MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Qumu, the leading provider of cloud-based Enterprise Video technology, recently assisted the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in virtualizing The 2020 Overnight Walk, an annual fundraising event that brings thousands of supporters together in pursuit of a vital mission—saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. Due to restrictions to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization leveraged Qumu Cloud to pivot its traditionally in-person event to a comprehensive “Virtual Overnight Experience” in just eight weeks.
“Being part of an event like this is a tremendous source of pride for our organization,” said TJ Kennedy, CEO of Qumu. “Not only are we excited to show the world the power and flexibility of our cloud platform, but we are truly honored to be involved as a partner in an event that means so much to so many people across the globe.”
At the recommendation of a long-time Overnight Walk participant, AFSP evaluated and ultimately chose Qumu Cloud to manage and deliver a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, cloud-based Enterprise Video platform for The 2020 Overnight Walk. With a lean staff and no time to learn a complex system, the team was drawn to Qumu Cloud’s intuitive user experience, not only for participants and presenters but also for the event director and producer.
“When we were looking for a virtual event solution, the number one thing was ease of use,” stated Nicole Dolan, Senior Director of the Out of the Darkness Walks. “We had very little time to turn this event around. We also knew we wanted to have a combination of live streaming and pre-recorded content, and wanted participants to be able to interact with one another. All of these features were available from Qumu.”
The virtual event included a live panel discussion on mental health, a virtual honor bead ceremony, a live musical performance by American Idol artist Louis Knight, an interactive mosaic of global participants, and a live a capella group performance. Through a customized event portal, Qumu Cloud functioned as the central gathering space for the Event Weekend’s live, online experience, allowing viewers to participate from any device. Behind the scenes, Qumu Cloud provided delivery of live and on demand video streams—plus recording, storage and management of all content.
“With the virtual experience, I was able to be everywhere and see everything,” added Erin Kenny, Manager of the Out of the Darkness Walks. “It was really amazing to see all the engagement, and how smooth and easy it was to go live and see everyone interacting.”
Overall the virtual event was a huge success, raising $1.6 million in donations with more than 3,300 participants from around the world logging 9,506 activities and walking 24,263 miles while staying connected virtually to AFSP’s entire international community.
Parties interested in giving a gift to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are encouraged to visit the AFSP website and review their gifting options. Those interested in learning more about how to deliver their own virtual event using Qumu Cloud may visit the Qumu website and read the full AFSP case study and associated video overview.
About Qumu Corporation
Qumu (Nasdaq: QUMU) is the leading provider of best-in-class tools to create, manage, secure, distribute and measure the success of live and on-demand video for the enterprise. Backed by the most trusted and experienced team in the industry, the Qumu Cloud platform enables global organizations to drive employee engagement, increase access to video, and modernize the workplace by providing a more efficient and effective way to share knowledge.
