Even as things start to slowly inch back to normal, we are still seeing a lot of clients interested in virtual events. We’ve learned over the last year that online events have some advantages over in-person conferences. Sure, you don’t have that face-to-face personal connection, but you also don’t have geographical boundaries, time constraints, or lack of access to prevent some people in your core audience from attending. Whether you want to run an internal virtual event or a public one, there are some things you need to make sure you have in place.
Here is a complete virtual event checklist of items to do before, during, and after your conference or program.
Before the Event
From the planning stage to launching, your event needs to be carefully organized and executed. Here are the basic steps to take ahead of the date itself.
Know Your Why
Before you begin planning your event, you need to understand the purpose. This will inform all aspects of your virtual event, including the production and engagement. For example, a virtual commencement ceremony for students will have a different mission than a conference for Women in Law networking.
Identify Goals
Once you understand your overall mission, it’s time to identify the goals of the event. Using the example of the online commencement ceremony, the goals could include:
Hosting a prestigious commencement speaker
Recognizing student achievement
Providing a way for families to engage at a distance
Create a Content Plan
A content plan, in terms of an online event, is like an outline for what needs to happen at each stage of the conference. If this were a movie, it would be the storyboard that helps the directors determine what aspects to put together to tell an entire story. For an event, unlike a video production, you don’t need a script but you’ll need guidelines to follow so the event runs smoothly.
Determine Technology
Arguably the most critical aspect of a successful online event is planning and executing through technology. There are dozens of options available at all different price points and skill levels. For smaller-scale events, you may be able to run it on your own, but for larger productions, you may need the assistance of a professional team.
Strategize Promotions
Some virtual events have a closed audience, such as a commencement ceremony, but for larger events such as conferences, promotion is also key. You need to decide on ticket sales and the method by which you promote your event online through social media or the community. In some cases, you may also need to secure sponsorships and funding for the event.
Prepare Attendees
Ahead of the event, you will also need to prepare attendees for the event. In the example of a virtual commencement, you may have some in-person attendees along with a virtual audience. Or everyone may participate online. For conferences, you may have attendees select tracks or programming in advance.
During the Event
For an event to go seamlessly for the attendees, you have several in-the-moment responsibilities.
Engage Your Audience
One of the reasons people love face-to-face events is the ability to interact with other professionals and network with new connections. When conferences are virtual, the host needs to add extra effort to ensure that every attendee is engaged and getting the most out of their experience. Some do this by adding an interactive app or chat channel. Polling and gamification options are also popular. You may also need to create virtual breakout rooms to provide small group interaction between attendees.
Capture Data
We live in a world of big data, and that means collecting information on your virtual event will be critical for the success of future events. Virtual event technology often incorporates this form of data collection so you can determine participation rates and length of time in each session.
Facilitate Discussions
Mostly true for larger events, such as conferences, you need to facilitate continued conversation between attendees, sponsors, presenters, or exhibitors. This can be done with breakout sessions or through networking or the scheduling of appointments for further personalized discussions.
After the Event
What you do after your virtual event is just as important as before and during.
Survey Attendees
Once the event is complete, your job is not over. Regardless of the scope of the event, it’s important to collect feedback from attendees. Survey participants to see what they liked, what they disliked, and what they would like to see improved for the next event.
Analyze Data
After your virtual event is also the time to dig into the details of the data you collected. In conjunction with the attendee surveys, you can look at the participation rates and interaction to see how people used the event platform and engaged with the material.
Present Results
In the case of larger events, such as sponsored conferences, you may need to present your findings to your company board or the corporate sponsors to demonstrate the value of virtual conferences. This will help decision-makers see how to move forward with similar ideas in the future.
Plan the Next Event
Virtual events aren’t just a placeholder for in-person events. With the technology available and the infinite reach of online events, many companies are embracing the platforms moving forward. The best time to plan the next virtual event is after you’ve had a chance to evaluate what worked and what didn’t from the last one.
Best Practices
Some additional best practices can help you run a smooth and professional virtual event.
Consider production value: attendees are more likely to be engaged with well-produced material.
Plan the session length: shorter sessions are sometimes better for virtual events to keep attendees engaged.
Rehearse with speakers: before the event goes live, work with the presenters to ensure their equipment is working. This is especially important if the event is not in a centralized location and everyone is using their home network and computer.
Integrate engagement: plan to produce Q&A sessions or live polling in your event.
Be creative: depending on the scope of your event, you can do more than PowerPoint presentations. Consider varying content to include videos or panel discussions.
Test everything: it cannot be stressed enough that every aspect of your virtual event, big or small, needs to be tested ahead of time.
Record programs: for many events, you may want to have the information available on-demand for people to watch later so plan for the recordings.
You don’t have to do it alone. Partnering with a video production company with experience in planning and executing virtual events of all sizes can give you the tools you need all in one place. Your attendees will be engaged, motivated, and excited to participate in a well-planned, professional event.
Email me at mo@aaramaba.com to learn more or begin planning your next virtual event.
