Water Research Commission 5th Symposium

Supporting a National Symposium from Pre-Event Campaigns to Final Conference Content

Overview

The Water Research Commission's 5th Symposium marked the organisation's 50th anniversary and brought together researchers, government leaders, industry experts and policymakers to explore the future of water research in South Africa.

Held under the theme "Future-proofing Water", the three-day symposium focused on water security, climate resilience, sanitation, innovation and sustainable service delivery through plenary sessions, technical presentations, panel discussions and a virtual exhibition.

Rather than producing a single event video, Unbreakable Media partnered with the Water Research Commission throughout the project, creating content before, during and after the symposium. The result was a complete conference communications package that supported delegate engagement, event branding and long-term content value.

The Challenge

The symposium was delivered as a virtual event during a time when many conferences had moved online.

This presented several production challenges.

The organisers needed to keep delegates engaged before the event, maintain a professional visual identity throughout the conference, and deliver polished content despite speakers presenting remotely via Zoom.

The project required much more than conference filming. It involved combining client-supplied footage, live virtual presentations, newly filmed interviews, motion graphics and multiple content formats into a consistent visual experience.

At the same time, daily highlight videos had to be delivered under tight deadlines while the conference was still in progress.

Our Solution

Rather than approaching the symposium as a single production, we supported the entire content journey.

Pre-event Campaign

To build awareness before the symposium, we filmed and edited four speaker interviews for LinkedIn and social media, helping introduce key presenters and generate interest ahead of the event.

We also produced a three-minute Soft Launch video that combined executive interviews, Zoom recordings, birthday messages from staff, archive footage and motion graphics into a polished promotional piece announcing the upcoming symposium.

Motion Graphics & Conference Branding

A significant part of the project involved creating the visual identity used throughout the conference.

We designed and produced:

• Symposium logo animation
• Conference opening sequence
• Technical session opening and closing graphics
• Session announcement videos
• Winner announcement graphics
• Welcome videos
• Event presentation graphics

These assets created a consistent visual experience across the virtual conference and ensured each session maintained the same professional look and feel.

Special Feature Productions

Alongside the conference programme, we created several standalone productions for important milestones within the symposium.

These included:

• 50-Year Water Research Commission Book Launch motion graphics video
• Knowledge Tree Awards promotional video
• MUS Impact of Training documentary
• Nine-minute Memorandum of Understanding documentary

Each production required different storytelling approaches, combining supplied material with animation, graphics, editing and narrative structure.

Conference Coverage

Although the event was hosted virtually, the production requirements remained extensive.

Across the three-day symposium we edited:

• Opening plenaries
• Closing plenaries
• Roundtable discussions
• Technical sessions
• Virtual exhibition content
• Panel discussions
• Daily highlight videos
• Final conference highlight video

In total, more than 30 technical sessions were edited alongside the main conference programme.

Deliverables

Overcoming Tight Deadlines

One of the biggest production challenges came during the conference itself.

Unlike a traditional event where footage can be copied throughout the day, the virtual sessions were recorded remotely and only became available once each session had ended.

This meant editing could only begin after the recordings had been downloaded and transferred.

At the end of each conference day, the production workflow involved travelling from Pretoria to Johannesburg to collect the recorded conference files before returning to begin editing late into the night. Daily highlight videos were then completed and delivered early the following morning, ready for use during the next day's programme.

Despite these compressed turnaround times, every highlight video was delivered on schedule.

The Outcome

The symposium successfully delivered a professional virtual conference experience supported by a comprehensive library of content.

Instead of producing a single event video, the project generated marketing content before the conference, presentation assets during the event and long-term video resources afterwards.

By supporting the symposium across every stage of the project, the Water Research Commission received a complete content package that extended well beyond conference coverage alone.

Planning Your Next Conference?

Whether your event is in-person, virtual or hybrid, Unbreakable Media provides integrated conference content production designed to support your event before, during and long after the final session.

If you're looking for a production partner who understands both the logistics of live events and the long-term value of conference content, we'd love to hear about your next event.

Let's start the conversation.