Leveraging Web Streaming for your Event

Web streaming isn’t just newfangled expensive technology anymore. It’s mainstream in the business world, with millions of meetings being held online each day. While most of these meetings consist of only a few participants, the same benefits that make online meetings appealing also apply to web streaming your corporate event.

There are two basic approaches to streaming an event. For simplicity, we’ll use “web conference” to describe an event where remote viewers are able to interact with the live audience at your event. We’ll use “web stream” for a one-way stream that is essentially a broadcast of your program. Each method has pros and cons, many of which we explore in more detail in our article about Web Streaming your Corporate Event.

With that said, let’s dive into the top reasons why you might consider web conferencing or web streaming for your event.

Reduced travel costs and time

Meetings are important, but they’re expensive. Travel costs can add up quickly, even if it’s just a drive from the office in the next county. If your audience is traveling by air, factor in flights, hotel costs and meals. Offering the option of participating in a web conference instead of having to make the physical trip reduces cost, saves time, and allows your attendees to still go home and sleep in their own bed at night.

Recording

Most conferencing and streaming platforms enable one-click recording. If you need to review the meeting again after it’s concluded, or there are people who couldn’t make the schedule work, it’ll be available almost immediately after the event (usually after a brief conversion period).

Remote presentations

Everyone is busy, and you can’t be in two places at once. Or can you? Here’s a recent example: We were producing a show for a large pharmaceutical company. Their CEO needed to make a presentation at our event, but was scheduled to make a major announcement at a tradeshow in London the same day. When it was time for his presentation we sent him a link for a web conference, he found a quiet place in London, and made his presentation live from his iPhone. Our audience was able to see his slides and video (from his iPhone camera) and interact via two-way audio, just as if he was there in the room with us. So maybe you can be in two places at once.

Expanded audience

If your remote audience is small and controlled, a web conference is probably the way to go. If you want to throw open the doors and reach a massive audience, consider a web stream. Hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands can watch your event live on private streaming services, Facebook, YouTube, or a host of other streaming platforms. You can also embed these streams into your corporate website or an event website for fully branded presentation. It’s a lot cheaper to rent a hotel ballroom and a web stream than trying to find an arena for all those people!

Web streaming is flexible and wildly cost-effective, with a lot of other benefits thrown in. If you’re interested in streaming your event, our team at VIP Audio Visual has been producing live streams for years. Our producers can review the options with you, answer any questions, and help you find the best possible web solution for your event!