mollyfamwatIn 2020, it was near impossible to conduct events or public gatherings. All events, festivals, and parties were canceled or postponed due to the pandemic. Fortunately, canceled events turned into online virtual events so that people could catch up through the internet. The emerging trend of virtual events is getting a lot of hype from event planners and businesses. For anyone looking to host an online virtual event, here 8 simple steps for successful virtual event planning.
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60 minutes is an Ideal duration
Try keeping your events in the 60-minute range. Dj Will Gill suggests that an hour is ideal for achieving maximum satisfaction from clients during a virtual event. This is a sweet spot for engagement and won’t cause people to lose interest in what you’ll be presenting! When it’s about the event itself, remember that the goal isn’t always to have a big turnout – sometimes, it’s to see your show because you’ve spent so much time putting it together for them.
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Plan an interacting and engaging event
The success of a virtual event relies on the engagement of both the host and the guests. During virtual events, Dj Will Gill’s brilliant idea of using a raffle wheel proved to be very popular with clients.
Don’t underestimate the importance of adding a little variety to your event schedule. By doing so, you’ll keep the audience engaged and make sure they don’t check their watches every five minutes. With Zoom, you can plan your next “live” event in an exciting way. You can create small group discussions with an interactive poll or Q&A session directly from your screen with the Spotlight feature! If you and your team agree to engage in breakout sessions during large-scale business events, try adding some interactive activities that get everyone involved.
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Don’t avoid the elephant in the room.
The pandemic is still here. Our planet has suffered countless negative consequences as a consequence of the pandemic. Thinking that an online event is better than a traditional networking event is a social faux pas. Instead, call your virtual event exactly what it is: an online virtual event.
It’s apparent that we aren’t setting themes around masks and sanitizers, but don’t promote your event as an event of the millennium
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Use popular platforms to host an event
You will attract more attendees if you host your event on a popular platform. Many virtual event platforms have been introduced in recent years, but Zoom and Instagram Live are among the most popular options for hosting an online event. In addition, there are a number of newer platforms, such as Wondershare, Streamyard, and Airmeet, for which an end-user must be tech-savvy
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7 minutes psychology
The Wall Street Journal featured DJ Will Gill’s 7 minutes psychology.
According to DJ Will Gill, each act in the event should be kept within seven minutes to avoid viewers checking their watches every other minute. It is just to enlighten the importance of keeping an event short. This is deciding factor to grab or lose the attention of a viewer
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Incentivize viewers
You are probably familiar with Kahoot. It’s a lot of fun. Nonetheless, if you want to keep virtual event users the most engaged, you need to offer some kind of reward for staying on screen. A valuable addition to the virtual event is DJ Will Gill’s use of Kahoot trivia to motivate viewers.
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Ensure your guest speaker is prepared
Will Gill often features guest speakers, and he recently partnered with Steve Harvey in a corporate event. DJ Will Gill recommended keeping guest speakers on schedule to avoid any inconvenience. Provide them with pre-determined questions and keep their topics short and descriptive. Last but not least, conduct a Q & A session with audience members willing to ask something from the guest.
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Virtual tech team
There is a great deal of backstage work to be done. Don’t try to do everything on your own. Get the best partners to handle the technical aspects of the event. It is essential to have a tech team or at least two people managing the guest list, notifying important details, and providing chat support. The team is also responsible for running the spotlight, screen sharing, and answering viewers’ questions. This makes the host more focused on the virtual event rather than dealing with minor issues.
Conclusion
Everyone wants an interactive and engaging event. This might be tricky, Interactive events such as corporate celebrations and parties can be a lot of work to put together, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm you. Creating a timetable, setting up rehearsal times, and planning makes it possible to find the balance between the amount of time spent working on your event and enjoying the event itself! If there are prizes to be had, you can expect a high turnout because viewers will be more engaged and probably stay longer! Looking for someone who can help plan out your event? Contact us! We’ll be glad to help with suggestions and ideas for a successful virtual event.
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