Organizing and producing virtual conferences and meetings have nuances that are different than planning in-person events. For example, even with five of the smartest speakers behind the camera, our perspective is that five webinars in a row won’t constitute a “virtual conference.” Why? Interpersonal interaction is missing.
At an in-person conference, it is easy to build-in interaction. Attendees sit side-by-side in a meeting room or auditorium. They attend coffee breaks, breakout sessions and happy hours, and people naturally meet one another and strike up conversations. This experience changes when conferences become virtual — online or on-demand — experiences.
Simply having technology doesn’t answer the question “how do we really connect as human beings?” Here lies a weakness of virtual meetings and conferences. We may be together online, but we don’t feel connected.
Importance of connecting
Virtual conference planners must find new ways to connect attendees and make them feel as if they belong and encourage them to interact with each other and the conference programs being shared. That’s harder to do virtually. Author of Emotionally Intelligent Design Pamela Pavliscak writes about the intersection of technology and human emotions. “We need to be able to read nonverbal signals — the sensorial aspect of our connection, where we are part of a larger context,” said Pavliscak. “We have this technology [for virtual meetings], but it doesn’t really facilitate intimacy, emotions, or vulnerability.” But harder doesn’t mean impossible. Nonverbal signals are impossible to convey via online chat, so having a chat room and video gives attendees a way to ask questions, share observations and exchange ideas. This builds rapport throughout the conference.
Even with these barriers of technology and time, innovative meeting planners don’t give up. In May 2020, we had less than a month to create a virtual version of an annual conference with our existing technology. We knew the webinar didn’t offer enough interaction, and it wasn’t adequate for taking questions. So we set up a Zoom video call after each speaker’s presentation, and attendees joined the videoconference meeting and could see each other and the speaker. Other technology solutions are available, but our goal was to keep the same timeline as our original event, and we met it.
The fact is that meetings industry professionals agree that conferences and meetings after the COVID-19 pandemic are going to look different than before. While many expect in-person meetings to bounce back, virtual and hybrid meetings and conferences are here to stay. Offering ways to convene online is one more way companies and organizations can diversify and eliminate the barrier of distance. Most of the events are being rescheduled or moved entirely online, meaning that many of us are creating new types of virtual events.
Programming and content is different virtually
Consuming content virtually is different for online conferences. The Next Web Conference Director of Events Wytze de Haan shared that conference and event attendees “don’t just consume the content, they participate in it, interact with it, share it and more.”
It can’t really be a lecture format as webinars often are. How do we pivot to virtual meetings and do it well? The biggest opportunity to make your virtual conference wildly successful is deciding how to make your event interactive and bridge the human connection gap. The “secret recipe” you choose is a way to keep attendees’ attention amidst distractions.
Many of us are accustomed to participating via conference calls, webinars and video calls. But much of our ways of connecting have been in-person. What’s different with virtual conferences is that we have to make those online experiences more interactive and two-way. (If I wanted to consume the content on my own, I’d read a book!)
Create places to interact
It’s twice as hard to create interactivity virtually because we’ve taken away the serendipitous human interactions with attendees bumping into each other at the coffee bar and chatting amiably in the exhibit hall.
This is why we have to create those “places” for these informal conversations – even if some attendees don’t engage that way at all. Some might be satisfied by contributing in the chat box, others might jump into their social media to see what their friends are doing. The point is that we invite attendees in formal and informal ways to be part of the “experience” together to the extent that they would like.
Here’s a few low-tech strategies to apply before and during your virtual conference to promote interaction and engagement.
Before the conference
Practice with your presenters
A tech rehearsal is a critical ingredient to any online conference. The quality of what attendees see and hear are their whole experience. And you can’t feel connected or consume programming well if the technology is not working.
No matter which technology or platform you may be using, testing the system with the presenters, panelists and moderators in advance is a must. It won’t solve all the internet connectivity problems, but you can set up some backup plans in the event someone’s laptop goes haywire. You can also troubleshoot lighting and audio issues ahead of the event.
Pro Tip: It’s good to know in advance if your speaker has a backup plan in the event of equipment failure. For example, you may negotiate a copy of their pre-recorded presentation and slides as a backup. This is because if your guest speaker is on the road and calling in from a remote location — or If they are parked in their RV at a national park — their WiFi and tech support resources may be more limited.
Staff your virtual meet up spots
Another aspect of running an online conference is considering how you will staff and moderate all the meeting places – this includes social media, an app if you are using one and the virtual meeting spaces where attendees will be convening.
If attendees are having technical problems who will be on hand to respond? There are customer service logistics that will still need to be in place as there would at an in-person conference. Will someone be monitoring social media, available by phone, or text? Figuring this out in advance gives attendees a seamless experience.
For speakers or moderators, it’s great to discuss staffing needs in advance during the tech rehearsal so everyone can get comfortable with all the controls and features of the virtual rooms. Ask your speaker, for example, how they might want to interact with attendees. Will they ask a question for attendees to type in responses in the chat window to ask at the end? Will a moderator help capture questions throughout the session to ask later? Will they use a whiteboard, poll or other tools to gather feedback from the audience?
During the conference
During the event consider how to build-in two-way interactions.
Encourage introductions and icebreakers
Icebreakers and introductions are a great way to ensure every attendee is “present” in the virtual room before beginning. Lift a mug of your favorite beverage to toast the group or introduce your remote co-worker. Visual cues like a “thumbs up” or “strong arms” are another way to get a read on a virtual room quickly. These techniques are perfect for breakout sessions with smaller numbers of attendees.
If you have a keynote speaker and 5,000 attendees, they might want to use the live polling feature to ask for audience feedback and show them the answers. Another option is to employ a collaborative whiteboard like Miro so that everyone can participate together. These are strategies that allow everyone to participate.
Create connections with chat, polls, questions
Some video conference technology like Zoom or Microsoft Teams allow attendees to participate by adding comments in the live chat window. These are great ways for attendees to greet each other, ask questions, and comment during a session.
It’s helpful to have a moderator monitoring the chat to answer questions, bring issues to the speaker’s attention, and help resolve any operational issues if they pop up. Chat also gives attendees a virtual way to say hello and goodbye if they need to leave early, which is what someone would naturally do if were were in-person together. (Enjoy this list of even more resources and ways to make an event collaborative.)
Asking attendees to contribute to the conversation in chat can not only allow attendees to participate – it can help prepare them for difficult news. During one virtual meeting, an association’s national president asked attendees to share one positive outcome from COVID-19. As she read back all of the many positive outcomes the group contributed on chat, she was ready to share the news of how the pandemic would be affecting operations. The group seemed to handle it well and gave her high marks for how she shared the news.
Don’t underestimate how chat can help change attitudes, mindsets and can help set people to experience news, positive or not, together. Chat also promotes integrated and peer-to-peer learning. A quick question inserted at key locations in a presentation gives your participants a way to reflect or synthesize something they have learned and share it with others.
Consider an app attendees can access on their mobile device
A dedicated conference app is popular for making conference schedules, educational sessions, speakers, participant, exhibitor and sponsors easier to access. But have you thought of the benefits it can bring for extending conversations between sessions for virtual meetings and events? You can set up dedicated chats on specific topics, such as job leads, resources, and more.
You can even set up some gamification and fun contests to boost engagement and foster more connections. This can be done virtually as well as in-person. The best part about this is that attendees often have all the resources and connections to access at their fingertips because it lives on their smart phone.
Use your social media channels as another form of connection
During a virtual conference, finding natural ways for attendees to participate and contribute can be a bit contrived. Make sure you use spaces they already know how to use and where they like to “hang out.” The introverts in the group may be among the listeners but if you post discussion topics throughout on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook (and others) you may find conversations picking up about the virtual conference you might not have expected.
It’s okay if you have some attendees on Facebook and others on Instagram. The important part is that you’ve encouraged virtual places for people to gather, share ideas and check-in with each other. You’ve created more than one watercooler and that is a good thing! Having a dedicated conference hashtag can help attendees find each other, too.
Investigate informal spaces to collaborate and have fun
Make sure you program some “fun” into the conference. This can be setting up informal meet-ups and virtual background contests. Located on the “watercooler chat” you might host daily contests for “most relaxed remote co-worker.” Or maybe you schedule an evening time for anyone who would like to play a game online together or set up a Netflix watching party. Creativity rules the day!
If you’re getting the vibe that virtual meetings have their own list of extra things to do to make them interactive, you’re right. An in-person meeting or conference has the benefit of having people in the room and holding their attention. A virtual event is competing against everything that you can’t see — a dog scratching at the door ready to be let out, the child bursting into the office during a media interview, or the home delivery service knocking on the door.
Boosting the interactivity and participation of your event or meeting will help you capture your attendees’ attention and give them many flexible ways to participate. It may be more work for you – but ultimately, it can help you reach more of your audience who would not ordinarily be able to travel and teach them something new, facilitate connections with existing and new colleagues, and provide lasting inspiration.
Looking for a smart partner?
The team at Amy Carr Communications helps clients create PR and marketing plans for individuals and organizations hosting or producing meetings and events. We can help you brainstorm ways to plan and promote your next virtual or in-person event so it is the wild success you imagine. Set up a virtual coffee with us to chat about your vision. Whether you have plans to host an in-person event, virtual meeting, or a hybrid conference which combines the two, our proven process produces an integrated PR and marketing plan. We’ll give you the personalized attention you need to succeed.