What is webcasting and will it change the world of conferencing?

For those who are in the world of Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events ... would have at one point have heard of webcasting .... but what actually is webcasting and how does it works in the advantages or perhaps even disadvantages in M.I.C.E world.

Webcast Defined!!

A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand. Essentially, webcasting is “ broadcasting ” over the Internet.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcast

Couple of years ago, I remembered that I was following a webcast for the Mayan Summit and it was amazing for me to be able to attend virtually yet I am not required to spend my time planning on my trip as well as budget to attend this summit.

So how does this change the world of conferencing? Would Webcasting take the world by storm and eradicate our need to convene as well as loose the human interaction?

As much as I would like to believe that we live in the world of advance technology but there are still many countries that might not have accessibility to such technology to enjoy such advancement. Human interaction is still an important part of conference in my humble opinion but what does the world around says?

For me personally, conferences is a time to unite, to interact, to exchange knowledge, to mingle, to have an opinion, to have people with same interest and concerns to discuss matters that really matters either relevant to their unique society, industry, countries, regions ... you name it .... Its personal and its still relevant. On a lighter side of things, its still important and as much as webcasting and webinars are concern ... it does bring more viewers to understand and come together ... I don't think we shall see the eradication and extinction of conferences yet.

However, should any one of you would be venturing into this virtual realm of conferencing technology, Conference Technologies Inc. has come up with 5 Ways to Take Your Webcast to the Next Level!! Awesome share and referencing ....

5 Ways to Take Your Webcast to the Next Level

Not all webcasts are created equal. After more than five years of helping clients produce high-impact webcasts, we believe that, if you're ready to go beyond the webcam or the PowerPoint, there are five keys to your success:

Event management. You need a project manager or producer who takes responsibility for the webcasting event and has the support of others inside or outside your organization with certain key skills.

Content and production. You need outstanding content and the highest production values to bring that content to life.

Web development and hosting. You need a great web interface to carry your production to your audience.

Technical support. You need to make sure your audience can connect on the day of your webcast.

A good partner. Producing a spectacular webcast is especially challenging because it requires so many diverse skills. If you don't have all of these skills in house, you'll need to go out and find a partner who does.

Event management
Very likely the person in charge of your webcast will be a department head with a crucial message to deliver, whether in sales, training, recruiting or perhaps an educational discipline. That person will take charge of the content and must take responsibility for the overall success of the project.



Yet one person can't do everything. You'll need someone with IT skills, someone with video and PowerPoint production skills, and someone with marketing skills able to get the word out about the webcast to potential clients, students or staff.

Content and production
The best webcasts tell a compelling story, and to tell a good story takes time. The rule of thumb is that at least three quarters of your production time will be spent in planning, including creating scripts, interview questions or other written materials.
Think about who in your organization can do the best job in front of a camera. That may be a sales rep or a professional trainer, or you may want to bring in outside talent.
It's crucial to find the right place to stage your webcast. You may be adding webcasting to an event with a live audience, or the webcast may stand alone. Either way, you need a good-looking set in a room with a high ceiling and extra space to position lights, cameras and microphones. Think about renting a studio or setting up in an auditorium, multi-purpose room or even your warehouse.
Consider shooting some or all of a "live" event in advance. It's really hard to make a good presentation in one take. Instead, let your presenters make several tries and edit the results, then bring them back to the same set in the same clothing to react live to audience feedback you gather during the webcast.

Web development and hosting
Our experience is that most organizations should not attempt to host a webcast on their own server.


A good hosting service will provide not only the necessary bandwidth but the redundancy, security and monitoring to ensure that your event is a success. They will also be able to archive your webcast, handle registration, help you with test webcasts and provide a reporting package with a list of attendees, contact information plus a record of the questions and feedback submitted via chat or email.

Whether you outsource or not, you'll want to develop an HTML interface that seamlessly links into your current website, consistent with your brand identity and public image.
Consider online testing to help attendees pay more attention. You can use online surveys to gather feedback and interest in buying from potential clients.

Technical support
Because things can go wrong, be sure to provide telephone support, at minimum on the day of your webcast.

No matter how carefully you prepare and test your systems, some audience members will have trouble registering or connecting and need help. Your tech support people should also be ready to help you should some unexpected glitch develop.

Partners
If you don't have all of these skills in house —and few organizations do— go out and find the correct partner. A professionally-produced webcast can reach a widely-dispersed audience very cost effectively, and it can provide immediate feedback for effective follow-up with your audience. For those reasons, it can be enormously beneficial to your organization. It's well worth the investment to bring the right people in to help.

 

- See more at: http://conferencetechnologiesinc.com/webcasttips#sthash.PC3BYGkB.dpuf

Tech R' Us ....

So what is the world of conferencing is all about? Its about how in today's world that no matter how technology has evolved, convening is still an important part for many trade businesses. And whats great now is that with technology it gets even better ...

So whats so great about technology? Remember those years where phones were gigantic and looks like a backpack? Or at least like a brief case? Or when you look like an army hired? Well technology has evolved and so does conferencing ...

Everything is now in a palm of the hand ... and conferencing can be as easy as that too ... city maps ... programmes .... updates can all be down loaded into the palm of the hand ... at least to the gadgets that you are carrying ...

Technology Gadgets are also getting more affordable and accessible .... I remember those days when phones was in an actual pole ... seriously its an actual telephone on a pole .. or at least its a phone booth ... and I bet you there are still some of the younger generation that has never seen those phone booth ....  Then again I am just stereotyping ... My son generation might not even know what those are only maybe when they are in history class or some form of technology history tour of some kind ...

Hence I have set a poll just to see how many of us can live without technology ... If I were a hermit and live in the jungle where life was with my animal kingdom friends .... my answer would probably be YES I can live without technology .. but then again I need to be realistic too as I am not a hermit living in a jungle ...

So let the poll begin ...

Daily Essential for an employee in the M.I.C.E Industry

Have you ever wonder what simple every day essential gadgets that an operations team uses? In fact it is in the palm of our hand ... Its something we carry everyday ... well at least where I live ... a mobile device which is a mobile phone ....

Its everything in the palm of your hand and smart phones is a daily essential that is also used for my daily work ... All types of applications has been downloaded and I must admit that "whatsapp" has become an integral part of work ... Group chats are a norm for different department and geared with a walkie talkie ... its my life essential at work ...

Smart phones such as Samsung Note that allows the user to capture a photo such as a stage and draw as well as sent out to relevant party instantly is like a gift from heaven in the event world ... remember those days trying to explain to vendors what was wrong just by calling and require them to be on site to either re-measure or to see what other equipment or truss that needs to be brought in? Well gone are those days ... well at least minimizes it .... we are now able to send instant requirements to relevant parties or vendor on some major changes on site ...

Work has become constantly on a go ... smarter or not? Its something we need to ascertain as with the advent of smartphones ... work life has also become an express lane where every client expect an immediate response ... tough? Sure when as part of the running "MICE" its a challenge to keep all clients response in an instant mode .... The expectation is high and to manage human expectations may not be the easiest thing in the world ....

So whats your essentials at work as part of the industry? My Top 5 Essentials on event site would be as follows:

1. Smartphone; essential and can be a life line in this line
2. Walkie Talkie; essential during on site with an operations to maneuver a battalion of team members towards a successful path of an amazing event
3. Pen & Pad; essentially traditional but works the best so you wont forget a simple note from your client or organizer on some changes to be re-iterate back to the team members while your on your smartphone ... otherwise Item No. 1 would suffice
4. Laptop; essential for last minute changes that requires a re-draft of everything and anything
5. USB/Pendrive; everything has a copy and everything is often on cloud or emailed back incase of one of those moments where you realized in events world there is every reason to be extra paranoid

Share your view on this and whats your essential gadgets that its a must on site of an event ....

The 21 Essential Gadgets to Boost Conference Content Creation and Travel Productivity

As many would have known that for delegates to travel for several conferences annually can be a joy ride or a hell ride. But with the advent of today's technology and gadget there are several gadgets that is as crucial as a life jacket and I share the same thoughts from Lee Odden during his recent blog when he was in San Francisco.

The 21 essential gadgets to boost conference content creation and  travel productivity would be a delegate check list would be a helpful list which is shared from his blog.

Courtesy and Source Extracted from Lee Odden's Blog
 
One way to improve your productivity while traveling, attending conferences and creating content at events is to have the right tools. But it can be a pain in the rear to carry a lot of equipment. I’ve been “optimizing” my gear for travel and conference attendance for a while and thought I’d share.  Below is a photo of what I bring to conferences to help me get the most out of the time I spend there.

I’ll describe each item, how I use it and a link to where you can get it. (some of the links from the images are affiliate links). Clockwise starting from the bottom:

1. Incase laptop bag: As you can see I have a 13″ MacBook Pro and after trying several great laptop bags including a very fine one from Tumi, this bag is the right combination of light, useful and roomy for what I need to bring on any trip. It’s pretty basic with one large pocket in the middle with a sort of faux fur lining inside. There is one large outside pocket with a velcro closure (perfect size for a copy of Optimize) and on the other side are two more pockets for all of the accessories and gadgets you see pictured above. There is only one zipper for both pockets which is minimally inconvenient.  About $38.00 on Amazon.

2. Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter: If you own a Mac then there are a number of adapters you’ll need for compatibility with other devices. It’s a bit annoying but you get used to it.  I speak at a lot of conferences and some require you to bring your own laptop. I bring the adapter to make sure there is no issue with connecting my laptop to conference projection hardware.
Once when I gave the opening keynote at a conference, the organizer put the wrong presentation (from a USB stick) on the event laptop. I was able to connect my MacBook Air quickly with no issues because of having this adapter. About $29.00 on Apple Store.

3. Apple USB Power Adapter & Qmadix cord – A must cord if you want to charge your iPhone, iPod or iPad devices. I lost my original Apple cord and replaced it with a generic one which has little clever blue lights on it. Adapter is around $10.00 on Amazon and the dock connector to USB cable is around $19.oo on the Apple store. Those are crazy prices, just buy a generic one for $2-10 on Amazon or at the airport.

4. Apple USB Ethernet Adapter – I rarely need this since wireless is the way to go, but on occasion, the only internet access of substantial quality is wired. And that’s important when you’re on the road and need to do Skype video interviews, Google Hangouts or transfer large files quickly, like video interviews uploaded to YouTube.  About $29.00 at the Apple store.

5. Square Credit Card Reader – I never thought I’d need one of these, but when you’re an author, there are situations while at conferences where people want to buy books without waiting for delivery from Barnes & Noble or Amazon. I don’t always bring books with me to events so I’ve rarely needed it, but when I did, having it was extremely convenient for all involved. Free when you sign up for a square account. You can buy extras from the Apple store for $10 each.

6. MagSafe Power Adapter for MacBook Air – A must have if you want to keep your MacBook Air charged. About $46 on Amazon to replace.

7. Apple Magic Mouse – This is an extra mouse I carry with for travel.  The built-in trackpad has never been very convenient for me and I need every little bit of productivity gain I can get when traveling. This mouse works great plus its slim form factor works great for travel. About $69 from the Apple store.

8. Philips 3-Outlet Travel Power Strip – After buying one of these, I’ve purchased extras and given them away. It’s been getting a little better lately with airports installing more charging stations and some conferences doing the same. But overall, finding power when traveling can be a problem. That’s why a small power strip like this can be both an essential means to provide power access for multiple people and it can become a bit of a IRL social networking tool too.  I didn’t have it with me for the photo above and Amazon no longer carries them. But you can pick one up for about $7 at Drugstore.com.

9. Tumi Mesh Accessories Bag – This came with the previously mentioned Tumi laptop bag that I used to use for my older MacBook Air computers. The Tumi bag didn’t make the cut (heavier than the Incase bag). But this mesh accessories bag is essential for carrying most of the gadgets and accessories in the picture above. The’re not for sale individually, but you can find small mesh bags at Target or Amazon.

10. Samsonite WoldWide Adaptor Plug – Most of my international travel has been to Western Europe and the Asia Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong) so I haven’t needed any exotic power adapter devices. This one in particular I picked up about 5 years ago and I’ve not been able to find another just like it so I’ve included a picture of the one that’s most curent. It can be used in Australia, China, US, Europe and UK. It’s just one piece that folds out different configurations based on what country you’re in. Very handy. About $24.00 on Amazon.

11. New Trent iCarrier 12000mAh 2A&1A heavy duty Dual Port Charger – This is a very large external battery, but when you’re on the road for 12 hours without access to power, this thing is priceless. It will charge your iPhone and iPad many times. You wouldn’t carry it in your pocket but in a laptop bag, it fits fine and is quite useful. About $80.00 on Amazon.

12. USB to Mini USB Cable – This came with one of the many gadgets or devices I’ve purchased and instead of carrying 5 of them, I carry just one to use for charging several other items on this list including the Verizon Jetpack MiFi, Bluetooth lavalier microphone and others.  It works with the New Trent battery or with any laptop with a USB port. Get a generic one on Amazon for $1.00-5.00 or at a Best Buy store.

13. 13-inch MacBook Air – This is a fantastic computer, particularly for travel. It’s loaded with 2.0GHz Intel Dual-Core Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz, 8 GB of memory, 512 GB of Flash Storage, a ton of battery life and it’s both super sturdy and light. Basically, it’s like a MacBook Pro in an Air form factor. About $1700 from the Apple store. I wish that was an affiliate link, but alas it is not

14. Olloclip 3 in 1 iPhone Lens – This is the best lens I could find for enhancing the iPhone 4s camera. During my 5 hours in Paris, I captured some amazing shots because of the wide angle and the fish eye lenses. Same for my many photos of audiences before I give a presentation.  When I was last in New York, I took some great photos with the macro lens as well. It easily snaps on by pressure and stays on. The only downside is that if you use a case, this lens doesn’t fit.  I don’t use a case so it’s perfect for me. About $70 on Amazon.

15. iPhone 4S White 32 gb – Once I purchased an iPhone for my partner, I was hooked and I’ve been buying the newest model since. This one was a “meh” since Siri is a pure waste of time for me. However, I have become very efficient with email, social networking, news and photos / video with the iPhone 4s. It is the device I use most often every day. Get it at Apple Store, Best Buy, AT&T stores or Amazon. Prices vary.

16. Scosche Wireless Bluetooth Microphone for Video Recording – The video quality on the iPhone 4S is pretty great, but the microphone isn’t good at all, especially if you’re at a noisy conference. This wireless mic works like a lavalier and can be clipped on to the lapel of the person you’re interviewing while you hold the iPhone.  You can also have someone else shoot the video with the iPhone while you use the Scosche as a microphone for both you and the interviewee. I tested it up to 25 feet away and it works great.  The audio is about like what someone sounds like when they call in to a radio show. It’s not great audio, but it’s a lot better than the iPhone and gives you the option to capture video and audio in some interesting scenarios. About $62 on Amazon.

17. Verizon jetpack 4G MiFi – I used to have AT&T USB WiFi devices which worked OK when they worked. Connectivity was always an issue more than the devices. I cancelled 3 of those accounts and purchased one from Verizon using this MiFi device. Being able to share the internet connection from this one device with several of my co-workers at a conference when the conference wifi is a crapshoot, can be very useful for filing liveblog posts on time. The 4G speed with this thing has been fast enough for me to do Skype video interviews while traveling. It’s also enough to stream Netflix but watch the GB transfer.  Check the Verizon site for prices.

18. Shure Headphones – I’ve had these for a while. They fit and sond great and really have nothing to do with creating content while traveling or when you’re at a conference. But they do make it easy to “check out” on the plane when you don’t have the MUCH better noise canceling Bose Quiet Comfort 15’s with you. About $120 on Amazon.

19. Two Kingston 16 GB Data Traveler Flash Storage USB Fobs – If you’re giving presentations, you must have a USB stick or more. AV people will take them and not give them back. You will forget them in the computers too. I like these because they are one solid piece of metal with a ring on one end so you can attach them to a keychain like the kind found inside good laptop bags. About $13.00 each at Amazon.

20. Two Cuflinks – Nothing to do with creating content at conferences, but I’ll take a stab: If you bring a French cuff shirt and forget the cuff links, it looks pretty bad. Or at least incomplete and distracting. When you’re holding a camera up to your face to do a video interview with someone, the interviewee could be distracted by the fact that you’re wearing a French cuff shirt. Instead of paying attention to you or giving clever answers, they may be wondering if you forgot the cufflinks or maybe you’re making a fashion statement. Or more likely you forgot them and if you are capable of forgetting the cuff links, what else will you forget? So pack extra cufflinks to improve your video interview content.  That’s a reach I know, but I tried. All I know is, I’ve been saved numerous times by keeping a pair of cuff links in my laptop bag. $30 on Amazon and various prices at department and jewelry stores.

21. Logitech Wireless Headphones h800 – These folding headphones sound fantastic and are priceless for Skype calls when you’re on the road. The small USB receiver stores inside one of the ear pieces when not in use. It can connect wirelessly or through a USB to mini USB connection cable to your computer. The sound quality is quite good and I prefer it over my Yeti microphone for audio-only recording sessions. Here’s a video I did with Kevin Hunt of General Mills while wearing these headphones so you can hear what they sound like. About $75 on Amazon.
So, is that really it? Is this all I bring while traveling and to conferences to create content? Two things not pictured are my Sony NEX 5n camera and a small, mini charger attachment for the iPhone.  Other things come and go, but at the moment this is about all I can fit in my laptop bag!

What are some of your favorite travel gadgets and accessories? What tools make you more productive at conferences?

Whats The MICE doing in M.I.C.E?

An interesting statement to begin with .... so what is The MICE doing in M.I.C.E? The MICE is an awesome connotation to be used to term a person who uses the information technology in the Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Events industry .... It can just a regular guy and the girl next door but what is great about The MICE is about a space whereby in the MICE industry, information technology management is not only vital but the heartbeat of any events; regardless business events, social events, corporate events or just your regular public exhibition.

Its not only a realm to discuss and even debate what in and whats not and what works and what doesn't in the MICE industry .... Its a realm for all that is in relation on how information technology management has made the world convene and communicated much effectively and efficiently across borders.