Whether you’re planning a virtual conference or a lunch with customers, there are many benefits to hosting online events and plenty of virtual event ideas to inspire you. How do you make an unforgettable success?
That’s where companies like Pointury come in. We have the ideas and experience to make an event unforgettable and most importantly run smoothy.
All events require an easy and reliable registration process so that you know who registered and so that people who registered can easily put the event in their agenda at the time of the registration.
All events do not need the same expensive technology. Some are simple meetings like we are all used to in Zoom, MS Teams, Cisco Webex, Google Meet, etc. For others a web conference is better suited. And then you have those conferences that require more advanced technology so that your participant can live an experience as close as it gets with major events, with multiple stages, breakout sessions, an expo area, impromptu one-on-on meetings, bars and even speed dating.
To make the feeling of a live event bigger, drinks and food can be supplied at the doorstep of the participant, e.g. a cheese or wine tasting, an exquisite dinner or a cocktail party where participants need to mix the ingredients of the proposed cocktails.
If before the pandemic you would entertain your guests during dinner with a show, you can think of online shows and invite a clown, a magician, musicians, or other artists to entertain your audience online. A quiz or video made for the occasion might do the trick too. While all of these will not be as good as the real experience in the right setting, it will be memorable. To improve the setting of the event, you could ask your audience to dress their dining room or office table, to dress for the occasion or to be creative with their virtual background. A price for the best or most original preparation is appropriate. To increase engagement and add an element of excitement, it is best to announce the winners during the closing of the event.
Break-out sessions are an essential part of most virtual events. Allowing sponsors to create sessions with content that will be in line with their messaging can be an extremely effective way for sponsors to reach attendees. A company presentation of 30 to 60 seconds just before the event, during the breaks or to introduce a new speaker can be quite entertaining. Moreover, the sponsors will be sure to get your attendees’ undivided attention.
Pre-recorded sessions of your keynote speakers and sessions can elevate your virtual event. Having your sessions filmed ahead of time allows for enhancements such as editing or adding in graphics. This virtual event idea helps you produce the highest quality broadcast and reduces room for error. Planning for 1 or 2 pre-recorded sessions of your keynote speakers at the end of the event also provides some backup in case one of the other speakers does not show up on time. It also makes it possible to ask a local camera crew to film the keynote speaker on site or in a professional studio.
Online events will allow you to maximise your event long after the live show is over. You can distribute your event live over social media or distribute the potentially revised recordings afterwards. It is especially helpful for tackling time-zones when hosting a global audience.
It is a shame that many participants and event speakers ignore the importance of a decent setup. There is only one chance to make a first impression, and when you have a poor webcam, a useless microphone, an unprofessional background and are not properly dressed you will not make a good first impression. It is worthwhile investing in a good setup. An inexpensive green screen can already do miracles. And a little bit of coaching can boost how you come across during online sessions.
Conclusion. The best virtual events mirror physical events in many ways. The right virtual event tools allow you to transform many parts of in-person events to a digital environment.
Do your best to provide memorable experiences for your participants. With virtual events getting professional help is important to the success of your event. You don't need to create your virtual event all by yourself. Virtual event production teams can help you elevate your experience.