A Complete Guideline on Virtual Events for Event Producers

Things are not going our way and the pandemic is getting stronger and stronger all the time. But a question here is if you are arranging a live multi-day conference how can you make sure that the audience attends your virtual event and how will you keep them engaged?

When we talk about in-person Live Event Production you know how to do that but the virtual event is a different task and needs to be handled differently than in-person events. You need to promote the event effectively, engagement of the audience, creation of memorable moments for the audience and have to prove the event’s success.

The difference between in-person and virtual event is only the presence or absence of an audience and just a slightly different technique to engage an audience and to make the event successful. You have to create an experience that extends well beyond a computer screen.

Virtual Event:

You might have attended a webinar, watched an online workout video, or joined a meeting through a link by sitting at your desk these all are examples of virtual events.

Why A Need for Virtual Event Arise?

The purpose of a virtual live event is the same as an in-person live event. It is also arranged to convey the message of your event.

Possible Reasons Behind Hosting A Virtual Event:

Accessible to Everyone:

The real fruit of an in-person event is accessible to only those who physically attend the event but a virtual event is accessible to everyone and all can similarly experience the event.

Budget Issue:

You have less budget and your organization need to cut cost. You are unable to afford the travelling expense of your speakers or guests then a virtual event is an ideal one because they can join your event without being in person with you.

Safe to Arrange:

There is no concern of weather conditions with any virtual event. Even in rain or sunlight, you can arrange a virtual event comfortably.

Risk of A Pandemic:

Nowadays the major reason for virtual events is that people have to keep social distancing and things are getting bad again. So, virtual events are the best solution for it.

Fundamentals of Virtual Event:

The marketing of virtual events is needed to develop the interest of people in it. The keynotes you use and the power of your content can only keep your audience engaged. Being alone at the place of hosting a virtual event doesn’t mean that you don’t have to engage an audience like an in-person event.

Multiple people are listening to you so you have to engage them. You can suffer from the same loss from a virtual event like in the case of a bad in-person event. The only standard measure which will show the success of your audience engagement is that how much you earned from the event.

Difference between in-person and Virtual Events:

Virtual events can’t pleasure destination to the audience that’s why they have to rely on content. Marketers need to promote the content in the target segment of the audience. Engagement of the audience through a virtual event is difficult because it requires creativity and the usage of different apps to create a differentiated experience.

The bitter reality is when face to face engagement is not possible and you rely only on technology it is difficult to convince the audience because no other method can replace face to face interaction. The only thing through which you can make an event successful is careful planning, great idea, and agility.

Necessary Elements of a Virtual Event:

Virtual events are made up of different elements like other events also has elements which include in-person and hybrid events. The video quality of an event and a strong internet connection are the important factors of a successful event. There is another thing that has importance is the site from where you stream your live event. The site should be according to the content of your event.

The important elements of a live virtual event are:

• Event website
• Event integration
• Content for live presentation
• Live audio or video
• Live polls
• Note-taking or slides
• Recorded content
• Interactive video conferencing
• Feedback surveys

The Process of Hosting A Virtual Event:

Virtual events depend on technology. Attendance of the audience is not possible without the use of technology. Let’s discuss some of the important technologies we use to arrange a virtual event.

Event Website:

This tool is very important for the promotion of the event and forces the audience to register for the event.

Registration:

This is an online process through which you can gather the information of attendees and they can easily make payments for being a part of your event.

Email Marketing:

This is also a very important tool to drag traffic to your event. Keep your attendees engage before the event and make sure they remember the date of your event. After the event sends them feedback surveys to have a clear idea of their satisfaction level.

Mobile Event Apps:

People usually love to be a part of those events to which they can have access through mobile. So, it is a plus point if you provide your event app before the event. Through an app, you will experience a huge increase in the attendance of your event.

Feedback for The Event:

At in-person events, it is easy to judge the success of the event through the expressions of an audience but in virtual events, you need a feedback survey to determine the success of your event and to know the suggestions through which you can improve your next event.

The virtual Live Event Production is as important as in person. The purpose of this article is to provide you with an idea of a virtual event because it has now come into a trend because of a ban on in-person gatherings. In 2020 when conditions were somehow normal the trend of the hybrid event was at its peak.

But now again pandemic has almost restricted all activities the virtual event is the only source of reaching to your audience. Those who are still haven’t moved towards virtual events need to realize their importance.