The industry trend that has come after Covid19 is streaming broadcasting. Streaming existed before Corona, but it is not as active as it is normal today. There is a platform that helps stream streaming called webinars (seminars on the Internet), and Zoom and YouTube are popular in Korea.

Webinar strengths

Last fall, I hosted a three-day festival through streaming. I experienced the benefits of Zoom in that I could broadcast the faces of the participants live through mobile phone and PC. During the rehearsal for the performance, I asked the Zoom participants to turn on video and audio, and I was able to communicate with the choirs on stage. Because the schedule between rehearsal and live on-air was different, it is necessary to organize the schedule. So, I decided to send a link URL in advance and distinguish the time between waiting and performance. Zoom was very useful in that I could do both pre-rehearsals and performances on the day of the event.

And on the day of the event, it was broadcast live on YouTube. At this time, the transmission method was fixed to YouTube, and the choir performance was directed by Zoom, but the strengths of each app were different. YouTube was useful in that anyone can watch it without turning on the video and voice, the free comment function, and even those who missed the streaming time can freely watch the contents without any restrictions on time and place as long as they have the URL address.

Global scalability

Therefore, the scalability of streaming broadcasting cannot be neglected. The webinar, which can be used by anyone in the world, is not restricted to Korea and can be viewed by people all over the world, and international events are a good example of that. Last time, there were streaming broadcasts in 3 countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, and Korea. And I have experienced that I could communicate with anyone in the world with an URL address, although it is difficult to get to the local area by flight. Through pre-rehearsals, I was able to meet dozens of foreign friends. It was an event called the Youth Leadership Contest. The pre-announcement video was to be prepared by recording, but the recording was cut off in the middle due to the local internet condition. In this case, especially when connected via Wi-Fi, the stability is poor. I asked a local participant to connect by wire, and I was able to start recording again. It was also a problem with the resolution of the local camera. There was a problem in using the presentation video because the appropriate resolution did not come out. I checked how many cameras were at the site and tried to record while switching cameras, but fortunately, we were able to compensate to some extent. There were mistakes like NG, but the participants followed diligently, so the pre-video recording went smoothly.

Pin lock function (zoom)

The problem was the day of the event. When interviewing Zoom participants, we had to decide the order, and the key was who’s face to send on the screen. Because it was difficult to memorize the names of dozens of participants. We immediately discussed and decided to put a number in front of the participant’s name. For example, if my name is Tylor Kim and it is the first order of the interview, I have decided to write the number 1 Tylor Kim. Since the language used at international events is English, it was necessary to determine the number when presenting, asking questions, interviewing, and selecting the winners. This is because the viewer had to see the face of the presenter, and the director needed to fix the face of the main character on the screen. This is called a pin function, and to fix a screen, you had to know the name along with the order.

The importance of technology

The quality of the event depends on how well you know the webinar function. One time, I was asked to attend to see how many Zoom participants were present. There are times when you need to know not only the number of people but also what time the person entered and left. In addition, preparing the participant’s name, screen composition, and background color will be helpful for post-event management. Zoom also has a recording function, so it can be recorded as long as the participants allow it, and it has a chat function that allows you to send a message to everyone or a specific person. On the other hand, YouTube’s chat function is a comment, but it is easier to expose than Zoom, so if you see a malicious comment, you need a role to block malicious comments. Since this blurs the overall mood of the event, the director must understand each function to prevent the event from deteriorating. The key is to maximize the effectiveness of webinars if they are properly used.

technical limitations

Streaming broadcasting is a technology that emerged as an alternative to overcome difficulties that people who need communication cannot meet face-to-face. But there is a little dilemma. It’s hard to welcome a generation that can’t handle streaming apps. However, there is no way to replace webinars in the general situation of Covid like these days. Recently, metaverse, an app that allows you to create your avatar and participate in events is popular, and the MZ generation in Korea is enjoying it well. Gather Town, composed of 2D, is an app that communicates with people by entering an inviting space with an avatar. It is still easier to use a PC than a mobile, but it is being tried at university entrance ceremonies and graduation ceremonies. It has the advantage of being able to see faces, chat, and gather with the same interests in the metaverse space. It can be compared to the feeling of playing games such as Galaga or Bubbles Bubbles that you saw in an arcade in the 1990s. RPG games are in vogue these days, and I am looking forward to a 3D metaverse in which participants can take on the roles of warriors, archers, and masters in the game, but there are still technical limitations. In the case of the domestic metaverse app ZEPETO, it is still difficult to exceed 20 simultaneous users, and in the case of Oculus made by Facebook, it is difficult to access more than four people in virtual reality while wearing a Gear. Even if you want to hold a small event with 100 people participating, the cost of one Oculus device is about 400 USD, so the physical purchase cost alone exceeds 40,000 USD. It is difficult to directly participate in the metaverse right now, but as in the past, if you look at the cases where the speed of the Internet has reached 5G, it will not belong to communicate with the metaverse soon.

A lot of people want the coronavirus to end, but we don’t know the future. The reality is that as an event planner, we cannot wait for participants to smoothly gather face-to-face. Although it is non-face-to-face, it seems that it is the wisdom to enhance the dignity of the event to use streaming broadcasting that can feel human and can communicate easily like a lubricant.