Our Most Frequently Asked Questions, Answered

What Do You Charge For Live Streaming?

We'd love to be able to give you that answer right here and right now. But, like most products and services, the scope of your project is going to determine the cost. Take a look at our free, 14-page Virtual Events Budget Guide. It will help you think about how much production time might be needed, your platform needs, how and where your attendees will watch the stream, and the need for pre-recording and/or studio time, etc. With those thoughts in hand, one of our Project Managers should be able to quickly determine a ballpark cost for you. Just pick up the phone and give us a call (952-224-9591), or send us an email. There's no obligation, and we'd love to help!

What is Heroic's STUDIO 15?

STUDIO 15 is our 12,000 sq. ft. fully-equipped soundstage studio and workspace, where clients can safely and comfortably pre-record and/or stream live video for their virtual event. It has professional green screen capabilities, as well as the option to use LED backgrounds utilizing our ContentCANVAS™ LED display solution. We have a wide range of COVID protocols in place to keep you, your staff, and our staff safe. It has a private entrance, lots of off-street parking, and is located just seconds off of 35W in BloomingtonQuite simply, we believe there is no space like it in the Twin Cities. We invite you to see it for yourself, either in-person or via a virtual tour. Contact Us and we’ll set up an appointment!

What Do The Terms "Hosted Streaming" and "Platform" Mean In The Virtual Event World?

“Hosted Streaming” utilizes technology and services that allow your content to be delivered to your end-users through a “pipe” that is secure, has a high-bandwidth (perfect for video!), and on a “path” that avoids - for the most part - the rest of the public internet traffic. This gives clients the best chance for lag-free live stream content, as well as higher audio/video quality.

Think of a ”Platform” as your Virtual Venue. It’s essentially a web page or website that in addition to being the place where you direct your viewers to watch your livestream, can also be the location for your virtual event registration, secure online payments, interactive content, downloads, chat, and more. All of this provides a means to actively engage your attendees within a customizable “shell” that can be designed to reflect your brand and message.

Can't I Just Use A Free Service Like Zoom?

It all depends! Zoom (and similar apps) work great for small internal meetings. But, once you need to scale up to a professional-looking event with keynote speakers, pre-recorded material and graphics, then add hundreds or thousands of viewers, you'll quickly realize that they are incapable of handling those tasks. If you were willing to spend money on your live event, you absolutely shouldn't be trying to cut corners just because you need to be virtual. Your message and your brand are at stake.

Why Use Heroic To Help Find My Virtual Speaker / Entertainer?

Kris Young, our VP Speakers & Entertainment, has tremendous experience in this area, but more importantly she knows who has successfully adjusted to the virtual world. Engagement from the stage is truly different from engagement on a screen.

Kris also has the experience to navigate and negotiate each contract to ensure all elements are covered (recording, licensing of recorded presentations or performances, force majeure, etc).

Maybe most important of all, Kris loves making connections. A fascinating conversation or a riveting, interactive performance can make a virtual event unforgettable.

Does Heroic Do Event Planning?

If you need us to, Heroic has the experience, personnel and resources to shape your event from concept to reality. That said, most of our relationships are with event planners, meeting planners, producers and agencies who use us specifically for our AV and technical expertise. Whatever your needs are, we can help you. As we like to say, “We play well with others!”

How Do I Know If My Event Needs A Technical Director?

Every event is unique, but as a rule, as the scale of an event increases it is better to have a point person that understands and oversees the whole production. If your event is relatively simple with speakers and a microphone, a tech director probably isn’t necessary. As complexity increases and you have multiple rooms (think meeting break-out rooms) and a large general-session room that gets flipped for dinner and entertainment, it’s a good idea to have a technical director who is “running the show.” It’s best to ask your production company to assess whether a Technical Director is needed.

How Do I Select The Right Venue?

Start with budget and capacity. Too many people in a small venue reduces the space required for production. Then, ask yourself, “What’s the “vibe” I’m after?” Can the venue reflect the fit and finish you’re looking for? When you’ve answered those questions, start in on the technical considerations. Are there special load-in issues? What are the labor requirements at the facility? Is there an in-house AV team that you need to work with? Is the ceiling high enough and does the room have the ability to handle rigging (ie. hanging truss for lights, drape and/or projection)? What are the sight lines? Is there enough power available? Everything is possible but cost quickly becomes a factor if the room has inherent shortcomings.

 

We ask our clients to bring us into the process as early as possible. We've worked in almost every room in town, as well as many of the popular event venues around the country, and we know the ins-and-outs of all those spaces. In the end, it's all about communication and experience.

 

By the way, we wrote a Blog on this very topic. CLICK HERE TO READ!

How Can I Keep Attendees Intrigued?

In a nutshell: compelling content, interesting lighting, clean sound, interactivity, and surprise. Consider a speaker who offers real-time engagement with the audience. Kick off your general session with a demo that you can tie in to your speaker’s topic. Offer real-time streaming from a remote site. Broadcast live twitter feeds. Most importantly, keep meetings at a reasonable length and offer plenty of breaks.

 

This blog might inspire some more ideas. CLICK HERE TO READ!

How Can I Make Breakout Meetings More Effective?

The nature of breakout meetings is such that they are typically low-budget items without much room for any kind of production wow-factor. Still, it’s an absolute minimum requirement that everyone be able to see and hear the message being delivered. The best breakouts we’ve seen have been interactive, and tie in to the general session material. Additionally, they include scenic design elements from the general session meeting, as if an extension of the GS. This allows the energy and message from the GS to carry forward into the break-out meetings.

When Does It Make Sense To Bring In An AV Partner Such As Heroic?

Always. And, the sooner the better! If you’re going to be in a room that requires amplification and/or illumination, you already know you’re going to need an AV partner. Why not involve them from the start, especially if your goal is to minimize risk and get the biggest bang for your buck? Heroic has 16 years of experience managing all the technological and logistical aspects of an event. We already have the vocabulary and we speak the language. If you’re going to choose someone, you want someone you can trust. We’d love to have the opportunity to become your trusted event partner.

 

Don't leave things up to chance. This blog has some great event planning tips. CLICK HERE TO READ!

When Should I "Travel" My AV Partner?

Your role as a meeting or event planner is to deliver a message to your client’s audience. Why would you trust that to someone you don’t know? When you need consistency, a familiar face, and a better night’s sleep, consider using your proven AV partner. Heroic Productions regularly travels around the country with several of our clients.

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