Pre-recorded vs Live sessions - what works best?

So let's talk about some controversial aspect or controversial issue when we're talking about live and it being really live. When we've seen throughout all the discussions in all the various different groups within the virtual event. Everyone says it's better to have pre recorded sessions because. Because prerecorded sessions allow you to plan it, to fit it in. There might be various ways, but generally I'm overly generalizing. People would say the more you can have prerecorded, the better, the more predictable, the better you can plan. What is your view about in a live environment, how much of it could be should be pre recorded versus really live?

Okay, look, it's a really good question and people feel differently about it. I know that there's a couple of clients watching today who we've had long conversations about what proportion to have pre recorded. So we're all in a new world, right? And we liked it with live events because we knew how it worked. And every speaker knows how to walk into the QE2 center and get a coffee and get mic'd up. And so, you know, there isn't the training issue, there isn't the kind of tech issue, there isn't the tech hesitancy issue for people on a new platform. And so there are absolutely times when I think pre records really help. You know, if you've got a really mega keynote who can't make the time, or they're a really mega person, but you know, they're in South America and it's 4 o' clock in the morning and they don't want to get up. Although I have had people in other time zones get up really early to be on events. So I think, you know, somebody who can't make the time, somebody who when you do the tech check. Because of course I don't have to tell people here we're tech checking all the kind of 200 speakers on every event. When we do the tech check, if it transpires that even when we get them, you know, a dongle and a headset actually the tech just isn't substantial enough for it to work on a live event, then we might do a pre record, but they can pre record offline. But actually what's interesting about our pre records is that, you know, we're not always doing a pre record that looks like a zoom. So we might do that, but we also might send people into a studio. So people might pre record in the studio, then we'll lightly edit it, you know, and within that studio we'll have at least two and with any luck, three camera angles so that we can really create something quite vibrant and energetic. So different kinds of pre records and different elements of pre record quality. You know, we might do a whole TV edit top in, tail it with the branding or we might put in some different images or creative. So there are times when you need to pre record. I had a client come to me about six weeks ago and they said, look, we've got a six stream event and five streams of it are going to be pre recorded from our archive. And what's brilliant about digital events, of course for all of us, is that we are all creating phenomenal content that we can repurpose brilliantly. So we're going to have five streams of our prerecorded content from all the assets that we've created and we're going to do one stream of live and we'd love you to produce it. And I'm like that's brilliant because that's what we love doing. And they say to me, so we'd like to pre record it all three months before the event. And I'm like, how are we going to differentiate that from the pre recorded five streams of the pre existing material? And so we're all new to this, right? We all knew how it worked with live events, but actually we are all feeling our ways for what it means for digital. And so it's a really big question. I have one client who loves the quality of the prerecord and I see many people who say let's do a pre recorded session followed by a Q and a, a live Q and A. And I think that can work broadly speaking and I don't think it's useful to have rules in this field but broadly speaking I'd look for a maximum 20 to 30% pre record but there are times when that isn't right. But I'm very nervous of everything being pre recorded, not least, I mean I said to this client, what happens if something, if we bring in 100 people and we pre record all this stuff on the 1st of July and then on the 6th of July something enormous happens in the union of conference organizers. And like nothing we've none of that content is relevant to the real world. So like everything, it's a balance. But I see people not wanting to take the risk. And what I would say is work with professionals who know how to manage the risk. Because what you will get is a really energetic, engaging live event.

Because I think the key aspect is bringing that presence. It's kind of like and I think, where the community comes alive. And then if we involve the elements of online communities, however they existed. So generally within a community, there's someone that is helping moderate the discussion. So someone pre event or pre live event, someone is moderating the discussions. Probably there's the big leader of the organization who has a very special presence as well, and a lot of gravitas within the community. And while you might have your aspects on pre recorded, the key element what is going to bring that community alive is having seen these people, you know, live saying hello to everyone, being able to see, okay, I saw Rupert, I saw Charlie, I can see Sarah there, I can see Amanda. How you doing? You know, it was great sending to you yesterday. So that's kind of little elements where you can bring it immediately.