A PURPOSE-built studio has been launched in York where virtual and hybrid events can be held.

The National Railway Museum has created the space, which comes with high-tech equipment, to enable event organisers to hold their virtual conference, small meeting or training session and broadcast it seamlessly to an online audience.

Designed to safeguard against social distancing guidelines and take the stress out of organising remote events from home, the studio allows for a minimal number of presenters onsite, while two dedicated technicians take care of the rest.

High-definition screens and branding opportunities in the space deliver a polished event experience while allowing an online audience to attend remotely, from the comfort of home or from a meeting room within the museum as part of a hybrid event.

A state-of-the-art camera set-up also allows event hosts to move freely around the space for a more natural and comfortable presenting style, with guidance provided by the onsite team to ensure attendees can smoothly navigate the software.

Clients will be able to reach larger audiences by combining live broadcasts, pre-recorded sessions and on-demand content. Conference content could remain live for days, months or even years after the event is finished.

Helen Beresford-Boyse, sales and marketing manager at the NRM, said: We’re pleased to be able to launch this dedicated studio space within the museum to help businesses continue to deliver engaging events to wider teams and audiences. Virtual and hybrid events have become the ‘new normal’ when it comes to bringing teams together, delivering training or sharing content, and we hope our new studio will help take some of the stress out of managing these events.”

The entire Science Museum Group, which encompasses the NRM, the Science Museum in London, the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, National Science and Media Museum in Bradford and Locomotion in Shildon, now offer broadcasting capabilities to accommodate and manage virtual and hybrid events.

Events can be live streamed simultaneously across any of the sites.