Converting a 2,000-person event into a 10,000-viewer virtual summit—during a pandemic.

Q  //  Q Conference 2020


Challenge

A global pandemic threatens Q's annual conference. It gathers 2,000 leaders to tackle society's most important issues, so especially during the COVID-19 crisis, Q wants to make the conference happen. Is it possible to convert an in-person gathering into a 100% virtual event that brings together 40+ speakers from around the world and reaches thousands more?

Outcome

With Velocity Productions and our crew, we built an entire stage set specifically for having virtual conversations. We fully produced the live stream, managed stage transitions, documented every conversation, and created a video recapping the event—all while maintaining the CDC's guidelines for safety and sanitation.





The Process

We started with digital sketches of our stage design concept. We made rough renderings and diagrams of the stage layout from multiple angles to help Q get a feel for the direction.



Our design used custom-built panels with diagonal indentations and colored LED strips. We gave Q several visualizations of these panels to help them understand the concept in advance.



Next, we made 3D renderings of both the stage as a whole and its individual pieces. This gave Q a clear visual for the final stage feel, lighting, and space.





We then built the set and installed it at the live stream location.





Producing a Virtual Event

During the event itself, we streamed content from 40+ speakers. Some guests tuned in virtually to present a talk, others for a one-on-one conversation, and still others for a panel discussion. We built into the stage and production a unique way to handle each of these formats.



For single speakers:





For one-on-one conversations:





For panel discussions:




No matter the speaker, the content type, the subject—we fully produced the event so thousands of viewers could hear from every guest with clarity and ease. Every speaker had unique needs—unpredictable video conferencing audio, instruments, presentations, photos, and so on.

We made sure every unique need was met so every speaker could focus on communicating and every viewer could stay engaged.



Credits

Client: Q
Agency: Braintrust Creative
Partner Agency: Velocity Productions


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