Event Essentials: Virtual Events
Many people think that because the pandemic is over, so are virtual events, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Much to the contrary, the pandemic knocked down a door RGI had long tried to pry open and now at our client’s feet is a whole new array of possibilities for connecting with their audiences – wherever they may be! Here at RGI, we have been in the virtual events space for over a decade (since Skype was the only option!) – it made us especially primed to pivot then, and deeply experienced to expand upon it now!
As with any event – a virtual program takes preparation and attention to detail. Here’s what we focus on first, so grab a pen!
Delivery
The first thing you must decide while planning a virtual event is how to deliver the content, which is largely based on your budget. There is an enormous range of different platforms to choose from, from something as simple as Zoom, to a platform slightly more dynamic like Cvent, to fully immersive 3D worlds. We have over 1,000 hours experience producing across all of these platforms, so we are fully equipped to help clients weigh these pros and cons. The decision often comes down to the experience and connectivity you want for your audience, so do your homework.
Communication
Effective and clear communication with attendees contributes immensely to the success of any event and is even more important for virtual events. There is always a lot of instruction necessary, and you want to make sure you’re laying the groundwork needed as far in advance as possible to fully inform attendees. Some topics that require this advance communication are how to get technical assistance, what materials to be prepared with on the day of, and what pre-registration needs to take place.
Overall Cohesion in Branding the Attendee Experience
A major goal of all events is to create connection through shared experience, but how do we do that when we aren’t physically together? The identity you create for your event can do a lot of the legwork for helping people connect to each other and the event mission as a whole. Some areas where a cohesive branding strategy can be deployed are: the registration site, invitations, virtual communications, event platform, swag, speaker presentation, and matching customized digital backgrounds. Anything to further tie attendees together and create a real entity and experience they can identify with will amplify your event’s success.
The right support is integral to success, so be sure to ensure that you have an experienced AV team, especially when working with multiple speakers and dynamic content like pre-recorded videos, live participants, and translators.
And most importantly of all of course….the best way to ensure all of these bases are covered is to enlist a deeply experienced production company such as RGI to bring it all to life! We’ll see you online!