BIG ENOUGH TO DELIVER, SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE

ALUMNUS IN DE KIJKER

From an online corporate event to the live capture of a festival or sports match. Arthur Stockman provides professional livestreaming at an attractive price. With his start-up Broadkastr, he managed to conquer a place in a hyper-competitive media market in a short time. Who is this passionate engineer-entrepreneur and what is his formula for success?

The global pandemic has boosted video conferencing, webinars, live capture, and online communication in general. “Even as normalcy recovers, demand for livestreaming remains high,” says Arthur. “Companies and event planners have discovered its cost-effectiveness and are reluctant to turn back the clock.”

Business plan

Arthur graduated with a master's degree in Engineering Science from KU Leuven in 2021 and immediately enrolled in the postgraduate Tech Innovations in Ventures & Teams (TechInVenT). There, future engineering entrepreneurs are prepared to start up their own companies based on a well-thought-out business plan. Unlike his fellow students, Arthur had already completed this entire process. As of September 2021, his start-up was operational, and he had already successfully carried out audiovisual assignments for major clients including KU Leuven. Nevertheless, he considers attending the postgraduate course a good choice. “It gave me the opportunity to fine-tune my business. In terms of financial management, I still had something to learn, and the coaching also meant added value for a fledgling entrepreneur like me.”

Startup Trip

Arthur discovered his aptitude for entrepreneurship at Academics for Technology (AFT), a non-profit organisation that introduces students to technology and entrepreneurship. In 2019, he was selected along with 30 other high potentials for the Student Startup Trip to Singapore, good for a week of total immersion in the local and international business world. “After this unique experience, my mind was made up. My calling was entrepreneurship and running my own business”.

Such was Arthur's enthusiasm that the following year he organised the next edition of the Student Startup Trip with destination New York. Back in Leuven, he was promptly elected president of AFT. When he wanted to take up this task, COVID paralysed the country and planned workshops, master classes and other events had to be cancelled or replaced by online alternatives. 'Crises are challenges,' Arthur thought and launched himself into livestreaming the events on the agenda. A year later, he started his media company.

Arthur Stockman

© Filip Van Loock

Mobile

In less than a year, the start-up realised thirty-five productions for about as many clients. Arthur attributes this rapid breakthrough to one strong asset: “We care. We put maximum effort into service and think proactively with the customers about how best to meet their questions and needs. We have designed our livestream set-up to be fully mobile and flexible. By combining static, mobile, and robotic cameras we can ensure maximum capture and variety. Via intercom, the camera team is in permanent communication with the director so that the right image appears at the right time. Afterwards, we provide the client with not only a fully edited recording, but also the individual images to reuse at will.”

Innovation

As a high-tech company in a rapidly evolving market, Broadkastr will have to keep investing in innovation of its products and services. Arthur is already making plenty of plans to automate cameras and realise remote productions. This can save the company and the client a lot of costs but, on the other hand, requires more preparation work. On site or remotely, Arthur wants to stay true to his motto: 'Big enough to deliver, small enough to care'.

www.broadkastr.be

Yves Persoons