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AV & Events During a Crisis
July, 2010
By Ken Datzkiw
While crisis planning in the wake of SARS and H1N1 has no doubt added complexity to the event planners life, brainstorming through all possible crisis scenarios – think Icelandic volcano ash – and developing a plan can be the difference between success and disaster.
And although plans will differ from event to event , knowing what AV technology is on hand – either venue supplied or rented – and the technology’s capabilities will help things run smoothly should anything go wrong. Here are four standard AV systems that can be utilized when needed.
Video Conferencing
It doesn’t take much to impede travel. When something like this occurs, and the majority of the delegates have either already arrived or live in the host city, basic video conferencing can deliver the sessions to those unable to attend. In fact, many venues and corporations have video conferencing technology with the capacity to send a live feed to between one and four external locations. If, for some reason, there was a quarantine and therefore time to set up off-site locations, upgrades can be rented that allow you to easily run a 10 location multi-site videoconference, ensuring that the event still happens, and those in other cities can still take part. It’s also the most personalized way of holding what has then become a remote meeting, as it is a two way format, allowing the locations to see and hear each other.
Webcasting
A reasonably priced and easy technology, many events have a webcasting component these days. Although occasionally subject to a little freezing thanks to server and broadband issues, webcasts also offer an event the ability to carry on despite a potential crisis. Less personal than video conferencing due to its one way format, delegate interaction can still be held via an instant messaging (IM) function and it can also include voting and polling to keep viewers engaged and even allow for a real time decision making process.
Archived webcast presentations can be also made available to delegates that missed the live event and need to watch the missed sessions.
Note: Events can incorporate both videoconferencing and webcasting and maximize the reach of the event.
Digital Signage
As most digital signage systems have a crisis mode that allows the existing content to be modified at a moments’ notice, signage can be a planner’s best friend for relaying important messages. Whether it’s evacuation directions for an in-house emergency or topic specific RSS feeds for delegates concerned about happenings back home, digital signage helps keep delegates informed and confident in the meeting or event planners. Different messages can also be playing at different locations simultaneously, making the flow of information delegate specific.
Paging Systems
Tried, tested and true, paging systems have stood the test of time and are in place in most venues, because in a crisis, when changing signage, for example, might take a few moments, directions, instruction or just simply information can be given in real time, via a real person. Knowing how to access the paging system is key to any crisis plan.
Sadly, we never know when a crisis will rear its ugly head, so understanding what weapons you have in your arsenal is important. Adding AV to that line-up might just make for a winning combination.
Filed under: Features
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