The Rush to Virtual Events

Virtual Events Are Different

That statement is obvious for lots of reasons. But it's not preventing many event organisers from taking the “I'll just switch to virtual” approach. It’s normal for them to want to salvage some of the effort they've made in the creation of their in-person event, but can they make the transition to virtual successfully?

As Joe Biden’s team came to understand last week, taking an in person event like a political rally and doing a quick substitution with a virtual event is dangerous. They had issues with their set-up, in-room production, and speaker preparation. But even if it had all run flawlessly, would it have met the hopes of the organisers or the expectations of the attendees?

If you want to be successful moving from physical to virtual, here are a few things you should consider.

"I have urged clients not to just jump to this in a knee jerk fashion. It's a good time to review objectives for events and evaluate if online/virtual will fulfil them still." - Martin Richardson, Founder and Managing Director, Ten Thousand Hours

What's in it for your audience?

A great conference is a blast! So many people, all that noise, and buckets of energy! Will someone sitting at home in front of a screen ever get that from a virtual event? I doubt it.

So already your virtual event is delivering less than your physical one could. So what can you replace that energy with?

Virtual can get your audience up close and personal with your speakers. Interactive tools can replace the applause and laughter in the room. Extended Q&A increases the personal touch. Networking options allow attendees to connect with each other.

"...understand what your attendees had hoped to get from it - were they there to learn, shopping for something new, or networking?" - Dawn Aguiar, VP Strategic Services, MarketOne

Hire the right production team

I've run lots of in-person events and worked with great producers. The best ones leave absolutely nothing to chance: 2 laptops for the presentation, brand new batteries in every mic, a hand mic on stage in case the lapel mic gives out.

They know what can go wrong will go wrong at some point, so are ready for all eventualities.

The same approach must apply to virtual. Multiple cameras, back-up internet connections, spare mics, on-site audio and video mixing to ensure a clean stream. You need an experienced virtual event producer who has already seen everything go wrong and who can be ready to respond instantly when the worst happens.

"Pre-record the session to ensure it's just right, but then do a live Q&A and engage on Twitter for a real-time discussion. - Genefa Murphy, SVP & CMO, Micro Focus

Your great speaker, without a net

It's amazing to see a great speaker on stage. Engaged with their audience, creating a positive feedback loop of applause and laughter. Building themselves up with the energy in the room!

How will they react when faced with an empty room, a single camera, and zero feedback? Maybe they're still be wonderful! Maybe they won't...

Assuming that your amazing event speaker will be great on camera is a big risk. Rehearsing is just as important for virtual as it is for an event stage. Get them in early, make them do a full run through. Maybe even film them in advance, fix any major issues, and broadcast "as live". Find the right way for your great speaker to remain great.

Virtual does more

An in-person event has natural limitations too. People have to get to it and probably want to go home after a day or two. They take up the full day and cost a lot of money to both host and attend.

Your virtual event doesn't need to work like that. Why not run it in just the morning for a week? Or Fridays for a month? Or every 3rd Thursday for a year?

You can continue to promote the event months after it's happened because it's all available on-demand. And why wouldn't your speaker Q&A last as long as the presentation is still up? Why not use it as a platform for your speakers and attendees to continue to engage into the future?

Don't let your experience of in-person events limit your creativity in virtual events. Don't just move your physical event on-line. Turn it into a unique experience for your audience.