Conferences and meetings generate a lot of thoughtful discussion that often evaporates soon after attendees leave. By using video to capture your conference, you'll create valuable content to further your mission, extend your message and attract more people to your future conferences.
1. Cover the Basics
The keynotes and the panels are the core of your conference, so of course those should be recorded. If you're doing the recording yourself you'll need a professional quality video camera, microphones for the speakers and the audience, and a tripod. It's usually not worth it to record presenters with a consumer camcorder or cell phone, because lighting and audio can present too big of a challenge.
Set up your equipment well ahead of time so that you can make adjustments to the audio and the lights. Make sure that no one will be blocking your view when the room is full. Once the speakers begin, you'll only be able to make minor adjustments, so preparation really matters.
2. Go Live With Your Video
Consider livestreaming portions of your conference, so that online viewers can join in. Used this way, video lets you virtually increase attendance and awareness, with minimal logistics. There are many free services for livestreaming, but depending on the content and the audience of your conference, you might want to consider using a professional service to avoid any disruptions with the stream.3. Talk to Attendees
I’ve found that at conferences you learn as much from the other attendees as from the speakers. Take advantage of this wealth of knowledge by videotaping interviews with participants. Ask them why they came, what they’ve learned and what they’ve liked, and you’ll get great content for lots of videos marketing and promotional videos.Another benefit of focusing the camera on attendees is that people love the attention. The videos will create a buzz at the conference, and then later online when people share videos of themselves with friends and colleagues.
You can set up a separate room with camera and lights for conducting sit-down interviews in a studio setting, or just do quick stand-up interviews if you want to keep it more casual.
4. Maximize the Value of Your Videos
You know that your conference is valuable, and you should make the most of the video that you record there. One option is to charge for access to your conference videos. Through a content delivery network you can charge viewers to stream or download your conference videos.But you can also provide free access to the footage, and receive many benefits for your conference. Videos let you showcase the thought leadership at your event, and also are a boon your web site’s SEO.
Video is incredibly versatile, and you should always be thinking about new ways to use what you record. With just a little editing, your footage can be repurposed into promotional and editorial content to fuel a year-round social media campaign.
