Tag Archives: Video

Looking Back at the 2016 Federal Events Market

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It's the time of year when everyone finds themselves wondering how time went by so fast and what the new year will bring. We thought we'd jump on the bandwagon of reflection with a look back at the federal event market predictions we made at the beginning of 2016.

Here's a re-cap of the predictions and what really happened in the past 12 months:

Prediction 1: More creativity in events - We did see many events shaking up their normal routines and adding more interactive sessions and more social media to shows. Amazon Web Services used a social media center to share conference information and activity as it was happening at their annual public sector event. We're looking forward to seeing the reaction to ASAE's unconference format that will be introduced this May in Washington, DC.[Tweet "What the new year will bring for #Federal events. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

I Want My Streaming Video

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We've written before about how to create video for events, but today's post takes a deeper dive into a video medium that has quickly catapulted into everyday use - video streaming. Driven in great part by the wide release of Facebook Live, streaming video is becoming a key tool for marketing and citizen journalism. Recent use of Facebook Live to communicate not just marketing messages, but also news, has served to legitimize streaming video as a channel to reach the masses. According to a Cisco report, by 2019 video will account for 80 percent of global internet traffic.[Tweet "Streaming video is becoming a key tool for marketing. #GovEventsBlog"]

While there are many ways to capture and broadcast streaming video, Facebook, by essence of its popularity and reach, is driving the streaming revolution. With a reported 1.71 billion users on the Facebook social platform, you no longer have to entice people to watch your video on another site; you can meet them where they already are.

Facebook Live allows up to 90 minutes of broadcast content. Filming can be done directly from a smartphone with no additional equipment needed. After the broadcast ends, the video remains accessible in your page's feed and can be adjusted to allow different viewing permissions.  In general, Facebook's algorithms favor video as a way to keep people on the site longer. By creating a live stream and promoting the video, it can increase your Facebook page appearance and organic reach in your audience's feeds.[Tweet "Creating a live stream and promoting the video can increase your organic reach. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

2016 Federal Event Market

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Since we did fairly well on our predictions last year, we decided to drag the crystal ball out of storage and take a look at what we think the federal event market will look like in 2016.

  • More creativity in events - with budgets loosening up for travel and training and event attendance rising, the stress level of the federal event industry is going down. Between adapting to the new normal of longer approval cycles and knowing that events are again on the "need to have" list for federal professionals, event planners can once again turn their attention to innovation. From better integration of social channels, to creative ways to present information, we expect to see some changes to business as usual for federal events.
  • Cybersecurity remains hot - The OPM breach drove home how vulnerable federal systems are to today's threat landscape. With the completion of the Cyber Sprint, agencies have cleaned up their basic security hygiene and now are focused on implanting the policies that came out of the government-wide security exercise. Look for cyber events to be more tactical and less theoretical in nature to support the action-oriented plans of federal IT teams.
  • Video - while MTV may not be showing videos anymore, federal events will be utilizing this medium more and more. With video becoming affordable and easier to produce and stream, even with just a smartphone, federal meeting planners will take advantage of the medium to draw more eyes to their content and expand the life of the information presented at shows. Bandwidth concerns being a thing of the past and the creation of cloud-based, user-friendly video apps makes video a viable option for training.
  • Physical security - as much as we hate to think about it, in the past year we've seen lone gunmen and terrorists target large gatherings. In 2016, we expect to see event planners take a number of additional security steps including taking a closer look at attendee lists, more detailed emergency communication plans, use of metal detectors and security screenings, and more overt reminders of emergency exits, etc., for audiences in large venues.

We'd love to hear your feedback on our predictions and feel free to add yours in the comments. Here's to an exciting 2016!

Living In A Streaming World

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We've talked about how to get quality video and how to best produce hybrid events, but there is a third element to the video and event equation - attendee streaming. With apps like Meerkat, Glide, Periscope, and others (not to mention just general smart phone video), attendees now have the power to share live video of your event.

Video streaming is one technology that we must accept is here to stay. How do we ensure that we are still putting our best face forward when we are not in control of how it is delivered?[Tweet "Video streaming is here to stay. Put your best face forward at your events #GovEventsBlog"]
Continue reading →

Video Killed the Multitasker

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With travel and training budgets remaining tight, getting people to an in-person training or event can be difficult. Many agencies are embracing online learning and video to achieve their training objectives and needs. While in-person trainings provide a high level of collaboration and attention, technology has evolved to make online training an incredibly attractive option for learning.[Tweet "Technology has evolved to make online training an attractive option. #GovEventsBlog"] From wide access to audio and video technology (with cameras and high quality speakers and microphones built into most devices) and high bandwidth, organizations are no longer limited in what they can present to remote participants. But, this does not mean every bell and whistle should be used in online training. What technologies and tools to use is a strategic decision that needs to be made based on the audience and the content.

Emily Timmerman, Senior Solutions Consultant with Adobe Connect recently shared with us some of the tips she and her team give their customers when designing virtual environments. Continue reading →