Baptist Union 4-Day Hybrid Event

May 16th, 2021

Overview

Event Type: Hybrid

Workflow: In-Studio for on-site / MS Teams for remote > vMix > YouTube

In the making: Over 5 months planning

Date of event: 13.05.21 > 16.05.21

Duration: A variety of different session structures over 4 days

Company: Baptist Union of Great Britain

Speakers: Multiple 

Attendees: 35,000+

Client Review

“We could not fault London Filmed throughout our online “Assembly” (conference). They coached us throughout the preparation, took time to understand what we wanted to achieve, and were excellent on the technical production, including attention to detail on the studio set-up. Thank you”

The Project

The future of events is hybrid, and hybrid events require robust plans and technical input from the outset.

As a post-pandemic world comes into view, physical events are set to have a shakeup of their own, taking on elements of virtual events, creating an altogether new experience that connects global audiences.

This was the case for the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BU) for their 4-day Baptist Assembly hosted from their office in Didcot, Oxfordshire. BU has over 1,800 member churches and 13 regional Associations across England and Wales and was joined by BMS World Mission with their global scope for this event.

The event was over 5 months in the making, demonstrating the work that needs to be done in order to execute a successful hybrid event of this scale! 

“For anyone planning a hybrid event, it is 100% essential to carry out a robust site visit with the technical and events team.”
Tom Mahon, Co-Founder London Filmed

Challenges

• This was BU’s first hybrid event, so we helped guide them throughout the process.
• Identifying the right space for the event with a complex array of sessions
• Various session types over the 4 days – workshops, prayer sessions, fireside talks, an AGM, etc. creating a busy event schedule, which required an extra level of project management
• A mixture of pre-recorded content, live speakers in-studio, and live remote speakers needed to be managed through the event
• A global audience meant time zones had to be fully considered to ensure a seamless experience wherever the attendee was based
• Inclusivity was an important consideration both in platform and delivery, particular consideration for British Sign Language users
• The safe management of people in and out of the venue/rooms in a COVID safe manner
• A particular emphasis on project management leading up to the event given the numerous stakeholders involved and the complexity of the event delivery

Solutions

• External project management tools to allow open communication between parties, tech briefings with all speakers, script reviews and full event tech rehearsals agreed on verbal cues for content and speaker transitions.
• A dedicated team of 6 made up of a Project Manager, Graphic Designer and Live Stream Engineer (x2), Production Lead and Assistant Producer
• A site recce early on in the process allowed us to work with the BU, BMS, and internal tech team to build out a pop-up studio with lights, cameras, backdrop, sound, and internet (managing internal firewalls and ethernet port access)
• Custom design work following brand guidelines to create digital assets and also facilitated custom virtual backgrounds
• Ability to host both pre-recorded and live material through the platform of choice: YouTube
• Interpreters were used throughout the event
• A full walkthrough of the event in advance of the live event

Result

London Filmed delivered a slick, hybrid event solution with a broadcast feel that personified the BU brand. We reached a much larger audience than BU typically entices with over 37,300 views over the course of 4 days and received positive attendee feedback such as this attendee who tuned in from Vienna: 

“First off I wanted to say a belated congratulations on a job well done at the Baptist Assembly. I was able to join in for most of it (mostly to be up-to-date on BMS things) and was blown away. I think it was probably the most seamless and well-done live/pre-recorded/interactive online offering I have seen to date. And you really could feel a spirit of togetherness through it, and that’s coming from an outsider! Well done to you all!”