2020 has taught us these key lessons for virtual events

While many of us attended or delivered webinars in the past, 2020 certainly opened our eyes to what makes an engaging and successful virtual event.

While live events start back up, virtual (and hybrid) events will still be front and centre throughout 2021 and beyond, due to convenience, audience reach, travel restrictions, change in working locations and company event policies. This won’t be a hangover from 2020, it will be an exciting new phase.

​With change comes learning and we have listed our top tips for enhancing the attendee experience, that you can take into 2021.

Consider these as you start planning your virtual events for next year.

• Curate your program – Many virtual programs were packed with (well meaning) options for delegates and guests to pick and choose from. While it was never the intention to attend them all - human behaviour saw people compelled to attend each and every one of them as FOMO kicked in. This created a sense of exhaustion and overwhelmed many delegates, resulting in burn out and loss of engagement. Once again, we wouldn’t expect people to attend sessions from 7am – 10pm at a live event, virtual events are no different.
  Our tip: Curate your program as if it was a live event and allow space and time for delegates to absorb and attend. Assume that delegates will attend each session you offer.
  
  
• Create breaks – Your delegate or guest may just be sitting at their desk, however they do still need take snack, toilet and fresh air breaks. By packing your program with back to back sessions, you are compelling your attendee to stay ‘chained’ to their desk. Common sense would suggest people will take breaks in their own time but this year has taught us that people fully commit to a program and need to be instructed on when to take a break. We know people need breaks at live events and virtual events are no different.
  Our tip: Schedule 5 minute breaks between sessions to allow your attendees to grab a cup of tea, have a toilet break or do any chores they need to. This will safe guard their well-being and experience but also ensure you don’t have latecomers to your sessions.

 

• Step away from the screen – We know the benefit of fresh air, stretch breaks and stepping away from screens and this shouldn’t be underestimated with virtual events. It is no use creating great content and online experiences if our attendees are exhausted and have a drained attention span. Avoid packing every spare moment with another session.
  Our tip: Ask your attendees to step away from their desk and down tools during dedicated breaks. Suggest they step outside, go for a walk or at the very least, get a change of scenery. And while they are doing that, why not pop some nature images on the screen to bring a sense of calmness.

 

• Keep it fun – We all know that sitting in front of a screen for prolonged periods of time was not only draining but also uninspiring. Your event may be virtual, but it doesn’t mean it can’t have elements of surprise of fun.
  Our tip:  Engage with your attendees by mixing up the program and making it fun. Add surprise elements that they don’t see coming but grabs their attention.

 

• Make it real – While your event may be virtual, it doesn’t mean all your touch points need to be. Some of the most engaging online events in 2020, looked at a holistic approach to connecting with their attendees. Providing tangible touch points such as conference kits, event packs or gifts not only created stronger engagement but also provided talking point as well as a shareable social media moments. After all, everyone loves receiving a surprise in the post.
  Our tip: Consider packs that you can send your attendees that ties in with your event theme and purpose. It could be as simple as a postcard or as extravagant as a hamper. The key is ensuring it is authentic and relates back to your event purpose and theme.

 

• Consider the format – Not everyone tuned into your event on their laptop or large screen, in fact many may have tuned in via their iPad or iPod. In fact our new way of working has seen us more mobile and working from anywhere. Consider what this means for your presentations – what can people see, regardless of the size of screen they are watching it on?
  Our tip: ​ Ensure your images and slides and how they will translate to the smallest or largest screen. Move away from  text heavy slides and move towards colourful, pictorial, high resolution, dynamic and people focused vision.

 
We all adapted to virtual events in 2020 but let’s truly inspire and influence with our 2021 virtual events.

If you need help creating events that influence and inspire, contact us today. We can’t wait to help you design engagement that creates enduring relationships and long lasting legacies.

Author

Fetching Events & Communications is a boutique agency that works with the community, for the community, specialising in project management, event management, communications and volunteer engagement. Combining our international event experience in media with our communications knowledge and skills, Fetching Events & Communications provides a fully integrated events, volunteer engagement and communications service.