Specialized Event Configuration
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      1. EventBuilder Software Knowledge Base
      2. Advanced Event Configurations
      3. Specialized Event Configuration

      Managing Very Large Events

      Choosing the right technology, making sure your presenter is comfortable using the chosen technology, and moderation best practices are a few things to keep in mind when planning and building large events.

      There are several considerations when hosting and producing events with large audiences.

      Choosing the Right Tech

      The beginning of event planning starts with choosing the right online venue for your needs and goals. For large events, EventBuilder Streaming and Teams Live Events are both options, however, there are some important differences to note between the two: 

      EventBuilder Streaming

      (Suite subscribers only) Our Streaming Console is a great choice for bigger events when you want to combine the familiar Teams presentation environment with a larger group of Attendees. EventBuilder Streaming features to consider when deciding on your venue:

      • Live capacity of approx. 2,500 Attendees
      • Recommended for events with 100 to 3,000 Registrants.
      • Presenters stream content from the familiar Teams environment.
      • Comprehensive Event and Attendee data collection/reporting.
      • One-click entry - Attendees click on a URL provided in their Registration Confirmation and are delivered to the browser-based, no-download viewing console.
      • Integrated Attendee engagement tools such as hand raise, Q&A, and real-time polling.
      • Security controls, including Allowlist/Denylist, validation question/promo code, and email verification.
      • Cloud-hosted event recordings.
      • Event duration up to 18 hours.

      Teams Live Events

      Microsoft Teams feature, Teams Live Events, is an appropriate choice for broadcasting to a very large audience in a one-to-many communication format - ideal for events with limited Attendee engagement such as a product launch. Some Teams Live Events features: 


      • Scale up to 20,000 attendees (through June 30, 2023)
      • Some data gathering and reporting tools available.
      • Split-screen presenter webcam/presentation content view.
      • Q&A panel and moderated chat.
      • Limited security options.
      • Multi-step process to access event.
      • Event duration up to 16 hours per broadcast (through June 30, 2023).

      If the anticipated number of attendees exceeds EventBuilder Streaming's recommended capacity, Teams Live Events is an appropriate choice.

      Capacity Considerations

      When using EventBuilder Streaming for larger events, be advised that overage fees may occur:

      • Normal usage is limited to 3,000 Registrants per Organizer per month.
      • Additional capacity can be purchased.
      • If the average number of registrants per Organizer for any month is between 3,001 and 10,000 registrants per Organizer, $50 for each 1,000 additional registrants will be charged.
      • If the average number of registrants per Organizer for any month is more than 10,001 registrants per Organizer, $0.15 per additional registrant will be charged.

      Changing to Teams Live Events

      If you build your event to use our Streaming Console but find your Registrations exceed 3,000, EventBuilder recommends switching to Teams Live Events. 

      Organizers can reconfigure their event build for Teams Live Events with no impact to Registrants up to two (2) hours prior to the start of the event. For guidance making the switch, contact care@eventbuilder.com. 

      Engagement, Event Moderation, and Reporting

      EventBuilder Streaming

      The EventBuilder Streaming Console offers multiple options for audience engagement and resource sharing. Available tools include:

      • Raised Hand.

      • Sentiment (thumbs up or down).

      • Messages/Chat.

      • Attendee polling with real-time results.

      • Attendees can download Announcements and Q&A for later reference (.txt file format).

      • Files/Event materials can be made available for Attendee download.

      Recorded Events can be viewed by Attendees via same registration link as the live event. 

      The in-event data collected is retained and available to create reports, including a Registrant Report, Messages Summary Report, and Attendance data.

      Teams Live Events

      Teams Live Events offers some limited engagement tools, including:

      • Moderated Q&A panel - an attendee submits a question and a moderator. approves/publishes to make it viewable to the larger audience.
      • Attendance and Q&A reports only.
      • Event recording options available.

      Accessibility Considerations

      EventBuilder's Streaming Console is Attendee-side WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant, including audio alerts for messages, recommended screen contrast, and offers a live captioning option to add on a per-event basis. (Additional charge incurred.) 

      Teams Live Events offers accessibility features including auto captioning. See Microsoft for more information on Teams and Accessibility.

      Need help choosing?

      Our blog post, Teams, Teams Live Events, or EventBuilder Streaming? can give you a deeper dive into the process of deciding based on goals, event size, and need.