As the previous chapter highlighted, online events don't have the same constraints as in-person ones. There's a lot you can achieve with video that can't easily be achieved on stage.
If you can encourage some or all of your speakers to pre-record their talk, it'll improve your event on a number of counts:
There's less unpredictability, as you already know exactly how long each session will be
You avoid a panic chasing late speakers to try and get them on stream
It puts less pressure on your speakers, as they have time to get things right
You can end up with a more professional result thanks to retakes and editing
It opens up the possibility of incorporating fun elements that would be difficult or impossible in a live segment (montages, costume changes, slow motion, flashbacks — who says a conference talk can't feel more like a TV show or even a movie?!)
You can attract a more diverse pool of talent, including newer speakers who may have been too nervous to deliver their talk live
It frees up your speakers to answer audience questions in the discussion feed during their talk
It's easy to combine with live segments, and you have plenty of content to fall back on if there's a technical hitch with a live session
🎬 To get inspired about the creative possibilities of pre-recorded video, watch this incredible session from Jessie Char at our first online event on Vito in March 2020.
📖 Read this article for practical tips on filming professional-looking video at home.
For the very best results, though, we find it works well for some parts of your event to still be live. This allows you to connect with your audience and feed off the energy and discussions in the hub. Segments which are well-suited to this format include:
Emcee welcome, introductions and thank yous
Panel sessions where you take audience questions
Q&As with individual speakers (who won't be fatigued from having just done a live talk)
Interactive games or quizzes
If you're running an in-person event, minimal additional effort is required to stream it to a Vito hub, where a wider audience can participate. In the next chapter, we'll talk about working with a streaming partner to help alleviate any technical concerns you may have.
It may seem like a bit of work to combine live and pre-recorded elements, but it definitely makes for an engaging and memorable online event experience. And we promise it's less hectic than running all over a venue trying to manage all the unpredictable elements of a physical event!