How to Maximize Video Content at Conferences and Events

Corporate events and conferences present a unique opportunity to produce videos that can elevate your marketing long after the event has ended. With the right approach, video can amplify your event's impact and keep the conversation going.

Over the years, we’ve produced video content at a variety of professional conferences and events, learning firsthand what works best to amplify a brand's presence.

What follows is a breakdown of effective video strategies to enhance your event experience and promote your brand long after the event is over.

Event Highlights Videos:

An event highlights video is a staple in modern event marketing. These short, energetic videos—typically one to two minutes long—serve as a visual and emotional recap of the most memorable moments from your event. They can include everything from keynote speakers to panel discussions, workshops, networking events, and even candid moments that reflect the event’s atmosphere and energy.

• Event Recap: At IBM Think, we produced a high-energy highlights video that not only showcased the conference’s major happenings but also generated post-event buzz.

• Daily kick-off: Similarly, at the Tecsys User Conference, we produced daily videos that were shown on the main stage every morning to kick-off the day’s programming, maintaining excitement and momentum for conference attendees.

• Exhibitor Recaps: Event highlight videos aren’t only for event organizers. Exhibitors can use events to highlight their presence and capture valuable feedback from attendees, like this video we produced for Multiplier at Running Remote.

These videos are perfect for sharing across social media, newsletters, and websites to remind attendees of the event’s value and entice those who couldn’t make it to attend next time.

Releasing a recap video soon after the event can help capture the experience and build excitement as people share it with others. This not only keeps the buzz alive but also allows attendees to relive the highlights.

When planning your next event, you can re-edit this footage into a promotional video to help sell tickets and show what new attendees can look forward to.

Examples:

Evergreen Content Creation

Evergreen content is the goldmine of event video strategy. Unlike highlights videos, which serve as recaps of the event, evergreen content remains relevant and valuable long after the event concludes, continuing to provide insight, education, and engagement.

Events gather a diverse array of key stakeholders—clients, employees, industry partners, subject matter experts, and keynote speakers—all in one place, making it an ideal setting to capture content that can be used year-round.

From a logistics perspective, setting up a small room adjacent to the conference makes interviews more efficient. Participants are already at the event, so you're only asking for 20 minutes of their time, rather than trying to coordinate separate visits outside of the conference. This approach eliminates the need for participants to accommodate a film crew at their office or make a dedicated trip. Additionally, it saves time and money by streamlining production into one setup that everyone passes through. By doing so, you maintain consistency in the look and feel of the content, which can be released throughout the year without being explicitly tied to the event.

When it comes to the content, a mix of thought leadership and testimonials works best. Thought leaders provide insights and outlooks for the industry, while testimonials position your brand as a key resource in the space. This combination delivers a wealth of content that can be repurposed throughout the year for blogs, podcasts, and short video clips. For example, IBM's event allowed us to capture 12 executive interviews in one setup, which would have been time-consuming and costly outside the conference. Instead, we created consistently branded content with minimal time investment from participants, providing material to be rolled out over the following months.

This approach not only maximizes the return on investment for your event but also strengthens your position as a leader in your industry by continually delivering valuable content to your audience.

Keynote Presentations, Roundtables and Fireside chats

Any presentation that happens on the main stage is likely packed with valuable insights, thought leadership, and cutting-edge ideas. But their impact shouldn’t be limited to the event attendees. Recording keynote presentations ensures that you capture these insights in their entirety, allowing you to share them even after the event has concluded.

Since 2020, many event organizers have transitioned to a hybrid event format, where in-person experiences are combined with live-streamed keynote speeches and sessions. This shift allows event planners to accommodate a much larger and more diverse audience, transcending geographical limitations and making it possible for participants who can't be physically present to still benefit from the event’s content.

After the event, these recordings can be repurposed in multiple ways: as standalone videos to be shared with remote audiences, as shortened clips that can be used for social media, or even as valuable content for marketing campaigns that showcase your event’s high-caliber speakers.

Sharing keynote recordings is also a great way to keep your audience engaged long after the event has ended and to ensure that those who couldn’t attend still benefit from the valuable information presented. It can also help position your brand as a hub of industry knowledge and leadership.

Engaging Trade Show Exhibitor Videos

Video content isn't just for event organizers.

If you are exhibiting at a trade show or conference, videos are a powerful tool to attract attention to your booth and spark engagement with event attendees. A well-crafted exhibitor video can showcase your products, services, and expertise in a visually dynamic way. These booth videos can be played on loop, drawing in potential clients and sparking conversations with your team.

These ‘trade show loop’ videos have specific considerations given their context at a noisy trade-show.

Firstly, they need to function without sound. Trade show floors can be loud and chaotic, so interviews, voiceover and dialogue does not work well in a booth video. Attendees won’t hear what is being said, and the video’s sound can be disturbing for your sales reps. Instead we recommend communicating key messages visually, paired with concise on-screen text.

Don’t try to tell your whole story. The purpose of these videos is to spark interest and draw people into your booth. Keep messaging high-level and visuals dynamic. Let your in-person team provide the additional information booth visitors are looking for.

By highlighting your brand’s unique value proposition and expertise, you can create a lasting impression that encourages event attendees to further explore your offerings. For example, our trade show booth video for AJW grabbed attendees’ attention with fast-paced, dynamic visuals that showcased the company’s technical expertise and solutions. The client asked for a "Wow Factor," and after seeing the result, they said we nailed it, effectively drawing in potential clients and sparking valuable interactions.

Examples:

Pre-Recorded Content

In certain situations, live attendance might not be possible for key speakers or individuals. This is where pre-recorded content comes into play. Pre-recorded videos allow for carefully scripted and polished messages to be delivered seamlessly during the event.

These can be especially powerful for award ceremonies, corporate announcements, or fundraising events where precision and emotional resonance are critical.

For instance, in our project for Canadian Tire, we created a heartfelt pre-recorded video that surprised an award recipient. By filming personal stories and testimonials from colleagues, we crafted an emotionally impactful presentation that resonated deeply with the audience and award recipient.

Pre-recorded content offers a unique advantage: it allows you to craft your message in a controlled environment, ensuring it hits the right emotional notes and communicates effectively to your audience, even if delivered remotely.

Example: