Hosting an event, whether it's a concert, conference, or even a simple get-together, can be a significant undertaking! One of the most significant challenges organisers face is ensuring that the event reaches as many of the right people as possible. While traditional marketing and advertising tactics can be effective, one of the most potent tools available today for event managers is live streaming the event online.
Live streaming is the process of transmitting real-time video and audio over the internet. By streaming an event online, organisers can instantly reach a global audience and provide them with an experience that's just as immersive as being there in person.
In this article, we'll explore some of the reasons why you should stream your event online and how it can benefit both you and your audience.
1. Reach more people with your event
Live streaming your event online is an effective way to reach a wider audience. Rather than limiting your event's reach to only those who can attend in person, you can make it accessible to anyone with the internet. This means that people from all over the world can tune in and enjoy your event, whether they're in a different city or on the other side of the globe. Imagine the scope of this impact! Event managers are no longer restricted to simply making their events accessible to those nearby.
In addition to reaching a broader audience, live-streaming your event online also allows you to tap into new demographics. For example, if you're hosting a music festival, you may find that your online viewership skews younger than your in-person attendance. This can be an excellent opportunity to expand your brand and reach new audiences.
2. Increase engagement
Live streaming your event online also provides a more engaging experience for your audience. By providing a real-time view of the event, you can create a sense of connection between your audience and the event. This can be particularly powerful for events that are emotionally charged or visually stunning, such as a concert or sports event.
In addition to providing a more immersive experience, live streaming can also increase engagement by providing viewers with opportunities to interact with the event and other attendees. For example, you can set up a live chat room or networking space for attendees to comment on the event and interact with other viewers. This can help create a sense of community around the event and increase engagement. Essential Event Management’s online tool Crowd Connect allows you to create these spaces seamlessly. Watch this short demo to find out more.
3. Create more event income
Live streaming your event online can also be an excellent way to generate revenue. By providing a pay-per-view option, you can charge viewers to access the stream. This can be an effective way to monetise your event and generate additional revenue beyond ticket sales and sponsorships.
In addition to pay-per-view, you can also generate revenue by offering exclusive content to your online viewers. For example, you can offer backstage interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, or access to exclusive merchandise. This can create additional revenue streams and provide added value to your online viewers.
Read more about pay-per-view here.
4. Build brand recognition
Live streaming your event online can also be an effective way to build brand awareness. By making your event accessible to a global audience, you can increase exposure for your brand and create new opportunities for marketing and advertising. This can be particularly valuable for smaller brands that may not have the same level of exposure as larger, more established brands.
In addition to building brand awareness, live-streaming your event online can also help you connect with your audience on a more personal level. EEM’s CrowdConnect tool allows you to speak to your audience as a whole, a segment, or to an individual attendee. By providing a behind-the-scenes look at your event, you can create a sense of intimacy and authenticity that can be difficult to achieve through traditional marketing and advertising.
5. Increased Flexibility
Live streaming your event online also provides increased flexibility compared to traditional in-person events. For example, you can offer on-demand access to the stream, allowing viewers to watch the event at their convenience. This can be particularly valuable for international viewers who may be in different time zones.
In addition to on-demand access, live streaming your event online also allows you to be more flexible in terms of the event's format. Think: exhibitors, multiple seminar streams, streaming from multiple locations - the possibilities are huge!
If you’re planning an event and need support - trust the experts.
With over 40 years of event management experience, Essential Event Management are a team of highly skilled event specialists. We’ve helped to create conferences, tours, festivals, product launches, summits and fundraisers. We’re versatile and creative with an eye for detail - everything you need for excellence in event management.
Organising an event requires a lot of hard work, creativity, and dedication. Whether it's a charity fundraiser, a corporate event, or a music festival, event organisers will always be looking for ways to make their events more profitable.
In this article, we will explore some of the best ways for event organisers to make more money from their events.
Set realistic goals and budget
The first step in making more money from your event is to set realistic goals and budget. This means understanding the costs associated with your event and determining the amount of revenue you need to generate to make a profit. Once you have a budget in place, you can start to look for ways to maximise your revenue.
Top tip: Keep your budget sheets in a central place where your whole team can access them. Events can be runaway trains in terms of cost. This is because one element of the event could easily overspend. Booking speakers or performers is normally a cost that can quickly creep out of control. Meet regularly as a team to discuss your budgets. If you do this there will be no nasty surprises when it comes to seeing if your event turned a profit.
Sell tickets online
It might seem simple but sell your tickets online, don’t just rely on people showing up and buying a ticket on the door. Online ticketing platforms make it easy for attendees to purchase tickets, and they also provide event organisers with valuable data and analytics that can be used to improve future events. In addition, online ticketing platforms often have built-in marketing tools that can be used to promote your event to a wider audience.
Top tip: A brilliantly designed ticketing system that will give your delegates a great experience from the start. It is also the key to high quality data and analysis throughout the event process. Working alongside your team and within your budget, we offer some or all of these ticketing services to ensure you achieve the perfect ticketing system. Essential Event Management offer a bespoke online registration system with integrated payment, real-time analytics and post event data gathering. Find out more about our e-Ticketing here.
Offer VIP experiences
Offering VIP experiences is another great way to increase revenue. VIP experiences can include things like backstage passes, meet-and-greets with performers, and access to exclusive areas. VIP experiences not only provide additional revenue, but they also help create a sense of exclusivity and excitement around your event.
Top tip: Hangouts with speakers or performers can serve as great VIP experiences. If you decide to go this route, do make sure that the speakers or/and performers agree to do this in their contracts. You don’t want to offer a package to a customer that you are unable to fulfil on the day.
Partner with sponsors
Partnering with sponsors is another effective way to increase revenue. Sponsors can provide financial support, as well as additional marketing and promotional opportunities. In exchange for their support, sponsors may request branding opportunities or the ability to host their own activations or events at your event.
Be sure to carefully vet potential sponsors to ensure that they align with your event's values and audience. It will be obvious to your customers if the sponsor jars with your values.
Top tip: Write a list of potential sponsors you think might fit with your event. You can then approach them purposefully with the idea.
Sell merchandise
Everyone loves a bit of merch! Selling merchandise is another great way to increase revenue. This can include things like t-shirts, hats, and other branded items. Attendees often love to purchase merchandise as a way to remember the event, and it can also be a valuable source of additional revenue for your business. Remember - it’s always better to sell out rather than taking home thousands of unsold items. If you’ve never offered merchandise before, go small and if you sell out, you can offer customers a pre-order instead. Use the first year as a benchmark for how many to order for your next event.
Top tip: Small, easy-to-produce merchandise is a great place to start. Car stickers, mugs, bookmarks and pin badges are all simple to create and cheap to make. If you’re new to the merchandising game, start simple and small. Take a look at some other events and see the merchandise that they offer - what can you learn from this?
Provide food and drink options
Providing food and drinks options is another great way to increase revenue. This can include everything from food trucks to alcohol vendors. Attendees often enjoy having access to a variety of food and drink options, and it can also be a valuable source of additional revenue. It makes it a more rounded and fun experience for your customers.
Top tip: Everyone loves coffee - why not try a coffee van that offers iced coffees too. These will go down a treat on a sunny day. Again, start small and achievable. Another idea could be that you invite a local café to set up a pop-up sandwich stand. Supporting local businesses is a really attractive thing for customers.
Host post-event activities
Hosting post-event activities is another effective way to increase revenue. This can include things like after-parties, meet-and-greets, and other special events. By extending the event experience, attendees are more likely to stay engaged and spend additional money.
Top tip: Make them fun! Silent discos, food tasting, intimate gigs - these events are attractive for customers, meaning more and likely to want to make the most out of them, and the rest of your event.
In conclusion, there are many ways for event organisers to make more money from their events. By setting realistic goals and budgets, selling tickets online, offering VIP experiences, partnering with sponsors, selling merchandise, providing food and drinks options, and hosting post-event activities, you can increase revenue and create a more memorable and profitable event.
If you’re planning an event and need support - trust the experts.
With over 40 years of event management experience, Essential Event Management are a team of highly skilled event specialists. We’ve helped to create conferences, tours, festivals, product launches, summits and fundraisers. We’re versatile and creative with an eye for detail - everything you need for excellence in event management.
Organising a staff summit event, conference or social event can be a daunting task if you’ve got a large team, but with effective planning, you can ensure that everything runs smoothly. There are some essential questions to ask yourself, as an event organiser, before you start planning to ensure that you have everything in order.
Here are 13 questions to ask yourself when planning an event.
1. What is the purpose of the event?
Before you start planning an event, you need to ask yourself: why you are organising it? What is the purpose of the event? Are you communicating important news, or delivering group training or is this more of a social occasion? Knowing the purpose of the event will help you determine the location, the event programme and the budget.
This might seem like a simple step, but it’s one of the most important things to consider, before you plan your event. If you know the why - it’s much easier to plan the how!
2. What is the budget?
Yup, we’re talking money! Budget is a crucial factor when organising an event. Determining the accurate budget you have to work with and allocate it appropriately will show you the possibilities of what you have to work with. Sometimes it’s easy to forget, so ensure that you include all the expenses, such as venue rental, catering, entertainment, and other important things like communications and any sort of signage.
3. What is the timeline?
Working with a timeline is a must for event planning. Again - this may seem like an obvious thing to state, but working within budget, on time are some things that often get demoted in priority. Determine when the event will take place and work backwards to plan all the necessary activities leading up to the event. Always make sure you have a buffer too - often things take longer than anticipated!
4. What is the venue?
The venue is another critical factor when organising a staff event. You need to choose a venue that is suitable for the event and the people that will be there. Do you want your team travelling a long way from their usual workplace? Have you factored in mileage expenses? Do you have enough space to accommodate everyone comfortably? Have you thought about amenities? Importantly, is there parking available? These are all the things that your staff will be thinking through when they think about this event, so make sure you’ve got all bases covered.
5. What are the logistics?
Logistics include everything from transportation, parking, and security to audio-visual equipment and catering. You need to ensure that everything is in place and that there are no hitches. If you’re not comfortable with the technical side of things, don’t let that put you off. You will need AV equipment for everyone to be able to see and hear things clearly, especially if you’re having any sort of presentation. This is a really important part of making your event accessible to everyone. Speak to us about our services and how we can assist your event needs.
6. Do you need a theme?
Having a theme for the event can make it more memorable and exciting. It doesn't have to make the event cringy, it can make it more inclusive! Choose a theme that is relevant to the purpose of the event and who will be coming. You won’t always need a theme, and sometimes it can feel like you’re trying to shoe-horn it in. However, themes can be a great way to build excitement and encourage team comradery!
7. Who are the speakers and performers?
If your event involves speakers or performers, you need to choose them carefully. Ensure that they are relevant to the purpose of the event and the target audience, and that they’re people that your team will be looking forward to hearing from. Build momentum and excitement among your team by sharing stories about your speakers and get them to do a promo video sharing how excited they are to be with you.
8. What is the registration process?
If the event requires registration, you need to have a simple and efficient registration process. Consider using online registration methods to make it easier for attendees, especially if you’re short of physical space or event helpers. EEM offers registration support for events, as well as attendee management. Find out more about our services here.
9. What is the contingency plan?
You might not want to hear it but everyone needs a contingency plan in case something goes wrong! Consider factors such as bad weather, power outage, or cancellation by a speaker or performer. What’s your backup plan? If something happens on the day that requires you to change the plan, think about how much lead-time your staff need to have before changing to plan B.
10. What is the feedback mechanism?
Feedback is essential to improve future events. Consider having a feedback mechanism in place to collect feedback from attendees and stakeholders then and there. A staff-wide email the day after the event will also be really helpful, but do make sure you gather people’s thoughts and feedback on the day too. You may want to consider using the feedback and including a wider-range of staff in your planning process for the next event.
11. What is the post-event plan?
After the event, think about a post-event plan. Consider factors such as cleaning up, paying vendors, and following up with attendees. This is all the non-glamourous stuff that still needs to happen, even after everyone has left. Make sure all loose ends are tied up, ready for planning your next event.
12. What are the legal requirements?
You need to ensure that you have met all the legal requirements, such as obtaining permits and licences. This will depend on the kind of event you’re planning, but make sure you’ve done your research and that you are aware of the requirements on you.
13. Who is responsible for what?
Finally, you need to have a clear division of responsibilities. Determine who is responsible for each aspect of the event and ensure that everyone knows their role. If you’ve got a smaller team, you may not want to go as far as making lanyards for the team, but giving clear instructions and directions for the day will be important for a smooth running event.
In conclusion, organising an event requires proper planning, and asking yourself these 13 questions will help ensure that everything runs smoothly. Remember to stay organised, communicate effectively, and be flexible in case of any unexpected changes. But most importantly - have fun!
If you’re planning an event and need support - trust the experts.
With over 40 years of event management experience, Essential Event Management are a team of highly skilled event specialists. We’ve helped to create conferences, tours, festivals, product launches, summits and fundraisers. We’re versatile and creative with an eye for detail - everything you need for excellence in event management.
The year of 2020 brought about an acceleration of digital delivery creating challenges for many in organising effective events. Combining our media and event planning departments we have been developing a ground-breaking online event solution, creating something truly pioneering to service the conference event space.
Through the successful delivery of many events since the re-purposing of our teams’ strengths we are proud to introduce CrowdConnect, our brand-new online events offering. CrowdConnect will be able to deliver experiences across the whole spectrum of online and hybrid events.
CrowdConnect delivers great event experiences streamed into your viewers homes, workplaces and beyond. It is built from two unique offerings that offer a range of online tools to match your needs. Whether it’s an online conference or mass virtual event we have it covered. Both offerings offer the potential for great hybrid events, in the physical space and online simultaneously.
“Crowd” is our premium offering for mass online events, it includes all the key-viewer functions of other popular streaming platforms allowing viewers to watch and interact with your event with ease.
“Connect” is our virtual conference platform, focussing on the key aspects of networking and complex event schedules made easy to navigate.
CrowdConnect has many key features that help to create the full event experience whilst your viewers engage remotely. Both options come with a range of useful tools including exhibition and sponsor opportunities to help you run your event. Some of these common features are:
One reason why we love going to events, is to socialise with other people who think and feel the same way we do. Through one-to-one networking in the meeting hub, viewers have the opportunity to spark those initial conversations, have a virtual coffee with people they’ve just met and to ask event organisers and speakers their all-important questions.
Our CrowdConnect platform isn’t just one size fits all, we can fully customise the page with your branding and house style to give your event the full feel that it’s yours.
See the full impact of your event with easy-to-read graphs and charts. Which session had the most attendance? Which speaker was the most popular? How many viewers are using the platform at any one time? From registration through to post-event, see how your audience engage and take this into consideration when building on future events.
Abby Guinness, Head of Spring Harvest, explains just how important the CrowdConnect platform will be for Spring Harvest’s event, Spring Harvest Home, this year.
“We are delighted to be using CrowdConnect to welcome our guests who have engaged with us for over 40 years. We’re excited to see how these excellent online facilities captivate our guests and give them the best and full event experience.”
Abby Guinness, Head of Spring Harvest
Are you looking to take your event online? Perhaps you’ve done so already and are now looking to take your event plans to the next level. Contact us today and let us help you make your online event a success.
How did Spring Harvest change its venue-dependent family event into an online success – in less than four weeks?
“Spring Harvest Home rocketed the event’s YouTube subscriber base from 1500 to 33,000 in just a few weeks. It racked up over a million views and reached its widest audience in 40 years. But Spring Harvest should have been a multi-site festival until the Covid-19 struck. Essential Event Management were at the heart of the rapid transformation.“
Spring Harvest is one of the UK’s leading Christian events. Hosted at Butlin’s Minehead and Skegness resorts plus the Harrogate International Centre, the Easter holiday event attracts up to 20,000 guests annually.
Tent contractors’ trucks were loaded and ready when Spring Harvest decided to pull all the events, just ahead of announcements from Butlin’s that their resorts would close. That was March 19th, three weeks before the Easter weekend in the last few days before lockdown.
Spring Harvest’s leadership and management teams put their heads together and decided to work with partner Essential Event Management to deliver Spring Harvest Home, an online version of the event.
“We knew that speakers, children’s workers, musicians and worship leaders had done their preparations” says Abby Guinness, Spring Harvest’s Head of Programme. “We just needed to get from there to an online event that was coherent, wide-reaching, technically sound and in line with our quality ethos.”
That is where Essential Event Management (EEM) added value.
They worked together to break down the project into key stages: communicating with over 100 presenters and briefing them on how to create consistent presentations; developing Spring Harvest’s low-key YouTube channel to host over 150 videos; creating fresh branding, motion graphics and rolling out a marketing campaign; plus the immense task of checking, editing and uploading every single video.
Spring Harvest Home ran from Monday to Friday of the week after Easter and contained a mix of premiere items (released at a specific time), live discussions, pre-recorded video and a daily live-streamed evening event hosted by Abby, linking various recorded items.
“The live stream was a rather surreal experience” she comments. “EEM turned our Boardroom into a studio with me up front, one technician at the other end and a social media person tucked away in a corner. It was anything but crowded.”
To avoid the “front room look” for broadcasts from the Boardroom, EEM’s technician used a simple but effective combination of video lights into a large softbox, pixel battens to give movement and a wash of the back drape to separate Abby from the backdrop.
Every individual video was topped and tailed with branded images and the same branding used for lower-third name tagging to ensure consistency. The varied audio peaks were levelled out so that listeners did not need to adjust volume for each new item.
“Spring Harvest acquired more YouTube subscribers than it would have had guests at all its residential events. The top ten videos were each viewed over 20,000 times – far more people than could have been packed into their plenary venues on site” explains EEM’s Luke Martin.
Abby Guinness sums up: “Our virtual guests viewed event videos over a million times. We built the brand and created demand for our 2021 residential event. An international audience saw us like never before; we have clear and detailed analytics on our audience; social media engagement has never been higher; this is all way beyond our expectations. EEM should be proud of what they have helped us to achieve.”
Since that time EEM have gone on to deliver multiple online events for a number of clients, have developed their own online events portal. In preparation for a time where we can meet back together all of our systems now are designed to have the maximum effect for your audience online as well as being ready to sync with a hybrid event. Allowing communities made up of delegates from the digital and physical spaces to be as one.
To hear more about what we have delivered, what we are planning and how we can maximise your online event presence please contact me directly at: luke.martin@essentialeventmanagement.com or message me via LinkedIn.
We trust you’ve had a great experience being part of the Harvest Pop Up community. Hopefully you have had a chance to engage in all the programme has to offer and engaged in some of the features our platform has to offer.
Essential Event Management work behind the scenes with Spring Harvest and a number of other organisations to deliver event and project management. We have experience in delivering online events and can help you in every aspect. Our services include:
To find out more about our online services and other services Essential Event Management offer click here:
Read here to see how we helped others fulfil their event requirements
If you would like to find out more about how to get your online events started or develop the work you have already achieved, please do get in touch – either by using the contact us form on the website or email me directly Luke.martin@eem.solutions
