With the novel coronavirus causing a complete halt on mass gatherings, virtual events have been gaining momentum these days. Given the sharp rise in infections, it is predictable that the bandwagon of online events will last for a long period of time.
From planning to execution, there are considerable elements that event professionals should take heed of. This article provides some fundamental tips about online event planning for readers to familiarize themselves with the strategies of organising a virtual event.
As the common saying goes, “Customer is the king”. Not only B2C events, but the same theoretical concept also works when it comes to B2B events, your audience is the king, as they are both your target in the event. You need to know your audience’s preferences in advance so as to better design the content and ways of boosting engagement in the virtual events.
Event planners can think of what aspects of content in your industry are your audience interested in and how active and familiar they are with multimedia. For the sake of fully understanding your audience’s thoughts, it is advisable to send questionnaires for them to get first-hand information from them.
A good start is half done. The prerequisite of hosting a virtual event is to find a reliable online event platform. Since it can help produce live streaming videos, but there are also other alternatives to achieve the same thing like Facebook and Youtube Live.
Nevertheless, it is suggested that event organisers should find a service provider, as virtual events not only involve live streaming features but may also include display of online booths to showcase the products of different companies. If you are not solely aimed to make a live video, it is highly recommended to look for an event service company.
Event marketing is essential for both online and offline events. In terms of the marketing approach, social media can come in real handy. Businesses nowadays usually utilise Facebook, Instagram and also Linkedin to promote their upcoming events. By doing so, the target audience can be well-informed of the details of the events like the speakers, time and date.
When launching social media posts on various platforms, please do not forget to add hashtags at the end of the post so as to enhance the exposure and enlarge the audience base. Email marketing is also indispensable to draw people attention. You can attach some links with the event sign-up page on your regular e-newsletter.
Apparently, It seems convenient that most event hosts would hold the event at their office. However, it is worth mentioning that there may be multiple live speakers to deliver their speeches in virtual trade shows or conferences, an alternative way to set up the venue would be to book a studio where all personnels can gather.
Aside from that, the time and date are also other factors that we should take into account. Despite the fact that geographical barriers are not a concern for virtual events, the time still matters to the participants. The most ideal session for B2C events will be held on weekends like Saturday evening, as attendees are generally free to join.
Finally, event planners should estimate your expenditure. There are many expenses for virtual events including but not limited to hiring high-quality speakers, paying the fees for the event solution service provider and running online marketing campaigns.
In an attempt to spend the money wisely, the planners should evaluate the ROI (Return on investment), especially for the recruitment of speakers and also the fees on marketing campaigns. Say for example, they should foresee whether the expenses deserve that much to generate fruitful outcomes.
By and large, virtual event planning involves a substantial number of factors that event professionals need to pay attention to and also take into consideration. Provided that the threat of COVID-19 will last for a certain period of time, we should get ourselves acquainted with the online event planning strategies.