Virtual and hybrid events will continue long after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. Organisations continue to choose virtual events due to their increased exposure, more flexibility for attendees, and lower cost, especially for those on a tighter budget. Why not take part without leaving the comfort of your own home? It will save you both time and money. Whether it’s a trade fair, conference, webinar, workshop, or hackathon, event management is key to making sure everything goes well. The Chameleon Agency, an Event Company, put up this guide to help people understand the ins and outs of virtual event planning.
The Initial Stage: Plan
Your decision to host a virtual event seems to have been finalised. It is time to dive headfirst into preparedness! You should set quantifiable objectives for your event, such as raising brand awareness, gathering leads, or creating a community. After you’ve outlined your goals, the following stage is to decide what type of event you want to host. If you want your event to be a smashing success, you need to have an intimate understanding of your target demographic in order to design it and its offerings around them.
The virtual software platform you choose will serve as the foundation for your event. This is why choosing the platform requires utmost caution. Think about how the platforms deal with people that aren’t technically savvy. Before settling on a budget-friendly platform, give some thought to which features would be most valuable to your target audience.
next the selection of an appropriate virtual event platform, the next step is to create an agenda. You may use this to map out the format of the event, down to the topics covered and the duration of each session. Finally, you need to decide whether sponsorship is essential for your event. Though not necessary, this will provide you credibility, broaden your audience, and give you financial support.
Prioritise advancement
Now that we’ve finished getting ready, the next step is to promote. Just as crucial as informing as many people as possible about your event is ensuring that you’re communicating with the right ones. Promoting your event may be as simple as creating a landing page, or as involved as posting about it on social media, sending out promotional emails, or even writing blog posts.
Captivating marketing materials are the centre of any advertising effort. Whether they see it advertised on your website, in an Instagram post, or anywhere else, you want them all to feel obligated to attend your event.
Invest Your Whole Being in Attending Events
You have successfully acquired all of the required sign-ups during the marketing phase. On the big day, you want everyone who participated online to feel valued. For virtual attendees to connect with one other, it is necessary to choose a platform that allows for interactive features like as surveys, Q&A sessions, chat rooms, and networking opportunities.
You should not only provide attendees chances to participate, but also ensure that the sessions you are presenting are fascinating and engaging. Fill the virtual event agenda with inspiring and knowledgeable speakers whose topics are closely relevant to the event’s theme to keep attendees interested and make the most of it.
Another fantastic way to keep people engaged is to include a gamification element into the event. Hold a drawing for prizes provided by your business or the event’s sponsors. The lucky winners will get services or merchandise. As an alternative to participants spending all day presenting on virtual panels, you might host trivia evenings.
Following the Event, What to Do
The work is far from done when your virtual event ends. There will be many more important things to attend to after the event! One approach to find out how successful your virtual event was is to have attendees fill out surveys and give you their opinion. A better response rate may be achieved by offering a prize to those who provide comments in return. Getting participant input is critical for figuring out what succeeded and what may be improved.
Another good idea is to thank everyone who have already come. The presenters and those in attendance would much appreciate a sincere “thank you” message. Make sure the sessions are available on-demand so people may watch the ones that attracted them again and again to get the most out of it.
In conclusion:
Becoming an Expert at Organising Events Online
It is not easy to plan and execute a virtual event. It takes a lot of time and effort to get things right. If you are unsure of what you’re doing or have never hosted a virtual event before, why not use a professional event agency?
One option to consider is teaming up with an event organising company in Manchester that focuses on virtual gatherings. What happened as a result? An really well-executed production! Collaborating with an experienced virtual events provider will maximise the impact of your event and guarantee that all attendees have a fantastic time.
