Postponing or cancelling an event is always a difficult decision to make, but for some companies and organisations, it simply isn’t an option. Like many event companies, we are experiencing a shift in focus from glamorous awards events, expansive conferences and gala dinners to supporting a wider range of clients with solutions that enable them to simply continue with their day-to-day operations and communicate effectively with their key stakeholders and clients.

We recently worked with Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust as they redesigned their annual members meeting into a virtual event, with just three weeks to turn it around.

The client utilised our dedicated, COVID-safe studio space in our unit just outside of Leeds City Centre to broadcast the meeting. Having this space available where the key speakers and event team can come together and deliver the event in a controlled space, rather than relying on a ‘completely virtual’ approach has allowed us to help our clients deliver high-quality, reliable events and experiences for their audience. In the studio, we created a bespoke set complete with two lecterns for Q&A sessions and an additional camera to allow for an on-screen BSL feed.

Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust Annual Members Meeting

The AYRE Events team managed the full broadcast including video, sound and lighting requirements as well as providing graphic designs to display on-screen to create a professional and polished stream. We were able to incorporate the client’s PowerPoint presentation into the broadcast to enable them to communicate all their key messages and updates with members.

For this event, we advised using YouTube due to its real-time chat feature which was a key requirement for the meeting. YouTube is a great option as its extremely accessible for a wide range of delegates and attendees and it’s also an easy way to make the recording available for viewing at a later date. Over 100 people joined the event live and the broadcast has had over 700 views to date.

In addition to the broadcast, we also created a space for the Communications team to meet safely with access to power, laptops for monitoring and responding to live interactions and refreshments throughout the day.

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital team was very impressed with the service and solutions we were able to provide and are even considering using this format for future annual members meetings. It’s exciting for us to see how clients are actively enjoying using new digital formats rather than seeing it as an inconvenience, and are getting to experience the wide-ranging benefits of using virtual platforms.

From increasing attendee capacity and broadening the reach of your key messages, to reducing associated costs for hiring event space and providing catering, there’s a lot to gain from taking your event online and we’re here to help you through the whole process. Find out more about The Studio and how we can support take your next event virtual.