Move over Hamlet, there's a new question going around town: To live stream or not to live stream? If your company is deciding whether or not to offer a live stream of your next conference or event, consider the benefits of doing so before making your final decision.

1. Reach audiences you normally wouldn’t have access to
Live streaming your event gives you the potential of reaching hundreds of thousands of additional viewers. While it’s important to have interested people physically present in the room, there are always others who wish to attend but can’t due to schedule conflicts, location restraints, etc. By offering a live stream, you have the power of delivering the event conveniently to their computer screens, iPads and other viewing devices.

-When Intelligence Squared U.S. hosted a debate on vegetarianism, 450 people attended the debate and more than 40,000 watched it live online.
-The 2014 WIRED business conference had 375 in-person attendees while 160,000 viewers were added to their audience via live streaming.

2. Increase social media activity
While it’s possible that those physically attending your event can share quotes, photos and updates via social media, those watching the live stream have the ability to share the content without having to interrupt their viewing experience. FORA.tv’s Twitter approved video delivery means that with just one click, the viewer can embed the video to their Twitter feed and share it with their followers instantly, therefore expanding your event’s reach even further.

3. Encourage conversation among viewers
When people are viewing the live stream in the comfort of their home or office, they can discuss the content as it’s happening by taking advantage of our chat widget feature. With this feature, offsite viewers can converse with other like-minded individuals on the same screen that is hosting the live stream, a perk that those in attendance don’t have.

4. Increase potential revenue
There are multiple ways you can substantially increase revenue from your event, one of which is by charging pay-per-view access. While free live streams have the potential of generating more views, charging access can increase your bottom line. Offering a live stream also increases the amount of exposure sponsors and underwriters can receive.

Learn more on fora.tv/services or check out our "8 Quick Tips to Successfully Live Stream Your Event" blog.

Looking to get started with live streaming your event? Check out our "Guide to Professionally Live Stream Events: The Basics to Best Practices" for information for marketing novices to seasoned event organizers, to help plan and execute a successful a live video production.