Zooming Out: A Behind the Scenes Look at MPI PHL’s “Event Design in a New World” Virtual Lunch and Learn

Preparing for MPI’s “Event Design in a New World” webinar was an exciting project. As we move from simple Zoom meetings in our bedrooms and offices to more highly produced webinars, the timelines for event production shift, with more pre-event preparation needed than for live events.

Kellie Mayrides, my co-presenter, and I arranged for two pre-event on-site meetings with our virtual production team at Synergetic to talk through the event and to walk through the space. The first on-site meeting was more like a traditional site visit, where we discussed the overall flow of the day and briefly went over the event content. Our second on-site meeting was a full-dress rehearsal the day before our webinar, where we presented the content as if it was live. When I was in middle and high school, I took acting lessons and performed in some plays – this felt exactly like that type of performance.

                          

We took safety precautions prior to being on site – our household was entirely working from home, so our touchpoints with the “outside world” were limited to weekly grocery trips only. On arrival, Synergetic conducted temperature checks, and we all wore face masks. The studio ceilings at Synergetic are high, the space was well ventilated, and there were only people on site that were essential to the production of the event. On the day of the webinar, Kellie and I were maskless for the performance, but wore masks prior to “showtime” and then resumed wearing masks after the webinar ended. We also did our best to maintain a 6’ distance from everyone at all times, and designed the set to ensure this spacing for us as presenters while “on set”.

In addition to these run-throughs, Kellie and I communicated frequently via email to go over any questions about content. We had two virtual meetings to go through the slide deck and “script” to ensure we were consistent with our timing. Our goal was to be as prepared as possible to reduce the amount of time we needed to be on site, and minimize our “in person” time to practicing solely for the production team and not to practice the content itself.

Overall, the difference between preparing for a virtual event with production values like this one, and a live event or typical Zoom meeting, is that you really do want to look at this like producing a television show. Dress rehearsals and run-throughs are vital so your AV team knows how best to follow you with their cameras and when to cut to another “scene”.

When thinking about producing your next webinar in a studio, plan to be attentive to your personal health, ensure you wash your hands frequently, and wear a mask.

View the “Event Design in a New World” presentation here