In November, Barco hosted a hybrid leadership update introducing our two new co-CEOs and sharing their vision with external stakeholders. Relying on the strengths of our own solutions, our Barco team pulled of an impressive job in delivering an extraordinarily engaging event for participants both on-site and remote.
Press, analysts and investors were invited to join the leadership update webinar where the two newly appointed co-CEOs, Ms. An Steegen and Mr. Charles Beauduin, shared their initial assessments of Barco today and thoughts about capturing growth opportunities in the future. Being an internationally listed company with a global scope, we chose to set-up a hybrid event in the most professional way.
A front-row experience with weConnect
The weConnect virtual classroom is designed to deliver engaging and interactive digital teaching and training experiences. Over the last year, however, the platform also proved its benefits as a professional solution for bi-directional virtual and hybrid events. During the November leadership update the weConnect set-up supported up to 120 remote participants and allowed for live engagement and active collaboration as if they were sitting amongst their peers in the auditorium of the company’s Belgian headquarters.
The complete remote audience was displayed on a secondary screen next to the main presentation screen. After the leadership update everyone got the chance to ask questions. Remote participants asking their question were brought to a dedicated area on the main screen via the weConnect ‘Spotlight’ function, allowing for a more personal and interactive Q&A, close to the real-life experience.
Professional and dynamic visual experience
In the backstage, our inhouse experts and operators used the E2 and S3 Barco image processors - long-standing partners-in-crime for live events of all sizes, and now also a great asset in the creation of inspiring virtual/hybrid events. There were multiple camera angles, video clips, dynamic slides, the weConnect outputs, etc. The image processors made it all seamlessly appear on the auditorium screens in a dynamic lay-out with smooth transitions.
To deliver the visuals on the screens in the highest quality, our 3-chip DLP UDX and UDM projectors were used.
Events of the future
The presenters and participants, both on-site and remote, were impressed with the professionalism and engagement level brought by the Barco solutions – calling it much better then with other hybrid experiences. The new CEO’s agreed the event was a success, and expect this way-of-working to become the new Barco normal for similar events.
“This event proved to be the excellent opportunity to showcase the combined strengths of our different solutions,” Jan van Houtte, Barco VP weConnect, concludes. “It was a great proof point for our weConnect virtual classroom platform in an event setting. Together with the Event Master image processing systems and laser projectors, we have everything inhouse to offer our partners and customers an E2E event solution!”
