How many hours do you spend in virtual meetings every day? In today's virtual business environment, creating a memorable event takes on a whole new challenge. With virtual meetings and events getting more sophisticated, it's essential that your next event 'stand out.' Luckily, creating connections via some good old-fashioned effort and creativity can go a long way! Your participants will forget that Zoom fatigue exists and leave your meeting inspired to take action with these tips.
Set the stage
A well-planned virtual event starts with defining the objective or goal of your event. What 'value' can you provide your participants? Once that is defined, you can move along to setting the stage for an event that doesn't appear like every other Zoom call they've been taken part in. Just as you would for a live event, welcome your attendees and set the stage with bold and vibrant
backdrops or window graphics. Providing a visual experience, combined with strategic forethought, can ensure a lasting impression and an event that doesn't feel like all the rest.
Get them involved
Kick-off your virtual event by drawing your attendees in. Getting people interested and enticed for what's to come sets the tone for a great meeting! Here are some ideas:
Energize
Now that you've got them excited and engaged, it's critical to maintain a high energy level. Yawning participants can really kill the vibe during a meeting. What kind of activities and socializing would you include in a live event, and how can they be modified for a virtual environment? For example, live music performances can energize a crowd, especially if the content is a bit dry. Or dial up the creativity by sending a
branded product to go with a cooking, wine-tasting, or mixology demonstration. Take advantage of technology and pipe in laughter, applause, or upbeat music. Whether it's an activity, music, or a random giveaway, give attendees something to talk about!
Mix it up
Keep your virtual room buzzing by offering a variety of experiences. Provide attendees opportunities to participate in a less intimidating format such as roundtable discussions and break-out sessions. The more personal the experience, the more memorable your meeting will be. Another way to prevent attendees from checking their phones is to mix in different formats and visuals such as live and pre-recorded video, rolling backgrounds, and slides. It wouldn't hurt to provide your presenters with high-quality audio and visual equipment. And, don’t forget the high-impact branded
background behind them that we mentioned earlier!
Follow-up
A well-timed follow-up sends the message that you care and is important to 'completing' your attendees’ experience. It also helps to keep them talking about your event to colleagues for weeks to come. Finally, your follow-up can also be used to gather information on how attendees felt about your event and how you can improve the next one. Here are some suggested ways to follow-up:
- Mail thank you's, the earlier, the better
- Send a post-event survey and provide a promotional product as an incentive
- Send a "sorry we missed you" postcard or email
- Reach out via social media by using a hashtag that can start trending as attendees retweet and reply
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