I don’t know if it’s the summer weather rolling in or new CDC guidelines being rolled out but the middle of May has brought with it an awakening to corporate groups and brands en masse that a virtual event may be the only opportunity to connect with consumers and clients in 2020. Within the last two weeks, many groups have started to consider, “what would our event look like virtually?” I’ve personally seen an uptick in this type of chatter from almost all of our clients. Whether we were connecting with clients via video chat or (deep breath) ‘old school’ phone calls, one thing has become very apparent: NO ONE IS STEERING THE SHIP.
Over the past three months I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of virtual events as many brands attempt to take their messaging online. Poor lighting and production quality, an attempt at a live stream Q & A where they didn’t prepare for significant lag, uncomfortable presenters reading off of Power Point Presentations, etc. This is the same unpracticed, unproven, lack of strategy that can dismantle a professional image and diminish confidence in a company.
I feel that Josh King said it best during a chat with iMPACT:
“It’s time to cut through the white noise of boring webinars and clunky virtual events! As businesses everywhere are pivoting to digital experiences, it’s important to highlight that poorly run webinars and virtual experiences can do more damage to a brand than good.”
Full disclosure, I am the Vice President and Owner at an events firm, but that’s not what compelled me to write this post. If you’ve ever dipped your toe into the jacuzzi that is planning a virtual event, you already know there are literally hundreds of options to execute, crippling technical difficulties and enough variables to make your head spin. It is not “easy.” There are event platforms, video steaming services, bandwidth issues, studio space, speaker management, video and tech solutions, social and networking engagement to think about. Oh. And then there’s your actual content.
Now, more than ever, seasoned professionals are vital consultants and partners for businesses, brands and associations. Event producers are innovative, creative, organized, well-connected team players. We are problem-solving professionals, logistical ninjas and most of all project masters. We have an innate ability to see both the high-level, holistic goals of a program and all of the integral details simultaneously. We have years of experience in execution and hyper-focus on the desired result.
Our team encourages our clients to begin the planning process with a deep dive into the information itself. What is the desired outcome of this program? Which content is most important? How complex is the information? Does it require a visual component to maximize efficacy? Insights like these, prompted by a 3rd party agent, allow for internal teams to reflect on and reassess targets. In fact, with added introspection, companies occasionally discover what was “status quo” for their events is no longer aligned with their objectives. Once we have clarified direction, we are able to hone in on the experience you want to create; allowing us to perscribe the perfect content delivery cocktail.
Although I’m still working on predicting the future, I truly believe Event Producers are the keyholders to successful transitions from traditional live events to digital ones today. If you’re considering converting a live event or creating something new, please, do your marketing teams (and stockholders) a favor, engage an event agency.