Corporate Event Live Streaming: How To Keep It Professional

Planning a corporate event is a challenging task at the best of times. With so many moving parts, people to co-ordinate, schedules to organise, and types of content to create, it’s a tough feat to pull off perfectly. 

But in the current circumstances, many of us are relying on live streaming technology and services to deliver these events to audiences, which adds a new set of problems. And for those new to the art of live-broadcasting, this might feel intimidating.     

But do not fear. Live streaming and video production technology has never been better, and if you plan properly and utilise the best services, you can broadcast a professional event just as effective as the in-person alternative. 

So if you’re looking for some top tips on how to stream your corporate event to the highest professional standard, check out the guidance below, and make the most of the experienced live streaming services Zidivo has to offer. 

Planning the Event

Most aspects of a live event can be delivered to a high standard over live-stream if you organise properly and use quality equipment. But you will obviously be using different tools and delivering content in different ways. So make sure you give yourself more than enough time to prepare, and consult with a professional partner for the best results. 

Think about who your audience is, and how to focus your content to engage them fully. Will they be local, or in international time-zones? Are you hoping to reach a small select group or a large, wide-spread audience? Generally speaking, it’s best to overestimate the resources you will need to reach your audience, in order to avoid issues. 

If hosting off-site, choose a venue that will be accommodating to a live-stream set-up - think about lighting, available equipment, on-site audio, and ample internet connection (particularly upload speed). A poorly selected venue will significantly affect your ability to deliver a professional-standard live stream.       

Quality Equipment

Your live-stream content will only ever be as good as the equipment you use to create it. So make sure to invest in quality video cameras, microphones, audio equipment, and encoders, to give your live-stream a professional quality.

Ideally, you want to use a full HD (high-definition) camera with 1080p resolution or higher, especially if lighting is low. But if your budget is limited, a low-quality camera can deliver decent results, but expect the image to be grainy and more difficult to see on larger screens. Bright natural sunlight or a lighting-ring will improve the image immensely in either circumstance. 

In many cases, the audio quality of your content is actually more important than the image quality. It’s no use being able to see the fine details of your speaker’s shirt and tie if you can’t hear what they’re saying! So don’t rely on the poor-quality microphones and speakers built-in to laptops or cameras. Instead, purchase or rent professional-quality microphones - you won’t regret the investment.   

And last but not least, invest in the right encoding software and/or hardware. Encoders are devices which convert and compress your captured video and audio into the livestream format. You will want to discuss your options with your live streaming partner, to work out which encoding equipment will provide the production features you need and best suit your needs.   

Production Tips

There are a few simple tips you can use to drastically improve the quality of the video you capture, and the content you deliver to your audience. 

Get familiar with your camera settings and how they work. When you shoot your video, you want the camera set to the highest resolution that your internet connection will support. As already mentioned, 1080p full HD is a good setting to aim for, but make sure to test this carefully before the live stream. 30 fps frame rate will be appropriate for most content, unless you’re capturing something fast moving like a sports event, in which case you can go as high as 60 fps.

Recording sampling frequency is the important setting for capturing your audio. 44.1 kHz will record good-quality audio, whilst 96 kHz will provide very high-quality sound. 

Bright lighting will always improve the quality and detail of any recorded image. You don’t need a professional-quality lighting set-up (though it helps!) - but make sure to avoid shadows, utilise natural sunlight where possible, and light the space brightly.

Always Test Beforehand

It’s highly unlikely you’re going to get all of these settings right the first time around. So do comprehensive tests of all aspects - ideally a few days before your event is planned to go live.

If you will be streaming to a large audience, make sure to test your set-up with a number of different people, in as many locations as possible. Ask for feedback on image quality and audio, try both high and low quality streaming, adjust settings, and test-run all of your equipment. Repeat this as many times as your test-subjects will allow, until you know it’s perfect.   

If you encounter any problems you can’t solve, your live streaming partner will be able to advise and provide support before you go live.   

Work With A Professional Live Streaming Partner 

Live-streaming a corporate event is a complex task. In order to ensure success and deliver the highest-quality content, you need to work with a professional live streaming partner like Zidivo, who can support and advise you throughout the project. 

Aside from recommendations for equipment, production quality, and content delivery, we can help you direct and edit your broadcast, free of ads and distractions, to any location in the world. A live streaming partner like us also allows you to broadcast directly from your website, giving you full control over branding and access, with no limit on live channels.  

So if you want to deliver a professional-quality corporate event over live stream, use these tips and get in touch with us today.