The 💪🏽Powerful 6️⃣-Step 🥈HYBRID Model Makes USDLA 🪙Treasure

“If you think hybrid is not good, you haven’t seen it done well.” -John Chen with keynoters Dr. Ronnie Melton https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-robbie-melton-36384121/ and Don Mann https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-mann-6b056818b/

😤 Do you think hybrid is too complicated?

💰Do you think hybrid is too expensive?

👀Then you haven’t seen it done well.

✈️ I’m on my flight home from St. Louis.

📢I produced 3 days of general sessions and delivered a 2-hour keynote at the United States Distance Learning Association Conference (https://usdla.org)

😊Here are the best things I heard.

🤯”It’s absolutely genius how you produce hybrid with your setup! – Rick Seely, University of Iowa with 30+ years of broadcast experience

👩🏿”You made my presentation even better! I’m taking you on the road with me!” – Dr. Robbie Melton, Keynote Speaker

🎵”Your music selection for every part of the conference is SPOT ON!” – Pat Cassala, USDLA Executive Director

Click to see the full report – https://www.talkadot.com/s/ceojohnchen/event-report/0d7786b5d6fe477f858e91898264c65d

I developed the 6-step HYBRID model to make hybrid more engaging.

👂🏽Hear

👁️Your View

👨🏽Be the Emcee

🙋🏽‍♂️Rehearsal

👨🏽‍👩🏼‍👧🏼‍👦🏿Inclusive

✏️Design

Here are how I used the 6-steps in the order I used them at the conference.

✏️Design – With every program, I start with the GOAL. The goal of this program was to showcase the best in hybrid design, produce only general sessions and an award show. Rick Seeley provided all the projectors, screen, 2 wireless handheld, 2 wireless headsets, a podium mic and an advanced mixing board.

👂🏽Hear – By using Rick’s advanced mixing board, we gave every speaker a quality microphone and developed a plan for mic runners for any in-person audience. In addition, we made sure that any virtual attendee could be heard loud and clear in the room.

👁️Your View – We gave the virtual audience the best seat in the house. The 2 main cameras were just 20 ft. away from the main stage and gave the bonus that any attendee could clearly see what is being done by the producers. I placed the audience camera on top of the exit sign behind the stage so that the entire room and the back of the speaker could be seen. The last camera was placed on top of a speaker 1/2 way down the room. This is a Pan-Tilt-Zoom Tiny 2 camera and turned out to get a LOT of use during this program.

🙋🏽‍♂️Rehearsal – On setup and rehearsal day, Rick and I spent a lot of time working to get our 2 setups to work together. In the end, I needed to not use my mixing board. In addition, we chased down an audio noise for 2 hours only to find a $4 part was causing the noise and we replaced it with newer equipment. Later in the conference, I trained Rick and John Coleman who provided the WolfVision video switcher on my production system and they were able to successfully produce my 2-hour keynote despite Zoon on my main computer going down in the middle of the session!

👨🏽Be the Emcee – In my world, the producer’s job is to make the speaker look even better. This includes being the emcee at times. I got multiple compliment on my emcee voice in making announcements. In addition, much of my producer work is making decisions such as music to play. Dr. Robbie Melton loved it when she showed the audience how to write a script in AI and I played Cameo’s “Word Up” as the audience did the exercise. As the emcee I created energy and engagement through the entire conference.

👨🏽‍👩🏼‍👧🏼‍👦🏿Inclusive – Amy Bird and TED Talk star Sean Gold https://www.ted.com/talks/sean_gold_the_obstacles_of_disabilities spoke on inclusion in distance learning. Sean Gold has cerebral palsy and a tracheotomy. Sean can’t verbally communicate, he uses a screen reader on a laptop to speak for him. We used bluetooth to connect his laptop to Rick’s sound system so everyone could hear him clearly. In addition, I used that camera on top of the speaker to see him at a table that was easier to sit at than on the stage. I’m proud to be able to produce this type of inclusion in this conference where Sean and Amy had a profound impact on the attendees.

Thank you to Pat Cassella, USDA Executive Director and Valarie Oleinik, USDA Incoming President and everyone who contributed to this conference!

—EXPERIENCE ENGAGING HYBRID!—–

This is my personal invitation to you to see the BEST hybrid of the year.

The Engaging Conference,

Learn the BEST in how to ENGAGE at in-person, hybrid and virtual meetings,

10/1/2024-10/3/2024 In-Person in Seattle, WA and Virtual

Click http://evmconference.eventbrite.com?discount=evmjohn to see the latest information and to register

—AND NOW AVAILABLE – THE ENGAGING HYBRID CERTIFIED PRODUCER TRAINING 10/4/2024-10/6/2024—–

Do YOU want to learn the secrets of how to become a hybrid producer and produce engaging hybrid?

For the FIRST TIME, I will personally teach 3-days in the exact same studio that The Engaging Conference was in so you can learn how to put on the most engaging hybrid’s where ever you are.

Just REPLY for information and an applciation.

—UPCOMING CALENDAR—–

7/22/24-7/24/24 – Jay Abrahams Pinnacle Performance Group

Cleveland OH

John is a member and the Hybrid Producer

https://jayabrahammastermind.com

7/26/24-7/31/24 – Tony Robbin’s Global Youth Leadership Summit

John runs the high-tech team building and is a coach at this program.

https://www.thetonyrobbinsfoundation.org/programs/youth-leadership/tony-robbins-global-youth-leadership-summit

7/29/24-7/30/24 – GBNTC Power of Teamwork

John teaches virtually to Saudi Arabia, Private

8/3/24-8/6/24 – National Speakers Association Influence