Interviews

GreenBiz Studio interviews are pre-recorded interviews between a company executive and a GreenBiz moderator that will be released on the GreenBiz YouTube channel about two weeks after the event. Each GreenBiz Studio recording will be conducted virtually in the 3-4 weeks before the event. These recording sessions will be held for 30 minutes — 3-4 minutes of filming, plus time beforehand to conduct mic checks and agree upon the interview questions in advance of filming, as well as allow for a potential outtake or two. GreenBiz Studio interviews are NOT played during the event. Watch past GreenBiz Studio interviews here.

How to schedule

Your customer success manager will begin outreach to schedule your GreenBiz Studio interview in late-February. In the meantime, please start thinking about which executive will be participating in this interview and complete the interview prep tasks listed below. If you have any questions, please contact your customer success manager.

Interview prep-tasks

Please make sure your executive completes the following tasks in advance of the interview to ensure quality production.

• Questions (IMPORTANT) - If there are any questions that you’d like to answer or avoid, please let your customer success manager know. Otherwise, your GreenBiz moderator will craft their own questions based on your submitted topic idea. Please note we will not be sharing questions in advance as we encourage more natural, less scripted conversations. 

• Software (IMPORTANT) - We will be using Riverside.fm to record the interview. Riverside.fm works best with Google Chrome on a laptop or desktop so please make sure you have access to a laptop or desktop and have downloaded the most updated version of Google Chrome. You should also turn off your VPN if applicable or use a personal laptop/desktop as VPNs are sometimes incompatible with this platform. You can test your connection to Riverside.fm at this link.

• Riverside.fm settings (IMPORTANT) - Please follow these directions when logging into Riverside.fm at the time of the interview.

• Internet (IMPORTANT) - Ensure you have a strong internet connection capable of handling video. Test your internet speed in advance. We strongly encourage you to connect to the internet via an Ethernet (or other hardwired) connection instead of relying on wifi. If your upload speed is less than 7 Mbps, please let your customer success manager know so we can help troubleshoot a solution.

• Backdrop - Consider what is in the shot. Avoid busy backgrounds or a window behind you that would impact your lighting. It is important to have the lighting in front of you, not behind you.

• Ambient noise - Find a quiet spot that will remain quiet during the filming. Turn off ringers and other audible notifications on your computer, your phone and other electronics.

• Audio - Check that your microphone or headset is working and that your audio is clear. Avoid your computer’s mic, as it can come across as muffled and can create an echo sound. If you’re using a wireless headset, make sure it’s fully charged. The best bet is a wired microphone. We recommend this Pro Audio Lav mic.

• Camera - Ensure the camera is at eye level. If you are using a laptop, place it on a stand or a stack of books. 

• Lighting - Use a ring light or lamp with warm light behind or near your camera, so that your face is well lit. 

• Outfit - Avoid wearing clothes with a pattern that could be distracting or that creates lighting illusions. Avoid bright red or white, as well as garments that could rub against your microphone. Neutral, soft blues and brown colors are best. 

• Jewelry - Avoid jewelry that jingles or makes sounds. 

Sidebar interviews are 5-6 minute live interviews between a company executive and a GreenBiz moderator, which are broadcasted live to our livestream audience (10,000 total views expected) during a mainstage program break. Sidebar interviews will also be released on the GreenBiz YouTube channel about two weeks after the event. We ask that interviewees arrive at the Circularity 24 Livestream Hub (at the front, left side of the Great Lakes Ballroom) 20 minutes in advance so that we may get them mic'd up. They should also be available up to 20 minutes after their scheduled interview time in case the livestream schedule is delayed.  No-show appointments may not be able to get rescheduled. Watch past Sidebar interviews here.

How to schedule

Your customer success manager will begin outreach to schedule your sidebar interview in mid-march. In the meantime, please start thinking about which executive will be participating in this interview. If you have any questions, please contact your customer success manager.

Interview prep-tasks

Please make sure your executive completes the following tasks in advance of the interview to ensure quality production.

• Questions (IMPORTANT) - If there are any questions/topics that you’d like to answer or avoid, please let your customer success manager know. Otherwise, your GreenBiz moderator will craft their own questions based on your latest corporate sustainability news. Please note we will not be sharing questions in advance as we encourage more natural, less scripted conversations. 

• Arrival Time (IMPORTANT) - Please note that all Sidebar interviewees must arrive at the Sidebar table at least 20 minutes in advance of the interview as we need time to get you mic’d up and ready for the interview. If you are running late or show up at the exact time of your interview, we will not be able to conduct your interview

• Phone Number (IMPORTANT) - Please make sure you send your customer success manager your cell phone number so that we can contact you onsite if you need help finding the Sidebar table. 

• Jewelry (IMPORTANT) - Avoid jewelry that jingles or makes sounds.

• Outfit - Avoid wearing clothes with a pattern that could be distracting or that creates lighting illusions. Avoid bright red or white, as well as garments that could rub against your microphone. Neutral, soft blues and brown colors are best. 

• Eye Contact - During the interview, we encourage interviewees to look at both the moderator and the camera. Please avoid only looking at the moderator. 

• If both interview types are included in my contract, can the same executive do both interviews? Yes.

• Will you send a calendar invite to our executive with these details? Yes for both types of interviews. Once your executive and GreenBiz moderator are confirmed, your customer success manager will send a calendar invite to you and your executive with details on the interview.

• Will you provide the interview questions in advance? No for both types of interviews as we encourage more natural (less-scripted) conversations. If there are any questions/topics that you’d like to answer or avoid, however, please let your customer success manager know and they will pass them onto your moderator. Otherwise, your GreenBiz moderator will craft their own questions based on your submitted topic idea or latest corporate sustainability news. For GreenBiz studio interviews, there will also be plenty of time to connect and agree upon the questions during the interview recording call in advance of any filming. Common prompts for both types of interviews include:

  • • • What are the most innovative goals/initiatives your company/organization is working on in this space? 

      • What are the biggest challenges you are facing in achieving those goals? 

      • What advice would you give other companies/organizations seeking to address the same challenges you're working on? 

• Can other team members join the GreenBiz studio interview recording call? Yes. They should use the Guest link provided in the calendar invite to join. We recommend having at least one PR/Marketing team member attend to provide live feedback and edit requests.

• Will you be sending the interview recording to our team for review before it's published? No for both types of interviews. For GreenBiz studio interviews, your team will have the opportunity to provide feedback and conduct re-takes during the interview recording call itself. All outtakes will be removed from the recording and what's left will be what's published. Sidebar interviews will include all footage taken during the live interview.

• Will you be promoting the interview? Yes for both types of interviews. Both interviews will be uploaded to our YouTube channel and promoted through a post-event mailer (sent to all attendees two weeks after the event). GreenBiz Studio interviews will also be promoted on our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn). We encourage sponsors to share the interviews with their networks as well.