Freeman has launched OnlineEvent, a new digital solution designed to help marketers and event organizers leverage content, expand their reach and create new sources of revenue.

Built on a robust online platform, the event-based content-monetization and eLearning web portal provides users with an end-to-end virtual event experience, from event venue to online for 365-day-a-year engagement, and provides a comprehensive solution from strategy and creative through technical and production support.

This new tool was designed to help marketers and event organizers do the following:

·         Extend the life and reach of an event by strengthening brand loyalty and community all year through the power of virtual events.

·         Keep the buzz going post-event by building an online community to leverage event content to share with attendees who missed out on a particular session or weren’t able to attend the event.

·         Create new revenue streams through leveraging valuable content by hosting high-quality videos in a robust, searchable library that features sponsor advertising.

·         Track, organize and assess content in the platform, allowing audiences to register easily and securely while content managers can measure effectiveness of sessions.

·         Connect across the globe by seamlessly broadcasting live events and enable real-time interaction from anywhere in the world.

OnlineEvent is made possible by an investment made by Freeman Digital Ventures, a fund that supports the development of event technology and data solutions to advance innovation in the brand experience category.

“Our investment in OnlineEvent is part of our ongoing commitment to lead innovation in our industry,” said Richard Maranville, Freeman chief digital officer.

He continued, “The offering creates a simple and elegant experience for consuming event-based content while event organizers benefit from a cost-effective turnkey online event solution.”

To create the platform, Freeman works with Blue Sky eLearn, a provider of online learning and virtual event solutions.

Freeman’s Presentation Management solution now integrates with Blue Sky’s Learning Management System, allowing physical presentation materials to seamlessly flow from the event venue to OnlineEvent for year-long audience engagement.

“By leveraging Freeman’s world-class resources and Blue Sky eLearn’s web platform solutions, we’re bringing a new end-to-end virtual event experience to the industry,” said Philip G. Forte, president of Blue Sky eLearn.

He added, “We’re excited to partner with an industry leader to bring our technology to event organizers.”

The American Public Health Association had a chance to try out OnlineEvent for its first virtual conference that coincided with its 2016 Annual Meeting & Expo, held Oct 29-Nov 2 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

APHA used the platform to live broadcast eight of its educational sessions both in real-time and on demand, enabling participants to earn CE credit if needed, according to Natalie Sorkin, APHA deputy director of convention services.

“(The OnlineEvent) system turned out to be not just friendly to the user but also to APHA,” Sorkin said.

She continued, “Set up was easy and the site looked great. We broadcasted eight sessions to 755 virtual attendees, and following the conference we also had 1,435 on demand visits. We even worked with Freeman to add closed captioning to the videos for our members and attendees who are hearing impaired. Onsite Freeman and BlueSky worked together so that APHA didn’t have to worry. I would say it worked really well.”

Along with the build-out of APHA content in the Blue Sky eLearn platform, OnlineEvent also provided APHA with labor, consultation, expertise, streaming and capture equipment, live stream hosting, post-production and real-time transcription services, according to Freeman officials.

APHA plans to use OnlineEvent for its next Annual Meeting, set for Nov. 4-8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, during which it will add four more educational sessions for live and on demand viewing, according to Sorkin.

So why should more event organizers consider harnessing the power of virtual events?

“With today’s changing environment and more restrictions on travel, it’s important that we find another way to connect to our members and the public health community at large,” Sorkin said.

She added, “Holding a virtual conference allowed us to reach those people. In fact, most of our virtual attendees were non-members, which means we reached a whole new set of potential members and partners. If an organization is looking to reach more people, a virtual conference is the way to go.”