There are a great many advantages to virtual events. Those potential delegates who find it challenging to travel for various reasons and are short on time, or cannot cover travel costs to attend an in-person event, are all more likely to jump at the chance of attending an online event. Holding your expo or conference online can increase reach.
However, there are some potential pitfalls, too.
While attracting large numbers of people to your virtual event may be easier, keeping them there and your events fully involved can be more challenging.
Screen fatigue is a possibility. The ease of leaving an online event is problematic, and it only takes a few clicks to go. The challenge is engaging and entertaining, connecting your delegates, and creating a real buzz, just as you want for an in-person event.
So, how do you adapt to planning for online events? How can you maximize engagement?
As always, good planning and preparation are essential. Following the five steps below from industry leaders in virtual events will give you a head start.
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Opt for shorter, faster-paced events
As with all events, your content needs to be utterly compelling. Of course, you should be lining up the very best keynote speakers, your content should be topical and valuable to your audience, and your event presentation should be lively and exciting. Industry-leading speakers who present insightful content will be as crucial as ever.
However, shorter and snappier content suits an online audience to prevent the drain of screen fatigue.
Concentrating on a screen for a long time is tiring. Therefore, create content in bite-size chunks to cope with shorter attention spans and build plenty of opportunities for delegates to take short breaks.
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Provide multiple options for interaction
Building as many possible opportunities for interaction and conversation is crucial.
Just consider all the ways delegates would interact at an in-person event. These will need to be replicated online, and that means creating opportunities for informal and casual interaction is just as important as organizing formal presentations and organized workshops.
Here’s an idea of how you could create multiple opportunities for formal and informal discussions in groups of all sizes.
- Speakers present their topic live in the event summit room. However, the conversation is not all one-way. Delegates can offer opinions and ask questions through a chat facility, and speakers can use live polls and quizzes to engage and interact with their audience. Online participants can even be invited to come up ‘on-stage’ using their camera and microphone. Delegates can also be provided with timely downloadable additional take-home content during presentations and workshops.
- Workshops and seminars are essential for every event but are particularly crucial online. Delegates will be itching to share expertise and get insightful opinions from their peers. Build-in extra opportunities for discussion by maximizing sessions like this.
- Designated networking areas and virtual lounges can be created. Participants can browse the badge info of others present and choose who to start discussions with. Named topic ‘tables’ for small group discussion can be set up by delegates keen to engage with colleagues. Self-service presentation tools can be provided to maximize the impact of these informal discussions.
- Enable one-to-one conversations through video calls and direct messaging. Participants can mark and display their availability for private exchanges, and they can arrange meetings with peers at a time that suits them or start spontaneous discussions.
You can see that these opportunities combined provide delegates with opportunities to interact with all other participants and speakers with varying degrees of formality. This is how everyone gets the chance to participate in the way they choose. Delegates can curate their own event experience, fuelling maximum possible participation and engagement.
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Build-in flexibility and personalization
As well as being able to personalize their agenda, there are other ways to give your delegates as much ownership of their event as possible.
Personalization can be built into every aspect of your event. Start with a few things like their event badge, where they can add their info, and choose wherever you can.
One helpful feature of good virtual events is that all key content can be consumed live or on-demand. Attendees should be able to playback content, and Rewatching then becomes a possibility. Offer delegates the best possible value by allowing them to recap on key messages, go over a difficult concept or watch a relevant video at a time of day that best suits them.
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Make sure your event is on-trend
Likely, your online event will not be the only one each of your delegates attends this year. Now they have become so popular, and your attendees will be coming to your event with a wealth of experience of virtual events in general.
Expectations will be high, so your event needs to match and ideally be better than they previously experienced.
Start with an interface with visual solid branding.
Nobody wants to look at a dull and drab screen all day. The look of your event is essential for setting the right tone from the get-go.
Learning more about what are exciting event audiences is also a wise move. What has proved popular and engaging this year in other virtual events?
Here are a few examples of on-trend event experiences right now.
- Live entertainment has often been an element of live events, providing a much-needed break and reward for hard-working delegates, as well as providing an icebreaker for participant conversations. Lots of organizations are translating this experience into their virtual events.
- Gamification of events provides delegates with lots of rewards for interaction. They can amass points to exchange for prizes, just as they might in a video game. This is a proven method for increasing online engagement.
- Integrate on- and offline experiences by providing your participants with physical gifts, just as you would if they were coming in person. Mail out your rewards in advance to give a warm welcome and help foster a sense of event community that people will ‘pay back’ through increased participation.
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Pick your platform carefully
Choosing the right platform can be a make-or-break moment. You are looking for key elements, like usability and customizability.
Your chosen platform must be user-friendly and avoid all the typical pain points. Look for an easy setup process for attendees and a simple log-in procedure. Go for a tried and tested platform you know will provide a smooth and seamless experience.
Finally, your chosen platform must be customizable so that it can enable all the features of an engaging event that we’ve discussed above:
- A fast-paced, attractively packaged, on-trend event.
- There are a wide variety of opportunities for networking and discussion in groups of varying sizes and at various levels of formality.
- Plenty of scope for personalization for both organizers and attendees.
These fundamental elements are what will make your virtual event stand out for all the right reasons, providing a highly engaging and memorable experience for all.
