Here, we’ll take a closer look at Town hall in Microsoft Teams and show you how a Worktank-produced broadcast can lift your hybrid or virtual event experience for your global audience.
It’s a season of change for the large event tools within the Microsoft Teams environment. Investments have been made to enhance the underpinnings of the technology stack, resulting in a more innovative and capable future for the platform. The result of this work has become visible as Town hall in Microsoft Teams and is to fully replace the existing Teams Live Event product in 2024.
Two different paths within Microsoft Teams
The retiring application Microsoft Teams Live Event is a platform suited to reaching large (1,000+) audiences with two different workflows:
- External Encoder relies on external video production tools and processes to create, control, and stream content.
- Native Production uses product native, software-driven tools to control what is visible to audiences.
Both options continue in Town hall in Microsoft Teams. External Encoder will continue with similar functionality, while the Native Production will gain several features and enhancements.
Let’s do a deep dive on each workflow.
In with the New
Town hall in Microsoft Teams External Encoder
Ideal for broadcasts where the overall higher quality, branding, and content layout is important, External Encoder workflow offers the most flexibility.
This workflow allows a team of video professionals to create a professionally produced broadcast containing:
- Custom branding and presenter positioning
- Smooth transitions
- Presenter name keys
- Animated graphics, like an animated table of contents or dynamic info pain
- High quality video playback
- On screen American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters
This workflow provides the Worktank production team controls to allow our crew to execute a live broadcast to a tightly choreographed minute-by-minute run of show so that you can manage who’s on screen down to the second.
Town hall in Microsoft Teams Native Production (formerly “Teams Live Events”)
Town hall in Microsoft Teams Native Production is ideal for large audience events with simple agenda requirements and a lower emphasis on overall production quality.
While Microsoft Teams Live Events are limited to displaying a single presenter, or a presenter and PowerPoint, Town hall in Microsoft Teams allows multiple presenters to be seen on screen simultaneously, along with PowerPoint slides. However, the controls do not allow for exact or polished transitions like those that can be managed in a broadcast. Event producers will spotlight and un-spotlight presenters individually in real-time and have no control over where a presenter will appear on screen.
As Town hall in Microsoft Teams is newly released, there are other limitations to consider as you plan your event. This includes:
- Lower frame-rate video playback
- Lower quality post-event recording
- Presenter placement and entry/exit timing cannot be controlled
- No external presenters
Seeing = Believing
The Worktank team created a brief demo video to show you how the same show content appears in both the External Encoder and Native Production workflows.
Summary: Match a Workflow to Your Needs. Next Steps in Virtual Meeting Management
If you need your event to match the quality and dynamic show flow of a broadcast news event, Worktank recommends the Town hall in Microsoft Teams External Encoder solution as it brings high production quality, flexibility, and creative control over the layout of the broadcast. Town hall in Microsoft Teams Native Production is ideal for events or meetings where quality and control are not paramount, all presenters are internal, and the agenda/show-flow is simple and predictable.
Worktank brings a wealth of experience producing both solutions. Our team always begins planning with a conversation to understand your requirements and success factors. From there, we’ll make a recommendation and execute the right solution and platform for you.
As experts in event production, broadcasts, strategic executive engagement, and communication, we’re here to help you produce and execute on the best show regardless of platform.
To learn more about our virtual meeting management services and how Worktank can help you become a better presenter, contact us online or give us a call at(206) 254-0950
