…
Live video is actually a worthy investment for many types and sizes of events — including small concerts or corporate events that need to achieve a global reach.
If your event is at capacity, live video is a great way to expand the event (and your brand) beyond the room. In fact, live streaming might be most appealing to small events with an attendance cap, so you can maintain an intimate experience while reaching a broad audience.
Some interesting facts:
- 30% of people who watch a livestream of an event will attend the same event in person the following year
- Live streaming your event doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact, there are lots of options for this on a budget such as using Facebook live from a smart device.
- 52% of marketers named video as the content type with the best ROI
- Increased engagement, according to Facebook Live, users watch live video 3x longer and comment 10x more than recorded footage.
Four ways you can use live streaming to enhance your event:
Build the hype
Everyone loves a sneak preview, and live video is a great way to generate a buzz about your event in the build up. On your event website or app, host live streaming events such as a behind the scenes look at the venue, or a Q&A session with a keynote speaker. Attracting comments and questions from audiences will get them engaged early.
Increase Participation
Attendees cannot be everywhere at once at a busy event. They often have to make choices between things they would like to do or see, or struggle to get from one place to another on time. By live streaming your events, your visitors can access more of the things they want to, either viewing screens around the venue or on their own smart devices.
Extend your Reach
By their very nature, events require large groups or people to gather in a certain place at a certain time. While this will always be the case, live streaming means the reach of your event does not have to stop at the gates. If you are putting on something worth attending, why not make sure people can get involved wherever they are?
Broadcast your Audience
People love watching live streamed video, but they like being on camera even more. The simplicity of live stream broadcasting means everyone can be their own TV star, and event organisers can use that to their advantage. Get out into the crowds to carry out live streamed vox pops to gain instant feedback on your event, or stream special audience events.
Learn More
Simpli-Fi provides a wide range of temporary and permanent tech solutions to the events industry. For the past decade we have had our fingers on the pulse of the latest developments in event technology, and we can advise on the ideal solutions for all types of event, big and small. To find out more, contact us here.
