Organising an event has never been easy, especially now that we are in pandemic times. As much as possible, all occasions are done virtually to avoid spreading the virus. But of course, nothing beats physical interactions. However, an online event must still not be boring but rather engaging and entertaining. No travel restrictions or limited in-person interactions can hinder the fun. Hosting a virtual event will take a massive amount of effort from you. But fret not! Follow these tips on how to improve your virtual event to keep your audience hooked!
Plan an Exciting Content
Most of our events are presented in PowerPoint slides. Adding animations, transitions, clip-arts, or designs will not keep your presentation extraordinary. Thus, this won’t be very interesting for your audience. Make a fun and creative presentation instead. Some many apps and websites offer templates that best suit your needs. If this is a hassle for you, you may search online PowerPoint templates that look like an infographic. There are also available audio and video options that you may use to entertain your viewers. Add short breaks in between events. These short breaks can be utilised for note-taking, questions, and polls if there is.
Rehearse, Double Check and Back-Up
You have your content available now. However, that doesn’t stop there. Whether you are a newbie or an expert communicator, it is better to rehearse your event flow to pinpoint issues that might become a problem during the event. Run through your audios and videos as well as the flow of presentation and script delivery, to make sure that everything runs smoothly during the conduct of the event. Prepare a backup copy of everything you will include during the event if there is an issue with the original copy.
Make Use of Different Virtual Engagement Tools
Engagement tools are life-changing devices that can help you run a virtual event successfully. You want your virtual event to be as interactive as possible, so choose a platform with easy navigation. For instance, if you have a poll in your event, engagement tools do not just allow ease of use but also create real-time data to measure your success. The analytics can be utilised to determine the Return of Investments (ROI) on your efforts, which can help you plan and conduct your future events. With a better flow of presentation based on your audience’s response, you may be able to impress possible future sponsors and guest speakers later on.
Get an Enthusiastic Presenter
Enthusiasm can make a big difference. The disadvantage of conducting online events is that there is a possibility that your audience might turn off their gadgets when things get boring. To ensure that your audience will stay fully engaged in your activity, enthusiastic and exciting speakers are a must. The speaker can interest the viewers, most especially if he is passionate and creative in his or her way of delivering. He or she must have a great command of the theme and must sustain the same fun energy from the start to the end of the program. Invited speakers can also make use of their influence to encourage their followers to participate in your event.
Make Sure to Promote Your Event Before and After
Unless it is private, you must create a buzz for your event. Utilise the variety of social media platforms available to prepare your virtual audience for the conference that will take place. Highlight the main activity that will surely direct your target audience. With these platforms, you can also create forums to find out your audience’s expectations about the conference. See to it that there is an interaction with you and your audiences as well as with their fellow attendees. After the event, conduct a post-event engagement to gain feedback on whether you have reached your objectives in conducting the virtual conference.
Be as interactive as possible
Entertaining your audience while you are delivering your primary objective can be tough. But with the use of interactive features like polls, chats, question and answer sessions will help break the ice between you and your audience. This will encourage them to be participative in your event. The interaction will also determine if the viewers are attentive. You can also assign a moderator who will accommodate your viewers’ questions while the speaker is presenting. They can also exchange ideas with fellow audiences in their chats.
Incorporate Fun Techniques
Who wouldn’t want fun, right? Involve entertaining elements such as games, trivia, quizzes, and puzzles in your virtual event. Break it to them before the event about exciting prizes to encourage participation. With this, they can also invite their contacts, therefore, increasing the reach of your announcement.
Mix Passion, Humour, and Creativity
Don’t be too overly serious with your event. Add humour. Think of it as an experience rather than a serious conference. Give information to your audience while also finding ways to wow them along the way. Experiment with your presentation design. It’s better to collaborate with a team for a consultation and additional output. Your presentation can leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Set a Time to Take a Break
We’ve been through stressful setups for the past years in the pandemic. So the last thing you want to do is add up to that emotion. In-person events have the usual intermissions and breaks to entertain and break the barriers with your audience. This courtesy should be extended to virtual events as well. The formula for that is to set a thirty-minute break for every one hour of the presentation. It gives a break to the audience and your speaker in preparing for the next part of the conference.
Breaks and intermissions are common for personal events, but the same should go for virtual meetings. The general rule of thumb to observe is that each hour of a live presentation translates to only half during an online setting. This means your hour-long keynote should be cut to only 30 minutes, along with an intermission or icebreaker.
According to the Event Manager Blog, giving breaks to your audience will create time for them to attend to their own matters. You can help them mitigate stress, have better rest, and overall well-being support through this. A good stretch is always guaranteed to be good every after a brain-draining task.
Conclusion
Conducting a virtual does not need to be such a hassle for you. However, making improvements can create a big difference and will leave an impact on your viewers. Whether you get negative or positive feedback, you are sure that your audience has been attentive to your activity. You can bring your virtual event to a whole new level with these simple tips.
Also Read: How To Beat Work-At-Home Burnout? Challenges Of Virtuality