So what is the events industry to do?
The knee-jerk answer may be simple: Broadcast your event itself. But you are most definitely not limited to that.
In fact, with many speakers not allowing broadcast of their talks, you really do become limited as to what you can livestream. Plus, how much do you really want to give away for free?
Instead, think what can be done before the event. What questions do people have? What might stop them from registering? From there, you can likely create a plan for livestream apps that will drive registration for this year, rather than next year.
Here are just a couple of places you can start:
“Ask Me Anything”
Yes, Reddit does a fantastic job of this, but there is something about seeing someone answer your questions through a video screen that creates a better connection. Celebrities are finding this as they host their own “Ask Me Anything” chats via the livestreaming apps.
So how can you make that idea your own?
Have a past attendee to answer questions about your conference. When it’s a past attendee rather than staff, your attendees will trust what is being said, rather than dismiss it as simple marketing. Plus they will have someone to look for at the conference.
Invite your speakers to demonstrate their expertise. Just be sure to not give the conference away for free by creating a whole presentation for this. Make it off the cuff and let the viewers guide where the discussion goes.
Show off the location
We all know location is everything. There is nothing that gets attendees quite as excited as a fun location that is full of things to do. So add to that by showing off that location in a livestream event.
Make a unique location even cooler. In a city like Cincinnati, we have no shortage of unique locations that will make attendees’ mouths drop. Take, for example, the Hilton Netherland Plaza. The art deco details are stunning, and yes, such a historic building comes with a lot of stories. Have someone tell those stories on location via livestream. Your attendees will look for those little places of note when they are at the event itself and possibly even re-tell them.
Show what there is to do off-hours. Whether it’s food or attractions or something in between, show the great places that they need to see while in your event’s host city. For example, we think a mural walking tour would make an excellent livestream event. Or perhaps a restaurant tour of all of the places to eat just steps from downtown hotels.
One thing to remember: Save your videos from any livestreams you do. You can repurpose them, and share them on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter as another way to entice people to join you.
What are you doing with the livestream apps?
