Accessible Hybrid Event with BSL Interpreters

The project

We were enlisted by our client Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) to produce their annual flagship event. BUGB wanted to unite their global members, bringing them together to showcase the achievements of their churches over the last year, and discuss the challenges and opportunities they face.

BUGB opted for a hybrid model, embracing the modern event landscape and using tech to blend the in-person and virtual event experiences.

As their hybrid event producers, we live streamed the content from the in-person event to YouTube, which was also broadcast to satellite in-person events held at churches across the country.

The BBC ran a feature on the event for Songs of Praise, which we provided footage for and which required live lyrics on-screen and British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for both the in-person and online audiences.

Challenges & solutions

• Accessibility was important and was integral to the live stream project build – We had live BSL interpreters at the event, which we built into the live stream using green screen technology. We also had a live camera feed at the front of the stage of the BSL interpreter signing for the in-person audience.
• Organising and building such a large, complex project – There was a huge number and variation of inputs for this event build, including PowerPoint, audio, and video. With the robust agenda we created with BUGB, we were able to create contingency strategies for a range of scenarios so both parties felt confident that we could meet any required live adjustments to the stream. A rigid event structure is absolutely key when working with this many speakers and dependencies.
• Consistent accessibility and viewability – Next time. we’d suggest a site visit to each of the satellite events to ensure that the churches were optimally set up for the live stream and to enhance accessibility and viewability for overall engagement.

Result

“After working with BUGB last year, it was an honor to guide them on this hybrid event. It was really exciting to see Baptist shift with the event landscape and incorporate a hybrid model into their flagship event. BUGB have a really hands-on approach and are not afraid to get stuck into a project, helping us to create an iron-clad event build. We’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Baptist events with their appetite to push boundaries and with the ever-changing event media landscape.”

– Dominic Coombes, Project Manager