CLIENT: BRITISH THORACIC ONCOLOGY GROUP
SERVICES: FILMING, STREAMING, ON-DEMAND CONTENT PRODUCTION, DIGITAL SIGNAGE
The British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG) sought a production partner to manage the technical aspects of their 3-day annual conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland. First Sight Media’s job was to ensure that those attending in-person had the best experience and could easily absorb the talks and the state-of-the-art research presented during the conference. Management was also needed in the speaker preview area on-site, where presenters who were speaking at the event were prepared for their presentations ensuring they felt confident in the technology they were using on the day.
The challenge this year was to increase attendance at the sponsored symposia as BTOG were looking for an effective way to amplify awareness and get more people to come along to the sessions than in previous years. Additionally, BTOG wanted to ensure seamless footage was captured of the 70+ sessions across the lecture theatres and meeting rooms. This could then later be used for on-demand viewing content for anyone who couldn't attend the event.
To deliver BTOG's goal of maximising the attendance for their sponsored sessions, an innovative solution was provided that would see their participant numbers soar.
A 5m x 2m LED wall was built and programmed to display the conference agenda as a handy guide for delegates to plan their day around. With a hard to miss large screen placed in the centre of the conference venue the digital signage grabbed the attention of the attendees and made the day’s programme easy to map out. Thanks to a few days of pre-programming wizardry, the information on screen was ready to be rolled out as soon as the doors to the venue opened to delegates, and then rotated every hour to keep things fresh and up to date. Information shown on the screen included details of the current talks happening and a countdown to the next sessions, and a visual guide of directions, indicating where the talks were taking place in the large venue, meaning attendees could easily navigate the conference agenda and venue. Promotional videos were also played out on screen with pre-recorded greetings from the presenters of the sponsored symposia to encourage BTOG’s membership to come along to their talks. The results were a huge success with this year’s attendance rate up by 50%.
“The digital screen First Sight Media introduced ensured our attendees were informed at all times of the agenda – it was a great focal point and had a positive impact on attendance at the sponsored symposia.”
- Dawn Mckinley, Senior Executive Officer (SEO), British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG)
Closely collaborating with the client and venue, the crew took charge of the speaker preview area. This area was used to encourage presenters to drop in and hand over their slides ahead of their sessions. From there, all the session content was prepared to ensure there were no delays to the schedule, despite the packed agenda. This put speakers at ease before taking to the lectern, having tested their presentations, and carried out any technical checks. This also allowed for a smooth, content rich viewing experience for the audience across sessions.
With 3 lecture theatres and meeting rooms for over 1000 attendees, including 700+ healthcare professionals who were joining live, footage from the 70+ lectures and panel discussions was converted into on-demand learning resources for online viewing via the conference app. To accommodate this, an innovative two-camera solution with a picture-in-picture feature on each stage was implemented. This meant online viewers could watch presenters alongside their slides, delivering a clear and informative viewing experience. Producing high-quality content that matched the in-person experience, a quick upload was then delivered to the BTOG platform, providing valuable online resources for delegates and members that would last far beyond the 3-day event. So far, BTOG members from around the world, have been able to view the content, from the USA and Spain all the way to South Korea. The “Events BTOG 2024” page also had up to 33,000 views, the highest of any webpage on their website in the last 12 months.
"First Sight Media's involvement as our technical production partner has been instrumental in delivering a professional and seamless experience for our BTOG Annual Conference attendees. They bring an extra level of professionalism to our production needs, allowing us to focus on other aspects of the event. We implemented various improvement measures from the previous year, some associated with First Sight Media, and these measures contributed to an increase to our sponsorship sessions attendance by 50%. With incredible results like this, we have complete trust in the whole team as they prove time and time again, that they deliver exactly what they promise. Their consistent quality, approachability, and open communication make them an invaluable partner to work with.”- Dawn McKinley, Senior Executive Officer (SEO), British Thoracic Oncology Group (BTOG)
As a production partner, we do so much more than bring in the tech that our customers need to produce their events. We are the idea generators who find solutions for the challenges our clients come up against.
Through meticulous planning, effective communication, and our innovative approach that truly works, we provide real added value to the events we deliver.
Need help delivering a conference or exhibition soon? Allow us to take the stress away from the technical side of things. Contact us today to find out how we can help.
