Top tips for virtual events

After almost a year of virtual events dominating our activity, it can still be a minefield knowing what to do and how to do it. With virtual events set to stay in 2021 and beyond, we have collated our five top tips on what to consider.

1. Make sure your audience remain front and centre: With so many options out there it’s easy to become distracted by platforms, production values and gimmicks. It is key to know your audience and keep them in mind throughout your planning and delivery. Is this a chance to widen your supporter base, or is it more important to deliver something tailored to your existing supporters? Is there a particular platform that your audience is already using to communicate with you? Is it important for your audience to be able to interact with you or do you just want to share your content? It is impossible to be everything to everyone, so keep focused on your key audience and make sure that decisions are made with them in mind.
2. Keep it simple: Just because you can bring everyone on screen or split people into pairs doesn’t mean you should. Focus on producing really engaging content rather than over-complicating the experience. Make it as easy as possible for your audience to access and engage with your event. Avoid having to make them download something or asking them to use multiple platforms to engage.
3. This is a great time to innovate: Often annual cycles of events leave little time for fresh ideas. With the world turned upside down this is your chance to try that thing you've always been thinking about, or make the ask to that ambassador who has always been busy for your live events. Virtual events give you more freedom to create outside-of-the-box content. Location and schedules no longer need to be limiting factors, especially with pre-recorded content. Consider investing some of your F&B costs into creating a high-quality film that you can use for your event and beyond. By this point, people have sat through hours of Zoom calls and webinars. How can your content and messaging stand out? The usual way of doing things have gone out the window, so be brave and try something new.
4. Be clear in your ask: Whether your event has a fundraising ask or not, be clear to your audience about your expectations of them. How long is the event? Will they be on camera? Are you asking them to donate, and if so how do they do this? Clear pre-event comms are more important than ever to prepare your audience to have a great experience. Make sure you have someone dedicated to guest queries during the event. No matter how many times you send the link there will be someone who can’t find it. The last thing you want to be doing is sending it to them as you are about to go live to your VIP speaker.
5. Always have a backup plan: However much you rehearse, as with any live event, things can and do go wrong. As far as possible minimise the opportunities for problems to occur. Consider pre-recording as much of your content as possible; if you do have live elements, limit the number of live handovers; and if the worst does happen, then have processes in place that you can implement straightaway i.e. prepare holding slides you can put up whilst you fix the issue, have emails ready to send that have an alternative link to access the content, share the pre-recorded content with people in another way. Think of every conceivable situation, then make a plan for it!

We’d love to hear your learnings so please get in touch to see how the Emma virtual platform can support your next event!