Recently we have seen events cancel as quickly as dominoes lined up and tipped over. Many of these event organizers, vendors, and venues lost money and likely future business. While in-person events will make a comeback, this pandemic has opened many eyes to the benefits of virtual events.
In fact, with technology in place to allow for remote work and virtual conferences easier than ever, it would not be surprising to see more events be scheduled on a virtual platform. Although virtual events are being conducted in greater numbers lately, so are new problems arising around quality, managing participants, and avoiding hackers.
What are the best practices, then, for creating quality virtual events? Here are our suggestions:
Trust Expertise
Every good event starts with a strategy for success. Virtual events should use professional organizers familiar with running virtual events as their expertise is invaluable. Knowing the right questions to ask and understanding logistics from lessons in hindsight, will help your event go smoothly, even if unforeseen issues arise.
Market Differently but as Much
Branding and marketing your virtual event is just as important as with a live event, but the methods to reach your target audience may differ. Using technology to manage enrollments becomes critical to ensure attendees have everything they need to make the event memorable and successful.
Use Quality Technology
During the event, the platform used to conduct the event must be able to accommodate all the event requirements including webcasting, managing participation, and analytics. Technology is the “event staff” in these meetings, and managing it can be a bit more specialized.
Don’t Skimp
Vendors, entertainment, and affiliates can all still be involved with virtual events, and making this happen smoothly will require advanced planning for seamless integration. Just because the event is virtual, doesn’t mean you have to give up the parts of an event that make it amazing.
Tout the Benefits
Make sure attendees understand the benefits of a virtual event and play those up to increase benefits. These benefits could include:
- Lower or no travel expense – no need for people to miss work or spend money on hotels, transportation or dining.
- Global access – reach attendees all over the globe, rather than the shorter reach due to a set geographical destination.
- Better interaction – technology makes it easier to capture feedback and notes, share information and interact with content and each other.
- Archival – virtual meetings are easy to record, allowing participants to receive a copy, whether or not they were present.
AMI is a trusted virtual and live events provider offering strategy, planning, and delivery for your next event of any size.
