Better Zoom hybrid event production services – Case Study

Since 2012, we have worked to continuously improve the quality of our services. While we are very happy with our current production value, we can always learn something new. This article is a case study about the hybrid event production services we provided for a Detroit-based charity. The production went well but there are always lessons to learn – lessons that help prevent us from making the same mistake twice – and producing better hybrid event production services.

Zoom Video Conferencing Technical Support with Breakout Rooms

We were contacted by a nonprofit to provide hybrid conference production / audio-visual services for the 4th Annual Men’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Summit. Hybrid events are events that have in-person guests and virtual guests who join over the internet through software programs such as Zoom, Hopin, or Google Meet.

We were happy to help this nonprofit serve the substance abuse prevention and mental health care community. Our team provided Zoom Video Conferencing technical support with breakout rooms, PA audio systems, and video projectors for two conference rooms. Held at a historical church in Detroit, this 5 hour event included Acupuncture, Mental Health First Aid Training, Suicide Prevention Training, PSA Screening, and Haircuts. The guests enjoyed a wonderful free breakfast and lunch.

We ran into technical challenges when some of the guest speakers arrived during the live event and asked if we would run their PowerPoint slides. Moving away from the Zoom screen to open thumb drives or email causes disruption. Running slides for an event is never an issue when we receive them before the event starts. The glitches were worked out and the production was awesome.

Our takeaways: It is very important to receive all presentation materials prior to going live for a hybrid event. Event organizers are very busy but we will commit to having better communication with them. And, our cameras and audio system does an amazing job of broadcasting high-quality audio and video to the online Zoom guests.

It is our job to consult the client and make their job easier. We can’t assume that everyone is experienced in planning hybrid events. A little extra time can make a big difference.