Live streaming offers event organizers unique opportunities to increase their reach, market event content and harness additional monetization potential. We reviewed 5 providers for you which can provide easy and quick LIVE stream solutions (for your events).

Livestreaming – Why is it so Relevant?

Today, events are expected to create a live experience that feels genuine and to offer participants not only added value in terms of content, but also in terms of lasting impact and brand recognition. That’s why event organizers are looking for an all-inclusive, carefree package to meet all of their guests’ requirements. Unfortunately, events capacities tend to be limited by budget constraints, seat numbers and/or space (such as seminar rooms). There are also external (environmental) circumstances — e.g. participants cannot travel to the event. These are the main reasons why virtual events are becoming increasingly important. 

What’s the deal with video content? First, you can monetize video content. Thanks to live broadcasting or video content streaming/sharing, you can address a “secondary” audience and thus expand your reach beyond your traditional list of participants. This creates not just an opportunity for people to virtually join your event from anywhere in the world but also for your event to showcase your brand to potential leads beyond your current market. 

Secondly, you can use these videos for marketing purpose. If you decide to offer them for free, then you can maximize their visual impact and reach to bring further attention to your events. You could post an entire talk or lecture or short clips via social media to attract potential new participants with interesting and relevant content. This way you create incentives for people to get a ticket for your events at the next opportunity. You can also publish these videos as a learning tool on your website or blog or provide them to your participants instead of presentations.

B2B or B2C?

An important challenge is to find the right streaming provider for your event. One of the most important questions you have to answer is: which target group should your streaming be directed to? Consumers or businesses?

One can understand why some companies initially choose free B2C streaming services. However, most popular B2C streaming solutions, such as YouTube Live, automatically get the rights to your video content and can monetize it themselves. This approach can be beneficial for some broadcasters. However, many companies that operate in the B2B sector want to avoid this, as well as third-party advertising and comments. 

Therefore, we are going to show you different providers from across the B2B and B2C sectors.   

YouTube Live

The world’s most famous video platform has long been offering not only beauty blogs, tech reviews, and vlogs, but also extensive live-streaming of music, news, sport events etc.

ADVANTAGES:
360° videos
huge user base
embedding on your own website
various monetization options
promotion by Google

DISADVANTAGES:
account verification and video encoding software required
use of Google services forbidden/blocked by some companies’ policies

PRICES:
free of charge

Facebook Live

In recent years, Facebook Live has made live streaming of events possible for everyone.

ADVANTAGES:
huge user base
direct integration into Facebook
defined range and visibility
video is available after the event with the timeline
live marketing for every budget
video length up to 8 hours

DISADVANTAGES:
frequent technical problems and streaming crashes
Facebook is often forbidden/blocked by some companies’ policies
occasionally low quality of the stream

PRICES:
free of charge; upgrades from 1 EUR per day

FURTHER B2C PROVIDERS: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Periscope, StreamShark

Vimeo Livestream

The strength of Vimeo is primarily in its excellent video quality. In addition, the platform offers the Mevo Plus, a purpose-made camera as well as various interesting monetization options. For a rental fee or a purchase, interested viewers can either watch the video for a certain period or if bought, have it available permanently. This platform focuses on professional (business) customers and offers many additional marketing tools.

ADVANTAGES:
HD (1080p live) +4k streaming
streaming of 3 parallel events
embedding on the own website
Live Q&A, graphics and surveys
public chat

DISADVANTAGES:
not suited for streaming via Smartphone

PRICES:
70 EUR per month

IBM Watson Media Video Streaming

In 2016, the company Ustream was acquired by IBM and merged with other companies specializing in various streaming processes. Ustream was originally developed for communication between soldiers and their families.

ADVANTAGES:
cloud-based solution, available on multiple devices
possibility of monetization (paywall)
lead generation
high safety standards
Live polls
chat room

DISADVANTAGES:
HD 720p streaming only
maximum 5,000 spectator hours

PRICES:
from 99 to 999 USD per month for different packages (Silver, Gold, Platinum)

dacast

In contrast to consumer-oriented platforms like YouTube or Facebook Live, dacast works with B2B customers.

ADVANTAGES:
integration on websites and social media
white label
video hosting
analytics
flexible prices (suitable for one-time-use)

DISADVANTAGES:
paywall possible with a package starting at 125 USD
storage up to 500 GB, expansion possible against an additional upgrade

PRICES:
from 19 to 289 USD per month for different packages (Starter, Premium, Enterprise) also one-time use per event possible

FURTHER B2B PROVIDERS: Wowza, brightcove, vplayed, boxcast, StreamingVideoProvider

Summary

Live-streaming of events offers organizers great opportunities to monetize their event content or to strengthen marketing activities. In this article, we have introduced 5 providers of live streaming in detail and pointed out the difference between B2C and B2B platforms.

The post Event-Livestreaming – The 5 Top Providers 2020 first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Artificial intelligence, algorithms, podcasts and fake news are keywords that can be heard from everywhere. What do these mean for our everyday digital life? The Zündfunk Network Congress from the Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting) dealt with this question. According to the motto “Free. Networking. For Everyone. “, the speakers advocate transparency, justice, and freedom on the web.

Nina-Lucia Boss helped to shape the congress as part of her dual studies at the Bayerischer Rundfunk and helps us to get a look behind the scenes.

Another great customer story.

LineUpr: Hello Nina-Lucia. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the Bayerischer Rundfunk.

Nina-Lucia: Hello Anastasiia. Thank you for your interest! I am a dual student and part of the team at the Bayerischer Rundfunk that is in charge of the Zündfunk Network Congress. As a public service broadcaster, we are not only on the radio, television and online, but we also organize special events that meet our legal mandate, including the Zündfunk Network Congress.

LineUpr: What role do events play for you?

Nina-Lucia: Events offer us an opportunity to have direct contact with our audience, to exchange ideas and to take suggestions. We also use the opportunity to produce content for our television and radio programs as well as for our digital platforms.

LineUpr: You used an event app from LineUpr for the Zündfunk Network Congress. Please tell us more about this event.

Nina-Lucia: The Zündfunk Network Congress takes place annually and offers lectures and workshops on digital and social issues, digital engagement, and diversity. Everyone interested gets an opportunity to reflect on different aspects of digital life and get information and ideas for their everyday life.

LineUpr: How long before the event did you start creating the event app? What do you think, how much time does it take to create the app?

Nina-Lucia: We started about 5 weeks before the event, the creation itself didn’t take much time. Since we constantly added the latest information about speakers and sessions, it is hard to estimate the precise time we spent on it.

LineUpr: Did you create the event app alone or in a team?

Nina-Lucia: We have created the event app as a team, the coordination between the team members took place in person, via e-mail or phone.

LineUpr: When and how did you inform your participants about the event app?

Nina-Lucia: We informed the participants via a Facebook post (approx. 2 weeks beforehand) and QR code, and URL on the posters and flyers. Our moderators also mentioned it during the event. As a special added value, we highlighted the possibility to create an individual schedule and get up-to-date information about any changes.

LineUpr: Did you use the survey features?

Nina-Lucia: We used surveys to coordinate discussions. They were primarily used to offer the audience additional options for interaction.

LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?

Nina-Lucia: We didn’t explicitly ask for feedback. Approximately half of the visitors used the app.

LineUpr: Now that the event is over, would you use the app the same way at the next event to communicate with your participants or is there something that you would change?

Nina-Lucia: Yes, there is. We would post more up-to-date information (changes to the schedule etc.) and would make surveys even more differentiated.

LineUpr: If someone is thinking about using an event app for their event, what would you advise them to do? When does an app make sense and what disadvantages are there when using an app?

Nina-Lucia: An event app can be updated live (compared to the printed flyer), enables the integration of links and it is possible to get feedback directly via the app. Disadvantages: if we talk about native event-apps, visitors have already a lot of apps on their smartphones. In this case, a web-based app could be a great advantage, since it doesn’t have to be downloaded or installed; another issue is that Wi-Fi is not always available for updates.

LineUpr: Thank you for the great interview. Your topics are so exciting and important. I think such issues as justice and freedom on the web, as well as advantages and disadvantages of new trends, should get even more attention.

If you want to know more about the topics and watch the lectures, feel free to visit the website of the Zündfunk Network Congresses. https://zuendfunk-netzkongress.de/. They do not only discuss the ethical questions of the AI but also e.g. how much work is often put in a podcast-creation process. For more information follow Bayerischer Rundfunk on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The post Event App for Congresses – An Interview with Nina-Lucia Boss from the Bayerischer Rundfunk first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

A BarCamp is a special event format: the topics of such events are decided directly on-site by all participants. Anyone who wants to can bring up a topic. The plenum decides whether the proposal is accepted or not.

This was also the case with the Financial BarCamp of comdirect bank AG. Geerd Lukaßen, the press spokesman at comdirect bank AG and this year’s organizer of the Financial BarCamp, tells you what topics were of interest to the participants and how LineUpr helped to shape the agenda of the day.

Have fun reading this great customer story.

LineUpr: Hello Geerd. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and comdirect bank AG.

Geerd: I am the press spokesman for comdirect, one of the leading direct banks in Germany. Last year we were voted Germany’s best bank by the specialist magazine €uro, which of course makes us very happy!

LineUpr: You used an event app from LineUpr for the Financial BarCamp. Please tell us more about this event.

Geerd: The comdirect Financial BarCamp was held for the fifth time. Around 140 participants, including private investors and bloggers as well as representatives of banks and financial start-ups, discussed the future of investment for a whole day. The special thing about a BarCamp is that the agenda is determined by all participants directly on-site. Everyone can suggest a topic, regardless of the level of experience or professional position. The intensive and equal exchange with each other creates a special dynamic that makes this event format unique.

LineUpr: Which target group do you want to address and what added value do you offer the participants?

Geerd: This event is for everyone who is interested in finance in general and investments in particular. This year’s topics were again very broad and ranged from the “saving money for children” and “retirement at 40” to “are ETFs a threat to the financial markets?” and “possibilities in options trading”. It is the mix of participants with very different backgrounds and experiences that makes this event so special.

LineUpr: This is your first time using LineUpr. How did you learn about LineUpr and what added value does an event app offer you?

Geerd: In the past few years, the participants of the Financial BarCamp have repeatedly asked for more networking possibilities. In addition, it was always a bit chaotic when more than 100 participants pushed their way to the analog agenda board more or less simultaneously to choose the next session they wanted to attend.

Therefore, I looked for an application that could help us with both issues and came across LineUpr. The digitization of the agenda board was a real added value.

LineUpr: How long before the event did you start creating the event app? How much time do you think it took to create the app?

Geerd: We set up the app relatively early in order to be able to include our app in our further communication (promotion). The setup itself took only a few minutes including the adjustments to our corporate design. Everything was very intuitive.

LineUpr: How have you promoted the usage of the app during the event?

Geerd: We always referred to the app and displayed a screenshot with the QR-code during the event. I also talked about the app during my presentation.

LineUpr: And now more about the usage itself. Did you also use the survey features?

Geerd: Yes, in the surveys we asked for feedback from the participants about the event. They were able to use a star rating on the one hand, and on the other hand, they could indicate in the free text field what they wish for the coming year. We exported the results as an Excel document. When the planning for the Financial BarCamp 2020 starts, we will look at the feedback again and take it into account for the organization.

LineUpr: What kind of feedback did you get for the app?

Geerd: Feedback was great! The overview of the sessions was particularly well-received. The only problem was that the participants could not enter themselves in the participant list, but instead had to send us this information via email.

LineUpr: How has your event or event organization changed by using an event app?

Geerd: The format itself has not changed because of the app, but the app is a great addition.

LineUpr: We want to grow every day and offer our customers a better experience, which functions do you want to see in the app and why?

Geerd: As I said, it would be great to have some kind of participant registration in the future – that will significantly increase positive feedback. Apart from that, you have created a great app – keep it up!

LineUpr: Our new app version with the participant login comes at just at the right point then. Next time LineUpr will take on the registration too. Thank you for the great interview.

The Financial Barcamp is part of the Fintech Week and FinanzBlog Award. If you are interested in financial topics and want to be part of this year’s event, then these pages are worth a visit. Don’t miss the registration and follow Financial Barcamp on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Event Apps for BarCamps – Interview with Geerd Lukaßen from the comdirect bank AG first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Such an event with 2,000 visitors requires a large and experienced team. This is the only way to react quickly and flexibly to challenges. Of course, you also always need all the information at your fingertips at the right moment. In this interview, you can find out how Andreas solved this issue.

Another great customer story. Really worth reading.

LineUpr: Hello Andreas. Thank you for taking your time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and your event.

Andreas: Hello Nasti. First of all, thank you so much for your great support! My name is Andreas Isoz. I was an athlete in the Freestyle Aerials World Cup for 15 years and currently, I´m working in the restaurant business. I run two restaurants and also the national freestyle training center “Jumpin” near Zurich.

LineUpr: Crazy mix! You used our solution for the Freestyle Night. Please tell us more about this event.

Andreas: Freestyle Night is an annual event, which we organize on the “Jumpin” facility. We had this idea in a cozy round with a few bears in 2003. We wanted to organize a great annual sports event with a great supporting program. Besides the competitions in the disciplines such as Aerials, BMX/bike and Freeski, we also got acroflightshow, skydivers and skateboard mini ramp on board. This is a day where freestyle sports, cuisine, music, parties, get-togethers and fun come together. The event is organized entirely on a voluntary basis.

LineUpr: How much time and work do you spend on the planning of the event on average?

Andreas: The team of seven planners managed the festival. We worked together with around 40 volunteers. The planning itself took us 1 year, though the “effective work” from construction to dismantling lasted about 10 days.

LineUpr: Do you also use printed products to promote an event or distribute information on-site? If so, which and why?

Andreas: Over the last 17 years, the type of media instruments used has changed dramatically. We have distributed a few flyers and posters and sent some out by post. This was primarily used as a counterbalance to the digital appearance. Thanks to LineUpr, we have completely gotten rid of on-site program booklets.

LineUpr: You’ve used LineUpr for the first time. How did you learn about it and what added value does an event app offer you?

Andreas: Basically, I was looking for an extensive event app, which I could use for the organization of the event. Two features were of great importance for me: assignment of tasks and interactive to-do-lists. That’s when I came across LineUpr.

We have created two LineUpr Apps. The first one, the staff app, allowed me to provide everyone (volunteers, sound and lighting technicians, paramedics) with a very detailed program. I also attached the corresponding documents (e.g. order confirmation) as PDF to the certain agenda entries. I´ve created profiles for our contact persons and linked them according to their tasks in the program. This saved us from having to use confusing Excel spreadsheets.

The second app was for our guests. In addition to the program, we were able to offer various background information. We also could adjust the program live (e.g. in case of bad weather).

LineUpr: What information and content did you communicate via the LineUpr app?

Andreas: These were the program of the festival and background information in the guests´ app. In the staff app, apart from the normal schedule, there was information on delivery times and program items for service providers (security service, paramedics, etc.).

LineUpr: When and how did you inform your participants about the event app?

Andreas: We used our social media channels to inform our guests about the event. We also printed QR codes on the posters and entry wristbands.

LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?

Andreas: We haven´t actively asked for feedback. From our staff team as well as the local service providers, we received very positive feedback.

LineUpr: How has your event or event organization changed by using an event app?
Andreas: We certainly saved a lot of paper and were able to adjust our schedule live at any time. Thus, there was never an accidental old program brochure in circulation and everybody was up to date.

LineUpr: If someone is thinking about using an event app for their event, how would you advise them? When is an app useful and what are the disadvantages of an app?

Andreas: I do not see any real disadvantages. I know, that guests often don´t want to download and install apps. Since you don´t need to do that with LineUpr, this barrier isn´t there anymore. You need a QR Code Scanner, which is (too bad) not always automatically integrated into every phone camera.

LineUpr: Thank you very much, Andreas! That was a very creative approach to use a LineUpr app! We are already looking forward to your next events! By the way, some Android versions and the latest iOS versions have already integrated QR code scanner in the camera.

Andreas: Thank you very much for your great support!

More information, impressions and current news about Freestyle Night can be found on Facebook and Instagram. A look at the Homepage is always worth it! 

The post Event Apps for Sports Events – Communication with Visitors and Staff Worked out Simple first appeared on LineUpr Blog.

Creating a Link to Individual Entries

In order to link individual contents – for example a survey in a program item – proceed as follows:

1. Open the entry in which the link should be displayed.
2. At the very bottom of the page, go to the “Links / Social Media / E-mail / Phone” section and select “Link to Entry” from the drop-down menu.
3. Confirm your selection by clicking on “+ Add”.
4. A new link will be added. From the drop-down menu with “Select Section” placeholder select the main category from which you want to link content – for example, “Surveys”.
5. In the text box to your right you can start entering the title of the content to be linked.
6. Select the content to link from the suggestions. Note! The name of the entry becomes the name of the link. This cannot be edited in retrospect.
7. Save the link by clicking on “Save changes” in the upper right corner.

Creating a Link to the Lists

Another case: You have created an attendee list in the Lineup and these (or only a part) need to be assigned to one of your program entries. For example, only participants belonging to the category “Group 1” can attend Workshop 1.
You can also link a list of sponsors for promotional purposes with a program entry, e.g. sponsors of the “Gold Sponsor” category will be displayed in the program.

1. Open the program point in which the link should be displayed.
2. At the very bottom of the page, go to the “Links / Social Media / E-mail / Phone” section and select “Link to Section” from the drop-down menu.
3. Confirm your selection by clicking on “+ Add”.
4. A new link will be added. From the drop-down menu with “Select Section” placeholder select the main category from which you want to link a list – for example “Lineup”.
5. In the second drop-down menu to the right you can now – if necessary – filter with existing categories – for example “Group 1”. Note! The name of the category becomes the name of the link. This cannot be edited in retrospect.
6. Once you added your link to the list, save your progress by clicking on “Save Changes” in the upper right corner.

Creating a Link for Individual Entries on the Home Screen

Do you want to collect feedback on your event? Then you need to attract the attention of your attendees. The easiest way is by linking your feedback sheet to the start menu. To do that, proceed like this:

1. Click on “Settings” in the menu to your left and then on “Menus”.
2. From the drop-down menu at the bottom of the page, select “Link to Entry” and add it to the menu with “+ Add” button.
3. A new link will be added. From the drop-down menu with “Select Section” placeholder, select the section from which you want to link content – for example “Surveys”.
4. In the text field to your right you can start to enter the title of the content to be linked.
5. Select the content to be linked from the suggestions.
6. You can now decide whether the link should be displayed on the start page or whether it should only be accessible via the side menu; where the feedback entry should be placed (move it up and down with the drag and drop button) and if you want to set a custom subtitle. Note! The name of the entry becomes the name of the menu. This cannot be edited in retrospect
7. Save the menu by clicking on “Save Changes” in the upper right corner.

Creating a Link for the Lists on the Home Screen

Here you can create additional menu items or filtered lists. Let’s say you have two different program tracks and you tagged them only with categories and you’re worried that your participants might get confused. Here you can create an additional menu item and make two programs out of one. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Click on “Settings” in the menu to your left and then on “Menus”.
2. From the drop-down menu at the bottom, select “Link to Section” and add it to the menu with “+ Add” button.
3. A new link will be added. From the drop-down menu with “Select Section” placeholder, select the section from which you want to link a list – for example “Schedule”.
4. In the second drop-down menu to your right you can now – if necessary – filter with the existing category. Note! If necessary, filter also the general schedule menu with the other category.
5. You can now decide whether the link should be displayed on the start page or whether it should only be accessible via the side menu; where the feedback entry should be placed (move it up and down with the drag and drop button) and if you want to set a custom subtitle. Note! The name of the category becomes the name of the menu. This cannot be edited in retrospect.
6. Save the link by clicking on “Save Changes” in the upper right corner.

What You Should Have Learned

In this tutorial, we showed you how to link content within the app. Based on four use cases we have explained four different possibilities of linkage. 

The post Link Content Within the App with Just a Few Clicks first appeared on LineUpr Blog.