While there has been a small number of Covid Secure live events, live events of size, are alas not coming back anytime soon. In the absence of live in person events, I have become a real virtual events convert. The caveat they have to be done well and wholly planned with a remote audience in mind. You can’t just move your old live events format on line and think it will work. It won’t! Virtual event design requires a different skill set and perspective.
Some companies have already grasped the virtual events opportunity and posted some great results. Most however are sitting back, hoping, waiting for things to get better. Please don’t. If events were or are part of your marketing strategies they must continue to be so.
One factor those new to virtual events struggle with is virtual event design.
In this post I want to talk about virtual event design. To clarify, it’s the part of the process after you have completed your pre-virtual event market research and before you create the event programme – the content.
How to design virtually brilliant events?
During your pre-event market research, you’d have got some idea about your events direction of travel – its purpose; its why. Your event needs to provide a solution to an audience pain point. You’d also have established who might be interested in attending (virtually) your event. The big advantage with virtual events is if you want to broaden your audience base with the right promotional campaign you can attract significantly higher numbers. This means that you should start to think about who might be your second and third tier audiences.
Designing a great live or virtual event is not something you can easily do on your own. For help in generating lots of great ideas during the virtual event design phase look for people who have creative flair, have a range of different experiences and interests. Between 4 and 6 people is about right, bearing in mind that running a creative session online is not that easy.
Your job is to set the scene (the why, the audience profile(s) and remember it’s virtual!) and try to remove all thoughts of actual and perceived boundaries (including budgets) and allow attendees to let their imaginations run wild. As the meeting chair, you’d seek to encourage participation and not pass comment or judgement on any of the ideas. Out of a seemingly mad cap idea often comes a little gem. You must also ensure that everyone feels comfortable enough to suggest any of their ideas, however wacky they may seem to you or other team members. Please also take note of all suggestions.
When I am designing virtual events, I have in my head what I consider to be the audiences’ entry behaviour: their current skills, knowledge or attitude. The big question is therefore what do you want their exiting behaviour: the change in their skills, knowledge or attitude to be. With this in mind you are looking to create an event that delivers the required or desired exiting behaviour.
Designing valuable virtual event experiences
With a clear idea of your audience(s) and the required exiting behaviour it’s imperative you design a fully customised experience created for a specific audience. Because its virtual it just needs to be so much better than the live experience! Virtual audiences are a much tougher crowd to please. If your event is not cutting it – it’s one click and they are gone!
Here’s a few thoughts on the process and factors to consider when designing your virtual event experience
- Establish what they want to know / hear and from whom (thing’s they can’t Google)
- What’s new, exciting and the most impactful virtual format for delivering it
- Create a list of topics, views, controversies, case studies, people stories that will bring about the behaviour change…their takeaways, their return for turning up?
- Short impactful sessions with frequent breaks or fast frequent breaks
Other considerations:
- Use compelling visuals
- Remember: there are watchers / learners & engagers
- One menu may not fit all. Think about a more pick and mix programme with 2 or 3 tracks
Know your value
With your design concept in the bag your next job is to now create an event programme that delivers on this promise.
Do always remember that your events must provide audiences with valuable and worthwhile experiences that will enrich their lives in some way – solve a problem for them.
Need a little virtual event help?
Virtual events like them or not are the here and now so, if you would like to join the virtual events world and like me to guide you through the process then my How to design, plan and deliver successful and rewarding virtual live events course is just what you need.
Not sure? Here’s a couple of recent course testimonials.
This course was excellent and exactly what I was hoping for. It absolutely exceeded my expectations. Chris was super, a really fantastic trainer. It was absolutely invaluable. Just excellent and of course I would recommend it!
10/10 Rachel Warner Events
Chris is a very experienced Events Manager, and knows all the pitfalls and trials of delivering events large and small. His advice and insights are invaluable, and he brings all his real-life experience to his training. Chris is incredibly approachable, and it is reassuring to know he is there, especially at this difficult time when we are all having to adapt to new ways of doing things. This is so helpful to those for whom event planning may not be the day job, but who are suddenly landed with it. I have experience in delivering events but not in the virtual world, so this course today has been incredibly helpful in explaining the key differences between a live and a virtual event, and how we need to approach the two disciplines in different ways in order to ensure we deliver events that engage the audience and deliver content that they want to hear. I will take this advice forward and it will help us to really shape our next event. Chris went to a lot of trouble to cover all the areas that are important, but I know I can contact him if other queries come to me and that he will respond.
10/10 Felicity, Department of Transport.
Please note you can find more testimonials on the course landing page link above.
About Chris Powell, The Event Expert
I run an event management training and consultancy company (The Event Expert) delivering In-house and On-Line event management training courses and event consultancy services
that help turn event planners into confident and skilled event professionals: able to deliver successful and rewarding events. My courses cover Business, Virtual, Public, Community, Major events and Event Health and Safety.
My courses are based on 20+ years of practical event management experience. I practice what I preach!
My clients come from the world of business, education, sport, the public and charity sector, training companies, tourism, creative agencies, universities and festivals.
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