So sorting the webcast for the next company meeting has landed on your desk, don’t panic!!

Here are eight questions that should help you on your way when choosing the right supplier.

1: Have they got a quantifiable and proven successful track record?

Quickly select the top 3 candidates by checking out their website portfolio page; there is nothing wrong with hiring a start-up they can be some of the most innovative companies around but you need to know they can do the job.

Customer testimonials and reviews are also a great indication of service and past successes; don’t just rely on their website check out FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Ask: If it’s ok to contact a few recent clients for references.

2: What fail safes and backup plans do they have in place?

Things go wrong; the trick is to be prepared for when they do, any reputable supplier will be packing a backup and have multiple options if the webcast glitches. (the viewer should never know it happened)

Ask about how they deal with the encoder going down and also the internet?

3: What client support do they provide pre during and post event?

This is purely about customer service and the ability to walk and talk you through the whole process both before and after the webcast, prior to the event a good webcasting companies should 100% insist on a visit to your venue to test the internet connection for speed and firewalls. (If they don’t it’s not a good sign)

After the event it’s important that you get a full set of analytics, who watched, where and for how long. It’s also worth considering that some viewers won’t have watched live and other might want to watch again, so ask about their video on demand service.

Ask: If they do site visits prior to an event, what analytics they offer post event and watch again?

4: Is their service multi-platform, will it work?

Not one person will watch the webcast in the same way to the next so you need to ensure your chosen webcast supplier is adaptable and flexible.

You should insist on streaming in multiple bitrates from HD to mobile and also have a player that automatically determines the bandwidth and streams the correct version of your webcast. This way, your viewers will be able to watch the highest quality version of your video, without stuttering or buffering.

Ask: Can the webcast be viewed on any device, anytime, anywhere?

5: How secure is their service?

For many companies security is key, especially when dealing with confidential information, most webcast platform should have multiple security protocols and at the very least the ability to login and data capture the delegates name and email.

Ask how delegates can login securely?

6: Interactivity, can I ask a question?

Interactivity is vital for the viewer to feel engaged, a good webcast should at the very least have the ability to email a question to the panel or host. More advanced webcast could offer chat rooms, polling, voting and social media.

Ask how the viewer can interact and how this is managed?

7: Scalability can they do more?

If you’re not using an event production company you may need extra audio visual equipment for example microphones, lights, staging or a lectern.

Most webcasts fail because of poor sound it’s essential to use a professional audio solution.

Ask what else the company can offer to enhance the webcast?

8: Transparent costs?

Ensure that there are no extra charges and that all costs are fully broken down, added services that you assumed were included can quickly bump an invoice!

Ask for itemised costs, including crew, equipment and travel.

About us

Internet streaming today is perceived as incredibly complicated and expensive, we think we buck the trend as our webcasting solution is extremely cost effective and packed full of interactive features that we’ve included absolutely free.

The company EventStreaming.TV was born to offer a realistic price for event webcasting whilst still insuring the highest possible service – all our costs are transparent, video crews professional and above all we’re flexible and proactive.

We work with many high profile clients, such as Tesco, Microsoft and Siemens as well as local agencies and production companies. Our focus is always aimed at delivering a great webcast every time…

We believe in a friendly yet professional approach and a collaborative working relationship, we’ll work closely with your event organiser and AV company to ensure smooth running of your webcast.

Adrian streaming technician for EventStreaming.TV commented “As with any technology there are things that can and will go wrong, I can guarantee on a daily basis the BBC, ITV and SKY have multiple problems but their programmes still air and “we” the viewing public are blissfully unaware.

This should be the same within the webcasting community, with good account management, pre site visits and multiple backups; short of meteors colliding with satellites and spilling coffee on the encoder a webcasting companies should be able to solve any problem before and during a live webcast – the viewer will never know.”

If you’d like to discuss your latest event, webcast or project please give Adrian a call at EventStreaming.TV 01223 855669 or email hello@eventstreaming.tv

www.eventstreaming.tv

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