he COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of changes to the way people do business, especially with staff working remotely. Zoom and Microsoft Teams replaced meetings that could no longer be held in-person, and livestreaming services became the go-to for churches, schools, corporate meetings, and more.
As the use of these platforms grew, so did the need for skilled experts to help set up these events, which can involve numerous locations, hundreds of people, multiple cameras, complete graphics packages, and more. Companies that provide this specialized event coverage must stay on top of the latest innovations to provide the most seamless, professional services to their clients.
“Though I’ve offered streaming services since 2004, in 2020 everything really exploded in virtual, hybrid, live, and distance meetings,” says Jonathan Butzke, owner of Talking Circle Media, based in Anchorage. “Prior to that, most people were only using Skype and FaceTime, as well as audio conferencing.”
Those apps fell out of favor the moment COVID-19 sequestered workers in their home offices.
“I used to have to use three satellite shops to broadcast from Greenland to Alaska,” Butzke adds. “Now I just whip out Zoom, connect to the application of choice, and we’re good to go. It’s funny how it’s so different now.”
“Back in the day, we did teleconferences with a big speakerphone sitting in the center of a table; now you just log onto Zoom and you’re good to go,” he says. “Before, to do a conference call with forty people calling in, I would call the local phone company and set up a phone bridge that cost a couple thousand dollars. That’s no longer a thing.”
While many companies have become proficient at using Zoom and Teams for smaller meetings, they often need to hire an expert to set up livestreaming or broadcast events. For instance, Talking Circle Media had been broadcasting the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention on television for twenty-nine years, but the event needed a new approach in 2020.
“Because the event was going to be all virtual, I had to figure out how to combine multiple Zoom meetings and multiple platforms all together into one feed without technical problems,” says Butzke. “I was at the Dena’ina [Civic and Convention] Center with the AFN staff, working on ten or twelve computers, combining all of the things.”
Five years later, the new approach is the normal approach.
“What’s surprising to me is that, even when people started meeting in-person again, business didn’t slow down,” Butzke says, noting that between February and March, he covered thirty meetings. “The last two or three years have been my busiest.”
Huff also pivoted during COVID-19, such that his company is now one of the leading web stream companies in the state. Alaska Universal Productions provides everything from one-way webinars published on YouTube or other platforms to virtual meetings and in-person meetings that can be published through YouTube, Facebook, or on a private page. The company is also the leading provider in Fairbanks for technical equipment for sound and video streaming.
“Even now, we still have clients struggle with setting up Zoom or Teams meetings; a one-on-one Zoom call is not a problem, but when holding a professional meeting in a ballroom or small conference room, they don’t understand how to do multiple cameras, get clean audio, or get people back in the room from remote locations without technical issues,” Huff explains. “That’s where we come in.”
Talking Circle Media
Talking Circle Media
Talking Circle Media
“We’ve run ethernet cable throughout the building to connect WiFi and high-speed internet, and the building is also wired with cameras and microphones for easy hybrid meetings,” he explains of the space that can hold approximately 900 people.
According to Michael Cook, founder of 49th Media, approximately 95 percent of his company’s business is livestreaming, putting events online for viewers who can’t attend in-person functions. These include livestreaming Anchorage Wolverines’ games, the cross-country ski nationals, the Alaska Scottish Highland Games, and Alaska Fighting Championships. He works with streaming partners like North American Hockey League and creates live pay-for-view events.
“I’ve got a crew of cameramen, and I do the producing—just like you would see for an NFL football game,” he explains. “The equipment is identical, and we do graphics and commercials, producing entire shows.”
Once the pandemic hit, Cook says that businesses began to realize that livestreaming provided potential moneymaking opportunities that they had overlooked before.
“When they started doing everything online, the business model for live events changed,” he says. “Even now, when things are back to ‘normal’ and people can go to events in person, we still reach out to the people who didn’t go so they can be a part of it.”
Cook, who used to do post-video production, says that COVID-19 helped to really kick off his livestreaming business, which he has been building for the past four years. “The great thing about live streaming is that once you hit ‘End,’ that’s their product. You go on to the next event. It’s a lot easier than post-production, and I love making shows that look like those on ESPN and NFL TV. It’s rewarding.”
Even with this knowledge, there are some drawbacks. When the North Slope and Southeast each experienced internet outages due to severed subsea cables, Butzke had to provide backup fiber and internet services to clients. In some places, internet infrastructure isn’t capable of handling clients’ needs.
“This is our biggest Achilles’ heel,” he says of Alaska’s telecommunication capabilities. “If you don’t have any internet or good internet, you’re out of luck.”
Butzke researches new equipment and types of software before his clients need it, and he tests it with clients to compare it to what they traditionally use. This isn’t always easy; he recently hauled five cases of equipment, including new microphones, on a small, four-seat bush plane to a remote Regional Advisory Committee meeting, and he experimented with a new eight-camera system to cover the Kivgiq celebration in Utqiaġvik.
“I’m trying to lighten the load by using 360° cameras and Bluetooth; whatever makes it simpler and lighter,” he says. “It isn’t easy to test stuff in Alaska, so I’ve worked out a deal with my vendors to send the equipment back if it doesn’t work out.”
According to Huff, Alaska Universal Productions sets itself apart with a commitment to redundancy, setting up multiple video switchers and multiple computers. The company also has someone in their home office logging in to meetings and conferences to ensure that the video and audio are working; when needed, it will set up a troubleshooting phone number in-house for clients in case someone needs assistance trying to view the event.
With a laugh, Huff says, “It’s technology, so at some point, something is going to fail.”
“Technology is the only downfall to this business,” agrees Cook, a disabled veteran who outfitted a broadcast trailer with equipment provided through a grant from the Semper Fi & America’s Fund. “One of the biggest issues I have is that people want to stream, but Alaska is so vast that internet is a huge issue.”
High-quality video conferencing requires speed and capacity that some locations simply don’t have yet. “Many areas don’t have good Internet that is fast enough for high-end video,” Cook says. “I’ve had to come up with solutions, including using a special router that combines multiple internet connections to make one fast one.”
He advises clients to look for people with experience working in Alaska and those who have knowledge of different streaming methods.
“I’ve had clients come to me because what they got from another company wasn’t what they expected; they wanted a private stream, and then they see their meeting streaming on YouTube for everyone to see,” he explains.
Butzke notes that, while YouTube is free, he pays $10,000 a year for Vimeo livestream software that allows users to broadcast live video content, offering tools for virtual events, webinars, and more, while also providing options for audience engagement and archiving. He also has three Zoom licenses to accommodate larger groups of clients.
“Companies need to look for someone who understands how to meet their goals at the lowest cost,” he says.
Cook adds that pricing varies on how much companies want to put into livestreams; an hourly rate for three cameramen for a four-hour meeting will cost significantly less than the same number of personnel for a three day conference or festival. A graphics package would add even more to the total, and streams can even include live drone shots, which require an additional licensing fee.
“It’s kind of an à la carte situation,” he says, noting that he has invested close to $50,000 in gear to provide the most professional product available. “If they want, we can go all out.”
Talking Circle Media
“You don’t just want people to jump on to watch their kid for five minutes or to see where the game stands,” Cook explains. “Engagement is really important when it comes to livestreams as sponsors are paying for it; if you can keep people on the stream for up to sixty minutes per view, it guarantees that an advertiser’s commercial will be seen two to three times during the event.”
That’s fine for mixed martial arts bouts or hockey games, but does flashy engagement apply to corporate conferences?
“Businesses can monetize their content if they do it right,” Cook suggests, noting that his company has access to advertising structures through Hulu and Disney+ that can put local ads on their channels’ streaming services to promote a company’s event. “You can grow your business, depending on the level of professionalism you put into it.”
It’s important to note that while price is important, there are other considerations for companies deciding whether to host in-person meetings, hybrid meetings, or completely virtual events.
“Hybrid and virtual events cost more, for sure, because you’re having to add another level of technical abilities,” says Huff, “and there are some headaches for clients trying to figure out how to facilitate it. It’s not the same as just holding an in-person meeting.”
But the setup can be worth the cost. “It does enable those who couldn’t come to something like an ANCSA [Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act] meeting the chance to attend, including elders who can’t travel or those who live in remote villages who can’t afford the cost of flying in,” Huff adds. “A presenter doesn’t have to leave Washington, DC to fly to Alaska for a one-hour presentation.”
Huff has seen hybrid meetings becoming more popular as people are able to gather in one place again. “People have missed the networking and the camaraderie,” he says. “It’s a much different feel when you’re there in person. We’ve been getting away from Zoom-only meetings and more into hybrid events because people have missed seeing other people.”