With no end in sight for the quarantine lockdown, The John Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (JHU SAIS) decided to opt for a virtual commencement for their students. They wanted to create an engaging commencement that was special for each student. The right partner would be needed to plan, design, and stream a virtual graduation in just a month's time, and TeamPeople delivered.
The logistics of executing a virtual commencement with personalized content for 679 students on a tight timeline required close coordination with the SAIS team. With the implementation of new pandemic safety measures in all parts of the production process, TeamPeople's videographer met with the SAIS Dean and Commencement Speaker at the John Hopkins University DC-campus to record the ceremony's main segments.
To ensure that families around the world had full access to the live stream, TeamPeople's Streaming Engineer partnered with the SAIS IT-team to determine the best streaming platform for each country. Three separate platforms were selected and utilized for streaming to 60 countries including China, which has a security block on most streaming solutions. As the first of its kind, a multitude of analytics were collected and recorded.
Through a collection of university-branded videos, the team created an engaging presentation that delivered an emotional commencement speech with a vignette of the school's history. Photos and videos were collected from the students and incorporated into the ceremony along with personalized messaging for the student's achievements, plans for future endeavors, and unique highlights were displayed as their name was announced.
“There are just no words! It’s been an outpouring of gratitude and amazing feedback from our commencement. I appreciate your guidance, support, and willingness to adjust throughout the process.
I felt very confident in the team’s ability and choosing TeamPeople was the key decision for its overall success. You all have truly helped me set a new standard for SAIS Events.”
Brittani M. Director of Communications, JHU SAIS
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