As social distancing protocols took effect in early 2020, Special Olympics faced a critical challenge: how to maintain momentum with major donor prospects when in-person meetings were no longer safe. They came to edgefactory needing a solution that could deliver the same impact and production value remotely that their donors expected from live presentations.
We designed and executed a complete virtual broadcast solution for their donor prospect pitches, running 4-5 sessions with approximately 100 attendees each. The challenge was significant. Speakers were scattered across different locations, broadcasting from home offices with varying equipment quality, and most prospects had never experienced a professional virtual event at this scale.
Our approach centered on creating a cohesive broadcast graphics package that elevated the entire experience. We developed animated lower thirds, full-screen motion graphics, a dynamic meeting opener, and storytelling elements that guided viewers through the presentation. Animated picture-in-picture windows kept multiple speakers visible without creating visual clutter, while strategically timed CTAs were woven seamlessly into the script flow.
The technical backbone was vMix, which proved essential for several reasons: remote guests could join without downloading specialized software, we could layer multiple graphics with precise triggering, and the platform gave us creative flexibility to adjust placement and design elements in real-time throughout each session. At this early stage of the pandemic, this level of virtual production was still relatively uncommon, and the result felt polished and intentional rather than makeshift.
Special Olympics not only exceeded their fundraising goals but established a new template for their virtual events moving forward, proving that remote engagement could match, and in some ways enhance, traditional in-person experiences.
