Conferences, Keynotes, Symposia & Theatre
Zip Captions for Live Events and Conferences
Provide browser-based live captions for conferences, auditorium keynotes, breakout rooms, and theatre shows via stage screens and attendee QR smartphone relays.
Practical Use Cases
Why Event Organizers and Venues Use Zip Captions
Flexible captioning for single breakout rooms, large keynote halls, and live stage productions.
Attendee Smartphone Relay via QR Code
Put a QR code on your door posters or opening slide. Attendees scan it to read live captions on their own phone from any seat, even in wide halls or dim lighting.
Clean Stage Monitor and Projector Display
Run Zip Captions full-screen on a side monitor, confidence screen, or main auditorium projector with customizable fonts and high-contrast colors.
Multi-Language Reading on Personal Devices
International attendees using Google Chrome can turn on free On-Device AI translation to follow keynotes in their preferred language.
Hardware Control with Elgato Stream Deck
AV technicians can use our official Bitfocus Companion module (Zip Captions Companion) to start, pause, and clear captions from a physical Stream Deck.
Instant Session Transcripts for Organizers
Export time-coded SRT/VTT files or plain text (.txt) transcripts right after a panel finishes for post-event recaps and video archives.
Optional Managed Event Production & Surtitles
Need hands-on technical support, multi-room hybrid streaming, or manually cued scripted theatre surtitles? Our team provides custom event services.
Simple Workflow
How Live Event Setup Works
Combine venue screens and mobile QR relays in three steps.
Take a Speech Feed from the Venue Mixer
Connect an aux send containing only podium and stage microphones from the house soundboard into your captioning laptop via a USB sound card or audio interface.
Post Your QR Code at Doors & on Stage
Print our door posters and display the pre-show slide graphic so attendees can connect their phones before the speaker walks on stage.
Run Stage Screens and Stream Overlays Together
Display open captions on your stage monitor while feeding OBS Studio or vMix for remote livestream viewers.
Free Printable Resources
Posters, Signs, Cards, and Checklists
Download ready-to-print PDF files (with a built-in QR code for zipcaptions.app) or use the customizer below to add your own room name and broadcast code before printing.
Venue Door & Registration Desk Poster
Hang outside conference rooms and at registration tables with your session room code and QR code so attendees can connect as they walk in.
Roundtable Tent Card & Badge Insert
Place on conference roundtables or print at smaller scale for attendee badge holders so participants can connect from their seats at any point.
Pre-Show Housekeeping Slide / Sheet
Display on the main room projector during walk-in seating to show attendees how to connect their phones and remind speakers to use microphones during Q&A.
Stage Manager & AV Crew Checklist
A technical pre-show checklist covering post-fader speech aux routing, confidence monitors, QR testing, vMix/OBS links, and Stream Deck buttons.
Zip Captions Available Here Sign
A clean 1-page sign for any door, reception counter, or bulletin board showing that live captions are available on screen and on personal mobile devices.
Customize a Poster with Your Organization Name and Broadcast Code
Pick a sign template, type in your room or organization name and your Zip Captions broadcast room code, and click Print Custom Sign.
Main Keynote Auditorium
Scan for Live Event Captions on Your Phone
Follow today’s keynote, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions in real time from any seat.
How to Follow Live Captions:
- 1Scan the QR code above or open https://zipcaptions.app in your phone browser.
- 2Enter the Conference Room Broadcast Code shown above.
- 3Adjust text size and contrast, or turn on live translation in Google Chrome.
YouTube Video Guides
See Zip Captions in Action
Short step-by-step demonstrations from the official Zip Captions YouTube channel.
Broadcast Captions to Attendee Smartphones
See how a single broadcast code lets conference attendees follow along on their own phones, tablets, and laptops.
Hardware Control with Stream Deck & Companion
How production crews control Zip Captions directly from an Elgato Stream Deck using Bitfocus Companion.
Real-Time Translation for International Conferences
Demonstration of free on-device live caption translation inside Google Chrome.
Trusted by Event Producers and AV Engineers
"Recommended by live production and video switcher engineers looking for low-latency browser feeds to display on live event stage monitors and video switchers."
"It distinguishes itself by its ability to broadcast captions to personal devices, enhancing the accuracy and discretion of live captioning in various settings, including classrooms, places of worship, and conference venues."
Helpful Extensions, Guides, and Services for This Sector
Custom Live Event Captioning & Surtitle Quotes
Request a tailored quote for managed event captioning or scripted theatre surtitles.
In-Person & Hybrid Event Organisation
Full multi-room streaming and technical production by the Zip Solutions team.
Zip Captions Companion (Stream Deck)
Automate live captioning controls from your production switcher desk.
Practical Answers
Frequently Asked Questions: Live Events & Conferences
Can attendees view captions on their phones while we also show captions on a stage screen?
Yes. You can display the main Zip Captions window on a stage projector or side monitor while Broadcast mode simultaneously relays the live text to attendee smartphones.
What is the difference between automated live captions and scripted theatre surtitles?
Automated live captions use speech-to-text for unscripted talks, panels, and Q&A. For scripted plays, musicals, and operas, our Live Event Services team pre-loads your script and manually cues each line to match actors’ exact pacing.
How do we make sure audience questions are captioned during Q&A?
Always pass a handheld microphone to audience members asking questions (or ask the moderator to repeat the question into their podium mic) so the audio reaches the captioning computer.
Can we hire Zip Solutions to manage our conference streaming and live captions?
Yes. Visit our Live Event Quotes page or Events page to request a custom proposal for in-person, virtual, or multi-room hybrid events.
Ready to Use Zip Captions in Your Space?
Launch Zip Captions for free right in your web browser, or get in touch with our team if you have questions about your setup.