Some companies in our industry have embraced this opportunity, not only as a way to keep working and bring in much-needed revenue, but also because of the possibility that – after having tried it and enjoyed it – more people may want more virtual events in the future.
However, ‘simply’ taking your event online is not simple. While planning and running an in-person event and a virtual one have many parallels, there are also many differences. We spoke to some of the companies in this space, to get their advice on hosting successful virtual events. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Embrace technology… and professionalism
Herkie du Preez, an event wizard at the full-service event production company Event Wizards, emphasizes the importance of being technically savvy to pull off an online event. He recommends you “upskill your digital knowledge immediately” and surround yourself with a team of people who understand the medium.
“Upskill your digital knowledge immediately.”
He adds that it is critical that you do everything professionally; “Don’t attempt to do an online event recording with your mobile phone! That is unless you are one of the brave ones to host an online event during lockdown and you only have your phone. In this case, consult your production team for tips and advice on recording.”
- Video production team
- Technical team
- Digital marketing strategist
- Digital event platform team
- Script writer
- Entertainment such as a great MC
- Wi-Fi Supplier
- Digital designer
Megan Willson, the CEO and Creative Director of Degrees Production House, reiterates this advice when she says, “You need to have a deep understanding of the technology you’re using (such as knowing the difference between web vs satellite), and make sure you partner with highly qualified and trusted suppliers who know exactly what they are doing.”
2. Choose your format wisely
Just as you would with an in-person event, you need to give some thought to the objectives of your virtual event when deciding what format to use. For example, will a webinar meet your needs, or should you consider a live stream event or a pre-recorded video?
For example, if the main purpose of an event is to share information, he would recommend an event webpage or a mobile event app that allows attendees to access the agenda (including main sessions and breakaway sessions), watch, listen to and comment on the sessions, download any supporting documentation that has been provided, and connect with other guests attending (through the attendee list), all directly from their devices.
“It admittedly becomes difficult when ideally attendees would walk around and experience products. But you can get creative and, for example, send samples to confirmed attendees beforehand, or look at adopting some Virtual Reality tools.”
Alternatively, if the purpose of the event is to showcase products, then virtual booths can be used where exhibitors are listed with their profiles and products, all within an app for people to browse and connect with.
He adds, “It admittedly becomes difficult when ideally attendees would walk around and experience products. But you can get creative and, for example, send samples to confirmed attendees beforehand, or look at adopting some Virtual Reality tools.”
3. Engage, engage, engage
One of the biggest challenges of online events is how to keep your attendees’ attention.
“A lot of time and planning will have to go into engagement strategies,” admits du Preez. “This is because your audience is one click away from distractions – thus the reason a digital marketing expert will come in handy.”
Have amazing content: Willson says, “If you have presenters boring people to death with PowerPoint presentations, your audience will be, well, bored – in the room or on their laptops. If the content is exceptional, people will stay engaged. Think of TED Talks, and Apple and Samsung online launches, which are all wildly popular. Everything is in the production of the visual elements, and the more compelling the content the higher the audience engagement.”
“Everything needs to be tailored for that viewing experience.”
She adds that you need to always bear in mind that your attendees will be viewing your event from a laptop or other device, and therefore “everything needs to be tailored for that viewing experience”.
Shorter is better: “Keep the content clean, precise, impactful and SHORT. Brevity is always the key. This applies in the live and broadcast environments – but on-screen, waffle is exaggerated,” says Willson.
“Brevity is always the key… on-screen, waffle is exaggerated.”
Prioritise engagement: Nancy Settle-Murphy from Guided Insights was recently on a webinar called ‘Welcoming the Virtual Attendee’, where she highlighted these simple steps to create an environment that supports engagement:
- Define the desired engagement.
- Ask for engagement.
- Make space for engagement.
- Acknowledge contributions.
- Use what you receive.
Incentivize engagement: “Another way to ensure lower distractions is by incentivizing attendees to stay tuned in and engaged either through rewards, achievements or unlocking/gamifying the experience through live quizzes and more,” says Lysko. “There are many ideas and ways we can go about capturing attendees’ attention, it’s up to us to just think creatively about each scenario.”
What about networking?
Probably the biggest challenge with virtual events is how to facilitate networking. Everyone agrees that face-to-face is far better for this, so finding a workable online solution can be tough.
There are tools available for this. For example, Bench Events held the Hospitality Tomorrow virtual conference on 07 April, and their platform had a networking option that randomly paired two attendees together to chat online for three minutes. The abruptness of the exchange may feel a little strange at first, but it is an efficient way to meet lots of people, and it likely gets easier to do the more you do it.
Lysko also advises you encourage attendees to complete their profiles, and include a photo. This can have a big impact in how attractive an attendee’s information is for others who are looking for people to connect with.
He adds that in the future, people will likely have the necessary hardware for a fully immersive experience, which will make this aspect of virtual events a little easier.
