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Insights on events, technology, and the future of gathering
Quick answer: Canapii partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to build and launch its virtual event platform in record time during the pandemic. AWS Media Services power the platform’s live streaming, real-time translation and multilingual captioning, enabling Canapii to run more than five simultaneous live streams in different languages for an audience of 6,000 at its first event.
Partnership: Canapii built its entire platform infrastructure on the AWS cloud
Key services: AWS Media Services power live streaming, translation and multilingual captioning
Scale: more than five simultaneous live streams in different languages to an audience of 6,000
Debut: powered HP’s first-ever all-virtual global HP Reinvent Virtual Experience, with 7,000 participants
Reach: used by over 10,000 organizations, with more than 45,000 users on the platform
For virtual and hybrid event technology developer Canapii, necessity truly proved the mother of invention. As the global pandemic upended the events industry, organizers were forced to pivot quickly to a virtual format - and even though digital event platforms were gaining popularity before the pandemic, going fully virtual exposed the lack of an intuitive virtual event engagement tool. Recognizing this void, the Canapii team envisioned the Event Management Console and the Virtual ‘Arena’ Platform, and with help from AWS cloud-based technology brought its event management software to market in record time.
“The first time I realized that our industry was in for a major shakeup, I was on a flight headed to a board meeting. I thought this may be the last time I travel for business, and then the implications of what that would mean for our industry hit me. As we began talking at the meeting, we quickly came to the consensus that doing nothing wasn’t an option,” shared Gemma Edwards, co-founder of Canapii. “The pandemic gave us that push to take a leap and build a new business that could help solve a big problem. We had the right technology experience to carry out our vision but needed a solution to help us deliver engaging live and on-demand video to a range of platforms and in a variety of languages, which is where
AWS Media Services form the building blocks of Canapii’s live streaming capabilities, while the platform’s entire infrastructure runs on the AWS cloud. In the early stages of development, the team identified accommodating multiple languages and time zones as one of the biggest challenges. Working closely with the AWS team, Canapii’s developers and architects quickly figured out how to scale - ultimately facilitating more than five simultaneous live streams in different languages to an audience of 6,000 for their first event.
“The world is a big place, and we knew that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t cut it. Between customers, we see a lot of requests for concurrent Japanese, Mandarin and Korean translations, and thankfully AWS tools are truly global and scalable,” explained Edwards. “They’ve helped us really push the limits of translation and multilingual captioning to make it feel as though it’s part of the event.”
The result is an interactive, multilingual, fully integrated virtual event management console and platform with a familiar video conferencing aesthetic and an interface that allows for custom branding. Events run on Canapii combine live-streamed content with real-time multilingual captioning and polling, Q&A and more.
“After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we’ve been able to deliver a solution that offers event participants a seamless journey, whether fully virtual or hybrid, and at the same time one that establishes a sense of community,” shared Edwards. “Customers are also drawn to the fact there are no limits to the number of meetings or participants. Unlike platforms where you pay per meeting or video, Canapii is designed to provide organizers with all of the tools needed to run an event without multiple, costly add-ons.”
Canapii formally debuted in 2020, powering HP’s first-ever all-virtual global HP Reinvent Virtual Experience. The event drew an audience of 7,000 participants from all corners of the globe. “The events industry, like many others, has seen so many changes in the last year that have challenged us to think outside the box,” shared Edwards. “Our goal with Canapii is to help event organizers get more compelling global events online with less friction, allowing them to focus less on the technology and logistics, and more on growing their audience and business.”
Today, Canapii is used by over 10,000 organizations and has more than 45,000 users on its platform. By supporting event organizers worldwide, Canapii facilitates connections and drives engagement through its digital tools and solutions, which cater to all types of events - and AWS has been instrumental throughout. “Not only is Canapii’s entire infrastructure built on the cloud platform, but AWS Media Services also form the building blocks of our tool’s live streaming capabilities - providing the security, reliability and high-quality video that our customers and their audiences demand,” expressed Edwards.
Canapii needed a solution to deliver engaging live and on-demand video to a range of platforms in a variety of languages. AWS Media Services met that need, and AWS’s global, scalable tools helped Canapii bring its platform to market in record time.
Canapii’s entire infrastructure is built on the AWS cloud, and AWS Media Services form the building blocks of its live streaming capabilities - providing the security, reliability and high-quality video that event audiences demand.
Canapii powered HP’s first-ever all-virtual global HP Reinvent Virtual Experience, which drew 7,000 participants from around the world.
No. Unlike platforms where you pay per meeting or video, Canapii is designed to give organizers all the tools needed to run an event without multiple, costly add-ons - with no limits on the number of meetings or participants.
Want to see what a platform built on AWS can do for your next virtual or hybrid event? Get in touch with the Canapii team for a demo.