Check out this simu-live virtual event timeline and planning tool
“Simu-live” or Simulated Live Virtual Events
Simu-live sessions or activities are pre-recorded videos for broadcast (streamed) over the Internet at a specific date and time, but are not necessarily publicized as being pre-recorded much like many “live” television shows that were recorded earlier in the day and run as a “live studio recording.” These event sessions and related activities typically have a live Q&A period that may be moderated by the presenter or another subject matter expert.
Simulive sessions can be recorded in a studio, at a live event with a camera, or even mobile phone in the office. With a simulive virtual event session, speakers can record their content at their convenience, review and edit or re-record to achieve the quality they want.
This infographic shows the timeline of a full simu-live virtual event though you can adjust many elements to fit your program. In general, larger virtual event programs (many speakers and sponsors or exhibitors) will require a longer time to execute than say a single speaker or topic webinar.
Download the Simulive Timeline pdf here.
Here is a video overview:
Ten Reason’s Simulated Live Virtual Event Programs Rock!
- Less expensive than live streaming
Live-streamed virtual events are great, but they can be more expensive than recording session content and replaying it as simulated live. Even though live-streamed content from a physical event can be terrific, it usually comes at a hefty price due to high Internet costs at venues (required for broadcasting the content out from the venue). Other production costs can also add up.
- More control over content quality
Prerecording content vs live streaming allows you to edit content and event reshoot segments or entire sessions that aren’t exactly the quality you would like to achieve. With a live event, you get what you get and there is little you can do to change lighting, audio, or other production values once the event starts. You can test and adjust what you can impact before the event starts only up to a point. The event producer is going to consider the on-site audience first and those participating in the virtual event online may take a backseat.
Once a speaker hits the stage, no matter how much coaching and direction the virtual event producer on-site provides, speakers tend to walk around and engage the live audience perhaps walking out of areas that are lit for the cameras or engaging audience members who are not mic’d for sound.
- The ability of the presenter to participate in the discussion
With a simulive event, the top subject matter expert (the presenter) can be engaged and interact with the audience throughout their session. Although there is the opportunity during live presentations, depending upon the content and the purpose of the talk, continuous interruptions from the audience may not be ideal or appropriate. With a simulive virtual event, Q&A can be encouraged throughout the presentation with the option for attendees to participate and follow the discussion or turn it out and focus on the presentation.
- Better for all time zones
Unlike a physical event where everyone is in the same location at the same time, virtual event participants can be anywhere in the world where they have Internet connectivity. With a series of simulated live events, you can follow the sun launching the event at convenient times for all local audiences.
- Reuse and rerun
Simu-live is not just for “follow the sun” programs, it’s also is great for running the event on different days and at different times in the same time zones. There are many professions where they just don’t have the flexibility to take tie out at a certain day and time, or their day gets rescheduled due to work or personal reasons. Flexibility to catch another simu-live event date with the same advantages of a live event.
- Less worry about technology issues
Face it, technology is never fail-proof but that is especially true when live streaming. When you see interruptions in major network broadcasts of huge live sporting events it reinforces the reality that technical glitches, especially at live events are a reality.
Simu-live doesn’t insure 100% glitch-free broadcasts but it removes a ton of variables that you cannot control during a live event broadcast.
- Easier to recruit top speakers
Subject matter experts and in-demand talent are often hard to schedule and especially hard when you factor in travel time and the inconvenience of being away from their work and family. Simulive recording offers tremendous flexibility in when, where, and how their presentation can be recorded increasing the likelihood that they are available and willing to participate in your event.
- More engagement opportunities
As noted previously, presenters are more available during a simulated live event but that is also the case with other subject matter experts from within your organization. Depending on the virtual event platform you are using, there may be many tools that the event producer can use to engage the attendees and it is much easier to manage when you aren’t worried about the session streaming and other live-event challenges.
- Better sponsor activation
Like number 9, simu-live events offer the event producer more ability to focus on engagement around sessions but also sponsors, partners and exhibitors. Planning and (especially) executing sponsor activations and engagement with the audience at a simulive event is more manageable. Without the concerns and focus required with live-streamed events, full attention can be placed on the executive of your sponsorship activations whatever they may be.
- Less stress and better results
Event planning and production are consistently ranked in the top 10 most stressful professions for many reasons, but a key issue is live events are, well, live so anything that happens cannot be easily fixed if at all. Simu-live virtual events are much less stressful as you get the advantages of a live event (getting attendees and sponsors to commit to participating at a certain time and date) but without the concern of bad content, speakers that don’t show up, live streams that drop and much more. This allows you to focus on the results you need to achieve with laser focus.
