Hybrid Event Tweet Chat with EIBTM

I am absolutely delighted to be taking part in the Hybrid Event tweet chat as part of the EIBTM Online Education Week.

Here is the information that you need from EIBTM:

This education week is back by popular demand and is set to take place from 22 – 26 April 2013. It is your opportunity to access over 40 thought provoking discussions, blogs, webinars and presentations based around the key themes of Technology, Hybrid Events, Sustainability and Global Industry Research as well as other key professional education sessions from EIBTM 2012, all of which can be accessed at any time via http://www.eibtm.com/eduweek

Key Sessions include:

• Making Digital Events Happen – your how to guide for virtual events with speakers

• Stories of Great Leadership in Times of Challenge and Change

• The Implications of Mobile on the Meetings Industry, Ewan MacLeod, Founder and Editor, Mobile Industry Review

• The IBTM Global Research Findings:

• Introduction to Sustainability and ISO 20121

We also look forward to welcoming Hybrid Event expert Paul Cook who will be leading a live Tweet Chat on Hybrid Events via the EIBTM Twitter profile (@eibtmevent). Make sure that you tune in at 14:00 (GMT+1) on 23 April to ask questions and join discussions around this hot industry topic using #EIBTM13.

Plus, on 25 April at 14:00 (GMT+1), Charlie Banks, from Sustainable Events Ltd will be leading a live Tweet Chat on Sustainability in the Meetings Industry via Twitter (@eibtmevent). This is your opportunity to find out more about Sustainability and the new ISO 20121 which is taking sustainability in the industry to new heights!

Make sure you join the EIBTM community and comment or share your views on LinkedIn, Twitter (www.twitter.com/eibtmevent) using #EIBTM13 and Facebook (www.facebook.com/eibtmevent).

We look forward to welcoming you to EIBTM Online Education Week!
_________________________________________________________________________________

Off now to prepare for the Guest spot tomorrow. Please come and say hello on 23 April 2013 and let me have your questions. I am looking forward to a great chat. 

Related Posts & Resources 

Hybrid Event Centre 

Hybrid Event Planning on Planet Planit 

Producing Your Brilliant Hybrid Event

When it comes to hybrid events and their production a whole new set of opportunities and challenges come into play. The event planner becomes a producer looking after the needs of two audiences; the people in the room and those people that cannot be seen but are taking part online.

In reality, a hybrid event involves very careful preparation with everyone including the catering staff knowing what is happening. After all you wouldn’t want someone clattering the coffee cups whilst your production is web streamed across the globe.

Briefing your speakers is very important. The activities and engagement of the online audience are just as important as those for the face to face audience and your speaker(s) has to be able to deliver successfully for both audiences. Does the speaker know that their content is going around the globe? Will they be at your event on time? What alternative plans do you have in place in case a speaker is unable to make it?

The integration of speakers and event planners is just one key to producing a successful hybrid event. You also have to be working closely with the venue, the audio visual team, the web streaming team, the catering staff, and the on-site audience.

In fact everyone has a role to play even if only to understand where the cameras are pointing and to wait for a microphone before asking a question.

There are many considerations when producing a hybrid event and not least is keeping strictly to time as you cannot lose your online audience by being late. Imagine if the news at 6.00pm began at 6.10pm because a speaker/team member wasn’t in place! It wouldn’t happen as the news has to go on and it’s that mentality that is needed to produce your brilliant hybrid event.

Related Posts and Resources 

Hybrid Event Planning on Planet Planit 

Hybrid Event Centre 

Don’t Ignore Your Production Crew

At any event, but especially a hybrid event you will be dependent in large part on the expertise of your production crew. By production crew I am talking about those fabulous people who sit usually at the back of the room or to the side of the stage fiddling with all sorts of buttons and lights to bring the audio visual and web streaming to your event.

These people are absolutely essential because without them no speaker will be seen or heard with any degree of professionalism.  And without the web streaming guys no content will ever leave the room.

With all this dependency you might think that production crews would be well looked after when on site. For those of you event planners that take great care of your production crew then I take my hat off to you. But, if you are a planner that doesn’t give your production crew a second glance then shame on you. It’s time to put that right and here are three simple tips to help you.

Brief Your Production Crew 

In advance of your event make sure that the production crew understand clearly what you want to happen as there can be a number of variations so be clear. If the content is being streamed how long is the streaming to be? How many cameras do you need? If you have a remote speaker, do you need to see them on a screen or just hear their voice? Once you have clearly worked out what you require then the production crew will be able to make it happen.

Show Your Running Order 

Provide the running order of the event to your production crew. It’s very simple and keeping everyone in the loop will benefit you. I know from experience that the production crew really add some great ideas when bringing all these logistical elements together. You cannot ignore your production crew and hope it will all work. A hybrid event requires more consideration than a traditional event as the hybrid element means you have on-line delegates to look after.

Feed and Water Your Production Crew 

This in my book is a basic. Ensuring your production crew are fed and watered is crucial. They are working long hours and need to keep their energy levels high.  Ensure that they can find the food and keep them topped up with regular non alcoholic drinks.

Related Posts and Resources 

Hybrid Event Planning on Planet Planit 

Hybrid Event Centre 

Bringing Your Remote Speaker In to Your Event

Having decided on the content for your event you may discover that some of the speakers you would like to take part are actually based some physical distance away from your event which could mean you have to incur some travel and accommodation expenses for your speaker(s).

This is fine as long as you have sufficient budget but sometimes it doesn’t work that way. You still want the speaker but have limited budget and this could naturally lead you to asking your speaker to join your event as a remote speaker. This would mean that you bring your remote speaker(s) into your event from their location(s) by using the wonders of modern technology.  

You might also have made a conscious decision that you are not bringing in speakers that are based outside the immediate location of your event. This could be particularly the case if you are demonstrating strong environmental credentials.

Bringing speakers into an event can be both exhilarating and challenging and usually both at the same time. You definitely need to make sure that the remote speaker is aware of how everything will happen and what they need to do at their end.

After all there is a limit to how many times someone asking ‘can you hear me’ becomes just annoying and I have yet to hear an outside news reporter shouting at the camera asking the same (can you hear me) question. It doesn’t happen.

You can be sure that the news reporter is aware of how he or she is looking and sounding. All the pre-production work has been done.  

If a speaker isn’t able to understand how to run the presentation/technology at their end, if they don’t have the correct technology and as importantly if they are unable to for whatever reason join you for a rehearsal then my advice would be to evaluate whether they really are the speaker for you.  There is just too much at stake for you including your reputation.

You can imagine the scene; you as the event planner have a room full of delegates, press, other VIPS etc and the event has been running really well. All is good until the hook up with the remote speaker melts into chaos as the remote speaker isn’t able to deliver. Now how is your reputation looking?

But don’t panic just make sure the pre-production work is executed well.

The important thing is that there is lots of communication between you (the event planner) and your remote speaker(s). Make sure all expectations are met; test the equipment until you are happy that the sound and vision are working in the most effective way for your audience(s).

And above all, trust your instinct. If you have a feeling that a remote speaker isn’t going to deliver for you, well that could well be right so make your decisions and do not compromise on speaker delivery.

Related Posts and Resources

Hybrid Event Centre 

Hybrid Event Planning on Planet Planit 

Event Planning on Planet Planit 

Designing Your Passive or Active Hybrid Event

When it comes to hybrid events, there is no one size that fits all. Your hybrid event which brings together on site and on line delegates will be just as unique as any other event you have planned.

The question that needs answering is “What are you seeking to achieve”? Having answered that, you can then begin to construct your hybrid event.

In my opinion, there are hybrid events that vary on an activity scale that ranges from very passive to very active. A passive hybrid event is one in which the on line attendees don’t do much more than send in a few questions via twitter or via a Question facility. In effect these on line attendees are really doing little more than viewing.

At the other end of the scale we have the very active hybrid event where this is a multitude of activity going on with the on line attendees. Maybe they can be seen and heard by everyone. Possibly, they will lead the whole hybrid event at some point(s) in the programme.

Having decided to what degree your hybrid event is on the passive to active scale, now comes the business of what you want your delegates to do both on site and on line. What do you want them to go away with at the end of your event? This will then naturally lead you to being able to create the programme.

There is little point in creating a very active hybrid event unless the objectives will be met. Yes, you can create a lot of activity and noise but if it doesn’t lead to further benefits for everyone well maybe then you could have settled for a more passive approach. There is after all, no one size that fits all.

Related Posts and Resources 

Hybrid Event Centre 

Respect the Microphone

You are in a conference session and have a question to ask the speaker. Your opportunity comes along when the speaker chooses you to speak. Being excited you quickly ask your question but without the aid of a microphone. The result is that only the speaker (possibly) and those closest to you have any idea of what you asked.

But just by waiting a few seconds will ensure that everyone will be able to hear your question. Just hold on until the person with the microphone (the runner) can reach you.

Now everyone can benefit by being able to hear clearly. And this is really important at a hybrid event (event that brings on site and on line delegates together) where on line delegates will be participating in the event. 

You could be nervous about speaking into the microphone and having the ‘spotlight’ turned on you but take a couple of deep breaths and then just ask your question.  

When I am in conference sessions, I often ask what I think are obvious questions and then realise that a number of people in the room were thinking along similar lines. There really is no such thing as a daft question. Everyone has different levels of understanding and experience so go on and take the opportunity. 

Even if there is no on line audience in attendance it is just good practice to wait for the microphone.  At many events ‘content’ is now recorded and having quality audio throughout the session and not just when the speaker is speaking is imperative.  

If you are the speaker, please allow time for the microphone to reach the audience member and let everyone hear the question.

If you are the conference/event/session planner please ensure that you have enough hand held microphones and runners relevant to the size of the event. Critically; keep an eye on your microphone runners so that the microphone delivery is as smooth as possible. 

Questions are very important in sessions and they have a right all of their own to be there and treated with respect. Go on, wait for the microphone as everyone will benefit by being able to hear.  

Related Posts and Resources 

Hybrid Event Centre 

Event Planning on Planet Planit 

Dealing with the Unexpected

Having a back-up plan is always useful at any event but it’s especially critical at a hybrid event when you have both on site and on line audiences to look after. 

The simple fact is that you cannot afford to lose the attention of either audience but it’s a lot easier to explain what is happening (what has gone wrong) to the onsite audience as usually you be with them on the spot. 

The more challenging part can come when you need to let the online audience know what has happened or is going on. 

Imagine that the online audience are at their PCs, on their tablets or their mobile devices and they are enjoying your hybrid event and then the streaming stops. No longer do they have any image or sound coming out of their device. What happens next?

If nothing happens fairly quickly then you can guarantee that the online audience will probably move on and leave your event. It’s vital therefore that you have a means of communicating with them, maybe via a help number or maybe by using social media channels but the important thing is to let them know what has happened. 

You must not wait either, what may seem like a few moments to you on site will seem so much longer to that on line attendee that is literally in the dark. Don’t delay put your Plan B quickly into place and manage the expectations of your audience.

Usually people are sympathetic when problems occur but they can rapidly lose patience through lack of information.

The key for your successful hybrid event is to keep everything moving which means understanding your Plan B and executing it if needed.