Engaging Virtual Events have become the primary tool for building business relationships with a vast majority of people around the world under social distancing restrictions.
Here are some tips for planning and hosting engaging virtual events. These will help keep connections active, even when at a distance.
State the purpose of the online Engaging Virtual Events
Stating a clear purpose helps to attract the right audience. It also serves as a point of reference, which helps to plan activities that are cohesive and consistent with it.
It also provides a broader context of the experience you wish to create for your audience. Therefore when defining the purpose of the ask yourself the following questions:
- What need are you trying to fulfill?
- Will the audience gain out of the experience?
- What result to you wish to achieve along with the participants?
Choose the right format
Online events are of various types. Picking the proper format is essential to create engaging virtual events. Some of the popular choices available are:
- Online conference
This is an excellent format for educating your target audience from afar. Setting multiple sessions can give the participants the option of picking one as per their convenience. An itinerary is usually provided beforehand to make the audience aware of the various activities lined up for them.
- Webinar
These are usually shorter than other virtual events but are equally useful for educating or informing the audience about a product or service.
Webinars are generally conducted using online presentations, and the host directly speaks to the virtual audience live.
- Live stream
You can also use a live streaming platform to host a virtual event. This is a good option for people who are on a tight budget.
It is also very easy. Just send out an announcement to your audience about your event, the date and time, and get started.
Get top-notch presenters
If you want to make your digital event a truly memorable one, engage the services of excellent presenters. Do adequate research and reach out to the subject matter experts to see if they would like to become presenters or speakers for your event.
Prepare a short document or an infographic for your potential speakers that clearly explains your upcoming virtual event.
Engage with the audience
To create engaging virtual events, you must provide the audience with the tools for engagement.
Almost all online platforms have interactive features. Make use of those to connect with the participants.
All should ask a few questions every once in a while and encourage your audience to reply through live chats. So live-tweeting, polls and online discussions are other ways of driving user engagement.
Additionally, be open to taking suggestions and requests from the audience. Also, request for feedback at the end of the event.
Conclusion
As virtual events usually compete with other social media to grab attention so it is essential to keep these events short. Hence, innovative ways to get participation from the audience.
Using a branded hashtag on social media or sending out customized merchandise through virtual event printing services will help participants to keep the conversation going even after the event has ended.
So if the COVID-19 situation any chance gets better, fringe activities is definitely the way to go!
References:
Virtual Event Printing: https://www.partyinkers.com/a-whole-new-events-experience-with-partyinkers-virtual-event-printing/
Fringe Activities: https://www.weddingguideasia.com/2020/06/10/fringe-activities-ideas-that-will-wow-your-corporate-exhibitions/
Planning Virtual Events: https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2020/05/07/how-to-plan-virtual-events-that-engage-your-audience/#27673f50573e