CASE STUDY:
Connecting speakers, performers and audiences through carefully planned, professionally delivered online and hybrid events.
My work in virtual and hybrid production began in 2020, when organisations urgently needed new ways to bring people together. What started as a response to closed venues and cancelled gatherings developed into a substantial area of my work, spanning conferences, webinars, creative broadcasts, international forums, virtual choirs and hybrid events.
Working both independently and as part of wider production teams, I have supported events for cultural organisations, charities, professional networks, public bodies and global brands. My role has ranged from platform configuration and speaker preparation through to technical production, livestream switching, show calling and live troubleshooting.
The technology changes from project to project, but the central aim remains the same: to make the experience feel straightforward for speakers, organisers and audiences, even when the production behind it is complex.
Virtual and hybrid conferences, broadcasts, performances and webinars
Technical Producer / Technical Manager / Livestream Show Caller
2020 onwards
Remote, UK-wide and international
Corporate Events, Conferences, Culture, Education and the Third Sector
Technical Production, Platform Setup, Speaker Support, Livestreaming, Show Calling and Hybrid Event Delivery
Virtual events can appear simple to an audience: click a link, watch a speaker and perhaps ask a question. Behind that experience may be contributors in different countries, multiple presentation formats, live video feeds, pre-recorded content, graphics, captions, audience interaction and several technical platforms working together.
The challenge is not simply to make the technology function. It is to build an event in which speakers feel supported, organisers remain informed and audiences can concentrate on the content rather than the machinery delivering it.
Hybrid events add another layer. The in-room and remote audiences need to feel part of the same event, while the production team manages the different requirements of the physical venue, broadcast output and online platform.
My role sits between technical production and people management. I build and operate the systems needed to deliver the event, but I also help presenters and clients understand what will happen and what is required from them.
That can involve joining a project during its early development, advising on platforms and format, or becoming part of an established production team responsible for a specific area such as speaker support, backstage management, show calling or livestream operation.
I have provided technical production and speaker support for conferences involving participants across the UK, Europe and the wider Commonwealth.
For the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK’s first virtual Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change, I supported speakers and the production process across multiple locations.
My work has included virtual choir productions, theatre and education projects, and online events designed to retain a sense of performance and shared occasion.
These productions brought remote performers together through recorded and live material, combining video, music, titles and audience-facing presentation into complete broadcast programmes.
Some projects required concurrent sessions, captioning, BSL interpretation and additional support for participants who were unfamiliar with virtual production.
This involved designing clear routes through the event, coordinating separate feeds and making sure accessibility formed part of the production plan rather than being added at the last moment.
Through agencies and production partners, I have supported online experiences for international brands and organisations. This included platform management, speaker and participant support, interactive production and branded event environments.
Across this body of work, I have delivered hundreds of virtual and hybrid events for audiences in the UK and internationally. Projects ranged from small specialist webinars to complex conferences, creative broadcasts and global brand experiences.
The work helped organisations continue communicating, performing and convening when conventional gatherings were unavailable. More importantly, the skills and production methods developed during that period have continued to support hybrid and remote participation beyond the immediate circumstances of the pandemic.
Speakers were given the preparation and reassurance needed to contribute confidently, while organisers had a calm technical point of contact before and during their events. Audiences received polished, accessible broadcasts in which the production supported the content rather than distracting from it.
“We had the pleasure of working with Luke for our first virtual Asia Pacific Commonwealth Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change. Luke was a reliable and trusted member of the production team and we want to thank him for his flexibility and initiative. The virtual Forum production was flawless and many participants found the process extremely smooth thanks to the clear and confident instruction by Luke.”
If you’re looking for a tech native to support your online events then look no further than Luke Emmett. Luke helped me run a conference for 200 professionals using Hopin – he was responsible for the backstage area of the event, making sure that everything was as slick as possible for the attendees. I left my speakers and sponsors in his capable hands and Luke explained everything (how to share slides, the optimum tech set up) clearly and was brilliant at answering questions. In fact, Luke was super responsive whenever I had any queries. A positive and calm person to have involved in event day, I would highly recommend Luke if you’re hosting an online event in future.
I help organisations turn complex technical requirements into clear, well-managed events. Supporting the people involved from the first technical conversation through to the final live cue.