5 Elements Of A Successful Virtual Event
The COVID-19 has forced many corporations and organizations to shift towards having their conferences and events done virtually. Since then, virtual events have changed from being looked at as a fad to becoming a weapon that modern organizations can use to showcase their abilities. However, despite it being a popular thing that the public wants more of now, it doesn’t mean that they will consume every virtual event that is available to them. They still have other choices on the market that they could choose from and what determines if they will be joining your event is the quality of it. In this space, you’re not just competing with other virtual events, you’re now competing with online movies, videos, podcasts, blogs, e-books, you name it.
Most people can’t engage with a virtual event while completing their own tasks at the same time, it’s either one or the other. The big question is whether they want your event on their screens or something else. And if they chose your event, you better make sure that it is worth their time.
Here are 5 crucial elements that will determine the success of your event.
Compelling theme
A theme is more than just the aesthetics of the event. It is the entire package about how your event will be presented to your audience. Which means that it includes the topic and a well-defined format.
This topic should be something that is related to your industry and the needs of your customers. Ask yourself what are the topics/themes that your most loyal audience is curious about? Focusing on one topic and going in-depth rather than spreading your content across the spectrum will always give you the image of a thought leader.
Aside from the content itself, you will also need to solidify the marketable aspects of it, which are things like the visuals, taglines, and colours. Tie all of these in with the content part of the event and the presentation will come in a package that is easy to digest and memorable for your audience.
Good visuals
The theme that we spoke about doesn’t stop there, it goes into the visual aids for the speakers as well. Depending on your event, your speakers might range from having a few jargons to a number that the audience cannot keep up. This is where you should grab this opportunity to use animation to visualize it.
Firstly, it makes it much easier for the audience to understand the content as opposed to only articulating it (which also helps in prolonging their attention span). Secondly, this is an opportunity to remind the audience about the theme of the event. By using the same set of colors, the subconscious minds of your audience will be pulled back to the tagline that is associated with this event.
On top of that, because of the fact that these videos will be played directly from your audience’s screens, you can showcase what your company is really capable of on the production side. Let’s face it, we’re running a business here. If we can’t convince the audience of what’s being spoken about, at least they know that we’re good in the production space.
Interaction/Engagement
Creating an engaging environment through the screens is definitely a challenge for the organizers. That’s predominantly because audiences will most likely be watching it at home and at a cozy setting instead of an energetic one. To illustrate, if you ask the public whether they prefer listening to a live in-person concert or a live-streamed concert, the answer would most probably be at the concert venue because they can be with their friends as they sing along to their favourite songs.
As for conferences, engaging the audience can come in the form of asking audiences, ice-breaker sections, creating polls, and contests. To be successful at this, you’re going to have to be super well-versed with the platform because every single tool that it offers is a weapon for you.
For a smaller event, it would be great to include a Q&A session to ensure that your audiences leave with no questions unasked. On top of that, most attendees for a conference will be thankful even for the short period of attention they can get from the industry leaders.
Networking
Let’s be honest here. Being able to network is a huge part of a conference-type event. So much so that some people would attend it just because they can connect with other people in the same industry. But, although the traditional lunch or dinner breaks have been canceled, there should still be a discussion session slotted in.
Again, because it is virtually done, it is good to have a moderator or an assistant to guide these networking periods. Keep in mind that it will be the first time most of your attendees are interacting with the virtual event platform. Hence, expect some setbacks and obstacles along the way as they tinker with it. Above all, allow room for mistakes to be made while ensuring that they have the chance to network.
Good service provider
Apart from choosing the right platform for your virtual event, you should also consider your audience’s technology needs. Not all of your audience members have the latest and most up-to-date technology. Not just that, we also understand how annoying it could be when something just didn’t work and have no idea why. Especially with cutting-edge technology like virtual and artificial reality.
When you’re choosing your virtual event platform, the best kind would be the ones that work on any device. You cannot anticipate how your audience will be joining the event, ergo, it is crucial not to limit your target group to the devices they plan to use. Using a simple online meeting software is okay, but if you want to go one step further for that “wow” factor, you gotta use specific software for it. Not just for fun, integrating quizzes, surveys, Q&A modules, holograms, and just about any cool stuff is bound to keep the audience engaged.
Organizing a virtual event is not that hard, you just have to move everything online. However, organizing a virtual event that will leave your audience wanting more and leaving those 5-star reviews is a skill that not many people in the industry currently have. These 5 items that we’ve listed are only based on the data we have so far and it is nowhere close to optimal due to the constant improvements in technology.
If you’re in this industry, don’t be afraid to try out different methods and take some risks because you might very well be the pioneer of a new way of running virtual events. If you’re looking to dive deeper into this new way of organising an event, let us help you with it. Our professional consultants will make sure that you only get the most out of your event, nothing less.
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