AV recruitment specialists JacobsMassey has added live video streaming to its services portfolio, as it looks to help UK conference venues stand out amongst their rivals by bolstering their value offering.
The London based company has provided freelance AV technicians to the industry – including many of the UK’s leading conferencing venues – for more than 15 years.
The company’s co-founder and MD, Graeme Massey, told AVTE it had received a growing number of requests from venues it has existing relationships with, to be able to stream the events they’re hosting.
Seizing the opportunity, Jacobs Massey has created a new division within its existing business, providing video recording (including professional editing) and live streaming services for its end user clients. Optimism is high.
“I spoke to some of our key freelancers and we agreed that it [live streaming] was a growing area and one worth pursuing as a business. It’s a natural extension of what we are already doing. We are a specialist agency and at the end of the day, we’re talking about how we can help our existing clients can maximise revenue from venue hire.”
Full stream ahead
Dubbed internally as the ‘stream team’, Jacobs Massey has formed partnerships with a team of around 15 freelancers, capable of (collectively) providing the skills required to provide a professional, broadcast quality broadcast.
It has been perfecting the offering over the past few months, working with a number of venues, including Church House Conference Centre and the British Academy.
Last week, it provided a live broadcast on YouTube of the the annual AV Cultural Forum (AVCF) end user event (July 27) hosted at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). This included two camera operators, a streaming producer and a vision mixer.
Equipment is hired and teams can be assembled within 24-hours, allowing for a more flexible and affordable service when compared to its competitors.
“We find that the freelance model works best as it allows us to be cost-effective for ourselves and the client,” explained Massey.
“We did our research and looked at what other companies that offer live streaming charge. Although live streaming is growing, it’s still relatively young in terms of a pricing structure. We’ve factored in the crew times, the equipment hire and obviously our operating margin. The advantage we have is, our team is entirely flexible. We can put a team together within 24 hours, so we’re not carrying a huge overhead.”
The service is available to all Jacobs Massey clients and can be found and actioned using its existing booking platform.
He concluded: “It’s all about adding value for the venue and the client. We’re really happy with the way things have started and the plan now is to have conversations with our clients, both locally and nationally.”
A full interview with Graeme Massey discussing his plans for the streaming arm of his business will feature in the next edition of AV Technology Europe magazine.
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