Hybrid Meeting Solutions
Host Amazing Hybrid Meetings
Post-covid, most professionals are virtual meeting experts, but even still, when you are responsible for running the meeting, it’s a major distraction to run the tech too.
Such was the case for a few contributors at the Colorado Head Start Association (CHSA), an advocacy group for early education. CHSA members have other primary jobs, so fitting a trip to Denver for an all-day strategic planning session just wasn’t an option for everybody. However, given a virtual option to join, dodging the logistical obstacle of travel-time, more people could participate.
So, CHSA asked us to integrate remote participants with the in-room discussion. This brainstorming session had about 30 confirmed in-person attendees, and remained open to all online.
I’d love to share my solution for this meeting with you! I’ll outline it all below, but don’t hesitate to reach out for more clarity at hunter@lpsavl.com.
Gear used:
QSC Touchmix 16
Universal Audio Apollo Twin X
2021 Macbook Pro
Mobile TV on cart
ElectroVoice 12in PA speaker on tripod
iPad
Hiberr YU-E40 Four-Channel Wireless Microphones System
AUDIO
I ran a Google Meet on the same laptop as the primary slide-deck. I used my UA Apollo audio interface as the input/output device within Google Meet. This hardware sent a line signal to my QSC Touchmix16, and recevied an aux send from the same mixer. With this routing I was able to control the volume of the virtual presenter through the PA for the entire room to hear
For the in-room participants I deployed 4 wireless handheld microphones and a podium mic.
These 5 mics, plus meeting audio from the computer provided a smooth, integrated experience.
Lastly, I incorporated an ambient room mic for remote participants to hear the response of the room when presenters sought interaction or told a joke. For this to feel natural it was essential to turn off audio filtering in Google Meet.
The QSC touchmix has a USB wireless card. I connected to this Wi-Fi network with my iPad for remote control of the mixer.
VIDEO
The video solution was less complex than audio. I used a wide-angle USB webcam on a stand to capture the whole room and positioned this camera so that I could pan it from presenter to audience, depending on who was speaking. I also used a TV as an extended computer display to show the slide deck or the google meet. For the remote audience I was able to share that screen so that any content displayed to the room was also displayed in the Google Meet.
After the meeting one participant told me “I’ve never seen the technology go so smoothly as today at one of these meetings!” - This is the experience we aim to give our clients at LPS!