Hop On The (video) Bandwagon

Google’s announcement that it plans to build high-speed broadband networks that will reach never-before-seen speeds confirms the importance of online video: Now’s the time to hop on the bandwagon.

Association leaders, convention mangers and meeting planners have wet their feet with video production by showing clips during awards dinners and highlights during closing events. . Now they should be firmly establishing their organization’s video presence on the web with news highlights, features and video profiles. Here’s why. ·

Video works. It moves people on an emotional level. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. At a recent annual meeting, a video focusing on value of face-to-face events had one viewer in tears after seeing the camaraderie of familiar faces. I’ve seen the jaws drop when members see video of a spectacular networking event or witnessed the sharp banter during leadership panels.

· Message control. Event industry professionals have long been at the mercy of trade publications or outside media outlets. By producing your own video, you shape the message and ensure the video is hitting the right notes.

· Direct the distribution. By having your own video on your website, Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel, you directly control timing and distribution. Videos can be emailed to association members or sponsors in sync with other marketing efforts.

· Easier than ever. In the early days of online video, people had to install special programs and wait for downloads. No more. Web browsers now work with video players in a seamless way. No special steps are required.

With Hulu, Netflix and other content-providing sites, online video’s acceptance among the masses is rapidly growing. Broadband providers, such as your cable company, have already made watching video on web possible. Google’s latest move (and those surely to come by competitors) acts as a signal that video on the web will be technically easier, more accessible and better than ever.

Why not capitalize on progress made so far? Some organizations are doing just that. Check out video coverage from the Helicopter Association International's annual convention produced for Aviation International News. www.AINtv.com

Will your organization be next?

"Live from Heli-Expo..."

I’m in Houston covering Helicopter Association International’s Heli-Expo 2010 for Aviation International News, or AIN. (Imagine a convention center full of helicopters and pilots!)

AIN is the premiere trade publication that has been publishing print show dailies for thirty years. The organization is now committed to the future by adding a video element. We produce AINtv – news headlines from air shows around the world.

The videos are posted on www.AINtv.com and emailed to their readers—adding a whole new dimension to their coverage.

The advertisers seem to like it as well. Eurocopter is the sponsor of AINtv here at Heli-Expo and their commercials are embedded into the news headline segments. When the videos are emailed to the entire AIN database— Eurocopter can deliver their message far beyond the number of people who walk by their booth.

It’s something that I believe all associations and trade publications should be considering. Video is greener than print, and more immediate. The videos can be posted within hours of the event—instead of having to be sent to a printer overnight.

The creation of AINtv has positioned Aviation International News as a leader in the aviation industry. Who will be the leader in your industry??

Hiring Great Videographers

Videographers are the unsung heros in local news. You can probably name the main anchors in your city and you would probably recognize the reporters, but most people don't know the videographers by name. They are vital to news, and vital to production of any kind.

With that in mind, I believe it's important to hire the right videographer to cover your events. I teamed up with my business partner, Marcelo Zolessi, to come up with this list. Marcelo shot video for FOX and Univision for years, and knows how to pick the good ones.

Without further ado, here are six ways you know you hired a great videographer.

1. They Get The Key Shots. It sounds obvious, but it's vital. Great videographers talk with the person writing the story ahead of time, so they know what shots they need. If the writer is going to say there was “standing room only” duing an important session—the videographer will have shots of people standing in the back. Great videographers edit in their minds as they shoot. They don’t have to trudge through hours of tape to cover a story that only lasts a minute.

2. They Capture Natural Sound. Great videographers know how important it is to have natural sound of an event. It's not just about the interviews and the pictures, but it's about capturing the sound that is "naturally" happening in the background. Natural sound takes the viewer to the location, and helps tell the story.

3. They Dress Appropriately. Let’s face it, videographers are like artists, and some dress that way: Ripped jeans, t-shirts, “creative” outfits. That might work if they’re shooting a concert, but not for conventions and tradeshows. These events are often the most important week for an association, and your videographers are representing your organization. If your videographer shows up looking a like he/she just got off tour with Metallica, it doesn’t send the right signal to attendees. You know you hired the right videographer when he blends into the crowd but happens to be carrying a camera.

4. They Are Self-Contained. A great videographer has everything they need with them. They shouldn’t have to “run back to the truck” because they forgot some piece of gear. They should be ready to go with mics, batteries, tapes, you name it. An excellent videographer will also have everything they need to troubleshoot like rain gear, extra batteries and duck tape.

5. They Work as Long As It Takes To Get The Job Done. Some videographers turn on the overtime clock as soon as they hit eight hours. While it’s important to establish the general working hours ahead of time, great videographers work until the job is done. That means more than an eight-hour day in the convention industry, and it means not asking when they’ll get a break. While everyone deserves a good meal, great videographers will fit it in when it’s appropriate. They won’t expect to take a lunch break during a keynote speech or an important education session.

6. They Have A Great Demo Reel. Always ask to see a demo, and specify that you would like to see something the videographer actually shot. That may sound strange, but its common for a novice to show you something they edited but did not shoot. The reality is that quality shots are much easier to edit together than to capture. It’s worth asking if they shot the video on their demo.

Great Stories Have Focus

When I worked in the newsroom, the reporters couldn’t leave the building until they told the news director their story in three words. It’s actually more difficult than it sounds, but the exercise gave the story a specific focus. The three words gave the reporter and videographer direction, and often determined who they would interview. It's another trick we learned from The Poynter Institute and the same exercise can help all of us focus when we write blogs, articles, and speeches.

Want to give it a try? Let’s use Tiger Woods as an example. The three words could be: Golfer Cheats on Wife (Ok, that’s four words, but the little ones don’t count) Isn’t the story REALLY something more like: Tiger Shocks Fans? The story is interesting because it’s about Tiger, and how completely surprising the revelations were.

Here’s another one. Imagine the story of a house fire. The three words could be: House Burns Down. But the story is more powerful if the story is focused like this: Family Left Homeless. Suddenly, the story is about people who lost everything, not just the flames that consumed the home.

The focus may determine who you interview. If the three words are House Burns Down, the writer may need to talk to firefighters about the cause of the fire, and extent of the damage. But if the focus is Family Left Homeless, they will no doubt seek out the family and interview them about their devastating loss, and how people can help. See the difference?

You can do the same with speeches or presentations. Try to describe the story in three words before you begin, and refer back to them to make sure you’re staying focused. It’s better for your audience to walk away with one solid point, than to walk away wonder what the point really was.

Three words help us focus. They determine who the story is really about, and why we care.

So… until next time: Focus Your Stories.