You can now watch recordings of the three Blockbusters and all individual sessions from PLAY 2016 held in Boston. For our foreign language speakers, we have implemented subtitles in Korean, French, Spanish and German for all three Blockbusters sponsored by DotSub. In addition, you will note interactive video powered by our partner HapYak. Enjoy!
Since the inception of the PLAY conference in 2011, the PLAY team has offered live streaming of the Blockbusters and, after the event, provided the on-demand assets to our customers, prospects, partners and analysts. Over the years, thanks in large part to hardware and software improvements, this has has become easier. This year, we used Brightcove Gallery, specifically the Live Gallery module, to offer these services.
Here’s how our corporate marketing team did it. (That’s right – no technical expertise required).
Step 1 – Setting up the site
We started by setting up the three templates that actually make up the Live Gallery module. You need to set up the pre-, live, and post-event pages. A marketer configured the countdown timer, added our logo and colors, and enabled the Twitter feed. Easy peasy!
Step 2 – Streaming live
Before the big event, we sent two emails promoting the live stream to customers we knew wouldn't be at PLAY 2016. We sent the first email five days before the event and one the morning of. We found that sending two emails, while not overwhelming, creates a good reminder for people to bookmark the event page.
Our video production team, which was responsible for the actual live stream, tested it several days ahead of the event. We used our own Brightcove support staff to ensure that our configurations were all correct. The morning of the live stream, we ran one final test and then the show started. If you watched our live stream, it provided a great experience on desktop or other devices. You likely noticed the event’s live Twitter feed and the opportunity to be on the mailing list for next year’s event. You did that, right?
Step 3 – Post event
Now that PLAY 2016 is over, we are all a little bummed. Like all digital marketers, we want provide value to our customers on the day of the event and carry the momentum forward by allowing people who were not present for the show or were unable to watch the live stream with valuable event content. We hired a production firm, which recorded all the sessions for us and then edited in the presentations, if applicable. Our video production team worked with HapYak to implement some interactivity for the three Blockbusters. Watch them! You will see how much additional content you can drive to when using interactivity. Our global team worked with DotSub, who sponsored the subtitles for the event. Now, our customers who speak Spanish, German, French and Korean can watch the three most important sessions of the event and learn something about Brightcove’s roadmap and thought leadership.
Finally, to promote the post-event page, we sent one final email to all of our customers and prospects. However, what is clear is that you can add value to your event that goes beyond the live stream. Live events and conference are expensive, and we need to stretch our marketing budgets. Your show does not need to be over on the last day of the event (Just ask SXSW).
Interested in attending PLAY 2017? Shoot us an email.