If your brand is lucky enough to have a video featured at a convention or event, you want to make the most of the opportunity. Here you have a captive audience ready to take in your message. Make sure you’re delivering an event video they actually want to watch.
Or maybe you’re the one running the event, and you need a video to get people excited about being there. No pressure, but a good video can set the tone for the whole event. So it needs to be strong.
Let’s take a closer look at some quality event videos and see what we can learn from them.
Types of Event Videos
First, it’s worth noting that event videos can be used in several different ways.
- Promo videos to get people excited about the event. When used in emails, these can boost attendance.
- Presentation videos used during the event. These might run at kickoff, closing, or anywhere in between. They can be used to set up topics, or introduce a talk or panel.
- Recap videos to get audiences excited about upcoming events. Share them via email, on your website, or on YouTube to build hype.
Whether you’re making a promo, presentation or recap video, there are a few best practices that will uplevel any event video.
Start Event Videos Strong
Make sure your message is immediately clear. Skip lengthy intros, splash screens, and set-up. Hook your audience’s attention, then jump straight to the pitch, feature, or product you’re trying to highlight. And keep it short.
In this video for Marriott, we were asked to set the theme for the event that followed. We open with some unusual imagery and a question: “Do you remember these?” Twelve seconds in, the record scratch signals a change in direction.
Your video should be engaging immediately. It shouldn’t need a disclaimer that says, “Skip to 5:40 for the good stuff.”
Aim to Invigorate and Inspire
An event video has one broad goal: to get people excited. Attendees will pick up the nuance from panels, conversations, or show booths. Right now your goal is just to set the mood.
Your video should create buzz. Buzz equals conversation, which results in ideas. And isn’t that the entire point of bringing all of these people together?
This video from the World Economic Forum does an exceptional job of pulling the audience in. It includes compelling clips, heart-pounding audio, and a clear call to action.
Your Topic May Be Dry but Your Event Video Doesn’t Have to Be
Some topics are easier to get excited about than others. For example, tech showcases are known for their flashy presentations. Fashion events are often marked by luxury experiences and an artistic flourish.
People working in industries that are a little more restrained, often fall into the habit of making dry or boring videos. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can take a complex or dry topic and make it more engaging with music, art, and animation.
Take this video our team at IdeaRocket made for the International Swaps and Derivatives Association. Financial instruments are rarely seen as entertaining, but lighthearted animation makes this video much more interesting. It delivers essential information for industry participants without putting its audience to sleep.
Include a Clear, Simple CTA
If you’re creating an event promo video, you need a clear call to action. Usually this will be something like “Register Now.”
The video below pulls audiences toward the CTA with strong music and a clean style. By the time we get to the CTA, clicking feels inevitable. Aim this for this kind of engagement in your videos.
Now you might think that a recap video doesn’t need a CTA. The truth is, it’s never too early to encourage your audience to take action. If the point of an event recap video is to get people excited about the next event, you might as well tell them how to stay engaged between now and then.
This recap video from the 2022 TNW conference captures the “Business benefit. Festival feeling” that the event is known for. It also includes a clear call to action, sharing the dates of the next conference and inviting viewers to visit their website.
Get Creative with Event Video
If you use only one piece of advice from this post, it should be this one: get creative with event video. Everyone is sick to death of talking heads and sweeping crowd shots. Get creative with animation, music, stock footage and real clips from prior events.
A compelling convention or event video starts with a great idea. Keep your video focused on the one thing you want attendees to take away from your convention and let that idea guide your introduction, music, energy, and ultimately your CTA.
Whether you need a convention explainer video, a HR video for a job fair, or a medical animation, IdeaRocket is here to help. Contact us to get started.
