The phrase "you're on mute" was one of the most popular phrases of 2020. We are currently living in a digital world and the future is expected to bring even more engagement through virtual platforms. Most of us experienced at least one Zoom meeting or webinar during the last several months, and while we may be fatigued with seeing ourselves on a screen, we must admit that online platforms have helped us pioneer new ways to interact with our peers.
I recently attended a Zoom Webinar series highlighting user-friendly tips for hosting your own virtual events, no matter your experience level. There are numerous web hosting platforms out there to assist with your online events offering simultaneous solutions. The key to achieving a successful virtual event with your platform of choice is to focus on your planning process and end-user experience. View your event with a step-by-step process that includes the following phases: vision, planning, execution, and follow up.
Vision
The stakeholders of your event should determine goals and objectives to lead your team throughout the process. There are many important factors to consider before assigning resources to plan the components of your virtual event. You need to decide what you are trying to achieve by hosting the event, what type of experience you desire the end user to walk away with when it is over, and what kind of support you will need to achieve your goals. A few questions to ask when setting your vision in place:
· Should your virtual event span multiple days or a single day conference?
· What is your timeline for planning and hosting the event?
· How are you sourcing your content, and how will your users access content?
Planning
Once you've decided what your goals and objectives are for your virtual event, it is time to assign you resources and develop a project plan to put it all in place! You will need to decide how many key resources will be involved in executing the event and what it will take to achieve your outcomes. Break up your event into each component and assign resources to help in the following areas:
Content
Decide on your session durations and how you will deliver content in the allotted time. Keep in mind that attendees will not experience the same engagement levels as they would during a live event, so you will need to tailor your session engagement in a shorter amount of time. Make sure to include networking pieces so that each user feels a connection to their fellow conference-goers. Figure out how many sessions you need and how to incorporate fun experiences for your attendees. Plot out your sessions in advance to see if you have gaps for adjustment in your schedule.
Registration Setup:
Decide how you want your registration landing page to look and how your users will access the information. Speakers are an integral part of the content for a virtual event, so ensure your audience is able to preview speaker biographies and content samples prior to the event.
Audiovisual Production:
How your end-users view your content will be key during execution. A production company can serve as a valuable resource for engineering tech support if you have a budget to incorporate this element. If you are using your own tech support, make sure to enlist staff and volunteers that are familiar with the platform you are using. Host several practice sessions and dry rehearsals with speakers prior to the day of your event.
Promotion:
Promoting your event is of utmost importance. Do the research, target your audience, and tailor your communications to each demographic. It is vital to over-communicate during your pivot to a virtual event. Your attendees need to receive precise communications, and they must receive them often. Do everything you can to make your attendees feel engaged in the process and start your promotions early. Include your sponsors in the promotion process and allow for giveaways to drive online attendance.
Execution
Executing your event will require putting the right teams in place to make it happen. You will need to build a project plan and involve all teams until you have a well-oiled production team. Set planning meetings and discuss your tasks on a weekly basis, if not daily. Build a staffing plan and assign key leads to each area, while asking them to check in with the core planning team on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect for a virtual event, so you need to schedule rehearsals and create clear planning documents for every member of your team. During the event, each resource should be able to follow a clear plan of their "day of" job description. Track all of your tasks in one location so that your teams have a central communications operation behind the scenes of the event.
Follow Up
Surveys are key indicators of future successful programs. Know your audience and gauge how they respond to feedback. You will need to create a survey plan that allows for ample response time, while strategically capturing the data required for your future events. Do your attendees prefer to respond before, during, or after your events? Tailor your communication plan around their preferences and keep the content of your questions specific to receive optimal data.