While all good meeting and event planners must turn on a dime in live settings, virtual event planning takes some serious pivoting, too.
Like most entrepreneurs and meeting pros, our founder and president Heather Keenan is a “pivoter” by nature, and that’s why innovating our offerings to deliver excellence in a digital environment is a “key” part of our meeting and planning capabilities.
Here are Heather’s top 5 tips to ensure your next virtual event is a success:
1. Engagement Is King: We all have Zoom fatigue and less patience for the lackluster content. If it can’t be compelling, consider killing it and use your screen time in a different and more memorable way. Think about your audience and what you need to share and determine how it can be taken to the next level, including engaging interaction. Let’s come up with some creative ways to do this, there are many options.
2. Create Space for Networking and think differently about what this can look like. This is the #1 complaint we are hearing about virtual meetings: “I never got a chance to say hi….” “The hallway conversations never happened.” Tailor the networking to what your experience needs and ensure the breakouts and “white space” support the mission to meet.
3. Choose the Platform that Supports the Agenda: Carve out time on the front end of your planning process and ensure that you make the right decision. You’ll save time in the long run. There are many to choose from and the cost doesn’t always indicate the quality. Make sure that the most important elements of the meeting are able to be translated smoothly using the selected platform. Part of our discovery process is helping you to define exactly that – and then consulting on the platform selection process.
4. Faster, Shorter, Simpler: Build your agenda and content around these simple rules: First, remember the human element. We need bio breaks, we need to get another cup of coffee, some of us need to feed kids or pets…so breaks are okay. Second, make it fun. Include a downloadable playlist, give people something to do – whether it’s something to create or some physical activity and movement. Remember how you lose people with too much time sitting in a ballroom general session? The same rules apply x 1000.
5. Understand the Costs. Plan for a healthy budget, maybe more than you did for your live event. While you won’t be paying for a hotel or F&B, you need to think about strategic branding, production quality and technology. Don’t cut and sacrifice quality – this will be the majority of the experience for your attendees and the delivery of the content is everything. Instead, work with a professional who can consult you on what can and can’t be cut to maximize your budget AND experience.
For consultation and support as you plan your next virtual or live event, contact Key Events at sales@keyevents.com.
