A ton of planning goes into facilitating an event environment ripe for connection and tangible outcomes, which often means that hiring a team to capture the essence and energy of your event or conference becomes one of the last tasks on your to-do list.
We have worked for Association for Preservation Technology, National Trust for Canada, International Genetic Epidemiology Society, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, The Tobin Center, and others for over five years, producing virtual events, live-streaming keynotes, capturing performances, and producing promotional event videos and attendee testimonials. This experience has provided us insight and perspective that we want to extend to you so that you find the right video production partner to cover your next event or conference.
Association for Preservation Technology I Detroit 2022
Understand your project needs, establish production goals and determine deliverables.
With any video project, you first need to understand the purpose behind hiring a video production team and have an idea of what you need them to produce that will help you execute your marketing initiatives and drive business goals.
Before interviewing production companies, answer these questions:
What is unique about this event or conference?
Is this year a significant milestone in the event or company's history?
Are there any noteworthy speakers confirmed?
Is this year's conference location of significance?
Are there nearby attractions that you want to highlight?
Are there big brands you want to highlight to help you attract next year's sponsors?
Will there be events happening off-site that you want to document?
Can you build up your event marketing asset library to promote future events?
Is there a speaker to thank or highlight?
Do you want any aspect of the conference live-streamed and accessible to strategic partners or employees who couldn't attend the event?
Will any decision-makers expect anything posted in real-time during the conference?
UCT Conference I Nashville 2021
Bring your video production team in from the start.
Events are complex, with lots of teams involved to pull them off. Ensuring your video production team is part of the conversation early is the best way to inform them of the exciting elements of your conference and stage them where they need to be to capture the most anticipated highlights. Consider creating an event brief with previous meeting notes, the conference layout, updated run of show, event marketing materials, and specific activation areas you anticipate experiencing a lot of foot traffic.
All of this information ensures the team you hired is on the same page throughout the event, and it gives them the opportunity to add creative input as you develop a detailed shot list, schedule, and script(s) for any interviews or speeches that you want filmed. The more you solidify your vision at the start, the more likely you will end up with engaging conference videos you will be eager to publish.
Association for Preservation Technology I Detroit 2022
Video Production Companies Are Not Created Equal. Consider This Criteria.
Experience and Expertise: Look for a video production team with years of experience producing event marketing videos. Veteran videographers who have covered conferences and events are familiar with the unique challenges of capturing good footage in a busy and dynamic environment and who have the techniques required to get the best shots. Always ask to see a portfolio of work relevant to your project.
Customer Reviews and References: Video production companies that are credible and provide the experience they advertise on their website will have customer reviews that speak to their service value, professionalism, expertise, reliability, and creative aptitude. Be wary of companies with low or no customer reviews. If you are considering hiring a team without customer reviews, you should ask for a customer reference. A company worth doing business with will go the extra step to connect you with a satisfied customer, giving you a chance to get first-hand accounts of what it is like working with the company.
Equipment and Technology: Ensure that the production team has access to high-quality cameras and filming equipment for high-quality footage that looks and sounds professional. Side note: be sure to understand everything covered in the initial quote. Filming equipment is expensive, and some production companies rent their equipment as-needed, passing along the rental fees to their clients.
Post-Production: Look for a production team with experience cataloging and editing event footage. Teams that have strong organization and filing conventions means you can request specific clips and not wait days for the editors to locate them. In addition, you should ask to see samples of previously produced event highlight reels or promo videos to get a sense for their post-production style and capabilities. Good editors can be hard to come by. Make sure whoever you hire has an editor who can turn raw footage into engaging and professional event videos that leave a lasting impression.
Finding the right production team for your event or conference means avoiding the stress and headache from being pulled away from your event duties to micro-manage a crew you regret hiring. If you take the tips outlined in this post and ask the important follow-up questions when interviewing production companies, you will find a collaborative creative partner who will capture the uniqueness of your event and create event videos you can use for years to come.