LESSONS LEARNED PLANNING A VIRTUAL EVENT
Here we are in the last quarter of 2020 and it’s safe to say we answered our own question from May: yes, virtual events ARE here to stay. In fact, it gave us a little chuckle to reflect on the interview we did with Luxe Productions and think about how new the concept of virtual and hybrid events felt only a few months ago!
Prior to March, we were a team running live, in-person weddings and events as our primary source of revenue, and had to adapt as the world shut down due to the global pandemic. As everyone settled into the world of Zoom meetings and virtual backgrounds, we began to work with our clients to reimagine their events for this year and beyond, not yet knowing all we would need to learn in a very short time. With significant restrictions on guest counts, we knew it would require a shift into the virtual space for our clients who still needed to host their fundraisers, conferences and networking events. Now, having a few successful virtual events under our belts, we thought it would be interesting to share some of our lessons learned.
SAME TEAM, NEW ROLES
With a virtual event, the team you can typically count on for support during a live event (venue manager, caterer, décor provider, etc.) is not available, requiring a majority of the planning and event details be left to the event host. Bringing an experienced event planning team and production partner, both experts in delivering virtual events, on board will bridge that gap and is vital to ensure the success of the event.
As a team of planners, we felt our role shift and even questioned where we fit in this new landscape. Once we had our first virtual conference done, however, it was very clear to us how much of an impact we still had on the project and the planning. Having a strong producing partner was crucial as we climbed our steep learning curve. Assembling all of the technology and then ensuring it all came together was probably the most foreign part of planning for us.
SETTING A BUDGET
Setting a budget for a virtual event may seem like a daunting, overwhelming task, as there are so many unknowns. In a lot of ways, a virtual event is more cost-effective. There is no longer a need for food and beverage, hotel room blocks, group transportation and décor, among other things. The best place to start is by setting clear event goals; these will help guide your decision-making as you assemble the team responsible for bringing the event to life.
PLATFORM = VENUE
It’s an interesting thought to consider your technology platform equivalent to a venue for an in-person event, as both are literally “hosting” the event attendees. For this reason, finding the best fit in a technology partner is crucial to ensuring a successful program. Do your research - you may find you don’t need everything included in some platforms, while others are not robust or sophisticated enough for your needs. Embrace the unknowns and don’t be afraid to ask all of the questions. Starting by creating an agenda or list of content will help to evaluate what type of technology is needed to support or execute that agenda or content.
EVENT DESIGN STILL MATTERS
Even though it may look and feel a little different, a virtual event requires a strong design plan, as it is key to ensuring that the virtual event experience is cohesive and engaging. It's important to make your event look consistent from start to finish in order to more effectively weave together your narrative and provide guests with the feel of a high production-value event. Using design collateral (logos, website, past event invitations), we work to create a solid visual theme to reinforce the event goals. This theme is then carried throughout the from the event website and video formatting to the entertainment and engagement elements.
GUEST ENGAGEMENT
With a virtual event, traditional ways of keeping guests engaged that worked while in person, may not deliver. In an industry built on in-person interactions, it can be difficult to get attendees to engage virtually and requires some creative thinking. We are all battling Zoom fatigue, so the thought of spending hours in front of a screen watching presentations may not entice guests to jump on and participate. Losing interest can happen very quickly and is incredibly challenging to come back from. Breaking up programming with musical entertainment, comedic interludes or even yoga and stretching are all great ways to keep engagement up.
YES, THOSE PRESENTER KITS ARE A GOOD IDEA
We don’t have much more to say about this one beyond the line above - it’s pretty simple, presenter kits (think, high-quality camera and lighting shipped to their doorstep) significantly improve the quality of the presentations. Pre-recorded speeches and presentations edited into a beautiful and glitch-free video that can be livestreamed during the event reduce the risk of potential technical issues. Sending a recording kit to presenters or speakers beforehand will ensure consistency in video quality, sound and lighting and will help the presenter feel confident in their delivery. It’s an absolutely worthwhile expense in the budget!
BE PATIENT
This is the final lesson learned, and perhaps the most important. Patience is key when stepping into the world of virtual events, as it is a swiftly-changing and ever-evolving environment. We referenced our steep learning curve above, but we must also remember that there is a learning curve for clients, tech teams, presenters and content managers. This is not a trend and will likely not be going away once COVID-19 (finally) clears up and we settle back into in-person live events. Let’s be kind and patient with one another as we all continue to adapt to this new way of hosting events!
