The Emerging Impact of the Coronavirus Outbreak on Live Events and Streaming
February 28, 2020
Photo: TikTok/Douyin via Business Insider
Live streaming has always been a powerful tool for creatives and businesses looking to connect with their audience, reduce travel costs and lower their overall carbon footprint. However, during a time of global crisis such as the recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the importance of a robust streaming solution is cast into even greater focus for industries worldwide. As we watch this story unfold in real time, with months of cancellations across the Asia-Pacific region and instability in the markets, we’re not only seeing an increase in streaming interest and activity, but clever and innovative uses of the resources available – bursts of creativity from companies and individuals attempting to cope when direct contact becomes impossible.
The live broadcast of “China, We Are With You” was a first for Fashion Week and attracted over 16 million live viewers on Tencent Video.
In Milan, Fashion Week this year opened with a tribute event to China in collaboration with Tencent and Chinese designer Han Wen. The unprecedented live stream titled “China, We Are With You” was the first in Fashion Week history, featuring over 30 brands of runway shows for the Chinese audience and designers unable to attend (Jing Daily). The production was a quick pivot for Camera Della Moda (National Chamber of Italian Fashion) and event organizers, and its success allowed for brands such as Gucci to garner over 16 million live views on Tencent Video in advance of store and product rollouts for the Chinese market later this year (WWD). Chinese retailers have been utilizing streaming platforms in turn to reach their customers and maintain sales engagement, creating a boom in live activity this month on Alibaba’s Taobao Live (Inside Retail Asia).
Bilibili’s ‘bullet comment’ overlay adds a unique sense of social interaction for Chinese users attending the Stay at Home Strawberry Concert Series, streamed live on the service from February 4-8.
Across the Chinese mainland, strict “stay at home” rules are currently being enforced by local governments and live venues of all sizes remain closed until further notice. While there have been no live concerts in the country since late January, Hyperalleric reports that bedroom live music festivals have become a hit online, as venues, labels and artists across all genres make the best of a bad situation. Customized DJ sets and indie showcases provide artists and clubs a chance to bring their communities together in fresh ways. Streams are promoted by the clubs and broadcasted on streaming platforms like Kuaishou, a popular app for short videos, and Douyin, branded as TikTok outside of China (Business Insider). Another platform of choice is Bilibili, which allows for comments to fly across the screen full of inside jokes, memes and commentary alongside the performances. With performances streamed daily including publicly sourced remixes and replays of past events, these events and virtual festivals have become a source of revenue and engagement for the creative teams involved and a welcome outlet for expression for their isolated fans.
The cancellation of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain casts a shadow over the trade show industry in early 2020. (Photo: Matthias Oesterle/Corbis via Getty Images)
Industry trade shows and the local businesses that support them have also been heavily impacted by the outbreak, with more than 24 exhibitions and conferences worldwide facing cancellation or postponement as of February 26 (CNBC). The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Facebook’s upcoming Global Marketing Summit in San Francisco, and Sony’s participation in PAX 2020 in Boston are among the recent announcements, as companies take a cautious approach across Europe and North America to protect their global work force regardless of reported cases (MarketWatch).
At Revent we’ll be monitoring this important story in the coming weeks and months, its impact on the global streaming and live event landscape and the innovative solutions from businesses and individuals that transpire. For more information on how Revent can help your business prepare for the future, devise a cohesive plan and support your in-person and live streaming events, contact us today for a free consultation.