Short answer: first decide whether the online audience is watching or taking part. If they’re watching, you need a livestream: good sound, clear cameras and a stable internet line. If they’re taking part, you need a hybrid event: a platform for questions and polls, a host for the online audience, and a programme that gives remote people a reason to stay. Sound matters more than picture, and a test run on the actual equipment matters most of all.
Livestream, hybrid or virtual?
| Format | What it is | Suits | Extra you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livestream | A physical event broadcast to people watching online | Town halls, launches, award nights with a wider audience | Cameras, sound feed, encoder, internet line, stream operator |
| Hybrid | In-room and online audiences both take part | Conferences, training, regional meetings | All of the above, plus an interactive platform and an online host |
| Virtual | Everyone is online | Webinars, short briefings, audiences spread across countries | A platform, a studio or good home setups, a producer |
Choosing a platform
Ask these before you choose:
- How many viewers can it handle at once, and is there a cost per viewer?
- Do viewers need to register, log in or install anything?
- Will your guests’ company IT allow it? Some organisations block certain platforms or downloads.
- Does it have the features you’ll use: Q&A, polls, chat, breakout rooms?
- Can it record, and can you share a replay afterwards?
- What attendance data do you get: who joined, for how long, what they asked?
Pick the simplest platform that does what you need. Every extra step between the invitation and the stream loses viewers.
The technical basics
- Internet. Use a wired line, not venue Wi-Fi, and have a backup connection. Test the upload speed at the venue, not only the download speed.
- Sound. Online viewers forgive a soft picture but not bad audio. Take the stream’s sound directly from the venue’s sound desk.
- Cameras. One wide shot and one close-up on the speaker covers most events. Add a camera for the audience if questions come from the floor.
- Slides. Feed them into the stream directly, rather than filming the screen.
- A separate operator. Someone whose only job is the stream, so problems are caught quickly.
- A test run. Stream privately from the venue beforehand, with the actual equipment, and watch it on a phone and a laptop.
Keeping the online audience
- An online host. Someone who welcomes online viewers, reads their questions into the room and keeps the chat moving.
- Shorter sessions. Attention drops faster on a screen. Break long sessions up, and put the most important content early.
- Take their questions. Alternate between room and online questions, and say online viewers’ names.
- Send materials ahead. Agenda, links, and anything they’ll need to follow along.
Remote speakers
Do a test call with each remote speaker on the device and in the room they’ll use. Check their microphone, lighting and connection, and have a phone number to call if their video drops. Ask for their slides in advance, so you can play them from your end if needed.
Regional audiences
If viewers are across the region, remember Singapore is on UTC+8. A 10am start in Singapore is early morning in India and late morning in Australia’s eastern states. Pick a time that works for the largest groups, and share a replay for the rest.
After the event
- Send the recording and slides to everyone who registered, including people who didn’t join.
- Look at the attendance data: when people dropped off tells you which parts to shorten next time.
- Answer questions you didn’t get to during the event.
Common questions
Is a hybrid event cheaper than an in-person one?
Usually not. You still pay for the venue and production, and you add streaming equipment, a platform and crew. What you gain is reach: people who couldn’t travel can still take part.
How long should a virtual event be?
Shorter than the in-person version. For a single session, around an hour works well. For a longer programme, add breaks every 45 to 60 minutes.
What most often goes wrong?
Sound and internet. Take audio from the sound desk, use a wired line with a backup, and test both at the venue before the day.
Planning a hybrid event?
See our live streaming and virtual events service and our event registration system, or tell us about your event.