Now more than ever it’s important that all industries rethink how they do business. This is an challenging time, but on the positive side it allows you to try something new. All aspects of your current conference format like content, engagement, and breakouts can be rethought. A virtual conference may be the answer.
For the corporate event world, live streaming a virtual conference is a safe, cost effective way to continue to communicate with your team. This type of meeting also makes it possible to expand both your reach and impact.
Keeping your online audience engaged during a virtual conference
Decide what elements of your existing schedule will translate best to a virtual format. Remember your attendees are people who were going to spend a day attending sessions and meeting people face to face. You must still keep their attention. Whether it’s by creating visuals that help people understand what the meetings theme is or developing engaging presentations that present a clear message.
Set your speakers up to succeed
Being on camera for a virtual conference is very different from being in front of a live audience. Speakers will now be presenting with no feedback. Showing speakers what the set and overall experience will look like for viewers is key.
Encourage presenters to rehearse in front of a camera as early as possible. Then give them the opportunity to see what they look like while presenting. This gives them the chance to perfect their presentation. It also allows them to understand how they will be perceived by their audience. Also, using a teleprompter can give the speaker a sense of confidence.
Important things to remember about virtual conferences
Your audience’s attention span will be shorter online. Shorten the duration of sessions to accommodate for this. Consider multiple shorter presentations rather than fewer long ones. As well, a variety of speakers makes for a more engaging meeting.
The camera will only see a small window of space, so make that space count. Creative backgrounds and lighting will help draw in your audience. A video wall gives you the ability to brand your meeting and provide multiple, creative backgrounds.
It is as important as ever to make good use of your corporate event producer. They can bring design, technical expertise, show flow and show management to your virtual event. They will also work hand-in-hand with your IT experts to make sure the security of your information is up to your standards.