Virtual Events

With the onset of the current economic and political climate, event agencies are challenged once again, and not unhappily, to re-evaluate the approach we take with our audiences. This shake-up happens every once in a while, and does wonders for encouraging creativity, innovation and creating a whole new approach within the events industry. We’ve heard time and time again, clients asking “we have a message to get out, but how do we do it?” One key solution is VIRTUAL EVENTS.

What Are Virtual Events?

Virtual events are an interactive portal used to deliver presentations and events across the web, featuring synchronised video and slides. They will never be as effective, or replace face-to-face communication, however, they are a great means of communicating with an audience.

They typically feature:

Live audio/video feed of the presenter or panel – It’s good to have 2 camera angles to show the presenter, panel & the live audience. Our video team have a wealth of experience in getting great shots & capturing the atmosphere of the event.

Live display of presentation or screen sharing – shows exactly what the speaker is referring to, slides, internet links etc.

Voting polls – These are a great way of getting information and results quickly, and ensure that the web audience stays engaged.

Ask the speaker or panel a question – delegates can submit questions to be answered. These are previewed by the facilitator before they are published for other delegates to see.

Delegate list – shows the list of delegates who are logged on to the system, attendees can signal for assistance and show their agreement by changing their icon status. Facilitators can also recognise if delegates have minimised their window and are not paying attention!

Pre-event online registration and networking
A live studio audience & speakers, linked with a web audience. The live audience enables the presenter to “perform” more, so that they are engaging the online audience.

All can be uniquely branded to your organisation, from pre registration to the event link itself. The style, design, font, etc are all customisable.

Why Virtual Events?

Virtual events have many great benefits, including:

Cost effective – during the current global recession, many organisations are postponing or cancelling events to save on venue, production and travel costs. Virtual events are a fraction of the price of  live events.

Widen participation – increase participation from delegates nationally who wouldn’t always have the opportunity to attend in person.

Increase communication frequency – forward thinking communicators are using virtual meetings to increase the quality and frequency of communication without breaking the budget.

Play back recording – ability to forward an on-demand webcasting link to delegates who weren’t able to attend, and have the whole event archived for you to access at any time. These files could also be charged for to derive additional revenue.

Obviously if there’s no venue or catering requirements – no need to worry about room capacities and dietary requirements!

Now you’ll have read that virtual events are the way forward, there are a few vital rules to follow….

The 5 Commandments of Virtual

1. Short IS Sweet – the less time the delegates have to stay online, the more likely they are to remain engaged. A 60 minute meeting is a long time in the virtual world!
2. Always have backup – live events use technology all the time without incident. Virtual events also run without a hitch for the majority of the time, however virtual meeting organisers almost never have a backup plan, unlike their live event counterparts.
3. Let your audience get up to speed prior to transmission – it’s no good delegates logging into a virtual meeting when the event is scheduled to start. If they have a problem they will automatically miss the start of the session and not catch up. Having a registration period whereby delegates can familiarise themselves with the technology before the meeting starts ensures a smoother experience.
4. Go with your best speakers – good, confident presenters make the transition to virtual events seamlessly. Nervous speakers who tend to ramble are unbearable online! Always go with your strongest speakers to ensure audience engagement.
5. Variety is crucial – the key challenge to maintain audience interest. Avoid extended periods of monologue and break content into small chunks.

Tailoring to each event – and of course, its audience – is key to any project we create here at Comshows. But knowing the options that are available adds real, vital value to our projects. Understanding what works where and how to apply it is essential, and will help steer us all through the next exciting chapter in communicating with our audiences. So whatever the event or project, Comshows can deliver an event solution tailored to your exact requirements, saving you time and money.

020 8747 4300 – info@comshows.com