While many web and video conference platforms today include the ability for multiple people to collaborate when using webcams, they do not include the high production value or participant virtual engagement that Pando offers.

• For both participants and observers, Pando is more than a virtual meeting; it is a fully produced “event,” with the studio producer actively switching the live video feed from the host/presenter, to the Pando video wall, to split-screen views with remote attendees, to external content. The result is more like participating in and viewing a well-produced cable news broadcast vs. a typical web or video conference.
• Pando allows for a more engaging meeting experience—both for the moderator/host and the participants—as compared with other platforms where the moderator/host is typically sitting behind a laptop in an office or conference room. With Pando, the meeting moderator/host can focus on the meeting and not on his or her computer or software controls.
• Other than a Google Chrome browser and a camera-enabled, internet-connected device, Pando does not require any special hardware or software downloads.
• Pando allows for studio-quality audio and video for the moderator/host. Pando presenters have their audio and video fully controlled by a studio engineer.
• Pando offers one-on-one support for every participant during the onboarding process, confirming audio and video quality and ensuring all technical issues are handled seamlessly.
• Pando supports 144 live video feeds vs. 25 for typical custom-video conferencing rooms.
• Because of the high virtual engagement and collaboration, participants are far less likely to be distracted or to multitask.

Participants see a live studio production that follows the conversation between the in-person moderator and the participants or the participants with each other. Changing camera angles, audio feeds, and lighting all contribute to the Pando meeting experience. Screen views capture speaking participants as well as display the built-in tools and chat feature.

The only equipment required to participate in Pando is a laptop or desktop computer with high-speed internet access, a hardwired (or good Wi-Fi) Internet connection, Google Chrome (recommended), MS Edge, or Safari (Macintosh OS 10.13+) browser, webcam, microphone, and speakers. We also support iPads running iOS 11 or above that are using the Safari browser.

Yes! We are now supporting iPads running iOS 11 or above using the Safari browser.

Pando allows for a maximum of 144 wall participants (depending on location) and up to 5,000 off-wall participants and/or observers. There is no minimum number of wall participants and the video images on the Pando video wall can be resized according to the number of participants.

Wall participants can easily become a presenter by being mic-enabled and shown in a full-screen or split-screen view alongside their slide content.  All slide content must originate from the studio, however, so remote presenters have to send us their slides in advance, and slide advancing is controlled in the studio based on verbal prompts.  Similarly, Pando polls are controlled via the Pando interface, so the studio initiates polling questions as requested by the moderator or remote presenters.

Yes—wall position can be defined in the registration database and then passed over to the Pando studio control room.  Multiple configurations of the wall are possible, allowing for participants to be grouped by geography, area of specialty, organization affiliation, prominence within the participant group, or in virtually any manner desired to optimize the meeting experience.

Yes. Slides and other content feeds—including video—are incorporated in the studio and pushed out as part of the Pando video feed.  Since the studio presenter and wall participants can see the slides directly, participants can comment on them directly or via the Pando text/chat, polling or thumbs-up/down features.  An additional whiteboard feature allows the studio presenter to use a digital pen to create, draw on, and highlight slide content.  Wall participants who wish to share slides or content during a Pando meeting simply must send (email) the content to us in our studio for incorporation into the Pando video feed and meeting.

No restrictions.  Slides are incorporated directly from the studio and pushed out as part of the studio video feed. Whatever content has been built into the presentation will display as intended.

The chat feature within Pando allows for wall participants and off-wall participants to issue comments and questions that can be seen either directly by the moderator/host in the studio or passed through a review/filter process to ensure that only appropriate comments or questions are forwarded to the moderator/host. When appropriate, questions submitted via the chat feature can be routed to our compliance room (adjacent to the studio control room) where the client’s legal or regulatory team members can assess appropriateness before the questions are then fed into the studio and moderator.  This capability ensures compliance with regulatory requirements at all times.

No restrictions.  Slides are incorporated directly from the studio and pushed out as part of the studio video feed. Whatever content has been built into the presentation will display as intended.

Yes. Clients can hold a single meeting with a group of participants (e.g., a 2-hour session), a single meeting divided by a “break” (e.g., a 2-hour morning session followed by a 2-hour afternoon session) or multiple meetings with different participants (e.g, three or four 1-hour meetings with an hour in between each.  (Note that there is a slight upcharge to onboard new participants for each meeting.)  Holding multiple Pando meetings in a studio day optimizes the cost-effectiveness of these meetings, which is even greater in comparison to live meeting costs, while providing clients with the ability to engage/reach more of their customers in a shorter period.

Currently, breakout rooms are available during a Pando day using a simple web-conferencing environment. Our skilled facilitators will seamlessly manage the process while staying available at all times for technical support and facilitation. Our next release of Pando will feature breakout rooms directly within the Pando interface which will further simplify and streamline the process.

While private chat can be handled remotely, it is preferable to have these individuals on site for the most seamless integration with the control room and moderator.

During a show, wall participant responses to polling questions are displayed in aggregate and will be shared as part of the production video feed.  Post-event analytics may include information for each attendee (e.g., region, specialty, other group) if captured during the registration process.  Assuming this information was captured, polling results can be sorted and filtered to generate results/reports for specific groups.

Pando can include multiple studio presenters and/or a live, in-studio audience.  In order to interact with the wall participants, in-studio attendees are “mic’d” with either a lavalier, handheld, or stationary microphone.  The standard Pando set includes seating for 8, but the studio can comfortably accommodate up to 25 live audience members.

Any Issues that arise with wall participants are handled on an individual and case-by-case-basis.  When participants have bandwidth or internet-related issues, we can replace their video feed with a still picture to help free up their internet bandwidth and maintain a positive user experience.  Our dedicated meeting support staff is always on-hand to assist and attempt to resolve user issues and anything that should come up in the studio itself.

While Pando uses standard, secure, web-based protocols including HTTPS and WebRTC to ensure maximum compatibility with minimum issues, firewalls at individual locations could nevertheless be in place that block streaming content. This can be detected ahead of time by running a Pando system check, and/or by connecting the Pando Operations team with the corporate IT department where they will work together to modify the firewall settings. Firewall issues that restrict streaming WebRTC content will need to be addressed by the local IT department, or the participant should plan to attend from an alternate location. Should a firewall prevent an attendee at the last minute from connecting via video, the Pando event support staff will be able to update the registration for that attendee during the onboarding process to allow them to participate “Off-Wall” without video.

While we encourage all wall participants to be on video to participate, we realize there will be times that things will happen beyond the control of the attendee or The Inception Company that may prevent a person from streaming video. Should a participant choose not to stream video or their bandwidth prevents them from sending a high-quality stream, we can replace their video stream with a digital picture, while still allowing the attendee to send and receive audio, text, and polling responses to/from the studio.

Speaker training for Pando typically takes place either the day before the program or a minimum of 1 hour prior to program start time. Training topics include how to identify and communicate with participants on the wall; how to work with the Pando control room; where to stand/look based on camera shots; how to advance slides, initiate polling questions, use the whiteboard, etc.

Yes — on the virtual platform interface, clients can insert header graphics, and set background colors and images.  Inside the studio, client/product logos and branding can be integrated on the video wall, as well as print banners or graphics can be physically displayed in the studio. Standard wall configurations will also be available based on the most common participant counts of 10, 15, 30, 40, and 60. Custom layouts can also be developed based on client need.

Standard event reports include registration vs. attendance, login/out times, text chat logs, polling responses, pre- and post-survey responses, and PIE score.  PIE (Pando Index of Engagement) is a proprietary algorithm that considers all interactions for each participant and generates an indexed score, representing how engaged each participant was for the session in comparison with his or her peers.

Yes—all Pando meetings are video/audio recorded unless a client specifically asks us not to record the Pando meeting.  All recordings are made available to clients for editing and re-purposing, re-broadcasting or posting. The Inception Company can handle all editing needs for an additional fee.

The number of Pando meetings that can be held in a studio day depends on the number of meeting participants and the length of the meeting.  In addition, moderator training, technical setup of the Pandorama video wall, and union-required breaks must be taken into consideration.  But in general, we expect to be able to support up to four, 1-hour Pando meetings in a studio day.  Additional meetings are possible at an incremental cost as a result of paying overtime to the studio crew.

Pando is priced by the full day or the half day. The full day price includes full use of the Pando studio, platform, and crew for 8 contiguous hours. “Preferred Partner” pricing is available for clients who commit to a minimum number of Pando meetings in a calendar year. More details are available upon request. Not included in the above pricing are incidental charges, such as catering, ground transportation or any custom content (video, slides, editing, etc.) or reporting. The half-day Pando includes full use of the Pando studio, platform, and crew. View Details

In comparison to live meetings, Pando meetings deliver tremendous cost savings derived predominantly from avoiding the costly expenses associated with airfare, hotel, meals, ground transportation, and other related travel expenses.  In addition, clients can expect to pay reduced honoraria (if applicable based on meeting type) because of customers likely participating in the meeting for a shorter period of time in comparison to live meetings.  The number of participants in a meeting is a significant factor in the potential cost savings for clients. Also, several efficiencies are realized by clients and participants alike in areas such as meeting planning and time out of office.  In general, clients can expect to save anywhere from 20% -70% when conducting a meeting via Pando when compared to traditional industry meetings that are customarily held in person (e.g., advisory boards, speaker training meetings, etc.)

For the optimal Pando meeting experience, a moderator should be present in the studio to facilitate the meeting and various content elements, and to optimize the overall participant virtual engagement working seamlessly with our Director-led studio control room.

Yes! To date Pando has supported hundreds of group connections from various venues (restaurants, hotels, offices) across the globe. Venue audiences can scale from a small group connected with a laptop, webcam, and microphone in the front of a conference room, to much larger groups that include professional HD cameras and onsite production technicians. Our in-house Audio Visual and Venue Management groups seamlessly work with the Pando Project Management team to integrate all services to create a one-stop shop for our customers.

Yes! The Pando event support team is able to promote any of the up to 5000 off-wall participants to become fully interactive participants in the program using their camera and microphone.