It is obvious that when a live streaming of conferences is done, its impact, the connection with the audience, and the brand visibility reach a higher level that is unimaginable. Therefore, many conference and virtual meeting organizers nowadays prefer live streaming of conferences. To offer convenience and flexibility to attendees, this era of streaming video conferences will continue for the coming years. Moreover, event streaming services have been declared as a perfect way of making your work reach more people and even make interacting easy.
Here in this blog, we are going to cover how to live stream live conferences and virtual meetings in just seven steps. Additionally, we have discussed why you should consider event streaming services. So, don’t wait and here’s the chance for you to expand your networking and grab the attention of the global audience with live video streaming.
What is Live Streaming?
When you decide to broadcast your audio or video content to an online audience in real-time via the internet without any prior recording or storage, it is called live streaming. It’s not like old event streaming services where pre-recorded content is played to the audience. Instead, live streaming services let you deliver data in real-time when it’s being created. Additionally, audiences from all over the world can join your content remotely, just like in live streaming conferences or virtual meetings.
Why Should You Offer Live Streaming Conferences?
If you are comfortable with just hosting your event, then here are the reasons that will change your perspective about live streaming of conferences and virtual event meetings. Below, we have covered the explanation for:
- Why should you be doing live video meetings?
- How exactly does this conference live streaming benefit your event?
- Are event streaming services really worth it, or is it just hype?
Consider live streaming a conference if you want more people to be a part of it!
What does every organizer want from virtual meetings or conference events? The answer is simple: to reach more people, connect better, and build potential relationships for the future and, of course, to achieve all the set goals. But with live streaming services in the frame, event hosts have the ability to reach more people, and that too worldwide. That is why offering live streams of conferences makes your content accessible to anyone, anywhere. Plus, streaming on multiple platforms can further boost your audience engagement.
Live streaming services give you the chance to engage your in-person audiences!
Are you looking for some creative ways or ideas to engage the in-person audience? We’ve got you covered. When you decide on live streaming video conferences or any virtual meeting or workshop, you open up existing opportunities for engagement and interaction. You have the chance to invite in-person audience members on the camera for the virtual interaction with remote attendees. However, in this way, you can engage your in-person participants in a new way; they become part of the spotlight and entertainment is created.
It’s a cost-effective approach. It doesn’t even require half of your budget!
If you think that live conferences and virtual meetings live streaming costs too much, then take yourself out of these thoughts. There’s no doubt that an event’s live stream can be too advanced and expensive, like that of a TV broadcast. But the catch here is that it can be cost-effective as well and affordable, plus authentic too, just like mobile streaming. Therefore, if you think live streaming services can take half of your budget, then you might need to do deep research about the entire process to conclude whether it’s costly or worthwhile.
Here’s how live video meetings are cost-effective:
- With live video meetings or conferences, there’s less need for travelling and sometimes it saves your venue costs, as you can host a complete event online.
- You can create a sense of urgency with live streaming, which means your viewers will have a short window to watch and engage with the video. Later on, you can use the same content for repurposing.
- Additionally, those recorded sessions can be changed into on-demand content, which can be used for future marketing, training, or educational purposes. This recorded content helps you in expanding the event’s reach beyond the live stream itself.
Choose conference live streaming, if you wish to know about the data analytics and insights!
Why is there a need for live streaming in conferences or virtual meetings? First, to reach more people and use real-time interaction between the audience, speakers, and hosts (via Q&A sessions, chat rooms or instant polls). Second, to track more detailed data insights about your virtual audience. Suppose if you’re live streaming an event, but it’s not getting that reach or engagement, then what’s the point of such streaming? Therefore, it’s important to have complete details about your audience.
For instance, with a virtual meetings live streaming, we can track the attendee details like how many attendees stayed till the end of the event, how long they were engaged, what segments they interacted with the most, and at what time attendees left the streaming. But why is this data-tracking important? It’s because it’s going to give you the tips for future events; you will know your target audience much better, plus you’ll have the best practices to optimize your content delivery.
Know More About The Impressive 21 Benefits of Live Streaming Your Event.
Now, in the next section, we’ll be exploring how live streaming of conferences & virtual meetings is done. It’s only a 7-step process that you need to consider:
Host Live Streaming Video Conferences & Any Type of Virtual Meetings in 7 Easy Steps
If you are planning live streaming conferences, then you should know about a basic live streaming setup. These include video and audio streaming equipment, streaming solutions, and some platforms for broadcasting your event. But all these can be modified depending on your event type, the budget you have set, and the venue that you’ve chosen.
1. Begin With Your Streaming Goals And Defining Requirements.
First, it’s important to consider your goals, target audience, and understanding of your event type. Make sure to determine the type of event you want to broadcast and prepare a checklist about how long your event will be broadcast. What kind of platforms do you want to use for broadcasting? It can include YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or custom websites. Additionally, consider time zones and where in the world most of your remote attendees are located. Besides, ensure to provide complete clarity on the expected video quality (for instance, HD or 4K), audio equipment, and streaming solution with interactive features like Q&A, chat, or live polls.
2. Hire A Live Streaming Solution
Once you finalize your event planning, it’s time to select a live streaming service provider. Hiring a streaming solutions provider is essential because it’s going to assist in the entire process, from capturing the event to the complete online broadcast for your remote audiences. Here’s what you need to check in your live streaming solution for conference and virtual meetings.
Features to Consider When Evaluating a Live Streaming Solution Provider
- Top-Notch Customization: Check if the platform allows you to fully customize the design and style of your live stream to match your vision.
- Brilliant Branding: Ensure the platform can be tailored to reflect your brand and sponsor identity seamlessly.
- Real-Time Archiving: Look for a solution that lets late-joiners access past clips and content, so no one misses out.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): Verify that the provider offers a strong CDN to guarantee reliable, high-quality streaming performance.
- Multi-Bitrate IP Encoding: Check if the provider adjusts streaming quality based on bandwidth conditions to ensure smooth viewing.
- Internet Connectivity Solutions: Confirm that the platform supports high-speed internet to prevent lag and interruptions during the event.
- Parallel Multi-Platform Streaming: Make sure the provider can stream your event simultaneously across multiple platforms for maximum reach.
- Enriching Engagement: Look for interactive features that will keep your audience engaged and actively participating.
- Dynamic Device Support: Ensure the solution supports all devices and browsers for a seamless experience, regardless of how viewers access the stream.
- Insightful Data and Analytics: Check if the provider offers data and analytics to help you track performance and audience engagement.
- 24/7 Support: Make sure the provider offers round-the-clock assistance to address any issues that may arise during the event.
- 100% Secure: Verify that the platform ensures encrypted data and complies with necessary security standards to protect your content.
3. It’s Time to Choose Your Streaming Platform
Once you’ve chosen the live streaming solutions, it’s time to decide where you are going to broadcast your conference. However, the most popular platforms for streaming are social media networks because they have live video capabilities. So if you already have a social media platform with a nice presence, then you can leverage it by streaming your virtual conference event to your followers.
Additionally, you have the option to do live streaming to your event website. If you don’t have one, then you can rely on an event tech suite like Dreamcast, which offers you all the solutions, like a microsite, a mobile app, an event website, easy live streaming, and much more.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Determine which platforms will best reach your audience.
- Instagram Live is ideal for audiences who like to follow brands and influencers.
- YouTube Live and Facebook Live are versatile for general audiences.
- Whereas LinkedIn works well for professional content
- Twitch excels in interactive formats.
- Consider multistreaming to several platforms simultaneously to maximize reach.
4. Plan your Live Streaming Setup
Live streaming requires a minimal setup that demands perfect audio and video equipment. Therefore, make sure to invest in professional cameras along with high-quality webcams and tripods to ensure clear visuals. Use quality microphones for the audience. Set up proper lighting to eliminate shadows and glare. Include a dedicated streaming computer with sufficient processing power and capture cards to connect multiple video sources.
5. Set up a Stable Internet Connection for Live Video Streaming
A live streaming of a conference demands a stable internet connection during the broadcast. Therefore, make sure you have a strong, reliable internet connection for hassle-free streaming. Aim for at least 20 Mbps speed for upload along with a backup connection (4G/5G). Also, always test the connectivity and calculate your bandwidth requirements to ensure consistent performance and configure QOS (Quality of service) to prioritize streaming traffic over other network activities.
6. Do a Test Run
You should always do a test run to make sure your conference goes smoothly.. Set up all equipment and run through the entire live streaming process. Check audio levels, camera angles, and transitions between different shots. Check all interactive features of the streaming solution, such as live polls, raise hands, and live chat. This practice helps you find and fix any technical problems, like sound issues or camera glitches, before the event begins.
7. Promote, Start, and Monitor Your Live Streaming Conference
Spread the word about your live video meetings; let people know about your conference or virtual meetings live streaming. Use social media to promote your event, leverage email marketing, newsletters, or any other communication channel that you use. Always try to consider streaming video conferences to more than just one platform. Afterwards, once everything’s ready, start the streaming 15-25 minutes before the official event starts to make sure everything is working properly.
Furthermore, monitor your streaming for quality and engage your audience with interactive features. Post the results of polls with an online group. Small activities keep the event fun and exciting.
Curious to know about event operations?
Final Words:
As we have learned about the process of live streaming conferences, we know that without having ideal live streaming services, things can become messy. Audience engagement, data analytics, and easy content delivery are the parts of live video streaming that make it successful. Therefore, keep in mind that conference live streaming demands reliable solutions, and promotion before the actual event is a must. Lastly, when your event ends, save and edit the conference recording and post it on the event website, or you can repurpose it so that people who missed it live can watch it later.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why should I choose live streaming for my event?
By using live streaming conferences, you can reach a wider audience around the world, boost engagement, and gather valuable data to improve future events.
- How do I pick the right live streaming solution for my conference?
When choosing a provider for your streaming video conference, look for features like good video quality, interactive tools, and strong internet support to ensure a smooth, professional event experience.
- How do I ensure high-quality streaming for my virtual meeting?
To maintain a smooth experience in virtual meetings live streaming, make sure you have reliable internet, high-quality video and audio equipment, and a strong content delivery network (CDN) to support uninterrupted streaming.
- What are the benefits of using live streaming services for conferences?
Using live streaming services for your conference helps you reach a larger audience, provides real-time interaction, and allows you to track valuable engagement data for future events.
