Why capture an event on video? Three compelling reasons...

To some, it seems obvious: You're producing an event, you should produce a video of the event. Some folk love having a record of the event for posterity, reference, or just to 'have on hand' down the road. For those 'crazy' folks among us who have to actual 'reasons' to spend the time and money to videotape the proceedings, here are the three most common reasons we get when we ask our clients why they hired us...

Reason #1 - To promote a future event.


Events are often yearly, quarterly, monthly, or cyclical in some nature, and the forward-thinking promoter is always looking to the next event to increase attendance and sponsorship. One great tool to have when promoting an event is 'look at how great the last event was'. Yes, you can show attendance numbers, comment cards, and the like, but nothing shows off the form and function of an event like a video, which of course, has been tactfully crafted to highlight the best moments from said event. Talk to the exhibitors, talk to the attendees, talk to the sponsors, show off the sessions, and then distill that down to a slick, quick, 2-4 minute promotional piece. It's a great way to attract more attention next time from both repeat clients and new business.

Reason #2 - Generate revenue from the video.


If you're capturing snippets from an event to use for a promotional piece, it might also make sense to capture the full content of some of the featured speakers or panels. These can then be edited to include their PowerPoint (or other visual media), and formatted for Internet or DVD delivery. The finished product is worth a lot to people who either missed the event, weren't able to attend, or would like to review the material at a later date. We've had clients who charged $299 to attend an event, or $399 with a DVD package that included all the keynote addresses on video. While not everyone paid for the more expensive package, enough did to more than cover the costs of the production and thereby increased the total revenue for the show promoter. The video can also be sold after the fact on DVD, or Internet download, from an e-commerce website. Offering a $29.95 video package after the event to people who couldn't attend can be a very lucrative product, and will get your message out to a second, previously unadressed audience.

Reason #3 - Generate leads and prospects.


While many events are educational in nature, they can also be used to generate leads and prospects for your sales staff, even when the event is long past. An event video can easily be turned into an 'online webinar' on your website that is placed behind a registration page. The video is free to watch, but to access it, a prospect must 'register' by providing their name, email, phone, and other demographic information. While many visitors to your website may not feel comfortable just offering up their email address for nothing, the educational value of a webinar video is perceived as more than a fair trade for this coveted contact information, and with separate links to different videos, you can even divine exactly what a given prospect is interested in when they sign up.

Of course, there are more reasons than just these, but the great thing about video is that with just one up-front investment to capture the event, there are many ways to repurpose the content to suit your current needs now, and in the future. Content is a wonderful thing in that you only pay for it once, but it works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in a diverse and broad range of possible venues.

PrimeImage Media can help you plan, capture, edit, and distribute your event video, and help with the creation of webinar pages and registration forms for your website. We'd love to help you get the most out of your future events. Drop us a line at 480.240.9270, or visit us at www.PrimeImageMedia.com.