Simon Walton, Creative Director at Silverstream TV talks about the benefits of integrating a live TV experience into events

In the past the most important thing at an exhibition was the exhibitor.  Visitors would flock to see the latest innovations, products and services. But that’s not enough anymore. Today’s visitor needs more to tempt them in and organisers now need to lay on compelling content. The marketing around a show shouts about the keynote speakers, the distinguished panel and thought-leading workshops. 

But now there’s a service that puts the exhibitor back at the front of the queue. We call it Event TV, where we transform an exhibition into a Live TV show.  We broadcast the live pictures on big screens, creating a buzz around the venue and streaming them live to the event’s website. 
We use professional presenters and the kind of radio-linked cameras you see at the side of Premier League football matches. It’s amazing to see the exhibitor’s reaction when they show the presenter around their stand and hear their voice echoing round the venue. 

We recently worked alongside Showlite on PPMA – the processing and packaging machine exhibition. We created PPMA TV - a live channel of information broadcast live by two film crew.  It was produced via our outside broadcast truck alongside the main networking area, with a giant 15 square metre screen hung from the roof overhead. There was also a network of smaller screens all over the NEC.  

The two presenters captured the latest in processing & packaging innovation, which was then broadcast live to the show’s website.  The interviews were then posted on PPMA’s YouTube channel so that exhibitors could use them in their marketing long after the show was over.
The feedback from exhibitors who’ve featured on Event TV has been very positive. One said that within minutes of appearing on the screens he had a couple of visitors on the stand wanting to find out more about his products.  Others say it’s been the best promotion they’ve ever done and a great conversation starter. 

Organisers are starting to realise the commercial opportunity of Event TV and they’re selling airtime on the live channel.  As well as stand visits they’re able to attract channel sponsorship and sell video adverts and still adverts that give everyone the chance to feature on the big screen.
It also means exhibitions can now reach a far greater audience than just the visitors at the venue. A recent workshop we streamed live has now reached 2 million viewers on YouTube.  Another platform growing in importance is Facebook Live. We recently streamed the World Architecture Festival on Facebook Live and reached 55,000 people around the globe. It gives a great boost to sponsors to know that they’re getting exposure way beyond the four walls of the venue.  

For the Silverstream TV team it’s very satisfying to create such a popular feature at an exhibition and to help the organiser use all the tools of the digital age. But most importantly it’s good to see the exhibitors back at the centre of the event.

Simon Walton – Creative Director, Silverstream TV, April 2018