Should You Use Video for Your Next Event?

Events are an ever-changing world. In fact, running an event today is nothing like it was even a few years ago, thanks to the role technology is beginning to play. And one of the best and greatest examples of this is the adoption of video and live-streaming in many events over the last few years. At one point video was seen as something that only big (or even HUGE) events could incorporate into their budget and marketing plans, but with cameras becoming more and more accessible over the years (to the point where they fit in everyone’s pockets) even the mid and smaller sized events can have access to video. Since coming to the stage, video has opened up a great number of benefits in terms of getting attendees interested in coming to an event for the first time, or the next time. Video also helps events expand their reach, develop event brands, and reach more diverse audiences, with little to no extra work. So, to cut to the chase, should you use video for your next event? Absolutely! But because it is so accessible and can be so useful, figuring out whether video is right for you can be a difficult dilemma many event planners faces. Smaller events, which have traditionally been held back from incorporating video, can jump the gun by bringing in video, and not maximize on their ROI. So, whether your event is big or small, before choosing to incorporate video into it, there are a couple features you need to consider first. Let’s dive in:

#1 — Your Event Budget

It’ll come as no surprise that the most important factor you need to consider when wondering if video is right for your event is your event budget. As you know, your event budget is king — so choosing to include video can initially feel like ‘just another big expense’ to add on top of your already tight budget, especially if you don’t quite know what you need. Thankfully, regardless of the size of your event, there are very accessible ways to begin using video for your event, that also works within your budget. The price for running video at your event is going to change based on the size and location of your event. For example, if the video team needs to travel out of city/state to your venue, or if they need multiple cameras. If you’re doing live-streaming, the cost will be higher than a recap video, etc. Likewise, the size of your event will determine the level of coverage you’ll need from your video team. For instance, if you’re running a smaller event that just needs to film speakers’ talks, you can see about hiring a local freelancer with their own gear, a college student, or even renting equipment from the library or a camera store and having a staff member film sessions. However, if you’re running a larger scale event you’ll want to hire a more experienced video team. This could mean using multiple people with expensive equipment which can raise the rates dramatically. This is why it’s also important to do your due diligence to make sure you’re getting someone reputable, but who can also do it for a good price. If all else fails, one easy place to start is to ask your venue if they have any preferred video vendors.

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#2 — How Will You Use It?

Once you make the choice to work video into your event, then you better have an effective way of using it to get a really good ROI on it. Whether you’re using it to bring people to your event for the first time, catching people who maybe missed out this year, or getting people to come back for another year, there are many ways you can work video into your overall goals. Here are just a few:

Content Marketing

As video becomes more prolific, it’s beginning to play a larger and larger role in content marketing on the whole. It’s easy to begin to use videos of your speakers’ talks, a recap video, or even in the moment livestreams as a part of your content marketing to get future attendees excited about your event. One easy way to use the videos you capture at your event is to drip them out throughout the year to your email list of people who didn’t attend your event this year, so that they are constantly receiving helpful information, and building their interest in coming next year.

Livestreaming Your Event

The choice of whether or not you'll livestream the talks at your event is up to you, and there can be both pros and cons to doing so. Whether you feel that livestreaming could keep people from showing up in person (which is false), or you just don’t want to invest the energy in having a team do that kind of hands-on work — livestreaming needs to be considered on an event-by-event basis. One really powerful aspect of livestreaming your event is that it allows you to reach a broader audience than the people who showed up in the room. This is a great way to expand your brand, help connect with new customers, and even bring people in for future years. Likewise,  Or you can give speakers access to any of their videos with your branding, which also works as really good marketing materials for both of you. If you do decide to do livestream, you can choose to do them for just your main stage talks, your break-out sessions, or even both. Remember, these livestreams are not only helpful in the moment for building buzz around your event, but are a great way to use those as promotional materials at a later time, and can also be a really helpful tool for getting people interested in your event in future years.

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Recap Video

Another great way to get a good ROI on your video investment is to have your video team create a recap video. A recap video is a 2 to 3 minute video that shows just the highlights of what happened during your event the previous year, and therefore, can be a really dynamic way of getting new customers interested in your event — especially the first time. Recap videos can also help views and potential attendees set correct expectations about how your event will run, the types of speakers you like to have, and what might happen in the upcoming years. Many recap videos will also come as a part of your video package, so make sure to ask when interviewing your videographers.

Final thoughts

However, you choose to work video into your event, it can make its return on investment time and time again if you continue to work it into your long-term marketing strategies. Return to your recorded talks from past years, and see how you can continue to use them in your marketing to reach new people, year after year. Video is an investment, but when done right, choosing it for your event will be worth it every time.