On The Runs BLOG | GOTR Sneaker Soirée

Welcome to our first ever BLOG! Moving forward we hope to do more of these from you, our PodFam, where you're the writer. But I thought I would get this kicked off by telling you about last weeks Sneaker Soirée that you have all heard about on the pod leading up to the event over the past month. You knew what I was there for and trying to capture, so why don't I share my experience on here for you.

Fun fact about this blog. I actually recorded it on Riverside and then shaped it into the written BLOG. For all our Patreon members, you can find the full audio version of this BLOG in Patreon for you. Okay, now here we go...

Girls on the Run New Hampshire 25th Anniversary Sneaker Soiree

A live event rarely goes exactly as planned. At the Girls on the Run New Hampshire 25th anniversary sneaker soirée, our original idea for a fireside chat had to change once we saw the venue setup. But the evening still gave us useful footage, plenty of short-form content, and a clearer plan for producing events in the future.

The experience was a reminder: when the room changes your plan, stay flexible and focus on what you can still create.

The Original Plan

The idea was to record a fireside chat with Jennifer Hubble, executive director of Girls on the Run New Hampshire, and three former participants. We wanted to capture the conversation, then share it as a full-length video and a set of shorter clips.

We arrived early with microphones, stands, cables, a camera, and time to test the setup. We had also rehearsed the sound equipment in advance. Even so, a missing microphone stand, borrowed gear, and shorter-than-ideal cables meant we were already relying on a bit of flexibility. Then we saw the stage.

Making the best of a different setup.

We had imagined four chairs arranged for a conversational chat. The venue had planned for Jennifer to stand at a podium while the three guests sat in a line. The stage was smaller than expected, and the venue team didn’t want the podium moved.

Rather than push for the original setup, we adjusted. The venue’s layout would still let us capture the conversation, and accepting the change took pressure off the production.

That’s a useful lesson for event recording: the goal isn’t to force the room to match your first idea. It’s to understand what’s possible, work with the people running the venue, and make sure you still leave with something useful.

Capture the event—not just the interview

With the original setup off the table, we shifted our approach. I recorded portions of the event, including remarks from Jennifer, a talk from Kelly Ayotte, and the conversation with the former participants. I also filmed short vertical clips around the room: the sneakers, guests chatting, the photo area, and moments on stage.

Those quick clips can help tell the story of an event in a different way from a long interview. They show the atmosphere and community, and they can be edited into short social videos.

One event can create several assets:

• A longer video of the main conversation

• Short vertical clips for social platforms

• Horizontal video for other publishing formats

• Photos and behind-the-scenes footage

• Follow-up content for a newsletter or blog

Thinking about those formats before the event helps you capture more than a single recording.

Sponsorship value goes beyond direct sales

The evening also got me thinking about how organizations measure sponsorships. It’s tempting to judge a sponsorship only by asking whether someone bought a product directly because of it. But visibility and association matter, too.

A sponsor’s logo might appear on event materials, photos, social posts, or video clips. Those images can be shared repeatedly, putting the brand in front of people in the context of a community event. That exposure may be difficult to measure precisely, but it can still be valuable.

For event organizers and content creators, this makes the content package important. A recording alone may be useful; a recording plus shareable clips and branded assets can give an organization more ways to keep the event’s story going.

What we’d do differently next time

The event gave us a practical list of improvements for future productions:

1. Confirm the venue setup earlier. Get clear details about the stage, podium, seating, power, and camera positions before event day.

2. Raise the camera. Our camera position was low enough that people walking through the room could sometimes obstruct the view.

3. Consider wireless microphones. A wireless setup could reduce visible cabling and make it easier to adapt to the room.

4. Plan more than one layout. Having a backup arrangement makes it easier to respond when the preferred setup isn’t possible.

5. Think about the content after the event. Plan to capture moments that can become clips, posts, and other useful assets—not just the main conversation.

A changed plan can still be a successful event

The evening didn’t follow our original production plan, but we still came away with footage, short-form content, and lessons we can put to work next time. Most importantly, it showed how much value can come from staying calm and adapting when the setup changes.

For anyone planning to record a fundraiser, interview, or community event, it’s worth thinking beyond the day itself. Capture the conversation, pay attention to the atmosphere, and plan how the footage could be used afterward. A single event can become content that continues to support the organization long after the room has emptied.

Thank you again, Jen and the entire GOTR staff for allowing me the opportunity to attend your event and my appetite to capture the event with my eye and creative ideas. Thank you Darren for showing me your ways, hope we get to work together more in the future soon too.

I hope you all enjoyed the first ever On The Runs BLOG. I hope to do more of these and maybe even have Six Star Erika write a few. We would also love for you, our PodFam to participate too. If you're interested in writing a mini BLOG series around your training for a race like the Boston Marathon, a big Ultra or something you think our listeners / readers would enjoy let us know.

-Don't Fear The Code Brown

Check out this photo of two guys who got a bunch of double takes at the event LOL