Tech Guide
Please provide us with all of your technical & audio visual requests when you send us the final conference schedule one week prior to the conference arrival. We will do our best to accommodate any last minute requests made via office hours but letting us know early on will have a much better chance of success. We will work our hardest to accommodate everything we can!
Streaming Content on the Island
These events are most easily scheduled in Elliott, Lawrance, and Newton West, where wifi is strong, and permanent projectors and screens are available. Please plan to bring your own laptop and dongle/adaptor.
Broadcasting from the island
If broadcasting from the Chapel or Elliott, you may can use the installed webcams, and provide viewers with the YouTube address for watching live. To broadcast events in other locations, choose a space with stronger wifi, plan to set up the event using your own laptop and your own Zoom account. You can also broadcast to another location ON the island for overflow attendance.
Details
Wifi and Internet Connections
Due to our remote location, internet bandwidth on Star Island is limited and cannot be guaranteed. Service has been greatly improved in recent years and wifi is available in most conference meeting locations. Please note that there is no internet service in Parker, Vaughn Cottage, Art Barn, Kiddie Barn, or Louise’s Barn. Some outdoor meeting areas such as Lindquist Deck and the Stone Village have limited service. Please consult with Conference Services if you are planning events that require internet access of any kind in order to confirm and have any conversations about any thoughts or concerns you may have – we’re here to help you!
Laptops
For broadcasting with Zoom, please plan to use your own laptop and adaptors/dongles; however, there is a laptop and assortment of dongles available on Island if you have no other options. Most laptops, incluting the Island Laptop, have a standard webcam available for 1 speaker. Most laptop webcams cannot accommodate multiple speakers at one time. Conference moderators should be chosen in advance for workshops and lecture events. Moderators can be provided a wireless microphone to interact with conference speakers, take questions, and also read questions from the livestream chat. Island Laptop OR personal laptops are recommended to be used indoors, or as close to power as possible, to maximize wifi connectivity, and to minimize cable runs.
If using personal laptops/computers for presentations & events, please plan to bring all the adaptors & dongles for the model of device. Conference Services has an assortment of adaptors/dongles but cannot guarantee compatibility. This will greatly help you and our crews, as we might not have exactly what is needed and we may not be perfectly familiar with your personal devices.
Elliott and Chapel Webcams
Scheduled events can be set up and streamed via YouTube Live to one pre-chosen other location on Island during the time of the event. Please include these events in the final version of your conference schedule – sent to us one week prior to conference arrival. Conference Services will provide links to scheduled events only. No further support available – camera is in fixed position and there is no camera volume control (i.e. no focusing in or out, we can only provide audio changes via the presentation microphones.) Live Streamed events are open to the general public and will be recorded. Note: please let us know in advance if you plan to use recorded music. If you use copyrighted material (i.e. music) in a live stream, google will stop the live stream and put a strike on our account. If we get multiple strikes, our ability to live stream could be suspended for a period of time or even possibly be permanently blocked.
Outdoor and Overflow Seating Arrangements
Outdoor seating with speakers at Chapel are available for outdoor overflow. Conference Services can provide additional outdoor seating on the Front Porch or Front Lawn for scheduled events. It is also possible to schedule a broadcast in Newton OR another predetermined meeting room for events being held in Elliott. This must be arranged when you send us the final conference schedule one week prior to the conference arrival.
Projector Screens
Permanent installation locations: Elliott, Lawrance, Newton West
Portable Screen Locations: Sandpiper, Marshman, Parker, Pink Parlor, Writing Room OR Brookfield
Projections should be scheduled for interior or covered locations knowing that almost complete darkness is required for optimum viewing capabilities.
Please specify events requiring projections in your conference schedule and send them to conference services one week prior to the conference arrival.
TV
A large television screen will be available for outdoor broadcast of events held in Elliott. Conference Services can arrange for setup on the Front Porch or on the lawn in front of the porch. This screen will only be available for use in this capacity in one of these two areas.
Mounted on green palings on the Elliott side of main staircase to allow for event overflow onto front lawn OR TV cart (with shelf for laptop or dvd player) provided for event overflow onto front porch. Both cannot happen at the same time.
Please confirm if TV screen will be needed for events and which location would be preferred in your conference schedules sent in one week prior to arrival on island.
Streaming Conference Events to Off-Island Participants
Conference Services can arrange a YouTube livestream of events held in Elliott or the Chapel. This must be arranged when you send us the final conference schedule one week prior to the conference arrival. Live Streamed events are open to the general public and will be recorded.
There is a text-only chat that accompanies the stream; if you wish to draw questions or comments from the chat, please plan to provide your own moderator and laptop. This moderator should be in the main event hall in order to communicate with the presenter, and should be willing to pass around a wireless mic for questions in the main event hall, as well as read questions from the stream chat. Again, please confirm the need for a moderator microphone in the conference schedule one week prior to arrival on island.
Hosting Off-Island Speakers Via Video Conference
Conference Services can provide access to a Zoom account which will allow for off-island guest speakers to present in Elliott, Lawrance, Newton, or the Chapel. Only one event can be accommodated at a time and these must be arranged when you send us the final conference schedule one week prior to the conference arrival.
Conference Services can work with conference chairs and conference staff to coordinate when the zoom account is being used and where.
Streaming Internet Content for Viewing On-Island
Due to our remote location, internet bandwidth on Star Island is very limited and cannot be guaranteed (i.e. weather can sometimes affect connectivity and it is not always in our favor.) Conference Services can provide access to a special wireless network for planned talks or lectures which may help improve video quality. Streaming video for movie nights or other entertainment purposes may have limited bandwidth. Whenever possible please plan on bringing downloaded video for local playback.