Events at Marsio: Instructions for Organisers 

Planning

Marsio events aim to promote Aalto University's research, arts and activities to a wider audience outside the university community, and a wider audience can be reached through high quality live streaming and event recordings. Due to the technical complexity of the system, all events in Marsio require on-site technicians to operate the AV tech during your event and rehearsals.

Marsio event spaces are best adapted for open events that welcome also walk-in guests. Events at Marsio often engage partners, either as participants or co-organisers. For internal, closed events, we encourage event organisers to primarily use other venues on campus.

Contact Marsio's event curator via the form on aalto.fi pages or via email. The curator will prepare the offer based on your event requirements and coordinate the production of the event with Aalto Studios and Marsio's lobby team.

Remember to check the Events Library pages, where you can find tips, guidelines, and templates that can help you plan and prepare for the production of your event.

Production

Overview:

1. Submit the offer request the latest 4 weeks before the event through the form or email. Include all the technical details that will help us prepare the offer.
2. After accepting the offer start preparing for your event and read through the instructions that we provide you.
3. Send us the program draft as soon as possible and agree on the timing of rehearsals and event day.
4. Consider if your event needs extra cleaning before/after the event. Reach out to the cleaning services via eSupport
5. If you need catering agree on it with the catering company in advance.
6. Prepare the key list (you can find the draft on this page) and all materials. Notify us in advance if you want to use Marsio brand visuals (e.g. lower third graphics for the stream, screensaver when guests arrive, etc.)
7. Forward the key list and all materials to our email a minimum of 3 working days before the rehearsals. Check the instructions and make sure that the materials are named the same way as in the key list.
8. At rehearsals test all the materials, review the key list, and all practicalities. It's great if speakers and performers can join rehearsals. Last-minute changes are not possible.
9. Arrive at the agreed time on the event day and brief all speakers/performers about the schedule and program.

In addition to your program plan, we will need a script and a key list. You can download a key list template HERE. You can find an example of how the keylist should look like HERE. Most importantly please consider all the pauses and changes in the stage set-up, not only the speakers as in where they stand, but what happens in between. How do the speakers or panelists enter the stage and how do they leave? During the event, all this should happen very smoothly. Please book time for this in the technical rehearsal before the event. Please send you key-list and all materials at least 3 working days before the scheduled technical rehearsal.

Based on your event's technical requirements, the event curator will ensure that you are provided with enough technicians for your event. Technicians will take care of all onsite and online AV tech, but cannot help with setup changes and/or act as stage managers. The responsibility matrix can be found HERE. In case, you need help with set-up changes and technical stage manager during your event, please discuss that with the event curator early on, as that is a part of an additional service.

Add a disclaimer on your event pages and/or invitation that the event will be filmed and that you are releasing recordings or other material of the event afterwards.

In case you need to play background music or any music under a license please consult Teosto for rights and prices. In case you stream via Youtube please be aware that the stream might stop when playing music under a license. Please also make sure that you and your speakers have full copyright to all images and videos shown during the event.

We will provide you with an unlisted Youtube streaming link on Aalto University's channel, which you can embed on your own website. If you wish to stream the event on a different streaming platform, please let us know early on.

All streaming assets and materials should be sent beforehand. Ideally use Google Drive and make sure that everyone with the link can access the files. Please, make sure that the names of the files match the naming you used in your key-list.

Visuals

We can provide you with some assets made by the Aalto brand team for the stage. The assets that are currently available are:

• A Marsio themed animation for when people are entering the space before the stream begins.
• Lower third graphics for names and titles in the stream. Titles used in lower-third graphics should be simple and not be too long.
• Stream placeholder images (e.g. "Stream starting soon", "Programme continues at...")
•  

We are preparing pre-event marketing templates with Marsio visuals that will be available later in Autumn 2024.

In case you want to produce all these or other assets to fit your event identity please consult us beforehand to ensure they are delivered in the right file format. We need all materials as H264, mp4 or mov and static images in PNG format. We cannot accept PDFs and PowerPoint presentations for event visuals, event logos, etc, when displayed on the screen(s) directly from the system. Videos should be exported with a bitrate of at least 50000 kbps and have 50 frames per second to ensure smooth playback.

What will the speakers look like in the stream?

We normally edit live with different image sizes and bring the presentation to full screen for the stream viewers when needed.

If the presentation is image-driven we can edit from different angles and the layout is not needed.
If you want the audience to see different elements at the same time we recommend a custom layout.

Available Audio-Visual technology

Marsio event spaces are equipped with top-of-the-line AV tech. Setup can be tailored according to the needs. Specification of the setup will be considered before we send you the offer.

More information about AV tech can be found on Aalto Studios pages:

• Stage
• Event Studio
• Cinema

Space setup

You can find more information about Marsio spaces and capacity here.

Setups can be changed based on your event needs.

In the building, we have the following furniture that can be used:

• 200 chairs
• 15 tall tables
• 4 dining tables with 26 bar stools
• 2 movable walls

Additional furniture should be ordered at the organisers' expense. Changing the setup of the space to anything different than the basic setup has to be agreed in advance and the costs of building/takedown are covered by the organisers.

Rehearsals

Every event in Marsio should have a rehearsal day to avoid unpleasant surprises during the day of the event.

Before the rehearsal, we need the call sheet, list of names, and titles for the graphics and the presentations that contain video or audio for testing. Please share those with the event curator beforehand.

Ensure that everything is tested during the rehearsals and that each change between speakers is carefully thought through. If there are any changes make sure you keep the call sheet up-to-date.

Please communicate early on to your speakers that the stage is not a regular auditorium or a lecture hall. And share the instructions for speakers with them.