Video Streaming at National Conference

Post date: Feb 08, 2015 9:22:22 PM

Video Streaming from conference: In response to interest in video streaming parts of the conference to members who are not at the conference, I have begun some research into the technicalities of such effort. By our March conference call I should have some options for which the CofC can make a firm decision.

However, before a decision can be made, the CofC needs to address several questions, some of which follow.

1. In response to issues of representation at national conferences arose last year, and several prior years, there needs to be an understanding of who our audience will be, how many, and would they be representative of those not in physical attendance?

2. What events at the conference would be candidates for live streaming or "live to record and playback at later time"?

3. For live events, such as a business meeting or plenary session discussion, will we have the necessary capacity to accommodate electronic questions/comments/viewpoints from viewers?

4. Will viewers have the necessary electronic means to fully participate in the discussion? or just be passive viewers?

5. There probably is no budget line item in the conference budget for such an effort, so where could the funds come from, and how much would be needed, and can the cost be justified? (It will not be free.)

6. IF--we try this approach in 2015, and IF it works out well, and IF the CofC determines to do it again in 2016, WILL some potential participants opt to not attend the conference in person? Furthermore, IF such an effort would become successful and members opt to forgo attending, might the conference evolve into a different format for fewer attending, and quite possibly raising costs? Or would such an effort be needed only when it is determined that non-attenders participation would be highly desirable?