How To Reorganize Canceled Conferences Due To Coronavirus With Live Streaming

The coronavirus, formally known as Covid-19, has been making its presence known across the world. And with a high risk of coronavirus transmission among people, various organizations decided to cancel or postpone events to avoid massive infections.

Canceled Conferences and Major Events

From international conferences to local town parties, every gathering has become a potential cluster of infection for Covid-19 around the world. Major sporting events, concerts, cultural celebrations, and conferences have all been postponed or canceled in light of the recent health threat.

What many people don’t know is that cancellations entail a significant financial loss for organizers and participants. Everyone’s scrambling for any idea on how to still continue with activities even with the coronavirus threat hanging in the air.

Even a conference about the different kinds of coronaviruses, which was supposed to be held in May in the Netherlands, was postponed to 2021.

Other conferences affected by the coronavirus epidemic include:

• SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas – canceled
• New York International Auto Show – postponed to August
• Google’s I/O Event in Palo Alto, California – canceled
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s global conference – canceled

Aside from international gatherings, a lot of classes in universities and schools have also been canceled for disinfection.

More and more people have also been talking about coronavirus in social media, sharing news, concerns, and more.

Science made simple interviews Dr Richard Stanton, a viral immunologist from Cardiff University.

An Alternative Solution – Without the Risk of Coronavirus Infection

Canceling massive conferences and various gatherings will cost organizations and participants a lot of money. That’s why they’ve been looking for other ways to mitigate the problem the coronavirus imposed.

Not being able to meet face-to-face for conferences, classes, and other canceled events doesn’t mean you should lose hope in this situation. With the help of technology and the internet, you can still organize your conferences — even while practicing social distancing!

One of the simplest ways to still be able to continue on with conferences without putting participants at risk is to organize a live streaming event instead.

The Benefits of Live Streaming Conferences

Organizing a live streaming conference may sound daunting, but it’s actually easier than working on an actual face-to-face event.

For one thing, you don’t have to worry about preparing for a venue and other logistics. After all, your host,  speakers, guests, and viewers won’t have to travel. They can join the conference right in the comforts of their own homes.

Organizers and participants may even save money since they won’t have to pay for plane tickets, accommodation, and meals.

Live streaming has been steadily gaining popularity in recent years. More and more people have opted to follow events through the computer screen instead of physically being there. It also helps groups improve their engagement and widen their reach on a more global capacity.

With the latest health issue, live streaming is advantageous to avoid the risk of Covid-19 infections.

How to Organize a Live Streaming Conference

What to Prepare

To start a live streaming conference, you’ll need to prepare the following:

• A strong and stable internet connection for the host and guests
• The conference’s agenda lined up and ready
• A computer or laptop
• A team of assistants with a few assigned to monitor and help with the broadcast
• A Facebook group or YouTube account that participants can access
• An external camera (optional)
• An external microphone (optional)
• A headphone (optional)
• Additional lighting (optional)

What to Do Before the Conference

Like any other event, you need to have a checklist of what you should do before going live. Much more so if you’re planning a conference with multiple guests and participants.

Here’s a checklist of what you should complete prior to the promised conference date.

Confirm Hosts and Guests

A conference cannot be possible without a host or guest. Secure each their participation to the live con as early as possible. If the panel isn’t familiar with live streaming, make sure to set aside time to teach them how to join the live stream without a problem.

Fortunately, BeLive only needs a short learning curve for users to be able to use it properly thanks to its user-friendly setup. You also don’t need to download complex software that will put off not too tech-savvy individuals.

Make Sure All Equipment Work Properly

Ensure every equipment you need is in good working order such as computers, the internet, cameras, microphones, lighting, etc.

Do a Test Run

If your hosts and guests are up for it, do a test run for your live conference. This is an important step to understand the flow of the conference and be able to troubleshoot where needed.

Set Up Plan B

A lot can go wrong during a live con such as an interviewee not showing up or some technical difficulties. Identify possible problems and prepare a solution for those to glitches during the actual conference.

Need a great example of a successful live conference? Watch Day 1 of the BeLive Livecon held last October 14, 2019 below!

Like other new experiences, organizing a live conference for the first time may keep you on your toes. Fortunately, many other organizations have done it before. In fact, BeLive has been organizing shows like this for three years now to much success!

Check out BeLive’s three-day LiveCon in 2019 below:

• LiveCon 2019 Summary: Be CONfident!
• LiveCon 2019: Be CONfident Explores LiveStreaming Opportunities for Growing Your Community
• LiveCon 2019 Day 2: Be CONnected and Increase Your Reach
• LiveCon 2019 Day 2: Be CONnected and Build Relationships
• LiveCon 2019 Day 3: Consistency Increases Your Engagement
• LiveCon 2019 Day 3 Be CONsistent with Your Steady Stream of Content

Do you think live streaming will help conferences push through despite being affected by the coronavirus? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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