SlidesLive isn’t just about recording events, it’s about preserving knowledge for generations to come. In this interview, ceo and founder Vojta Ciml, shares how the company’s vision, technology, and commitment to quality are redefining event recording and streaming, ensuring that every lecture, presentation, and conference can live far beyond the live experience.
Can you describe, in your own words, what SlidesLive does and what makes it unique compared to other event recording and streaming solutions?
What sets SlidesLive apart is our long-term vision: to record every single conference, lecture, and presentation in the world, to build a library of human knowledge and preserve it for at least the next 1,000 years. This goal drives everything we do. We’re obsessed with making high-quality recording and streaming accessible for everyone.
In the world of events, there is only one shot, one chance to capture the moment. Every recording has to be reliable and top quality. That level of precision and commitment is something we don’t see elsewhere in the industry.
What are the core features of SlidesLive that are most valuable for business event organisers?
I remember one of our large customers telling me that, among many other reasons, the feature that won them over was our commitment to storing recorded content indefinitely. We don’t delete it after three months or lock it behind a lifetime subscription fee. This means our clients can create an archive of their own content library, capturing those amazing speakers and moments, and see how their events evolve over time.
Additionally, we are an end-to-end solution: we record, edit, and host the content for you. This makes us more of a partner than just another vendor or a small piece of the puzzle.
In what ways does SlidesLive help event organisers extend the life and reach of their events beyond the live experience?
Many meeting planners say the next event begins the moment the current one ends, and the same goes for marketing and promotion. The talks delivered at your event are some of your most powerful assets. As Bill Gates famously said, ‘content is king’. Once the live experience is recorded, you are holding gold in your hands.
With SlidesLive, you can repurpose that content in countless ways. Export short social media snippets, offer full sessions to registered attendees only, or publish keynotes publicly to attract new audiences. The choice is yours.
Some organisers worry that recording or streaming will hurt attendance. In reality, we see the opposite. People come for the face-to-face experience, for networking and conversations.
Often, attendees are overwhelmed and cannot make it to every session. Being able to view the content afterward is no longer a luxury. In my view, it should be as standard as offering a coffee break.
Which segments of the business event market are you targeting most aggressively right now (e.g., conferences, exhibitions, corporate meetings)?
We serve a wide range of customers, from private corporate town hall meetings with 30 executives to large-scale annual events with 20,000 attendees. That said, the organisers who benefit most from SlidesLive are those running multiple concurrent tracks and breakout sessions – whether it’s 3, 10, 30, or even 50 at once.
Our Robotic Cameras are a game-changer in these settings. They significantly reduce labour costs, which have become a major concern for many planners as AV and staffing expenses have surged in recent years. Robotic cameras are our answer to that challenge.
How do you address concerns from event organisers about privacy, data ownership, or integration with other event management tools?
Great question. Simply put – you own the data. Period. You’re in control, and we’re here to serve.
It’s up to you whether the content is made public or kept behind a password. We fully comply with European GDPR standards, which are far stricter than most US regulations, so privacy, data safety, and server locations are top priorities for us.
For our many corporate and institutional clients, integration is straightforward. Our API allows easy integration with internal systems, and SlidesLive works smoothly with leading event platforms as well as Learning Management Systems.
What inspired you to start SlidesLive, and how did your early experiences as a student and entrepreneur shape the company’s direction?
When I was studying computer science, lecture recording wasn’t common at all. I remember an inspiring speaker from Google giving a talk on campus. The hall was packed, and many students couldn’t get in. I brought my camera, recorded the lecture, and posted it online. It became surprisingly popular.
That moment sparked something in me. I started asking myself what the world would look like if every lecture and presentation could be recorded and made as accessible as books. At the time, cameras were expensive and bulky, and sharing video online was a nightmare.
But the world has changed. Today, we are standing at the edge of a new information age. That original spark, combined with vision, need, and a lot of hustle, became part of our company’s DNA thanks to our amazing team and culture.
Can you share some of the biggest challenges you faced bringing SlidesLive from Prague to the US market, and what you learned from that process?
I’ll make a small confession. Before we incorporated in Delaware, I had never used a fax machine. Those early days of filings and paperwork were a real pain.
But beyond the logistics, I’ve found that the biggest challenge has always been hiring the right team while preserving the company culture. With the right people, you can overcome just about any obstacle. On the other hand, even one toxic person can damage your reputation and morale.
