Live Scribing: The Key to Engaging and Memorable Virtual Events
Online events don’t need to be a drag and a time suck. Live scribing could be the missing piece to a meaningful and memorable online event.
Save your attendees from boring online meetings with live scribing!
Live scribing is a fantastic way to inject creativity into your virtual meetings. It’s all about providing your attendees with compelling visuals that give them a fresh perspective on your content, helping them stay engaged and focused.
What is live scribing?
Live scribing is the process of listening to the discussions during your event, identifying the key messages, and turning them into visual summaries in real-time. By combining text and illustrations, a live illustrator captures the main takeaways of the event in a fun and easy-to-understand way. Whether it's a keynote speech, a panel discussion, or a group conversation, live scribing provides a creative and memorable way to summarize everything.
During your event, the live scribe can connect remotely from anywhere in the world!
Live scribing virtually means that:
You don’t need to pay for air travel, which is better for the environment
You don’t need to pay for accommodation, which is better for your budget
There is no complicated admin process, so you’ll have more time to organise your event
What are the benefits of live scribing?
Better focus and more engagement
Watching a scribe create visuals in real-time is an interactive experience that grabs your attendees’ attention. They can watch the artwork unfold and can comment on its evolution in the chat. This adds a unique, immersive element to the event that keeps people focused and interested.
Less zoom fatigue
Zoom fatigue sets in when people have to look at a screen that stays the same. By offering a visual summary that keeps on evolving, people have a chance to look at something exciting that can refresh their eyes, while still keeping them focused on what is being said.
Deeper understanding and better retention
People process visuals much faster than text alone. Live scribing helps simplify complex ideas, making them easier to understand. It’s a great tool for highlighting key messages and breaking down complicated topics into digestible, memorable visuals, that people can process better and also recall easier after the event.
Tangible visual assets for social media and post-event reports
Live illustrations are easy to share. After each session, you'll have visual assets (such as photos and timelapse videos) that you can easily share online and also email to the participants after the event as a keepsake.
You will stand out among other events
Virtual and hybrid events are here to stay, and people attend a lot of them each year. By focusing on ways to make the experience better, whether its by adding music, more frequent breaks or including live illustration, you will stand a bigger chance of creating a truly memorable event.
How does live scribing work?
Here’s how the live scribing process works from start to finish:
Step 1: Before the event
We’ll have a briefing call where we discuss the type of event you’re organizing, the agenda, any branding guidelines (like color schemes), and other relevant details to make sure the live matches your event’s vibe.
Step 2: During the event
On the day of your event, after a quick tech check, I’ll join your chosen platform with my iPad connected. I’ll share my screen throughout the event, so attendees can watch the drawing process live. You can check in with the illustration at key moments to re-focus the group or give them a "creative break" by spotlighting the live scribe. You’ll also get still images after each session to use as needed.
Step 3: After the event
Once the event wraps up, you’ll have access to all the visual assets, including time-lapse videos and final images. If you’d like, we can review the visuals and make small tweaks before you post them on your website or social media.
What topics benefit most from live scribing?
Live scribing works well for almost any type of event, but it’s especially useful for:
Policy Events (health, climate, technology, education, etc.)
Design and Tech Conferences
Strategy sessions
Medical Congresses (such as this one covering neonatal pain management)
Science Events (to make complex data and research easier to digest)
Frequently Asked Questions
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I will send you the images right at the end of each session. For the time-lapse videos, I like to do some minor edits so that the flow of the video is ideal, so they are usually available the day after the event.
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Yes, small edits are definitely possible after the event. More substantial changes are subject to discussion.
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Yes, absolutely. The role of the live illustrator is to listen to the conversation and look for the key concepts. Sometimes, not being an expert is actually an advantage. However, if you have a very technical event, I’m happy to do some preparation by reading some background material beforehand.
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My iPad screen will be connected to your Zoom room / other platform throughout the whole event. Your tech person will be able to spotlight me anytime during the session and you can also announce special check-ins where you are looking at the visual for an extended period of time (this usually works best towards the end of the session).
Ready to make your event stand out with live scribing?
If you’re ready to make your online event more engaging and memorable, live scribing could be the creative twist you need. It’s a unique way to boost engagement, clarify complex ideas, and give your attendees something to remember long after the event is over.
Contact us today to learn how live scribing can transform your next online event into an unforgettable experience!