You should’t have to do too much work to share an in-person meeting with people who can’t make it to the actual room where your team is gathering.
You’ll need to focus on the main tools needed to share a two-way audio and video connection, and then consider how presented materials will be shown on either side. Here are the main tools we use at StartWell – included with rental in every room booked for meetings and events:
- Video conferencing camera – this will show remote guests what is happening in the room. We generally use units that offer up to 180 degree field of vision with a remote that can control the pan, tilt and zoom of the camera – so that someone sitting in the room can move the camera without getting up from their seat, adjusting the frame for specific people around a conference table when they speak, for example.
- Speakerphone – higher quality video conferencing cameras will have this feature built-in, you’re ideally looking for a mic and a speaker in the same unit and the ability for it to manage audio so that you don’t get feedback etc for remote participants.
- Microphone – an upgrade to the in-built mic on a speakerphone would entail using a dedicated microphone. The easiest option is to use a USB powered mic with variable pickup patterns, like a Blue Yeti mic – which can give you 360 degrees of pickup; put it in the middle of the room and your whole conference table will get picked up for remote guests with clarity.
- Presentation screens – most video conferencing software will be able to let you present slides and other documents within it – so the screen in the room should look the same as for your remote guests, that would ensure everyone sees the same thing and that everyone can present to each other.
- Computer – most modern computers should be able to run all of these devices at the same time. You’ll want something powerful enough and set to silent mode so that there are no lags in video or audio or disruptions whilst running a video conference.
When running meetings and events at StartWell we also offer the option to create custom video conferences, which can turn your meeting into a show instantly.
Our in-house media production team can setup amazing experiences for remote participants that include:
- Upgraded cameras & broadcast switching; we use professional cinematic cameras with different lenses and can connect multiple cameras on each call, a producer will switch the camera angles during your session for you – giving your guests amazing clarity when viewing presenters’ faces as well as perspectives on the room which a single USB camera can’t provide.
- Unique mic setups; from table-top (boundary) mics that don’t need stands or to be worn – to lavalier mics and headsets for ultimate clarity, we have a ton of options. The clearer the audio the easier it is for your remote guests to hear what is being said, something invaluable when broadcasting to large audiences or even recording your session for sharing afterwards.
- Custom lighting; We’ll make sure that presenters look amazing with unique lighting setups that are non-obtrusive.
- Stream production: To turn your video conference into an engaging show, we can use overlay graphics, lower-third and title screens, handle bringing in remote guests on screen and much more. This way you don’t need to handle running the video conference yourself and can leave the tech side of things to our team.
