Conferences have been taking place both on-site and online in parallel for several years now. At the end of 2017, for example, the 34C3, the 34th Chaos Computer Congress, attracted 15,000 visitors to Leipzig, and re:publica in the same year was also able to report a record number of visitors—even though the presentations from both events were available via livestream and continue to exist as recordings online. Nevertheless, in both cases, the organizers succeeded in selling a large number of tickets despite the hybrid format. Livestreaming is therefore by no means a death sentence for a conference, even if the suspicion might seem plausible. And that was the case even before COVID.
Why don't conference livestreams come at the expense of ticket sales?
A few years ago, the PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) asked participants of their livestreams why they preferred the screen version of PCMA events instead of being there in person. It turned out that many of the respondents would have loved to be there "in real life," but couldn't make it happen due to financial reasons or full schedules, and therefore appreciated the conference livestream all the more. Anyone professionally involved in several urgent projects naturally cannot simply take a multi-day break to attend a conference. Likewise, it can happen that while there might be time, a long trip suddenly becomes unthinkable for health reasons or due to travel restrictions. In such cases, a livestream can be the best way to help overcome the disappointment, even if it certainly cannot replace the entire conference experience.
A "lite" version of a conference
Quite apart from that, a conference livestream can help create an incentive for anyone still undecided, especially if it is an event that is intended to take place again in the future. The number of interested people is often much higher than the number of those who actually end up on-site. Perhaps someone doesn't want to buy a ticket this year because it's the first time the event is taking place and there are no reviews yet. A livestream would then be a kind of demo version of the conference, so to speak. If it is freely available, the news usually spreads quickly as soon as someone speaks positively about it and shares the link to the stream. That is an increase in attention that costs organizers nothing. If the stream is well-received, some of the audience might trade their passive role for active on-site participation at the next edition of the conference. Some may also need a little more convincing and therefore watch the whole thing from afar first, before they are much more motivated to make the trip themselves next time. And those who are already convinced don't need to be laboriously persuaded to attend again. There can hardly be better advertising for a conference. Sometimes a conference livestream can even help in the opposite case: all tickets are long gone, but interest in the event remains unbroken.
Thus, the conference comes via livestream to everyone who cannot make it to the conference themselves. This sometimes happens on a smaller scale, too—when two sessions take place in parallel and someone would prefer to attend both. This has nothing to do with poor program planning, but rather with the impossibility of predicting the personal interests of all visitors. If recordings are available later, participants only have to decide which one they want to watch, but ultimately don't miss anything.
Conference livestreams and recordings are also, and above all, conceivable for associations whose events only a small portion of members can attend in person. This is often simply because they are spread across several countries. If there are videos of the presentations, everyone benefits from the events taking place throughout the year.
Conference livestreams are not rocket science
Anyone who hears the word "livestream" in the context of conferences probably thinks first and foremost of high-quality, complicated camera technology and fears that a lot of additional expenses will be incurred before starting. However, conference livestreams also work very well with much less budget. They have become popular primarily because there are more and more ways to set up a conference livestream in a short time and without costs exploding.
This does not necessarily have to be provided via YouTube, but can take place directly within a virtual conference platform that even offers participants the option to switch between several parallel sessions and also unites all other components of the event under the roof of a digital conference hall.
After the conference livestreams end, they also remain available as recordings. This is especially helpful for those who may have missed the beginning or were following another session at the same time.
Compared to recordings, livestreams are naturally the greater technical challenge. If the stream stutters because the internet connection is poor or if it cuts out completely, it significantly diminishes the enjoyment immediately. Anyone wanting to avoid such glitches should let professionals handle it rather than using DIY technology. Sometimes, collaboration with a sponsor who takes care of the technical side is also an option. At the Chaos Computer Club, this is handled by a dedicated working group that operates a video archive that can be searched for recordings of more than 100 events. There isn't much left for the organizers to do then.
Conference livestream = free videos for everyone?
You don't have to provide livestreams for free. If one is running on YouTube and is intended as a small teaser, that's fine, of course. However, if you want to broadcast (almost) the entire conference program as a livestream, an access-restricted conference platform is a good choice. Participants register through it—and then receive access to the livestreams and everything else that belongs to the event, just like at an in-person conference.
If there are additional offerings on-site (workshops, networking events, etc.), it would naturally not be fair to set the fees for online participation just as high. If you are interested in winning new prospects with the help of virtual offerings, that won't work with such a pricing model. Nevertheless, there are conferences, especially in the medical field, where such an approach is successful. Because collecting continuing education credits is mandatory there, it is often more worthwhile for many doctors to watch a conference livestream than to be there in person and have to close their own practice for several days, for example.
Anyone who has organized conferences before will also be well-acquainted with cancellations. During persistent bad weather, flu season, or pandemic-related restrictions, a considerable number usually arrive at once. The affected individuals then receive at least part of the costs back, sometimes even the full amount. However, with the number of cancellations, the revenue generated by the organizer also drops. If, on the other hand, there are recordings of the sessions, that would be a compromise—participants don't have to miss out on the content, and organizers don't have to refund the entire amount.
Before starting the conference livestream
Before you hit the record button, the following is important:
- All speakers should know that there will be a recording. Perhaps there is someone among the presenters who has come up with something exclusive for the presentation, be it an as-yet-unpublished research result or a first glimpse into the latest work. Through the recording, the presentation leaves the four walls of the lecture hall. Therefore, inform all speakers about the recording from the beginning and obtain permission. Anyone who does not want this will then have enough time to let you know.
- Use clips from your video footage to create conference documentation or a trailer for next year's event. Moving images are incredibly valuable for capturing the atmosphere of the event.
Conference livestreams are still far from being everywhere
Livestreams help your conference stand out from those that don't offer them and are focusing solely on their in-person experience. Be sure to promote your online options and conference livestreams—on your website, in newsletters, via press releases, and on Twitter. That is how you reach your future audience. And don't worry: even though many organizers remain skeptical about recordings and livestreams, the fear that they negatively impact attendance numbers is unfounded. In fact, you are making a valuable contribution to online education and taking a significant step forward.
