Step by Step Guide to EventStream

EventStream is an add-on feature that will provide the ability to broadcast a live stream in real-time, run a live auction virtually, and allow bidders to chat during the event. Logged-in bidders can watch the live stream while they continue bidding on silent auction items or use the donate feature to participate during a Fund-a-Need. Also included is a 'Filter on Bidders', and 'Filter on Tables' feature so the Live Stream can be rehearsed and only seen by select bidders.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Step-by-Step Live Auction
• Different ways to broadcast EventStream
• Manage your EventStream
• How do we get the bids in for the bidders at the event?
• Edit a winning bidder
• Re-Open an auction item
• Automatic Adjusting Closing Times
• The Bidder's Experience 
• EventStream screenshot on different devices
• Chat feature
• How do I know who watched my Stream?

Step by Step Live Auction

• To get started- Make sure you have the Full Suite license through ClickBid. 
• Navigate to Items > Manage Items, click 'Add Item', change the 'Item Type' to Live, and change 'Allow EventStream Bids?' to Yes. Change your 'Closing Time' to the same date and time as your other items' closing time. Select the Starting bid and Bid Increment that you will be using for the Live auction. These necessary fields to edit are highlighted below:
• The Launch Butler EventStream page will order your items numerically. List the items in the number order you want to see them show up on the EventStream page.

• Once you are finished setting up this item it should have an "EventStream" tag shown on the Manage Items page.

• Go to Event Central > Live Broadcast, select either Public, Filter on Tables, or Filter on Bidders. If you are doing a dry run, enter the bidder numbers you want to see your live stream separated by a comma under 'Filter on Bidders', then click anywhere outside the content box to save the list. *do not include spaces between commas* EX: 9,14,99,105. 
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• If you have groups of guests you want to show your video to without typing in a long list of bidders, you can assign these bidders a table under Bidders > Manage Bidders > Table column.
  
  
• Under Event Central > Live Broadcast, click Filter on Tables. Then enter the table names separated by a comma that you want to show the stream to, Click anywhere outside the content box to save the list.
   
  

Different ways to broadcast EventStream

• Web Browser: This option will require that you use your laptop webcam to broadcast your feed. Click 'Open Broadcaster' and a new window will appear that asks you to click 'Start'. This will immediately start your stream
  
  
  
• OBS Software: If you want to use OBS software, you'll need to download it to your computer. With this option, you have the flexibility to use a separate camera or production company. The settings provided on the page will guide you in setting up your OBS to stream directly to your ClickBid bidding site.
  
• Zoom Meeting: This option allows you to use Zoom for your broadcast. 
  
  *Note- You must have a Zoom Pro Account to use the ClickBid streaming setting within Zoom.*
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Manage your EventStream

• Go to Event Central > Live Broadcast > Launch Butler EventStream. This is the control room for your live auction. You can start the bidding, see who is bidding, lower or raise the minimum bid, submit an In Person Bid, and sell the item.

• From the Butler EventStream page, you will also find 'Confidence Display'. This is what you will send to your auctioneer to view the item bid history. This page does not have the ability to start and sell items. Only viewing the bid and donation history as live bids come in.
• Find the section 'Unsold Live Items', select the item you want to sell. Once you select the item, the 'Bid Live' button will appear on the bidding site and allows bidders to click and view the item you are about to auction. Click the ‘start’ button when you are ready to start accepting bids from the bidding site.
• Bidders will only be able to bid on this item between the time you click 'Start' and 'Sell'.
• As bids come in you will see them highlighted in the 'Bids' section of the EventStream window. You will always see the updated current and next bid amounts.
  
  

  How do we get the bids in for the bidders at the event?

  When under the Butler EventStream page, click on the unsold live item you are ready to open up bidding for. You will see an "In Person Bid" button to use when someone in the room raises their paddle. 
  
  
   
• When you click the "In Person Bid" button the system recognizes this as a bid and raises the Next Bid amount accordingly. This creates a "Place Holder" bid with bidder number 474747 that captures the bids and raises the Next Bid amount. All of the floor bids are recorded under the one bidder number. We recommend having a spotter during the live auction writing down the winning bidder's number and the item they won so the winning bid can be updated if needed. Do this by clicking the person and pencil icon next to the bid
• Assign a volunteer to enter placeholder bids as the auctioneer calls them out, this ensures that everyone has a fair chance at winning the item.
• If you enter an invalid bidder number in the floor bid field and try to submit, we will notify you that this bidder number does not exist and the bid will not be placed.
• When you want to sell the item click the Sell button, this will stop the bids. Click on the next item under "Unsold Live Items" to continue the bidding on your next item.

   

Edit a winning bidder

• The current winning bidder can be edited by clicking the person/pencil icon next to their name.
• This can be done as many times as needed and at any time the icon appears.
• Once the item has been paid, a 'dollar' icon will appear instead and the winning bidder can no longer be edited and no bids can be removed on this item.
  
   

Re-Open an auction item

• In rare cases, you may need to re-open a Live auction item. Click on 'Sold Live Items' and select the item you want to open back up. Then click "Start" again to open the bidding back up.

Automatic Adjusting Closing Times

• We made an update recently to adjust closing times automatically based on when the auctioneer clicks the 'Start', 'Sell', and 'Re Open' buttons. This was designed to keep the live auction items from closing in the middle of the event if the live auction runs over the original closing time.
• Start - This will not move the closing time of the item
• Sell - This moves the closing time to between 5-10 mins from the time the Sell button is pushed giving the winner of the item a chance to check the item out before the rest of the auction closes.
• Re-Open - This will push the item closing time back out 30 mins giving the auctioneer more time to sell the item.
  
  

The Bidder's Experience 

• Bidders will see a 'Bid Live' button. When you start the stream the video will pop up at the top of the page and start playing automatically. The 'Stop' button gives the bidder the option to close the stream. When they click 'Stop', the button will change to say 'Live' so they can re-open the stream.
  
• When bidders click the 'Bid Live' button and the item is not open yet, the popup window will say "This item is not currently accepting bids". When the admin clicks 'Start' and the bidders click 'Bid Live' they will see a popup window that says 'Bid Now!' with the amount to bid. 

The Bidder will also be able to view any descriptions, exceptions, and images associated with this item at this time.  

EventStream screenshot on different devices

You will see several messages that tell bidders if they are winning, were outbid, or if they won the item.

 

Chat feature

• Purchase the Mass Messaging feature under Software Settings > Account Status, process and finish changes.
• Activate your chat feature by going to Bidders > Chat Bidders > 'Show Bidding Chat' - Yes.
• Bidders will see an 'Open Chat' button appear on their site, when they click on this they can chat with anyone on the bidding site.
• Delete Chatsby going to Bidders > Chat Bidders, log in using your moderator credentials.
  
• After you log in, you will see a trash can next to each chat entry.
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How do I know who watched my Stream?

• Under Reports> EventStream Watched, you can pull a report that shows you who watched your stream, and how long they watched it.
• Guests must be logged in for their "Watched" history to be present on the report. If you embed your video to the Landing Page for guests to view without being logged in, the report will not capture those views.