The 24-Hour Turnaround: Why it’s the new standard for event content
In the fast-paced digital world of today, event attendees are expecting more. One clear change we have seen recently is the increasing demand for rapid turnaround of recorded session files at events. To learn why this shift is happening and what that means for today’s events, we talked with Grigg Shaw, Digital Asset Manager at TPN, and Oren Mauldin, the Director of Client Management, to find out.
We have started to see more of our event owners request 24-hour turnaround of recorded session files. Why are we seeing this shift?
Grigg: From a larger perspective, the pandemic really accelerated this shift. As the demand for digital content skyrocketed, people became accustomed to consuming information quickly, and that expectation stayed even when live events returned.
From an analytics perspective, we have also seen that audience engagement shows a sharp decline just a week after the event. To maintain their engagement, event organizers need to deliver content while the interest is still high.
When we talk about 24-hour turnaround for session content, what does that entail?
Grigg: When we talk about 24-hour turnaround, that includes setup, recording, post-production and upload of all the files to the location the client chooses. We are platform agnostic when it comes to where files are uploaded. We’ve done YouTube, Vimeo and Brightcove, which tends to be a popular platform because many clients use it as a hub for their websites.
Oren: I want to talk a little more about the whole production process, but it’s important to know that it’s not just recording and uploading raw files. It starts with setup, where we use the right equipment to ensure that we get a professional recording. Even if it’s merely slides and audio, there needs to be a level of quality for this kind of professional and technical content. During the sessions, our team is monitoring the recordings to ensure things are going smoothly. Finally, we have a team of media producers who turn those files into a polished, finished product and get them uploaded.
Grigg: What enables us to do all that in the 24-hour turnaround time is that we bring our media production team onsite, and they are totally dedicated to turning around the content at hand. Having our team onsite also enables us to respond quickly when clients decide to add sessions on the fly. We’re able to accommodate last-minute changes because everyone is consolidated onsite.
What are the benefits for event producers to have the content turned around so quickly?
Oren: Attendees are especially asking for it when we’re capturing training sessions. Let me share an example - at a recent conference in New Orleans, I spoke with an attendee in the elevator, who, when she learned my role, thanked me for recording sessions. They mentioned that, with so many sessions happening at once, they couldn’t attend everything and relied on the recordings. This shows how valuable quick access to content can be, especially when companies are investing in their employees’ attendance.
So, the rapid turnaround of the content is not just benefiting the virtual audience?
Grigg: No. In fact, some of the highest demand for fast content turnaround comes from the in-person attendees. When they’re onsite, they’re only able to attend one session at a given time. Having the content available while they’re still at the event allows them to watch sessions in their downtime at the hotel while they’re still in “event mode”. Once they get back to the office, they may not have the time to view those additional sessions.
One group of people that really want the fast turnaround are the presenters themselves. Often, they share out their sessions on social media as soon as they are available to help build their brand and to get attention onto the event while it’s still in progress.
The 24-hour turnaround is no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s fast becoming the standard. As Grigg and Oren point out, it’s not just about speed – it’s about meeting attendee expectations and helping companies maximize the impact of their events.
At TPN, we provide end-to-end solutions for digital content distribution and pride ourselves on being one of the fastest teams in the industry to deliver high-quality files. As event expectations continue to evolve, TPN will stay ahead by innovating to meet the demand for fast, reliable content production.
