CoNZealand, the 2020 World Science Fiction Convention, goes entirely virtual with RTS VLink

14/09/2020

CoNZealand, the 2020 World Science Fiction Convention, goes entirely virtual with RTS VLink posted: 14/09/2020

Five-day event in Wellington, New Zealand converted to fully virtual convention due to COVID-19 and travel bans

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to go global, the organizers of CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, scheduled for late July in Wellington, New Zealand, were searching for an alternative to cancellation. Division Head for Technology Services, John Maizels, was already assembling a suite of publicly available tools like Zoom video and Discord chat rooms. But to stage a full virtual convention, they had to find a way to manage it with a globally distributed tech team.

The key to operating as a team when you can't see anybody is good communications, says Maizels. That meant finding an effective virtual intercom system. Looking at its flexibility and especially the fact that there is no limit to the number of users, VLink quickly became a critical element of the project.

Maizels, a freelance broadcast engineer based in Sydney, Australia, consulted with Magna Systems & Engineering (Chatswood, NSW), which was already heavily involved in virtualized broadcast events. When John asked about RTS VLink, we could confirm it was the best online intercom on the market, says Lucas B hm, product manager at Magna Group Australia. It's perfect for global applications because it's platform agnostic and infinitely scalable. It's a very powerful tool.

All-volunteer technology team used RTS VLink as global intercom, coordinating control and monitoring of hundreds of program events via a virtual Mission Control

Maizels, a freelance broadcast engineer based in Sydney, Australia, consulted with Magna Systems & Engineering (Chatswood, NSW), which was already heavily involved in virtualized broadcast events. When John asked about RTS VLink, we could confirm it was the best online intercom on the market, says Lucas B hm, product manager at Magna Group Australia. It's perfect for global applications because it's platform agnostic and infinitely scalable. It's a very powerful tool.

RTS and CoNZealand agreed on a 30-seat VLink license. With it, Maizels developed a new concept called Mission Control, a virtual control room. Key elements included RTS VLink for backstage and production intercoms, along with a virtual production switcher called vMix. Both were located in an Amazon Web Services cloud, operating independently of all the public-facing events.

With its similarity to RTS digital matrix systems, Maizels learned the VLink basics quickly. He loved the software's inclusive connectivity, working equally well on phones, tablets or desktops, regardless of operating system. It felt familiar, yet had a lot of its own advantages, he says. I was extremely impressed at how seamlessly VLink could link literally hundreds of users around the world, most of them unfamiliar with pro intercoms. But VLink is so intuitive, people picked up on it very quickly.

Participants across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand attended in real time over multiple video, audio, and chat streams

During prime hours, virtual CoNZealand ran 15 to 20 program events at all times, simultaneously preparing the next hour's schedule. In addition to panel discussions and presentations via Zoom, there were also virtualized renditions of the exhibit hall, art show, fan tables, parties, bars and cafes - all monitored via VLink.

Another challenge was presenting the traditional major events. These included the opening and closing ceremonies; Masquerade; and two award shows including the Hugo Awards, hosted live by author George R.R. Martin from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

RTS VLink was a key element in Hugo Awards preproduction. Using point-to-point mode, IFB audio for the far-flung participants could be transmitted directly from a VLink panel. Hugo rehearsals really highlighted the flexibility of VLink. And I must say, it worked beautifully, he reports.

Overall, the virtualized CoNZealand delivered an immersive 5-day experience, thanks to the creative planning and commitment of its all-volunteer global Tech Team. John Maizels credits RTS VLink as a critical tool in making it a success.

We asked VLink to do two primary things. First, run Mission Control, then support the broadcast process, explains Maizels. I'm pleased to report that VLink did everything we needed it to. I would definitely use it again.

LINK:	https://www.live-production.tv/news/cultural-events/conzealand-2020-wo...
	See more stories from liveproduction

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture 18 March, 2026 Media releases New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026