Over the past year, conferences have undergone a transformation. Virtual conferences have become the norm for now with blended events on the horizon. It has been a learning curve for organizations to effectively transition. Our virtual events planning guide will walk you through the process.
We have helped several organizations transform face-to-face events into successful virtual ones. Over the next few months, we will share with you the process that we use through our i2i Technologies Premiere service. The goal is to navigate the path forward in managing live virtual events.
The Virtual Events Planning Guide
The first stage of a successful virtual event focuses on building a solid foundation of shared understanding.
Step 1: Conversation
The key to setting the foundation for a virtual event is to have a conversation and talk through all aspects. This is a great way to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of goals and objectives.
Carefully focus on creating a shared understanding of terms such as live streaming, webinar, interactive text, or two-way interactive video. Additional attributes to clarify are the types of activities or sessions. Think through the differences and similarities among them to establish minimum technology requirements.
Step 2: Communication
Many people think of communication in terms of words, meetings, and email. Visual communication is a must have for a virtual event.
Our next step is to create a co-branded image for the event. It is used with marketing collateral for email, social media, or a website. This also includes approval for use of brand colors and images to help remote participants navigate easily.
Discussions of what communications will be sent to people involved with the event is another aspect. All constituents must be included in the communication flow.
One example is that the communication with presenters verifies their willingness to participate virtually and how they want to interact in their connections.
Step 3: Collaboration
Effective collaboration is important when partnering on any virtual event. Deliverables (including videos and documents) sent prior to meetings for review enable a robust dialogue.
As we work together, our role is to provide guidance and options. The event organizers make the final selection after a discussion of the implications of different paths. This is key as we finalize the technology requirements for the event.
In the next part of this series, we will share additional guidance in preparation of a virtual event.
Our team can help if you are new to the world of the virtual event or want to take your activities to another level.