It is no secret that digital transformation and the rise of technology has been on a steady incline for years. In fact, the evolution of video conferencing has been such an innovative part in business development that the majority of them today rely on it heavily to operate successfully. With the organic growth of video communications being leveraged throughout the market and across industries, what really pushed the concept into hyper-speed was the COVID-19 pandemic. It forced people to stay home, work remotely, and learn pretty quickly how to navigate through that new sector.

But one thing for sure is that if you were pushed into video communications because of the pandemic, you will find that trying to deliver messages effectively might not come as easily as it did in person like you were used to. Even those who have been utilizing this technology for years prior may still find themselves struggling from time to time trying to learn better communication skills that can impact the same way as face to face. The hard reality is that online video communication is an entirely different breed of interpersonal skills that need to be taught, understood, and practiced to really cultivate meaningful exchanges.

Take Advantage of Presence Summit

If you are someone looking to become a better video communicator, because let’s face it, the world is headed full force into this digital realm, then you should not overlook the upcoming, full-day event called Presence Summit. When you sign up for this summit, you can expect to have an entire day filled with valuable presentations hosted by respected professionals and enriching workshops that will not only amplify your abilities, but give you the opportunity to share your personal knowledge as well if you wish. You will start out learning what kind of communicator you are, learn the best video practices, get comfortable in front of the camera, really nail down how to deliver powerful presentations, and so much more.

Furthermore, throughout your time, you will be able to converse with strong influential leaders who are fluent in the modern-day business industry, such as:

• Paul Richards, the host of this event and who is also the author of The Online Meeting Survival Guide;
• Bill Mullin, co-organizer of the summit and holding over three decades of experience within the video conferencing industry
• Joseph Pine, author of the international best-selling book called The Experience Economy;
• Fatima Doman, empowering influencer and author who focuses on supporting others to reach more resilient, fulfilled lives.

Another thing you should know about this event is that it is not all educational/work. You will have some incredible halftime shows and music performances as well to really spice up the day. For example, you will get to see a live-streamed New York City tour hosted by Ariel Viera. Ariel will take you all through the streets of NYC with some extra unique stops along the way. Then to wrap up, you will be able to experience the talented G. Love, who will be performing at the Summit finale to end your summit on a wonderful note.

Why Are Video Communications So Important?

Though it was touched upon a bit earlier, here is a bit more detail as to why so many businesses, even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, turned to this form of communication.

• For businesses who conducted meetings via phone, video is a no brainer alternative to increase engagement, connection, and really formulate a stronger team relationship. Though people are more inclined to use proper communication, including posture with this method, it is still ten times better overall to establish a healthy work culture.
• It increases productivity immensely. This is because when you video call, using tools such as Zoom, you can share screens and work through problems with teammates using visual aids rather than trying to talk it through on the phone, or through lengthy emails.
• Stepping into a job seeker’s shoes, would you rather exchange emails with your potential manager, call them on the phone, or get to meet them on video to really get a feel for who they are and what they can offer? Video conferencing can open the doors to allow job seekers across the globe to connect with you on a humanized level. It can give you and them a much more personalized introduction, and that in of itself can oftentimes be the make or break interaction if someone chooses to work with you or not.
• The competitive advantage is quite high for businesses that have video conferencing over those who still do not. When you combine all the benefits together, it is easy to see why implementing video software has such a keen competitive edge. It lowers costs, increases team unity, and can even streamline many current tasks to make for a much smoother operation.

Common Mistakes That New Video Communicators Make

• First and foremost, one of the most common mistakes is the camera angle. If someone is not familiar with speaking into a lens or positioning themselves on the screen, the angle can easily be off. Poor angles can distract those watching you and take away from the message you are trying to send.
• Another issue that is far too easy to overlook while sitting at home in front of your computer screen is eye contact. Notes are a useful element for those who need guidance to tackle their points, but looking down can dull the personability and risk your listeners from losing focus. Remember, looking down at your notes at a round table is much different than on video.
• When speaking in person to others, it is a lot more forgiving when it comes to speaking fast or quietly. But that does not work for video conferences. With this, you have to be clear, confident, even-toned, and avoid mumbling. This is a skill all on its own, but that is why Presence Summit has been created, to help you through all the right practices to reach that goal.
• Poor lighting is another mistake. Either the video is too dark or too bright because the person is facing a window, etc. Though you do not have to invest in studio lighting to get the perfect tones of your face, it would be wise to be in a neutral room with decent lighting, so you are easily visible to others.

Really Dig Deep on How You Are Using Your Online Tools

When you set up a Zoom meeting or organized something on Skype, are you actually using it to its full potential? Or are you just setting up your computer, hitting the “call” button and hoping for the best? If you are doing the latter, then you are missing out on some fundamental aspects that can transform your conferences from dull to full-on engaging.

For instance, did you know that you can stream dual screen for different employees simultaneously with Zoom? Or that it can support MP4 or M4A recording so you can upgrade the quality of your video? These are all tools that you can take advantage of, and if you are not doing so already, you should start doing so now.

Final Thoughts – Be Better with Presence Summit

Video conferencing is well-known to boost productivity, save time, significantly reduce travel expenses, and can genuinely promote excellent collaboration. But the only way businesses can achieve this prime advantage is if they use their online tools wisely, and communicate effectively. Think about it, how many times have you been on a video conference with a poor speaker, or someone not using their tools to the prime capacity, resulting in you losing interest and not retaining the information? Probably far too frequent, and that should be a big motivator for you to not be like that as well.

So, if you are ready to maximize your video communication skills to make positive, superior impacts, sign up for the Presence Summit today, and get ready to see just what you are made of.

The post Become A Better Video Communicator Today at the PresenceSummit appeared first on PTZOptics.

Understanding the Events Industry

How many trillion-dollar industries are expected to double in size over the next ten years? The $1.1 trillion dollar global event industry was expected to grow to $2.33 trillion by 2026 (Allied Market Research) based on a reliable report published before COVID-19. Analysts have been astounded by the growth in the events industry over the past decade. A new “experience economy” has been coined to describe the changing consumer behaviors which have emerged during the age of the smartphone. Despite the incredible growth of screen time the attention modern consumers pour into the digital world, consumers still crave real-life experiences. Today consumers are more willing than ever before to pay for real-world experiences that break through the clutter of our technology-saturated lives. 

Understanding your Audience

Great events start by understanding an audience. Event managers who understand their audience can deliver an experience that both excites and engages. Unlike services that are all about time well saved, experiences are about time well spent (The Experience Economy, Pine). Today more than ever, audiences are willing to pay to gain precious time well spent via engaging experiences. Assuming that your event is a success, you may have already had an experience worthy of consumer attention. In the #1 best selling book “The Experience Economy” authors Joseph Pine and James Gilmore explain why “Time is the currency of experiences” and increasing brand exposure via consumer attention now requires the ability to deliver an experience consumers can connect with. The experiences at your event will only happen once during a finite amount of time. This is one reason online audiences are excited to tune in to live events.

Innovative technologies for virtual events

In the SlideShare presentation above, you can learn about a highly effective way to combine one-way live streaming on social media with two-way communications with Zoom Video Conferencing. This combination of technologies can easily be adapted for anything from creating a marketing video with remote guests to hosting a podcast with video. One of the latest communications trends so many of our customers are asking about is virtual events. As the Chief Streaming Officer, for PTZOptics, I am proud to announce that I have recently published a book called The Virtual Ticket which is now available for free here. Using the research from this book I have put together a detailed quick start guide presentation and video available on this page.

The 3 Crucial Steps are as follows:

1. Maximize Your Exposure By Design

While there are so many ways to gain exposure for your event, the best is to design your event to generate exposure all the way up to the climax of your event. This means that your event needs to be free and shareable on social media. What? Did you want to charge for virtual tickets? That’s okay. The design that you are about to see leverages live streaming on social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn in order to generate the exposure your event deserves. If your virtual event offers exclusive access to speakers, breakout sessions, workshops, and networking, that is what you should charge for.

2. Establish the Virtual Experience Funnel

The virtual experience funnel engages audiences where they are: social media. This is a practice our team at PTZOptics has been sharing for years, and it has been refined along the way. At the top stages of this virtual experience funnel you are able to engage audiences using one-to-many live streaming technology on social media websites such as YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Twitch. Paying attention to your audiences here and interacting with the chat comments is a crucial step that leads viewers further along in your funnel.

The next step in the funnel is two-way communications. Like most companies, we are leveraging Zoom Video Communications because it’s easy and powerful. This funnel allows viewers to participate in interactive discussions on social media and experience upgrading a passive one-way live stream with a powerful active two-way communication discussion hosted with Zoom.

You may be wondering, how can I be two places at once? Well, you certainly can combine Zoom with your live stream, and a perfect example would be any of the recent PTZOptics live streams. There are actually multiple powerful ways you can combine live streaming with two-way zoom video conferencing capabilities. Most events have more than one thing going on at once and your next virtual event can be the same way.

This is a strategy we have used at the WorshipSummit, our Hack the NAB Show and an upcoming event called The Presence Summit. This essentially boils down to having multiple tracks and clearly defining the experience opportunities for your audience. For the PresenceSummit for example, the live stream track is free, and the professional development track using Zoom is a paid option.

3. Engage, Excite, and Invoke a Transformation

Events break through the clutter of our everyday lives and offer us something out of the ordinary. Events are anything but boring, and specialized events can offer detailed education, entertainment that is tailored to specific interest groups who can identify and relate to the content. Great event managers understand their audiences and are able to design experiences that excite and engage their audience’s five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. In a virtual event, we have to rely heavily on sight and sound, using our creativity to invoke touch, smell, and taste in innovative ways.

The following quote is from The Virtual Ticket, and it explains a core concept of The Experience Economy.

Unlike services that are all about time well saved, experiences are about time well spent (The Experience Economy, Pine). Today more than ever, audiences are willing to pay to gain precious time well spent via engaging experiences. . In the #1 bestselling book “The Experience Economy” authors Joseph Pine and James Gilmore explain why “Time is the currency of experiences” and increasing brand exposure via consumer attention now requires the ability to deliver an experience consumer can connect with.

It’s now time for the heady theory on the transformational education and experiences your virtual event can offer viewers. The highest level of experience that your virtual event can offer is a transformational experience.  To understand the significance of transformational experience, The Virtual Ticket, borrows ideas from international best selling author Joseph Pine the author of the Experience Economy. But before, we dig into the process of invoking the ultimate experience, let’s step back and consider why people actually love attending events.

The above diagram outlines the value of time, and a hierarchy used to demonstrate the pathway to transformational experiences. In order to build an audience up to a climactic experience of a transformation, there are various steps required. Of course, you will need the audience’s attention, focus, and participation. Engagement is the name of the game here, and there are essentially two types: passive and active. Passive engagement is a great starting place where viewers are exploring your content and seeing if the sparks of interest go off in their minds.

Education often stops at passive engagement, and the need for active engagement to stimulate a reaction is key for audiences to internalize their experience. This is where engaging technologies such as an Audience Response System or true audience engagement with a speaker/host are necessary to invoke a reaction. Edutainment is a new term used to describe the use of entertainment in the educational process to gain this type of fun enjoyment out of education.

Using a Zoom breakout room

It is here you can really shift from content to context and using two-way communications to do so. Zoom breakout rooms allow you to take a virtual audience into a two-way communication solution where you can engage them in more natural and intuitive ways. 93% of communications are non-verbal. Zoom is perfect for pushing the limits of online communications with a familiar interface the virtual event audience can use to share their video and that crucial non-verbal presence.

A breakout room takes a large Zoom meeting and allows participants to break out into smaller groups. This is used at the Presence Summit in multiple ways that actually come from Joseph Pine’s past experiences as an in-person event designer. The PresenceSummit will have two main types of Zoom breakout sessions. One is called Open Space Collaboration which allows virtual ticket holders the ability to seamlessly switch between multiple Zoom room topics. The other is called Virtual World Cafe Sessions which take a large Zoom meet and deploys small group collaboration inside of breakout rooms.

Conclusion:

If you are hosting a virtual event, one of the best ways to get started is my free book The Virtual Ticket. Another great way to get the creative juices flowing is by attending a virtual event. Our company actually has two virtual events coming up: The Presence Summit and The Worship Summit. Both offer free live stream online tickets and incredibly affordable premium virtual event ticket options. The Presence Summit in particular could be of interest to anyone using online video communications. If you found this information helpful, please let us know in the comments below and feel free to email me at paul.richards@ptzoptics.com.

If you have ever seen our PTZOptics Live show you know that we live stream every Wednesday at 2PM EST 11AM PST. Our live show integrates multiple cameras, microphones, video production software and video communication solutions. Perhaps the most popular and asked about technology integration used on the PTZOptics live show is our integration with video production software (vMix and Wirecast primarily) and video communications software (Zoom).

The post 3 Crucial Steps for Hosting a Virtual Event appeared first on PTZOptics.

But too often, professional development can take a back burner, especially in chaotic times like the current pandemic that has turned the business world on its head. 

Instead, take back your summer — and your career — with the upcoming virtual Presence Summit and check professional development off your 2020 to-do list. 

What is Presence Summit?

Whether you feel like you’re spinning your wheels in your career and need a boost to level up, or you want to become a more focused professional or a more effective leader, Presence Summit was made with you in mind. 

This full-day event is a combination of presentations, forums, and workshops that will help you improve how you leverage video communications and build a stronger presence for yourself and your organization.  

This year’s keynote speaker is Joseph Pine, author of The Experience Economy and innovator in delivering experiences through online communications. Pine’s keynote delivery comes at an interesting (and perfect) time for many business leaders, as they’re continuing to grapple with the shift to video conferences and remote customer experiences, both of which Pine addresses in the event. 

Joining Pine will be numerous other speakers and professionals, including engagement and empowerment expert Fatima Doman, who focuses on sustainable high performance at work and in your personal life. Doman’s books, Authentic Resilience and Authentic Strengths, teach readers how to create and lead a fulfilling life according to their terms and be able to bounce back from setbacks or obstacles without feeling completely derailed from your goals.

Each session is interactive to help you break down the digital barriers and get the most from every segment. There’s also a fun learning Q&A that lets you answer questions based on topics covered during the main presentations. Get the highest score and you’ll win a free HuddleCam HD Pro!

Who is Presence Summit For?

Presence Summit provides a full day of professional development for anyone who relies on online communications in their career: solopreneurs, freelancers, digital marketers, project managers, account executives, PR officers, business leaders, and CEOs, to name a few. 

Each person brings unique needs and expectations to the table and will walk away with a greater understanding of digital video communications, how to spur real-time online engagement, and how to get the most from online collaboration sessions, and much more!

How to Tune in to Presence Summit

Professional development shouldn’t take a backseat because of the pandemic, nor should companies or individuals who are struggling financially skip critical development sessions due to finances. 

This year, Presence Summit will take place on July 15th and is completely digital and 100% free to live stream. Or, if you’re interested in participating in breakout Zoom sessions to get more for your time, you can purchase an all-access event ticket for $50. Early bird tickets are on sale now through June 19th.

As conferences and events across the country have been canceled, Presence Summit gives you a unique opportunity to pursue professional development in 2020 at a low cost and reduced travel risk — Click here to reserve your spot and get early bird pricing.

The post Presence Summit: Turn Up the Heat on Professional Development appeared first on PTZOptics.

Organizations from various industries are using live streaming to create meaningful, impressive connections with their audience. From well-organized conferences to friendly one-on-one chats, businesses of all sizes are opting for live streaming. Not only are organizations benefiting from live video strategy, but they are also creating stronger bonds with their audiences.

Businesses have realized that private live streaming is more than just a marketing tactic; it is now a form of media consumption. Virtual Tickets helps organizations to stream and share live videos with anyone at any time.

Whether you want to know how to communicate with professionals using a live video for training, for product launches or broadcasting seminars, The Virtual Ticket will let you know innovative ways to organically align with your organization’s goals.

That said, there is no doubt we are living in an age where we have exceptional access to unlimited content. In order for brands, businesses, and organizations to stand out in such a large crowd, be it through live streaming or events, the quality should be outclassed. At The Virtual Ticket, we see this commitment to live streaming happening in real-time.

Every day, The Virtual Ticket helps people and organizations get their ideas and events in front of audiences around the globe. We created this book because we understand that while private live streaming might be important for you or your business, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. We’ll get you up to speed with all things related to private live streaming; from the push you need to get started to the motivation you need to organize a private live stream. Whether it is for events or sharing information internally, we’ve always believed in the power of live streaming.

Why Does Your Organization Need the Virtual Ticket?

Organizations all across the world are diving into marketing and events. The question prevails: Why are brands investing big time in real-world experiences? Technology definitely has improved in the automated world, which is wonderful. From TV shows to Netflix, people binge-watch their favorite shows. But at the end of the day, we are all humans. We need personal interaction, recognition, and connection. That’s where private live streaming really comes in.

Various events may seem like a great option for a number of people. However, businesses are expanding the reach of their events with the help of live streaming. Let’s take the example of Nikon Inc. After coordinating speakers for interviews during a conference, their marketing team chose to live stream the sessions online. This helped Nikon Inc. to reach four times more audience as compared to the conference itself.

The point is, if a business is already bringing the talent in, then why not put a camera in front of them to reach as many people as possible? With a fairly modest increase in budget, you can reach a considerably higher audience. The Virtual Ticket helps creators, businesses, and organizations get their ideas and events in front of audiences around the world. A live moment captures the imagination and brings people together.

Face to face is the best form of communication, and private live streaming is the next best option. It creates a sense of inclusion and connection that is difficult to replicate through other forms of communication.

A Reach to the Global Audience

Even with so much advancement, reaching a broader range of global audiences through TV broadcasts is still not possible. However, with private live streaming, you can reach the audience throughout the globe and get direct viewership. It is one of the best ways to reach out to larger audiences without spending thousands of bucks and without any hassle of negotiations with multiple partners. The Virtual Ticket guide will let you know how you can reach a global audience without hefty expenses.

Lower Barriers to Getting Started

If you are a small organization, it is very difficult for you to get a slot on television. You need big budgets in order to broadcast on TV. However, private live streaming is for all. It is a completely different arena and more accessible. With it, you don’t have to worry about limited space or about high prices. Nowadays, high-quality camera equipment is easily available and the ease to get an internet connection has made live streaming even easier.

Multi-Device Streaming

Televisions are no more the most popular medium, smartphones and other digital devices have replaced them. Live Streaming allows you to tap into a wide audience wherever they are on their smartphones and laptops. Even televisions are now coming with inbuilt streaming applications, enabling traditional TV sets to keep up with the changing demand for media devices.

Generate Revenue

The Virtual Ticket guide will let you know the different ways you can generate revenue using live streaming. With numerous streaming software available, you can bring a worldwide audience to your club. This is an excellent way to make money while streaming your content. Creating live experiences along with the ability to instantly replay, live playback, pause capabilities, are what help in generating steady revenue.

What Does It Mean for Marketers?

Nowadays, brands are trying their best to leave a mark on social media and win customers through it. Both social media campaigns and paid promotions can increase the overall engagement of a brand with its audience. Live video streaming combines all of these elements into a new kind of medium with endless possibilities. It can help brands deliver trust factors in a way no one can even imagine.

Power of Live Streaming for Marketers and Brands

Private live streaming helps businesses to connect with their audience much more realistically. Moreover, it allows people to engage in the brand’s storytelling. No matter your business size, you can always benefit from live streaming. The Virtual Ticket guide will help you know how to deliver your brand message to prospects in innovative ways. Read the book to know different ways you can use to leverage live streaming for your brand.

Summary

The Virtual Ticket is now available for free at http://143.198.120.149/virtual-tickets. This book took our Chief Streaming Officer Paul Richards, 3 years to write. Our hope is that this book will push the industry forward and help event organizers and businesses from around the world work with virtual ticket sales. Learning how to increase brand exposure and event marketing with virtual tickets is a powerful new way to promote your business.

The post Learn how to host private live streams with The Virtual Ticket appeared first on PTZOptics.

The Virtual Ticket Online Course Components

The online course included with the Virtual Ticket helps viewers understand what it takes to plan to promote, sell and put on a virtual ticket experience. It starts by reviewing how to host an engaging virtual event. Then the course and book review how to generate revenue through live streaming. The next component involves event management and planning for adding a virtual ticket experience to an existing event. Finally, the book reviews the nuts and bolts required for live streaming an event and innovations in the industry you should know about.

1. Hosting Engaging Virtual Events
2. Generating Revenue Through Live Streaming
3. Event Management & Planning
4. Innovation & Mindful Thought Leadership

Below is an outline of what you will learn by reading The Virtual Ticket. Did I mention you can get a free copy here?

Virtual Ticket Course Overview

1. How to host a virtual event

   1. Size of the events industry
   2. Events break through the clutter
   3. Virtual tickets save the day
   4. Understanding an audience
   5. Real-time experiences
   6. Value Experience Diagram
   7. Diversify revenue streams
   8. Live broadcast translations
   9. Take your event global
   10. Types of major events

2. How to sell virtual tickets

   1. Virtual Ticket Price vs On-demand ticket price
   2. Customer Virtual Ticket Process
   3. Scalability of virtual tickets global
   4. Make any conference more profitable
   5. People at home are able to watch the event in their pajamas
   6. Virtual tickets are convenient
   7. Conferences that have a lot of things going on. The only way to watch everything is by watching on-demand recordings

3. Case Studies: Selling Virtual Tickets

   1. NAB Show Las Vegas
   2. This type of production value is ideal for large conferences with thousands of attendees
   3. IRL (In Real Life) streaming 
   4. The StreamGeeks Summit
      1. A full day of live streaming education
   5. over 250% more virtual tickets were sold than in-person tickets
   6. 2020 Worship Summit 
      1. This event also included a live face-to-face zoom video conference
      2. This was an all-digital summit

4. How to host a private live stream

   1. The value of a ticket sold is only as good as the event that you host and deliver
   2. live stream your event in a way that engages viewers’ senses
   3. Depending on the ticket price and the value you are attempting to deliver
   4. The money value of time chart
   5. Event Streaming Process
   6. Instagram influencers, people pay for close friend status
   7. Patreon pays out over 1 billion dollars to creators
   8. Vimeo helps creators sell video content
   9. Facebook groups help managers build online communities
   10. Twitch streamers are making millions of dollars
   11. Common paid virtual experiences

5. Event Planning For Online Audiences

   1. Events, regardless of their size, are complex things to manage
   2. This may be why so many amazing events are unable to add a live streaming element
   3. It’s very common for event planners to become overwhelmed
   4. Selling virtual tickets is one thing, accommodating a live online audience is another. 
   5. event-planning is crucial
   6. Event management software 
   7. Learn the basics of applying a project management approach to event planning in order to properly add a virtual attendee experience to your event
   8. By applying project management knowledge and skills to event planning, you can more easily add live streaming and virtual ticket sales to your event
   9. Changing consumer demands now require any competitive business to create experiences for their customers

6. Designing a Virtual Ticket Experience

   1. A Virtual Ticket should allow customers the ability to seamlessly access your event from anywhere with an internet
   2.  The Traditional Way: The event is held at a brick-and-mortar location (hotel, concert hall, etc) and people must be physically present at the venue to be part of the event.
   3. The Virtual Event: The event is completely online. 100% virtual events have no physical venue. These events are live-streamed in a studio or other locations and people view the sessions online.
   4. The Hybrid Event: A mix of traditional and virtual. Although the event is held at a physical location, people can participate remotely by logging into the online streams.
   5. Virtual Ticketing: Common Fears & Objection

7. Why People Attend Events

   1. Ticket Options Value vs Convenience
   2. Designing your experience
   3. Experience stages
   4. Value Experience Diagram
   5. Atmosphere
   6. Gamification
   7. Professional Development
   8. Networking
   9. Business Opportunities

8. Monetizing The Live Stream

   1. Website payment workflow

9. Virtual Event Ticket Pricing Structure

   1. Basic economics tells us that a perfect product price does exist
   2. when supply and demand meet in a place economists call the “equilibrium.” 
   3. Observing the law of supply and demand, in-person and virtual ticketing have one fundamental difference
   4. In-person tickets have a limited supply and virtual tickets have an unlimited supply
   5. Increased profits can be achieved when ticket price and demand rise together
   6. The goal for ticket pricing is to reach an equilibrium between price and demand
   7. Even though virtual tickets have an unlimited supply, suppliers still must find the perfect price to reach equilibrium. 
   8. Ticket type comparison charts
10. Tiered Levels for Tickets
    1. Categories of virtual access
    2. Paid and Discounted pricing strategy chart
    3. Live stream promotional strategies
    4. Preparing Your Event for the Live Stream

1. 

   Event Goals & Objectives: Why Is The Event Important?

   1. Determine the business problem your event will solve
   2. Perhaps your virtual ticket holders can ask questions during the presentation’s Q&A session
   3. Perhaps you can create a LinkedIn networking group to help encourage collaboration for members of your event. 
   4. Budgeting
   5. Budget for audiovisuals 
   6. Sponsor and partners

2. Important Venue consideration

3. Assembling Your Team And Finding Your Key Personnel

   1. Commitment and Reliability: Team members must have a stake in the success of the event. Event-planning is rife with uncertainty, so you want lots of stability in your team.
   2. Expertise vs. Availability: Sometimes you have to make a tradeoff between ability and availability. An expert who is unavailable is of no use to you.
   3. Able To Handle Pressure: Event-planners must think on their feet, be resourceful and respond with speed.
   4. Teamwork: An event planning team is all about synergy and teamwork. Try to build a team of people who complement each other. 
   5. The Event Director: Oversees everything and is usually responsible for communicating with external partners.
   6. Creative Team: Various team members who are responsible for branding the event and producing its communication materials.
   7. Treasury: Oversees budget implementation and disbursement of funds.
   8. Operations and Logistics: In charge of transportation, supplies, venue management, crowd management, parking, security, etc.
   9. Technical Team: Manages technology aspects of the event; equipment setup, video, displays, sound, lighting, and power.
   10. Catering: Responsible for creating the menu, plus food preparation, delivery, and service.
   11. Marketing and Sales: In charge of promotions; social media, ads placements, dispatch of invitations, email, ticketing, etc. This may include PR (Public Relations) and the drafting of press releases. It’s important to make your event available to the press that may be interested in attending. 
   12. Entertainment: The role explains itself. This may include a host for your online audience and live stream. This role could also include a host who keeps the flow of event moving in-between sessions. 

4. Marketing Your Event Experiences

   1. WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE 
   2. The 100% Rule: It states that your Work Breakdown Structure must contain 100% of the tasks that are included within the project. In other words, no task can be excluded.
   3. Deliverable: This defines a specific product, outcome or service that must be created before any task listed on the WBS can be considered as finished.

5. Preparing Your Event for Live Streaming

   1. marketing for your event should be approached strategically 
   2. Sure, you may be able to drive traffic to your event’s landing page, but is your call to action compelling enough to convert those visitors into paying customers
   3. The elevator pitch 
   4. explain exactly your event will not be
   5. How do you garner enough attention surrounding the event to get people to buy tickets?
   6. Calculate your ROI for a ticket sold
   7. The Number One Factor: Know Your Event
   8. Event marketing chart
   9. All the bold chapter points

6. Venue Consideration

   1. Just follow all of the bullet points in book
7. Mindful Video Production
8. Innovation in Video Production, Conference and Content Delivery
9. Putting the Fun Back in Fundraising

Conclusion

This book is a great learning resource for anyone thinking about live streaming an event that wants to sell virtual tickets. Careful consideration should go into planning events that are worth paying for. Learning how other innovative event planners are putting together live events is great for perspective. Download a free copy of this book at http://143.198.120.149/virtual-tickets

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Barry’s presentation starts off by challenging you to improve your church’s audio system. In this video, you will learn about connecting microphones, stage boxes, using power amps and optimizing your main and stage speakers. If you are a volunteer or expert in audio production for your church you will learn about working an audio mixer and learning about mic preamps, aux sends and master aux outputs. The video outlines how microphones can be connected with stage boxes using a digital audio mixer or an analog XLR snake. After overhauling his own church’s audio system Dr. Hill has also visited many churches who seek help in making the audio produced in their churches better. At his own church, Barry uses a digital audio mixer and he explains why he chose a Yamaha TF.

1. Playing Chess on a Console

Chess masters can look at a chessboard and instantly see exactly what is going on. For the rest of us, we might see a bunch of different pieces. And that is often the experience of many church sound volunteers or even staff members who find themselves mixing worship services. The console, to many, is just a bunch of knobs and buttons. It is crucial that sound operators are given a mental model that helps them understand the basics of how the sound console and the overall sound system work.

2. Know the System

Knowing the overall audio system is critical for setting things up for worship services. But it is also essential for dealing with problems and last-minute changes that may arise. Part of the job of sound operators is to deal with unexpected issues. Something that may have worked every Sunday morning for years may suddenly stop functioning. Or, a last-minute change requires a different configuration. Figuring out how to deal with that issue becomes an essential job since these types of problems need to be fixed quickly. For this to be possible, operators must have a solid understanding of how the components work together. Creating a system diagram can go a long way in helping people better understand and deal with issues.

Barry uses DANTE to send and receive audio across his churches LAN (Local Area Network) yet he does not recommend DANTE to everyone. Barry’s setup may seem complicated with a Dante console an Aviom distributor because all of the sources need to be mapped to the console. But from a future-proofing and installation stand-point, you learn that stage connections have both XLR and CAT5 options making the patch bays in the amp closet easier to route. At the New Covenant Fellowship Church, Dr. Hill outlines the entire wiring diagram created for video and audio. Documenting everything is important if you plan to give responsibility for operating the system to a volunteer. In this video, you will learn about EQ.

Some simple tips about the controls include user-selectable center frequencies, bandwidth control (Q) and the ability to boost/cut amplitudes. Audio compression is reviewed and he stresses that it is the least understood audio processor. Again, simple techniques and strategies are reviewed for using threshold, ratio, attack, release and output gain for audio compression. Reverb is another important option reviewed for church audio systems. Stage volume and speaker monitor placement is another common issue with many church production systems. Barry reviews this in detail and helps us understand how to replace stage monitors with personal mixers and in-ear headphones. The entire presentation is available in our “Helping Churches Live Stream” UDEMY course here – https://www.udemy.com/course/church-streaming/learn/

3. Document Everything

It is vital to have everything about your audio system down on paper. This documentation is essential for daily operation and even more critical for troubleshooting when problems arise. This material should include a “big picture” design that shows how the overall system works together. Console I/Os, patch bays, auxiliary mixes, stage connections, computer setups, software configurations, routing, and other aspects should be documented. It is also a great idea to invest a high-quality label maker like the Dymo Rhino 5200, which has the presets and capabilities to handle a wide range of cables and other applications. Label everything.

4. Know Your Tools

Today’s consoles and software offer powerful controls to help shape and fine-tune the sound. However, they require some amount of education, experimentation, and practice. Before making adjustments with tools like EQ, reverb, or compression during worship services, take some time to learn how these tools work and spend time outside of worship practicing and fine-tuning your skills.

This is just a quick summary of a few of the points Dr. Hill shared during Worship Summit Live 2020. 

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I have always found it a little strange that, in our digital world, attending a conference still involves purchasing plane tickets and reserving a hotel room. Yes, I understand that it is good to get together with colleagues from around the country and world. I know that nothing replaces face to face conversations and breaking bread together in person. However, most of us don’t have the personal or church budget for registration fees and travel. Additionally, rarely can we afford to take our whole worship team. To grow as a team, it is vital to be exposed to the same teaching and ideas. It is great to be able to learn together and have time to dream and plan based on what we have experienced.

This is why I was so excited when I learned about Worship Summit Live, a free, online summit for church streaming production. My team and I were exposed to the expertise of several leaders who know church production and work to leverage it to spread the message of God. Without even leaving the church, we experienced top-quality teaching on the latest technology and best practices for modern worship.

My team and I were joined by over 3,000 of our colleagues, and we all took away more than we could have anticipated. Here are some of my biggest takeaways.

Live Streaming is an Essential Part of the Future of the Church

This wasn’t a new insight for me, but it sure was amazing to hear the sentiment echoed by leaders and other professionals. Sometimes it feels like a constant struggle to get the budget and resources for a robust streaming ministry. There are always detractors who claim that is it just a fad or not “real church.” The summit kicked off with a real affirmation for those of us who work so hard to make live streaming happen. Tess Protesto and Paul Richards opened up with a conversation with the President and Chief Creative Officer of JeffinHighDef.tv, Jeff Fitgerald. They all reminded us of how important it is to go to where people are, and today, those people are often on their computer or smart device. This was a great reminder and a fantastic takeaway to start the day.

Sound is Essential for Streaming

Some of us put a lot of thought into getting the perfect camera shots for streaming. But sound is just as, if not more, important. If people can’t hear or if the sound quality detracts from the service, they are going to tune out and miss the vital message we are sharing. Dr. Barry Hill, author of “Mixing for God,” gave an in-depth look at the tools and techniques to make a drastic improvement in sound on both the live stream and in the worship space. Dr. Hill is the director of the Audio and Music Production program at Lebanon Valley College of Pennsylvania. He is an expert, and he was able to speak in a way that connected to those of us who are not audio pros but just trying to do our best. I walked away with a reminder of the importance of audio and a lot more confidence in my ability to make things sound great.

Live Streaming Equipment Has Come A Long Way

Not all of us are happy with our current live streaming setup. It was a fantastic experience to see and hear what other churches are using. Tom Bunt from Good Shepherd Lutheran in Wisconsin shared his church’s live streaming setup. It was great to see it in action. This was the first time I saw PTZOptics cameras in operation. It made me rethink some of the possibilities of remote cameras. The most impressive part was seeing how he uses a PTZOptics 20X NDI camera to send a video feed across the campus via their local area network. We were also able to see vMix in action as production software. I will be taking a closer look at PTZOptics cameras and vMix.

Even Small Churches with Small Budgets Can Do Great Things with Technology

Sometimes when I attend conferences, everything seems aimed at churches with multi-million dollar budgets. That can make it hard to relate and translate what I learn for the smaller church. Fortunately, there was an entire session on using technology in a church with a small budget. Jake Gosselin from Churchfront offered a lot of insight into how to make some pretty drastic improvements without spending a lot of money. He also laid out a helpful sequence of adding technology as money comes available. I can’t wait to spend time with his YouTube channel to learn more.

That is Just a Small Piece!

My team and I are still unpacking everything we learned at Worship Summit 2020. Our biggest question is, “When is Worship Summit 2021?”

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