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Services Categories: Hybrid Events

What Is a Comfort Monitor and Why You Might Need One

What is a Comfort Monitor?

A Comfort Monitor, sometimes referred to as a confidence monitor, is a single or multiple display that sits within view of the presenter but not the audience, allowing the presenter to keep track of where they are in the presentation without breaking eye contact with the audience. Some presenters like multiple screens with the same or different content on – the next slide is a popular option along with notes. Countdown timers are also a good choice so they can clearly see how long they have left…or have run over!

The purpose of these aids is to give the presenter the tools to deliver a great presentation – we want them focused on their delivery, not concentrating on remembering their slide and whats coming next. They’re a great convenience for people onstage especially presenters who might not be used to presenting or are nervous. When you don’t get ahead of yourself and can link seamlessly to your next slide you deliver a cohesive presentation, one which the audience can follow easily.

 

Why do you need a Comfort Monitor?

Used at events with where presenters have visual content, such as a conferences or award ceremonies, speakers are given comfort and confidence, helping them to look polished. Seeing the next slide allows the presenter to give a seamless flowing presentation. The speaker is able to maintain a connection with the audience through eye contact and body language without breaking the flow of their presentation to check a larger screen behind them for the next cue.

What does a Comfort Monitor look like?

The comfort monitor is private to the speaker and is unseen by the audience due to its neatly finished angled hides and being dressed and finished in the same colours as the stage. Alternatively they can be placed at eye level behind or above the audience. All cables needed are discreetly hidden and risk free.

What other things does Beagle Create offer for presenter comfort?

We offer extensive presenter packages that can include:

  • Professional clickers
  • Auto cues
  • Programmable clocks and countdown timers
  • Lecterns
  • Drinks and hospitality packages

Read about how we delivered an impactful conference for an international finance company in the iconic venue The Shard or if you’re planning a conference or an awards ceremony yourself, contact us today.

Company Conference

Our client wanted a widescreen LED video wall that could be seen by all 400 of their conference attendees. Despite the space being tight we delivered an impactful and memorable event for everyone.

Our client approached us to create their annual company conference. The first company wide, in-person conference after Covid restrictions were lifted. This was a large conference about the company’s performance, strategy and direction.

The aim of the event was to communicate directly with all of their team and look forward to their goals and projections for the coming year, before celebrating in the evening with a festival-themed party. This 400-attendee conference involved presentations, panel talks and Q&A sessions. To achieve this, they needed a large (14 metre) LED video wall erected at the venue, Wyboston Lakes in Bedfordshire.

The venue was fantastic but with so many attendees, we were presented with various challenges: fitting everyone in, fitting the equipment in alongside the attendees and, crucially, making sure everyone could see the stage and screen. Put simply, we had a lot we needed to achieve and little space to achieve it in!

To remedy this, we made plenty of site visits prior to the event to scope out the space. Using our visualisation software, we could plan out the spacing of the room to the millimetre. Limited power supply at the venue meant we opted for all-LED stage lights so that we could run the entire set up from local 13amp power sockets. For the fourteen metre LED video wall we used a one-metre-deep ground support that maximised floor space. We also introduced curved edges to the stage to create a walkway for guests to use where there would have otherwise been dead space.

Hybrid Awards Ceremony

This international finance company required a hybrid awards ceremony for hundreds of in-person attendees as well as many more around the world watching via a live stream.

The prestigious event was held at Aqua The Shard, London, an impressive venue that comes with some unique challenges. We overcame them and received one of the best compliments you can hope for in this industry.

This financial company required a hybrid awards ceremony with guests in-person, that would also be streamed to virtual attendees internationally. They wanted something impressive and chose to host it at Aqua The Shard in London.

The client is based abroad and wouldn’t be in the country leading up to the event. After the initial brief we had minimal contact with the client – the logistics, plan and details were in our hands.

We were happy to take on all in-person responsibilities so the planning could go ahead. In their absence we chose the menus, arranged the food tasting with the venue and took care of every detail, down to the flowers and branded bar coasters.

The Shard – although a fantastic venue – did come with its challenges. There is very minimal storage space and limited access to the building. Naturally with such a prestigious venue there were rules to follow. We had tight build times and ‘tools-down’ intervals of four hours. Even the shape of The Shard can be challenging to work with as it isn’t square or symmetrical.

Why Host a Hybrid Event? Seven Things You Should Know

Firstly, what is a hybrid event? Put simply, a hybrid event is an event that can have attendees both in-person and online. Although they’ve been possible for a long time, they became more common during the pandemic as things started opening up with restrictions on numbers for large events.

So, now restrictions are lifted and you can have as many attendees as you like, why bother hosting a hybrid event?

There are more benefits to this than you might think – keep reading to find out.

Unlimited Attendees

And in turn – unlimited ticket sales! This can have a huge impact on the revenue and profit of your event. Although it will cost you to ‘hybridise’ your event, after that initial cost you can continue selling tickets to online attendees without having to pay for extra venue space or catering.

In short – online attendees are ‘limitless’ AND they cost less!

In addition, online ticket sales can remain open until seconds before the event start time, unlike in-person tickets where you may need to leave a period between ticket sales ending and the event. Depending on your format, with a hybrid event you may even be able to keep selling tickets during the event for last minute revenue.

Going Global

Another huge reason to make your event ‘hybrid’ is removing limits on location. If you’re looking to reach a wider audience, what better way than to have them be able to attend your event anywhere in the world. When you can offer online tickets, you can open up your event to the whole world.

Content is King

Don’t let your event burn bright and fast – with a hybrid event you will have digital assets that you can keep using. This means you can really get the most out of your conference, product launch or activation. In a digital world, businesses need to be constantly producing content to keep up. Clips from your event can be used as marketing content.

Events that Keep Giving

Not only can hybrid, live streamed events become great content, but you can also continue making sales from them. Even long after they’ve happened. If your event becomes a recording, you can repurpose as a webinar or podcast and sell access to that recording for as long after the event as you like. This means you keep making money long after the event is over.

Data for Days

Hybrid events generate audience and attendee data. You can use this for future marketing, research and to improve your future events. Depending on what software you use, you can collect different insights into how your audience interacts with event content.

Planet Earth Friendly

Reduce the carbon footprint of your event by going hybrid. ‘Hybridising’ your event is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. With less people travelling to attend, the carbon emissions produced by your event can be kept to a minimum. This benefits the environment without compromising your revenue.

Inclusivity is Cool

Having a hybrid event can make space for inclusivity. Where you can reduce the cost of online tickets, people who may not otherwise have been able to attend now can. Even if you the cost of the ticket isn’t reduced – sometimes travel expenses are the difference between someone being able to afford to attend or not.
Another way your event will be made more inclusive if to those with disabilities who may not have been able to attend in person. A hybrid event is a more inclusive event.

In conclusion, a hybrid event can offer some fantastic benefits that will improve revenue, improve return on investment and create a more environmentally friendly and inclusive event.
If you’re curious about creating your own hybrid event, get in touch with us and we can talk through your options.