Virtual, Hybrid and Televised Event Production

MOMENTOUS produces televised fundraisers, telethon-style shows, livestreamed civic programs and virtual and hybrid events, for nonprofits, cities and other organizations. From our base in Palm Springs we have put shows on NBC Palm Springs, ABC7 Bay Area and KGW in Portland, and streamed a city's State of the City to Vimeo, YouTube and Facebook Live.

What is the difference between a livestream, a hybrid event and a televised broadcast?

A livestream sends a program to viewers online, either from a live event or from a studio built for the show. A hybrid event serves two audiences at once: the guests in the room and the people watching remotely. A televised broadcast airs on a network or local station, which means a finished show cut to the station's format and schedule.

The right format depends on who you need to reach and what you need them to do. A city reporting to residents may only need a well-made stream. A nonprofit asking a whole region to give may need the reach of a station.

Can a fundraiser still raise money with a remote audience?

Yes. Telethon-style shows were built for exactly this: they bring the cause, the people it serves and the ask into viewers' homes. MOMENTOUS has produced first-ever televised fundraisers for four nonprofits, each with a local network partner.

• Joslyn in Motion (2020): longtime client The Joslyn Center partnered with NBC Palm Springs on a telethon-styled show that told the story of its pivot during the pandemic and was built to raise funds for its programs serving seniors.
• United for the Holidays (2020): longtime client United Way of the Desert partnered with NBC Palm Springs to raise funds for its programs across the Coachella Valley.
• Show of Hope (2021): San Francisco Community Health Center's first televised fundraiser aired on ABC7 Bay Area in March 2021. MOMENTOUS followed it with Stories of Hope, a series of television spots that aired in the San Francisco market on networks including CNN, MSNBC, Bravo and Lifetime.
• Compassion in Action (2021): Portland-based Central City Concern partnered with NBC affiliate KGW on a telethon-styled show that brought financial support and awareness to its work.

What goes into a telethon

Telethons are part of our services. In practice, the case studies above show what one takes:

• Advisory and creative: the concept, the story and how the ask is framed.
• Fundraising strategy: development and fundraising strategy built into the show, as on Show of Hope and Compassion in Action.
• Network negotiations: agreeing airtime and terms with the station.
• Pre-production: show flow or run of show, scripting and graphics.
• Filming: in studio for Joslyn and United Way, on location for Show of Hope, and across multiple locations for Compassion in Action.
• Talent: entertainment and talent negotiations.
• Post-production: editing the finished show.
• Marketing and show promotion: so people know when to tune in.

For a planning checklist, read Your Guide to Crafting a Successful Virtual Telethon.

What do you need from us, and what do you bring?

From you, we need the goal, the story and the people: who will speak, who the program serves, and the decisions only your organization can make. MOMENTOUS brings the creative, the production plan and the team to turn that into a show, from the first script draft to the final edit.

What MOMENTOUS has delivered on these programs, drawn from the case studies:

• Advisory, creative and event strategy
• Show flow, scripting and graphics
• An on-location studio build, as for the City of Eastvale
• In-studio and on-location filming
• Entertainment and talent negotiations
• Network negotiations
• Post-production and editing
• Event marketing and show promotion

Can you add a broadcast to a live event we already hold?

Yes. Live streaming sits inside our technical production work alongside staging, sound, lighting, video, show direction and stage management, so a stream can be built into an event you already run. The work is to plan the program for two audiences rather than pointing a camera at the stage.

As general guidance, a hybrid program usually needs:

• Camera positions planned with the room layout, so the stream sees the stage without blocking guests.
• A clean audio feed for viewers at home, separate from what the room hears.
• A show flow that marks which moments are for the room, which are for the camera and which are for both.
• Graphics and on-screen information for viewers who cannot see the room's signage.
• A clear way for remote viewers to take part, whether that is giving, chatting or asking questions.

State of the City and State of the College programs

Many cities and colleges hold these programs each year, and each one has the same job: report to the community, clearly and on time. MOMENTOUS has produced them both online and in the room.

City of Eastvale Virtual State of the City

In 2020 MOMENTOUS produced the City of Eastvale's first virtual State of the City. We built an on-location studio, wrote the show flow and script, created the graphics and handled post-production and editing. The one-hour show was live streamed across Vimeo, YouTube and Facebook Live.

College of the Desert State of the College

MOMENTOUS produced College of the Desert's State of the College as a live program with a luncheon for a VIP audience. In 2019 we turned the college's gymnasium into a business theater environment. In 2020 we built a tent pavilion to house it. Services included strategy and creative, design and décor, off-premise catering and advanced technical production.

Our televised and virtual work

Further reading

• The Virtual Advantage: Why Live Streaming Your Corporate Event is a Must
• Things To Consider When Planning a Virtual Event
• Gain A Competitive Edge, Plan A Virtual Event
• Gala and Fundraiser Production, for fundraisers held in the room