From large-scale festivals to corporate town halls, Sheffield-based production company Stream7 is making waves in the world of hybrid and virtual events. Emily Woods, Business Development & Marketing Manager, shared insights into the company’s journey and how they are staying ahead in a rapidly evolving industry.
Can you tell us about Stream7’s journey? How has the business grown and evolved over the years?
The business is 11 years old, and I’ve been with it for about nine months. We originally focused on streaming and broadcasting, but now we offer full-scale production and content creation – we even build bespoke studios for events!
The real turning point was definitely during COVID. Everyone leaned more towards online working, and during that time, the business delivered a huge number of virtual events. From there, hybrid events followed.
We specialise in hybrid and virtual events, but we operate on a sliding scale – from small-scale gatherings to massive festivals, we can do it all.
We’re growing at a steady, organic rate. Last year, we took on three new team members, bringing us to a team of eight, and we now have around 100 freelancers who work with us regularly.
This year, we’re set to achieve our biggest turnover yet. We also expanded our premises last year – our warehouse is now bigger and packed with kit, and we have a brand-new office space, which I’m sat in right now.
What sets Stream7 apart in such a competitive industry?
We know we’re a premium offering, but that’s exactly what sets us apart. Our directors are great at growing the business carefully, without trying to do too much too soon. They invest in time, equipment and staff, ensuring Stream7 is both a great place to work and a great team for our clients to work with.
Our clients expect the best, and that’s exactly what we deliver. We invest in the latest technology, ensuring we’re always ahead of the curve with cutting-edge equipment and expertise. But what really sets us apart is our team.We’ve built a longstanding, highly skilled team that clients love working with – and that’s why they keep coming back.
We have a high client retention rate, and I believe that’s down to the amazing team we have. Many of our team members have been with us for years, creating a strong, reliable foundation for every project. We create a positive working environment, and that commitment to our people shines through in the quality of our work and the lasting relationships we build.
What innovations have helped you stay ahead of the curve, and what new technologies are you particularly excited about?
In our world, it can be something as simple as a high-spec camera.
We recently bought the UK’s first Tricaster Vizion – a next-gen live production system. Now, I’m not very technical, but the team is very excited about it – and it was very expensive!
This allows us to work in 4K, with more inputs and outputs. If we’re on-site and a client asks, “Can we just do this?”, we can say yes without any issues. We don’t have to rewire everything – it does it all. We can broadcast a festival without any problems.
You emphasise working in partnership with your clients – what does that look like in practice?
Sometimes we get a last-minute call from a client needing us urgently, but that’s not how we like to work. The best approach is to be involved from start to finish.
As soon as a client starts planning their event, we want to be part of the process right through to the end. We treat every event as if it were our own.
Everyone on our team has an events background. I used to organise events, and the guys have worked on concerts and festivals – we’re an experienced team. We know what it’s like to be in an event organiser’s shoes, and we understand how stressful it can be.
We ensure the virtual, hybrid or production element doesn’t add to that stress. Often, people don’t fully understand how these elements work, and last-minute changes can cause major issues. We take care of all that.
Are there any standout events that showcase what Stream7 is about?
We’re lucky to work with a wide range of clients across different sectors.
A great example is last year’s Greenbelt Festival. For the first time, we created a hybrid stage – no easy feat at a festival, especially in the middle of a storm!
Despite the conditions, it worked brilliantly, and they’re planning to scale it up this year. I have photos of our team under umbrellas, plugging in wires!
Hybrid events like this are cost-effective. For example, rather than flying in speakers from the US, we brought them in remotely while still maintaining the festival atmosphere. It was the best of both worlds.
I used to organise events, and the guys have worked on concerts and festivals – we’re an experienced team. We know what it’s like to be in an event organiser’s shoes, and we understand how stressful it can be.
What exactly is a hybrid stage?
A hybrid stage allows people to watch an event both in-person and online. It also enables speakers to join remotely, making it fully interactive.
For example, we regularly produce town hall events for large corporate clients. One event has 500 people in the room but 5,000 watching online.
For businesses, this means massive cost savings – less travel, smaller venues and lower expenses – all while maintaining audience engagement.
We make these events as interactive as possible, with two-way links, live Q&As, and real-time participation. It’s the best of both worlds.
What trends are shaping the future of event production, and how is Stream7 staying ahead?
Three things:
AI – Everyone is talking about it, and we’re already using it in-house and with clients. AI-powered tools like live translation are making events smoother and more cost-effective.
Technology – We stay ahead by constantly investing in the latest equipment and training our team to use it.
Hybrid events – It’s estimated that 50% of all events will be hybrid this year, with the market projected to reach $404 billion dollars by 2027. It’s an exciting time to be in this industry.
How important is it for Stream7 to be involved in the South Yorkshire community?
A lot of of our work is outside Sheffield, including London and overseas – the team was in Argentina and Kenya last year! However, although we work globally, supporting the local community is really important to us.
We sponsor a rugby club and work closely with Sheffield Children’s Hospital – it’s a cause close to our hearts. Last year, we sponsored a snowflake for the first time.
We’re also a gold sponsor of Get Up to Speed with STEM, one of the North’s biggest STEM events. We’ve built bespoke studios at Magna and let young people try out cameras and editing. This year, we’re adding a big stage with a live feed.
It’s all about showing young people that this is an exciting career – one where they can travel the world, use cutting-edge tech and be part of something amazing.
On that note of looking ahead, what’s next for Stream7?
We’re growing our team this year and taking on apprentices for the first time, which is exciting. Many of our production team are young, so it’ll be great for them to mentor new talent.
We have a saying: “Learn one, do one, teach one.” It’s simple but effective.
We’re also working on some major projects with big companies – but unfortunately, we can’t say more just yet. Watch this space…
For more information, head over to www.stream7.co.uk.
