Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning a Virtual Event!

The information in this blog has been taken from the EventMind podcast, which you can find here.

Virtual events have taken over this year, in 2020 73% of event planners were able to successfully pivot their event to virtual. At EventMind, we believe in the value of virtual events and how important it is to create the best experience for your attendees. So in this blog we will be discussing 5 mistakes that can happen when designing and developing a virtual event and how you can avoid them. 

1.Not rehearsing or providing the right training

If your event has a lot of live content, for example, if  you have speakers delivering talks and workshops in real time, it is really important to rehearse because delivering content in a virtual setting, especially live, is very different to doing it in person.

There can be teething problems, whether it be on the tech side, on the part of the platform that you're using, or for the attendees, for example, maybe they can't log in or they don't know how to use the chat function.

In the rehearsal process, training can be given to your speakers, you can help them with positioning their camera and help them understand what it's like on the attendee side. Neglecting to do this can contribute to an overall bad experience for everyone.

Rehearsing is especially important if there are people in different locations, doing different parts and managing different things. It's really important to have a run through, especially if your event is heavy with live content. If you're using recorded content that's been pre-produced and pre-uploaded, then it is important to make sure all of the tech works, so you should log in before the event and try it all out.

2. Choosing the wrong platform

When it comes to choosing your virtual event platform, you need to design your overall event experience first to be able to assess and identify the right platform. Often, we find clients have already started researching platforms before finalising the event, they'll do a Google search or maybe they are working with a company already that has now developed a virtual event platform. The problem with this, is that unless you're custom building the platform from scratch to do exactly what you want it to do, some platforms don't have the capabilities that you want them to have.

For example, we've found with a lot of trade show clients, especially at the beginning of 2020, most of the virtual event platforms out there were not really geared up to trade shows. In a trade show exhibition, the virtual booths are really important for your sponsors, your vendors, your suppliers, the exhibitors, but a lot of platforms didn't actually have booth capability. So choosing the right platform is really key. 

In order to do that, you need to understand what questions to ask and know exactly what you're looking for, which is why working with a company like EventMind is helpful, because we know which platforms have certain capabilities, what can be customized and we can add things on if necessary. 

Similarly, at EventMind we have just launched our Directory of virtual event platforms to help event planners find the right platform for their event! Click here to quickly and easily find the perfect platform for you!

3.Not hiring specialised production companies

If you've made the decision that you want to go virtual, that it's the right thing to do and could present some great opportunities, but you don't hire a specialized production company that knows what they're doing in the virtual events space, then you're missing out. You’re missing out on the insights from the rest of the industry, you're missing out on all of the know-how's, the hacks and the intricate details, the nuances and the variables with platforms overall event designs. 

Equally, if you go off by yourself, it can be quite expensive and time-wasting in the long run. A lot of platforms would be about 12 K for the basic package with not much added on, you're just getting the template. So you've already paid 12 K and you're still having to upload your own videos. Or the platform might, for example, only have a limited number of booths, where extra booths come with an extra cost but you won't know that because you don't realize that. A specialist partner will know how to create that experience for you. 

On top of that, you may not understand the platform inside out, you might not have that level of knowledge, so while the event is open, even in the post event stages, you might not be able to give the tech support that is required.

So that is why using specialist companies, like EventMind, is important. That's why we exist, we have the knowledge around technology platforms, best practices and we have the resources on hand to help you.

4.Post event experience

I see a lot of great content out there for live events, for example at showcases, trade shows, conferences, you might collect email addresses or exchange business cards, or scan somebody's pass, so you collect this data and you've got a contact point with those people. You then use that to follow up with those people to continue the conversation and qualify and assess whether or not they're a potential client or customer.

This is no different in the virtual setting, but given the amount of work there is in terms of managing these events, that part can often be forgotten. So, don't forget about your attendees after the event is finished, when that last day comes and you close the platform down, don't forget about your attendees, your sponsors, your partners. 

There's a really strong percentage when it comes to getting sales in the post-event stage. So you still need to think about attendee engagement and interaction after the event is over. If you want feedback, if you want to survey people, if you want to thank people, if you want to continue promoting your sponsors post-event. There's plenty of things you can do in the post-event sequence, by using videos, emails, all sorts of things, to thank them, keep them engaged, get feedback and get data.

5.Choosing the wrong speakers

The last mistake is choosing presenters, moderators and hosts that are your friends as this is not always the best decision. You need to choose people who are engaging, who understand the flow of an event, you need energy, someone who's dynamic, who understands the content and the objectives. Attendees need to be engaged from the start, so choosing a host or moderator wisely is really important. 

Even if it's an event that’s just one day, you need someone who's agile and robust and can present well, and again, if you work with an expert company, they will help you select speakers, presenters, moderators, and they will provide additional training for those individuals so they feel confident and comfortable.

If you choose to work with people internally and externally, who aren't willing to have any training, that is a bit problematic, because every virtual event is different. Even if you think you've used Zoom before, you may not have used it in the flow of this particular event. So the human element is as important as the technology, as the software and as the platform. 

To summarise, when planning and developing a virtual event you need to make sure that you rehearse the whole process before the event day and provide the right training where necessary. You need to make sure you are choosing the right platform, you can consult specialist companies or use our Dashboard Directory, it is also really important to consider using specialist companies like EventMind to make use of our extensive knowledge. Make sure not to forget about the post-event experience and to choose the right speaker that will add to the event experience.

So, those are some of the mistakes that we see commonly happening right now in virtual events and what you can do to avoid them. Whether you are struggling to find the right platform or can’t find the right speakers, there is so much information out there right now to help you! If you do want to discuss how you can launch or develop a virtual event experience for your organization, please do get in touch, you can drop us an email or give us a call.

To find more Online Events Made Simple podcast episodes, click here!

EventMind does not endorse any particular virtual event platform or software. We review the platforms available on the market monthly (through a combination of client feedback, test events and demos). If you're looking to make online events simple, or want trusted and unbiased advice, then contact the team today by emailing [email protected] or calling 0330 133 3485. You can visit our free directory to access what event tech platforms are currently on the market by visiting  https://thedashboarddirectory.com/. We are always keen to get guest contributors on our blog, if you'd like to write a blog on our site and be fully credited, please email [email protected].