Virtual or Not We Got This. Or Have We?

WOW what an experience it was yesterday when the team and I ran the first of our 4 virtual event series RIMPA Rocktober (mini conventions).

Apart from a few grumbles with access issues it really wasn’t as bad as we thought...…but confession time, it was when we were living it yesterday!

Some people have asked me– Was it as exhausting as a face to face event? My response to date is, 'well I may not have covered up to 20 kms on the day on foot in the delivery of this event but I think my brain did"!.

Top Tips for Preparing and Delivering a Virtual Event

Looking after both your attendees and most importantly navigating the virtual ground of engagement methodology for the trade so that they get an ROI has been challenging, exhausting, and I can say with confidence that my brain is literally hurting right now!

I am now fully versed in virtual platform implementation, I am all over various online platforms; YouTube, Go To Webinar, Twilio, website development, agenda building, live streaming, what is on-demand, what is synchronised? If you ask me about any of these, I can probably give you a reasonably accurate answer on how they perform and if they are worth taking the leap into the virtual world.

Key Learnings – Tips and Pointers... Here is just a few:

1.     Prepare prepare prepare! I can’t reiterate this enough.

2.     Daily practice sessions with the team conducting mini test events that cover all formats of content delivery are essential: live webinar, recorded, live MC host feeds, sending alerts and role-playing as presenters, live tech support, attendees, and trade exhibitors. This has been all a part of the fun and the process of going live and fully virtual.

3.     Ensure you have enough screens and monitors to handle the number of browser tabs you need! This enables you to be the 4 people you essentially need to be to manage the event as it's running. (On a personal note, I almost felt like I had superpowers behind the scenes.)

4.     Implementing a new platform is in itself a full-time job – what was I was thinking! Make sure you have really investigated the intensity of the platform, how it functions, how it operates, and as mentioned in point 2 do daily practice sessions.

5.     Doing the AV, tech, and production – imagine you are a legend, breath, and know that you got this.

6.     Human error – it does happen! Accept it, move on, and know that it can only be better the next time.

7.     As an event planner – always make sure you have your makeup and hair stylists on site so that when the team decided to take a snapshot in the aftermath of the event you are looking calm, relaxed and stunning! Online or not, makeup is essential and a little hair styling prior to the ‘Instagram’ photo snap is strongly advised.

8.     Have sugary treats on hand to keep the sugar and mojo up in the AV room with your team!

9.     Breathe breathe and breathe! Be a mindfulness master prior to the session. Meditate with the team before the launch (your team members may think you are a little weird) and do what you can to calm the energy down because everything that can go wrong will so on the first day of the event (face to face or virtual) BREATHE

10.  Brainstorm and workshop all the things you thought would happen and do this repeatedly for 3 weeks prior to the event. Enhance the new terminology that is set to be your mantra in the lead up to the event. For instance, refresh browsers, data refresh, firewalls, increasing bandwidth, check your API rate, the site isn't stable are just some of the new terms that have landed in my virtual terminology dictionary in my head.

11.  It doesn’t matter how much you have shared during the implementation timeframe – knowledge is power. Making sure everyone is on the same page is key to making this virtual event function.

• Trade Exhibitors – keep them up to date – engage with them prior and instigate mini-training sessions. The more you can help them navigate and reach out online the better. Reach out to them and gain perspective from their point of view. Remember they are new to this space also and have probably attended or are attending other virtual trade shows. Learn from them and see what you can do to enhance their experience.
• Attendees: always send emails the day before the event with updated links and log in details. Emails get buried so make it the first thing they see the day of the event in their inbox.
• Presenters: Whether they are doing pre-recorded sessions or running with the event live always get them to log in online 15 minutes prior to their session time to check the audio, webcam, and that they are ‘dressed in the code’ to present online. Whether you are working from home or not you are still presenting to an audience that has the potential to reach and tap into a global audience. After all, we all online, in the cloud, and no longer face to face.

It is important to make sure that the team knows that we are human. We will make errors but it also important that we learn and grow from the experience. Debrief about the good the bad and the ugly after said event, but move on quickly and move toward making the next one bigger brighter, and better than the one before.

One down, three to go! We got this!