Conferences have changed quite a bit in the wake of Covid-19. If you’re tasked with organizing a professional get together, or you believe a large-scale event would benefit your business, there’s no reason to put it off just because in-person events are temporarily off-limits. The same level of planning (if not more) is required for a truly seamless and memorable online event. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of value to be gained from a well-planned program, regardless of whether it’s face-to-face or not. Here are a few key points to keep in mind.
Know Your Audience and Plan for the Worst
If you’re hosting a Zoom conference for a bunch of tech-savvy soloprenuers, you’re probably not worried about everyone understanding how to log in and participate. However, if your industry involves participants from a range of technical skill levels, be sure to set everyone up for success before the conference begins. Nothing kills a kick-off event faster than technical difficulties. With proper planning, you can avoid common mistakes that too often put a damper on online conferences.
While you’re at it, check, double-check, and triple-check all of your microphones, hardware, and software. Make sure there are plenty of IT professionals on call if anything goes haywire during the event. Even the most detailed planning can’t prevent every possible issue. Have as many back-up plans in place as possible, including alternative WiFi connections and helpline numbers for participants to call if they run into trouble.
You might think it’s not necessary to check to weather before a virtual conference, but that’s not the case. If you have participants dialing in from all over the country, make sure you’re in tune with any expected weather events and power outages. Record all live material so anyone who misses out on something can still access the content later on. As a bonus, you can use recorded snippets from this year’s conference to produce promotional material for next year’s event.
It never hurts to put together a video tutorial or trial run for members who are hesitant about their ability to participate in an online conference successfully. Familiarize your audience with the technology beforehand to build their comfort level and willingness to join in. Consider mailing out a summary of the schedule in advance, along with coupons for meal delivery to build anticipation. Email also works, as long as you make sure to present your message in a fun and exciting way. Try adding animated GIFs or purchasing fancy e-card invites for a nice touch.
Make It Social
Aim to produce the same level of spontaneous engagement that you would see at an in-person event. Social media is an obvious platform for this, as well as conference-specific message boards and small group programs. In addition to large scale lectures, creating opportunities for break-out sessions or focus groups will give participants a chance to share, ask for advice, and network. Because networking is such a valuable part of conferences, make sure participants can connect both during and after the event.
Different formats are more appropriate, depending on the size of the crowd. Enabling a system of virtual business cards (perhaps sharing LinkedIn URLs or email addresses through a contact list) gives participants access to a major draw of your event, the other participants. While you never want to share contact information without first getting permission, come up with a system beforehand to make this sharing process almost automatic.
Perhaps you can ask in the initial application for each members’ contact info and request permission to include it on a master list for future distribution as part of the conference package. Include a line explaining why this information is beneficial for both the provider and the recipient. Set it up so that only the people who are willing to share their contact info are provided access to everyone else’s. That keeps things fair and gives a built-in incentive to participate.
When planning the conference, try not to think in terms of all-virtual or all in-person. Consider blending a virtual event with in-person opportunities to connect, if feasible to do so. Just as in-person conferences benefit from supplemental online material, a virtual conference may open the door to in-person connections. Of course, this is much easier when the group is in close geographical proximity, but there’s no reason subgroups can’t be designated based on location.
For instance, could you organize meet-up groups for coffee, hiking, or lunch in a few community locations where participants are known to reside? Small clusters could follow-up with a post-conference discussion group at a local library or a happy hour networking event. Even if it’s not something that the event organizers want to arrange, suggesting the idea and providing a platform for conference-goers to communicate on their own can be helpful.
Networking at conferences comes with the appealing possibility of new job openings. Catering to job and volunteer opportunities gives many participants the one thing they’re hoping to gain from the event. Create a chat or message board that’s focused on talent acquisition exclusively. Reach out to hiring managers and encourage them to showcase openings to conference participants specifically. After all, the people taking the time to participate in an online conference are probably just the type of go-getters anyone would want to hire and promote. Frame it as a win-win situation and give your online event the reputation of the perfect place to land a better job.
Don’t Skimp on the Goods
Let’s face it. One of the aspects that people love most about attending conferences (beyond social interaction) is the freebies. That includes both industry giveaways and free food. Holding raffles, providing goodie bags, and offering meal coupons are some of the ways you can keep this perk alive.
If people are paying to participate in your conference (even with their time), make sure they get something out of it. In addition to the information and inspiration they’ll receive, give them the goods they’ve come to look forward to at in-person events. If funding is an issue, reach out to sponsors or local businesses for donations.
Maintain Adequate Staffing
Successful conferences rely on the hard work of paid staff and volunteers before, during, and after the event. Maintain a sufficiently staffed team to handle any questions or last-minute issues. Make arrangements to meet well ahead of time to ensure that everyone is on the same page and has a clear direction of which tasks need to be assigned. Most importantly, don’t forget to reward your volunteers for donating their time. Free resources from the conference or an industry-related incentive are great ways to do this.
Offer valuable giveaways such as:
Community service hours
Continuing education credits
Discounts on gear or supplies
Gift baskets
Letters of recommendation
Tickets to future events
A volunteers-only raffle
Remember, it’s impossible to pull off a successful conference without a hard-working behind-the-scenes team. It might seem like volunteers are a convenient place to cut costs, but rewarding your staff is an investment in future events to come. Foster a network of repeat volunteers by treating them right with intentional displays of gratitude. Online conferences can be just as much work (and sometimes more) than in-person events. No one wants to do a thankless job. If nothing else, a thank you card in the mail can help recognize the efforts of your staff and keep people around for the next event to come.
