We’re here to support your virtual meeting planning needs — from platform selection to technical direction and all the way home to post-meeting analytics reporting.
This article is part of our ongoing series focused on helping you pivot your meeting and event practices to exceed expectations in these “new normal” times.
#1 / Due diligence and professional preparation are key to successfully planning virtual meetings.
(Web)Site Selection:
- Treat your platform selection like your site selection. Like hotels and venues, there’s many to choose from with various features and you need to weigh the offerings against your priorities and the cost to deliver the best results.
Deadlines:
Keep in mind that with virtual events, dates and deadlines may approach sooner than they would if the entire event were live and in person. For example, pre-recorded remarks from the executive team is a great idea (in fact, we suggest this!) but know that you will need ample time for this to be recorded, edited, approved, uploaded, tested, then launched.
- Be diligent about due dates.
- Respect the power of rehearsals.
- Know what design elements are needed and by when.
The question we get the most is “How much time do I need to plan my virtual event?”
- Depending on the complexity of the event, a bare minimum of six to eight weeks is often needed to plan a virtual event.
- For a multi-day meeting, conference or an ongoing series, we recommend a minimum of 120 days of planning time with your agency.
#2 / It’s more important than ever to have a virtual event marketing plan that builds excitement.
Successfully marketing your virtual event actually involves more deliberate action than a live meeting requires:
- Your attendee’s attention is more in demand than ever before. Amp up the excitement by highlighting key content
- Produce highlights videos with your key speakers and include them with registration reminders
- Drop session information and “advanced” takeaways throughout your social media plan leading up to the event
- Ship physical, branded pre-meeting kits in advance of event day to generate excitement
- Send your attendees items that might be useful for the live event – a notebook, a gift from a sponsor, or a new coffee mug for them to start their day with
- Plan an unboxing experience
- Make it personal with inclusions important to the personality of your annual conference, the brand of your company, or the culture of your team
This tangible touch helps build a lasting memory and brings people together remotely
#3 / Build a virtual meeting environment that stands out and has personality.
While attendees may not be physically together, you can still create a sense of place for your event. Your event brand should showcase the values of your organization and capture the spirit of the experience – from the invitation through final e-follow up (or post-event gift). Your event will not be the first or last virtual meeting your attendees participate in so make it stand out.
And, don’t be afraid to show some flair! Some of our most positive feedback from attendees has come from events where the personality of the organization was able to shine in big and small details.
#4 / Say cheers to wining and dining your virtual meeting guests!
Yes. You can provide safe, seamless, creative, tasty, impressive food and beverage experiences virtually. We are shipping branded snack kits, creative meeting beverages, and even multi-course meals to people’s homes throughout the U.S.
There are countless ways to keep guests fueled for your sessions whether incorporating a happy hour with your own mixologist, having a sommelier facilitate a wine tasting, or hiring a celebrity (or local!) chef to lead your group through making their very own pasta dinner (maybe WITH your CEO).
In a remote world, these physical gestures are even more powerful – and fun.
#5 / Give your virtual guests — and yourself — a break, not just another breakout.
Scheduling sessions thoughtfully is just as important as carefully curating meeting content. When taking a live, multi-day meeting and “turning it” virtual, it can be tempting to copy and paste the agenda rhythms from prior years.
- Remember, your attendees are likely logging in from their kitchen tables – not walking into a ballroom void of distractions and other responsibilities.
- To increase meaningful engagement, make sure you are setting aside ample time for your guests to momentarily unplug.
- Give time between networking sessions and include moderators for better outcomes in “white space” sessions.
- Be courteous about when a meal break may be needed, parents that need to check on their kids, or a moment to take their dog on a quick walk.
And… give YOURSELF a break, planners! The “to-do list” of planning a virtual meeting is as lengthy (if not more complex) than planning a live meeting and you, too, need a break from your screen to do your best work.
Thanks for taking the time to read our learnings — please share yours at hello@keyevents.com. We’re in this together!
