Why Every Event Needs a Highlight Reel (And Why We Created One at the 2025 AuScope Conference)

I’m more convinced than ever that every organisation should be documenting their most meaningful moments.

Last week I had a fantastic couple of days MCing the 2025 AuScope Conference in Canberra.

The event was the culmination of many meetings between me and the team.

The team was excited - properly excited - to bring this conference to life. And, like all event organisers, I had the sense some of that excitement was also looking forward to that moment when everything finally comes together and then they can breathe again.

Events are sooooo much work.

There’s a tonne of time and resources that goes into each one.

And with a conference, when you calculate all the resources of the attendees and the organisers to put it all together… well it becomes obvious just how much collective effort, expertise, and energy are invested into creating a single, powerful shared experience.

After hearing some incredible speakers on the first morning, I realised we needed to capture the vibe while it was at its peak.

I brought my gimbal just in case, and promptly put it to work with several quick two-minute interview with the fantastic first day speakers.

The Moment the Camera Comes Out

Putting this highlight reel together, it became even clearer that this wasn’t just a video.

A highlight reel is a storytelling device.

Best yet, it’s memory, distilled.

And sometimes a video like this is one of the most valuable assets you can create from any conference, workshop, or corporate gathering.

It can be used to showcase activities to key stakeholders, such as a board, the public, funding bodies or donors, industry partners, and more.

Because without a video, so much of the real atmosphere of a conference disappears the moment the final session wraps. A highlight reel preserves the spark, the human connection, the excitement, and the purpose of an event in a way no written report ever can.

It captures what it felt like to actually be in the room.

The Hidden Value of a Highlight Reel

Most organisations spend months planning their events, and this was certainly the case with the AuScope Conference.

But at the end of any conference, the energy can fall away quickly.

People leave inspired, yes! But often, the collective momentum can fade within days.

A highlight reel changes that.

It becomes a powerful emotional echo of the event.

And watching the footage back, it was clear the speakers weren’t just sharing isolated insights. They were building a cohesive, energising story about the future of their field.

A Tool for Connection Long After the Event Ends

That emotion is what makes people say, “We should be there next year.”

It’s what gives stakeholders confidence.

It’s what helps teams remember why their work matters.

In my MC work, whether it is a conference, a leadership offsite, or training day, I’ve learned that people want to preserve some of the feeling that they had.

A highlight reel allows people to reconnect.

For the AuScope Conference, the reel could be used as a bridge between the live experience and the ongoing mission of the organisation.

I like to think of a highlight reel as a strategic asset disguised as a feel-good video.

A highlight reel can become:

• A recruitment tool for your next event

• A storytelling piece for your organisation’s achievements

• A way to demonstrate professionalism, culture, and community

And if you need a host who understands both the on-stage energy and the power of capturing it, I’d love to help.

Because the best events don’t just happen. They’re remembered.