Virtual event or hybrid event – Don’t make it boring
By now you have figured out the best virtual format matching your event goals.
Maybe you want to do a short and concise webinar, a longer and more extensive virtual event – or perhaps you are aiming for the stars with a fancy hybrid event.
But always keep in mind that the sad truth is:
Thanks to our fast paced, digitized lifestyles and the constant information overload we are exposed to, focus and attention spans have a tendency to shrink. Thereby, giving rise to racing minds that are receptive to all kinds of distraction.
This is especially relevant for virtual events, where distraction is always just one browser tab away and people tend to be less immersed in the experience (since they are tuning in from the comfort of their own home, maybe even in their pajamas?).
So when going virtual, an extra challenge is posed on event professionals in creating a compelling and engaging experience from start to end.
If you want to captivate your audience, make a lasting impression, and have attendees absorb knowledge at your event, you have to keep it short, swift and as dynamic as you possibly can.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks:
Keep it simple and clear
Focus exclusively on your target group. Don’t try to cater to too many people at once. It will overcomplicate things and confuse people.
Rather identify specific sub-segments within your wider target audience and run several events instead of one huge event juggling (and most likely failing at resonating with) a variety of interests and needs.
Also, keep in mind that the human brain likes everything that is fast and easy to process.
Anything that doesn’t require too much mental effort and energy is absorbed easily and increases the chances that people stay focused and actively engaged throughout the event.
So keep your messages, presentations, and speeches simple. Think about your jargon, voice speed and volume. Clarity is king.
Additionally, offer visual aids to make a lasting impression. But avoid exposing your virtual audience to an overload of environmental stimuli.
Have your speaker or host on camera, have few and easy to follow written bullet points on the screen but aim for a rather simple and plain background.
That way, your virtual audience can follow along with anything that is important at a given time and distraction is minimized.
Keep it short and swift
Time is our most precious resource. Treat it like that. Don’t waste yours or others.
And don’t bore your attendees. Find the sweet spot between providing concise knowledge and sharing meaningful, more in-depth insights.
Make sure that everything that you include in your event agenda is truly relevant to your audience. If it’s not, then drop that piece of content.
Keep it short and relevant. This is how you serve your content in small bites:
- Break up your events. Instead of one big annual event, consider shorter quarterly events
- Split your event over two days instead of running a full-day event
- Run shorter sessions and include plenty of breaks
- Have a mix between live and on demand content (video, downloadable worksheets, etc.)
There is no magic number that determines the ideal length of a virtual event session but as a general guideline, consider cutting sessions and event duration in half compared to the time frame of a physical event.
This means a maximum 4-hour virtual live event per day. And a session that you would deliver within 60 minutes at an in-person event should take around 30 minutes when it is delivered online.
Keep it dynamic and snappy
Dynamism is crucial. It can make or break your virtual attendees’ experience.
Even if you manage to keep your sessions straight to the point, clear, and short – attendees may still drift off if they are presented with the very same view on their screen throughout the entire session.
A static screen is just boring and people will naturally look for something more interesting to look at.
Don’t let your attendees slip away like this.
Present them a multidimensional experience with diverse perspectives:
- Have more speakers for more diversity in people and voices
- Mix presentations and interactive group sessions
- Have an engaging fireside chat, sparking conversation rather than having a one-to-many speech
- Have cameras filming from different angles (it allows you to switch perspectives on video)
- Make it fun and leverage audience response technology (Q&A, live chat, polling, emoji response)
Think outside the box. There are many ways how you can add some spice and make your virtual event more dynamic.
By keeping your virtual event simple, concise, and dynamic, your attendees will be fully immersed in the experience.
They will stay actively engaged all the way through while enjoying and absorbing every minute of it.
