Glisser is an app that aims, as their mission statement suggests: “to improve the exchange of information when people come together”. It allows questions and answers between the presenter and the audience, live polling, and slide sharing. But what about when you can’t make it to the event? Event live streaming is more popular now than it’s ever been, but you still feel disconnected from the presentation.
I was looking to find a way of engaging a fully remote audience to the presentation, allowing them to contribute to the discussion as though they were in the room.
I was the sole designer on the project, working with a full-stack developer to build the platform. For wireframes and the prototype I used Abode XD. We built the proof of concept using a WordPress multi-site installation with Materialize CSS. The LIVE pages were built as a custom-post type.
Guy Primavera (Full-Stack Developer) and Simon Mauro Guido
Over a period of nine months I attended many live streamed events across London, and sat with the AV technicians to learn exactly how event live streaming works. I started to experiment with live streaming myself, I bought the equipment I’d need, and shot a few low-profile events for clients to find out all of the complications of the job. I also looked into how live streamed events were being marketed, shared, and what platforms were being used to stream on – and the pros and cons of each.
Live-streaming a client event in London
Platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Live, and LiveStream by Vimeo were using comments during streams really well. The web layout for watching streamed presentations (such as webinars, product launches etc.) was starting to become standardised, which is great because it means user onboarding and acceptance becomes a lot easier and more instinctive.
What these platforms were missing however, was the direct interaction with the presenter and the rest of the audience.
Using this familiar layout, I worked with a developer to build this out in a WordPress site. Essentially the site would create a page for each presentation, linking the presentation ID with the embedded live stream link. The page would call the Glisser API to load personalisation options for each presentation, such as: colour scheme, company logo, holding slide etc. This meant that with just a handful of settings you could create your own event live stream webpage.
We tested it as a proof of concept at a few events, and although it could sometimes be a bit more cumbersome than it needed to be to set up, it always worked perfectly. We improved the setup process to make it user friendly enough to be managed by Glisser customer service representatives, with changes such as allowing shortcodes to setup the embedded streams, help text throughout the process, and guides on working with the AV team for pre event texting.
The next step is to build the setup process into the Glisser Presentation Management System and it can be managed directly by clients.
The Glisser LIVE platform landed Glisser’s largest ever deal, and has been used to host events worldwide, including a number of TEDx talks. Glisser LIVE was also featured in a lot of the event trade press as being a breakthrough in making streamed events more interactive and accessible.
In November 2018, Glisser LIVE even won ‘Best Hybrid Event Live Streaming Solution’ at the Event Tech Awards.
During the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, where almost all live events globally were cancelled, Glisser LIVE became crucial to Glisser’s customers who had to switch to live streamed events. It was also crucial to Glisser as a company, as it was able to not only maintain sales but also bring on a host of new customers searching for a last-minute live streaming solution to keep their events going.
Can I just say, that this is the sexiest audience engagement solution for live events. Simon, you’re one of the most talented Product Designers I know. Big kudos to someone who puts so much love and passion into their work.
Carsten Pleiser
CEO at The Event Tech Tribe