On 20 February 2025, I had the opportunity to provide Instant-Coverage for the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) at their high-level civil society meeting in Brussels. The event formed part of the European contribution to the UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review 2025 (PBAR), gathering peacebuilding voices from across the continent.
Fast, Relevant, and EngagingFor this event, I produced two short videos of approximately 60 seconds each:

• The first video was released during the coffee break at 12:00, capturing the early energy of the day and featuring voices on why civil society matters in shaping the UN Peacebuilding Architecture.
• The second video followed the closing remarks at 18:00, summarising the key takeaways and highlighting the call for local peacebuilders to be at the centre of implementation efforts.

Both videos were shared by EPLO on LinkedIn and generated strong engagement:

• 📹 First Instant-Video: 57 Likes, 1 Comment, 7 Reposts
• 📹 Second Instant-Video: 50 Likes, 13 Reposts

These results outperformed typical posts from previous years, clearly demonstrating how real-time storytelling increases reach and relevance.

Delivering More Than Just Videos
In addition to the instant clips, I also:

• Delivered a combined recap video the following afternoon (Friday), offering a broader overview of the event. This was then published on Monday, 24 February, helping to maintain post-event visibility.
• Provided 50 professionally edited photographs by the next morning, capturing key moments, speakers, and the collaborative atmosphere.

On 01.02.2025, I attended the Chapter Presidents' Meeting (Kreissprechertreffen) 2025 in Berlin as the chapter president of WJ Konstanz-Hegau, connecting with fellow leaders from JCI Baden-Württemberg and Wirtschaftsjunioren Deutschland. I filmed and edited an Instant-Video about the day to inform my local chapter members on what is happening and the Instant-Video went online the next morning while I was on my train back to Konstanz.
The reactions surprised me as well when it became the most watched video from our Instagram channel as well as the county channel of WJ Baden-Württemberg as well as WJ Germany. 

Click the link here to the Instant-Video on Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/DFkP3f3IdO2/

This once again proves the crucial point of Instant-Videos: If you want maximum visibility, event videos need to go live as soon as possible. The sooner people can relive the experience, the greater the impact. Waiting weeks to publish a recap means missing out on the momentum, the emotions, and the audience’s attention.

Thank you all for the great feedback and response for the video.

Luckily I was fully booked the second half of 2024 and all video updates about past projects like the EU Mission to Senegal, Filming at the Paris Peace Forum with a view on the Eiffel Tower or celebrating my 10th Anniversary in Brussels coming soon here on the blog.

In this sense thank you all for the amazing year and specially my project team from the Communication Facility and close collaboration to create all the videos together. 

From September 2023 to December 2024, I served as Key Expert for videography and photography within the Communication Facility of the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), part of the European External Action Service (EEAS).
This framework contract was implemented by Stantec, where I collaborated with the fantastic project manager Anca Andreescu, who oversaw project coordination with the FPI Communication team. Alongside me was the second Key Expert, Gilles Gasser, a journalist, film director, and communication expert. Gilles and I worked side by side on most missions, ensuring that audiovisual and written storytelling complemented each other seamlessly.

Over the full contract period (11.09.2023 – 08.12.2024), I delivered:

• 45 short videos tailored for social media and institutional channels
• 850+ photographs covering high-level events, panel discussions, and field missions
• Multiple edits and tailored versions to fit diverse audiences and usage needs
• Instant-coverage at selected events, with photo and video content delivered on-site for immediate communication impact

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Among them, several stand out:

• Paris Peace Forum 2023 & 2024 – Capturing EU participation at one of the most visible global peace events. Here, I also provided instant-coverage, with photos and videos edited and shared the same day. One of my photos received more than 8,000 views which was posted during the event at lunch.
  • Instant-Video: https://x.com/EU_FPI/status/1856011527968419916/video/1
  • Instant-Photo: https://x.com/EU_FPI/status/1855941516423741556/photo/1
• Basel Peace Forum – Documenting dialogue on international peacebuilding and innovation: https://x.com/EU_FPI/status/1750604500002336826/video/1
• Mission to Senegal – On-the-ground coverage of border security, gold mining, and women’s empowerment projects, showing the EU’s engagement with local resilience initiatives. Wrap up: https://x.com/EU_FPI/status/1925127727276851380/video/1
• Community of Practice on Peace Mediation (CoP) – Producing event videos that highlighted collaboration between mediators and policymakers. I also created instant videos from the CoP sessions, which achieved significant online reach: 
  • Instant-Video: https://x.com/EU_FPI/status/1848763832082010405/video/1
  • Event Wrap Up: https://x.com/EU_FPI/status/1873640674840523019/video/1

Working as a Key Expert on the FPI Communication Facility has been an invaluable experience. Beyond the technical challenge of delivering 45 videos and hundreds of photos across multiple missions, I gained deeper insight into how EU foreign policy is practiced on the ground. From documenting resilience initiatives in Senegal to covering global dialogue platforms like the Paris and Basel Peace Forums, I learned what it means to stabilise regions in crisis and how much effort and commitment the EU invests in peacebuilding.
This project also taught me how to manage the scale and complexity of a multi-annual framework contract — balancing instant communication needs with long-term storytelling.
The experience continues to shape my work today, leading me to contribute more actively in the field of peacebuilding communication. Follow-up projects such as collaborations with the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and the Instant-Coverage of the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum in 2025 are a direct continuation of this journey.

Special thanks again to Anca, Gilles and Solvita for the fantastic project and great collaboration. 

On 2nd December 2024, I had the privilege of working with the Eugen-Biser-Stiftung and the Bayerische Landesverein für Heimatpflege e.V. to document their incredible conference, "Muslimisch. Bayerisch. Perspektiven auf Heimat." Held in the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home in Nuremberg, this event was all about exploring the idea of "Heimat" (homeland) in a pluralistic society. With voices from politics, culture, and academia—including Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann and Spiegel editor Dunja Ramadan—it was a day full of thought-provoking discussions and inspiring ideas.

From 2023 to 2024, I had the opportunity to serve as Key Expert Videographer for the Effective School Management in the Twin Transition (ESMTT) project, led by the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE). The project focused on how the green and digital transitions are reshaping teachers’ working time and school management across Europe.

As part of this framework, I provided not only video production but also contributed to strategic communication, helping EFEE shape how the project’s policy recommendations were disseminated through audiovisual storytelling. By filming and structuring the content around the recommendations, we ensured that outputs were accessible and engaging for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders.

The project involved:

• Three Peer Learning Activities – Dublin, Larnaca, and Ljubljana – where I documented exchanges of good practice and policy dialogue.
• Final Conference in Brussels – where I delivered instant-coverage, producing photo and video content during the event for immediate use by EFEE.
  • https://youtu.be/iGE4KE-xZ3M?si=R1hqGnfxIX6AI5V3
• Policy Recommendations:
  • Continuous Professional Development
  • Team-Teaching & Co-Teaching
  • School Infrastructure
  • Reorganising School Time

Across these events, I produced both long-form videos that captured the depth of discussions and shorter clips that extended the reach of EFEE’s work across online platforms.

The ESMTT project offered unique insights into how audiovisual storytelling can strengthen European policy dialogue. I learned how to transform technical policy recommendations into compelling narratives, linking them directly to real-life classroom practice and school management challenges.

Working on ESMTT also highlighted the importance of aligning communication with strategic goals: videos were not just documentation, but tools to disseminate policy outcomes effectively across different governance levels: local, national, and European

​Building on this experience, I am currently continuing my role as Key Expert Videographer for EFEE within another multi-annual framework contract, the TeachProgress project (2024–2026). This project further develops the link between audiovisual communication and European education policy, and I look forward to applying the lessons learned from ESMTT to ensure even greater impact.

On 28th November, I had the pleasure of documenting the Final Conference of the Effective School Management in the Twin Transition (ESMTT) project, hosted by the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE). This important initiative addressed how green and digital transitions are reshaping education, offering solutions to support teachers while aligning with the European Green Deal and the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Instant-Video at Its BestTo ensure the event’s message resonated with attendees and beyond, I created a single Instant-Video summarising the day’s key highlights. The video was shown to the audience at the end of the conference, providing a powerful and immediate recap of the event’s most impactful moments.

In addition to the video, I provided photography coverage throughout the conference, capturing:

• Dynamic presentations and panel discussions.
• Engaging moments during networking sessions.
• The vibrant energy of the attendees and speakers.

These visuals are ideal for post-event communication, future reports, and ongoing social media engagement.

Highlights of the ConferenceThe conference featured pivotal discussions and insights, including:

• Research Findings: Identifying 26 barriers to adopting green and digital technologies.
• Policy Recommendations: Emphasising sustainable teaching practices, better time management, and the importance of EU funding.
• Innovative Practices:
  • Jeff the Robot, easing administrative workloads for teachers.
  • Sustainability initiatives at Kinsale Community College in Ireland.
  • Practical solutions for after-hours teaching tasks from HAIS, Greece.

Why Instant-Video MattersBy delivering the video on the same day, EFEE was able to end the conference with a memorable highlight that inspired attendees and reinforced the project’s core message. Combining this with professional photography ensured that the event’s impact was preserved for future communication and engagement.
It was an honour to contribute to this meaningful project and help share its vision of innovation and sustainability in education.

I had the pleasure to capture the AIXCHANGE conference for cyberLAGO - The Digital Competence Network at Lake Constance and produce an Instant-Video that we showed directly at the end of the conference to a surprised audience. 

"And if you're wondering which AI is capable of filming a video on the day of the event, editing it simultaneously, and having it ready to be shown live at the closing session – well, we can't answer that either.But we do know that Patrick Doodt does it brilliantly.
​Thank you for this fantastic highlight reel!"

Click here for the video on LinkedIn.

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I had the pleasure to cover the 10th anniversary of cyberLAGO e.V. - The Digital Competence Network at Lake Constance and cover the event with my Instant-Video and Photography service. As one of the highlights of the event, while the final dinner and networking was in progress, the Aftermovie was edited and shown directly at the end of the event. 

"​Unbelievable: When Andreas Owen and I spoke the closing words on stage at our anniversary celebration, the film for the event was already edited. You have to imagine this: Patrick Doodt comes (alone), films the stage program, takes many great photos of it almost on the side, AND edits the film simultaneously, so it’s finished just before the end of the program. I find that incredible. Great job, dear Patrick, thank you very much!"