Will streaming media and video producers put corporate travel agents out of business? Maybe not in the short term, but online technology is continuing to improve and will have an increasing impact on the way we communicate with key audiences.
GE Global eXchange Services (GXS), a b2b ecommerce subsidiary of General Electric, is using technology to improve business efficiency. Each year, leaders of GXS meet to review business plans and strategies for the upcoming year. The event brings together managers and leaders of the company from Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
In a move to cut travel costs and take advantage of improved streaming video technology, the company decided to hold the entire meeting online. Three full days of meetings were cut to two days, for three hours each, saving the company more than $500,000 in travel, food and lodging fees.
The objectives of the meeting remained the same - to inform and inspire company leaders - but the vehicle was dramatically different. Using streaming media, video and audio conferencing and animation, GXS developed an engaging, interactive and informative online meeting.
Since this was a radical departure from previous meetings, GXS executives benchmarked participants' attitudes before and after the conference. Pre- and post-event surveys were issued to determine the audience's "critical to quality" issues - issues that would determine the success of the event.
The challenge for the marketing communications team was to create an event that would hold participants' attention for three hours, from a range of locations and media - some viewed the session from their desktops, others were in video conference centers. We selected a Space frontier theme to unify the event and used high tempo digital music to help with the transitions and keep the energy levels high. Speakers were allowed no more than 30 minutes and all presentations were made accessible on the Web for participants following the meeting.
Visuals breaks were created and shown between presentations to convey critical information and to maintain the pace. These we short animated videos with voice-overs and music. The CEO's voice was piped over a virtual intercom and the ships control panels served as the agenda for the conference. To introduce remote speakers the ship landed at different locations. For example, to hear from a GE leader from corporate headquarters in Connecticut, the ship "flew" to Planet GE. In addition to presenters from GE locations in Maryland and Connecticut, we also "beamed in" live a speaker from Harvard University.
Keys to a successful online meeting include:
Work with all the speakers in advance to help them develop power point presentations that can be read on desktops as well as large screens in videoconference rooms. Overly detailed and cluttered slides were sent back to their authors for editing.
Show speakers examples of successful presentations and give them tips for presenting online. Ask for presentations as far in advance as possible. We asked for them one month prior to the event, to ensure consistency of message and flow of information. They generally do not fit together perfectly the first time.
We found that off-the-shelf services and solutions did not work for this type of event. If you are producing your own online meeting or hiring a proven service, you need to find a technical partner you trust. The online meeting for GXS had to accommodate desktops and videoconference centers as well as three taping locations.
The audience may be dialing in on 28K modem or cable - you need to be prepared for a full range of access speeds. We set up a test broadcast so that all participants could determine problems prior to the event. Our IT help desk made sure everyone had the proper tools and helped trouble-shoot any problems. Many Webinar technology providers offer this service.
If you plan to include multiple video locations (domestically and internationally) in the q & a period, determine up front the rotation order and inform participants before the meeting begins. During a live event with multiple locations, anything can go wrong. Trying to flip between Milan, Hong Kong and Cleveland at a moment's notice may not work. We developed a list of locations that we went to for questions at specific times in the meeting. Not all questions can be covered this way, but questions can also be emailed at anytime.
A post event survey showed that the format was extremely useful for conveying business objectives and information. Participants from Asia, as well as Europe appreciated not having to travel, loosing time from the office and their families. The only negative reaction was the lack of face time - no time to network with colleagues from other offices.
Reid Walker is managing director, global marketing communications for GE Global eXchange Services.