“Bits & Pretzels” Networking Week 2020, Munich

Since 2014, entrepreneurs, investors and young businesspeople from the start-up scene have met during the Oktoberfest at the "Bits & Pretzels" conference in Munich to talk about trends and innovations. The internationally renowned speakers – whose presentations are a source of great inspiration – and the event’s pronounced networking character have made "Bits & Pretzels" Europe’s largest start-up festival. The famous Munich Bierfest was one of the many events cancelled due to corona in 2020, and so the festival organisers also decided to revamp their concept, with a virtual “Networking Week” being held instead of the usual three-day conference.

We have been in charge of implementing the technical set-up since 2015 and were also involved from the word go in planning the new digital format, whereby we were responsible for generating the live pictures for the show and transferring the streaming signals. The organisers’ decision to choose “München Hoch5” as the central location for the studios – where the livestreams were recorded and transmitted – was a further positive aspect: we are the location’s service partner and have already realised numerous events.

Up to six hours of programme were produced and broadcast live every day, sequentially and without breaks, from three different studio set-ups – all of them installed in the "Freiraum", the location’s main event space. The "Rooftop Bar" of "München Hoch5" was used for numerous interviews – some of them recorded in advance – which were integrated into the broadcasts. The location also provided sufficient space for the organisation team as well as for make-up and catering, which all had to be properly integrated. Furthermore, we developed and implemented a hygiene concept for the entire event. The concept included a one-way system, for example, to ensure compliance with social distancing rules; the equipment – microphones for instance – was continuously disinfected (and this fact logged for the authorities); the catering tent was set up on the terrace, which was also done in the interest of hygiene.

We designed and implemented the entire lighting, audio and video systems for the sophisticated live broadcasts with many varied programme items, for which the video director planned numerous camera cuts, video link-ups and video clips during the programme.

Lighting

• professional camera-compatible lighting of participants in the respective studios and outdoor areas
• general lighting for various moods in the studio (including decorative elements)
• show light for band to provide a late-night character

Audio

• broadcast audio for moderation with 12 transmission lines
• broadcast audio for 12 simultaneous live video link-ups (incl. talk-back matrix)
• broadcast audio for band and media players
• synchronisation of audio and video
• sophisticated command system for the director's team (incl. production management, camera team and the corresponding operators at the control desk)

Video

• pre-recordings and their video editing. These were shown during the broadcast or could be viewed later on the platform
• display of up to 12 live link-ups, films and presentations
• vision mixing with creative camera cuts for a broadcast-standard programme
• customised playing of content on the background screens of the three studios
• elaborate and complex signal routing for showing preview displays for moderators on the stage
• 3 fully equipped camera systems incl. teleprompter
• remote camera plus camera with remote wireless connections for outdoor link-ups