Tips to Transform Your Live, In-Person Event Into a Virtual Success Story

Tips to Create a Successful Virtual Event for Your Company

The industry is shifting faster than ever before. With the threat of COVID-19 planners are facing mandates and calls to cancel events globally. This was a blow to the industry we never saw coming. Event profs around the world are facing the challenge of turning their in-person event into a virtual event and fast. While our industry is no stranger to challenges, this is one of the biggest we have faced in a long time. But our industry is strong and we will press on!

With more and more companies shifting resources to virtual events, we compiled this quick and handy guide on how to create a successful virtual event for your company.

DECIDE WHAT YOUR VIRTUAL EVENT NEEDS TO BE

For some kinds of events, the digital world just isn’t right. A virtual food or wine-tasting event comes to mind as a rather horrible way to spend an afternoon. However, for most other events, there’s great potential to bring it into the online world. Whereas there’s no replacement for the experience of standing next to someone and getting a palpable sense of who they are — there is untapped potential to bring people together to gather in the online world that could give the physical one a run for its money.

THINK OF YOUR EVENT AS A GLOBAL ONE

With a virtual event, you might lose the human-to-human contact that a live event can bring, but there is a positive sign of things to come if you expand your event out to the broader universe. Take the opportunity of doing a live, digital event to unearth new markets and expand the reach of your attendee pool outside your usual sphere.

BE CREATIVE IN HOW YOU ENGAGE ATTENDEES

Your event is now virtual. That means no one-on-one interactions, no corporate lunches, no after-conference parties, and no meetings organized at the event between those attending. Instead, attendees are located in their own home and surrounded by numerous distractions.

That means you have to pay particular attention to engaging your audience. Your event needs to deliver exceptional value through speakers, educational classes, networking opportunities, and product demos. If you deliver exactly what your audience is looking for in creative ways, then you’ll ensure that you are able to capture their attention and create new revenue opportunities. Your virtual event should be just as valuable to those attending as a physical event.

SHARPEN YOUR TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS

When presented with multiple, simultaneous options for sessions to choose from in a physical event setting, attendees will often rely on word-of-mouth, asking other participants which breakout they are attending, and why.

Most virtual conferences lack this dynamic.

Further, many online events rely on emails, social media posts, and other tactics to inform attendees of what information will be presented (there is no written conference guide or dedicated mobile app in most cases).

Thus, participants in your virtual event have less information when deciding what sessions to tune in for, and which to skip.

Consequently, it is even more important than the session titles and descriptions for your virtual conference programming are descriptive and compelling.

TAKE CYBERSECURITY SERIOUS

It can often be overlooked, but cybersecurity is an incredibly important element for your virtual event. To keep your audience coming back year-after-year, make sure you protect both attendees and partner data throughout the event. Methods can include password security, two-factor authentication, anti-virus software, encrypted sites, and many others.

To book your free demonstration or request a quotation just call us on +971 2 6767019. Alternatively, send an email to streaming@officeplusuae.com and our representative will be happy to assist you.