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Transforming a virtual event into an experience

2 September, 2020

Imagine…

You’re at home and your doorbell rings. It’s a delivery of selected roasted coffee grounds, with a note from the organisers of the virtual event you’re joining today. A few days ago, you received an email with a food delivery voucher and you’ve been planning to order your favourite dish, ready for the live-streamed lunch time performance from an Australian musician. You are looking forward to today’s inspiring speakers, thought provoking breakout sessions, virtual networking, and now, the ‘surprise activity’ has been revealed – you’re being guided by a barista in a morning coffee brewing and tasting session!

Why choose a virtual event for your business?

We’re entering a new age of virtual events, accelerated, like many things this year, by COVID-19. Where virtual events were once a design copy and paste from a physical event, often losing context and execution in translation, they’re now becoming engaging, captivating, and immersive experiences that are planned beyond the laptop screen.

What are the benefits of virtual events?

Without replacing traditional events, virtual events have their own advantages. They’ve overcome a range of challenges that in-person events have long struggled with, such as budget allocation across staffing, catering and venue selection, and trying to reduce the carbon footprint of the overall event. In the same vein, virtual events have created a host of new opportunities to reach more people, allow for flexible attendance, allocate the budget to focus more on creating the best virtual event experience possible, and give organisers access to rich data insights.

What will your next virtual event look like?

Your attendees will be taken on a journey, seamlessly connecting what’s happening on screen with what’s happening in their homes. Options are endless and completely customisable!

Speakers and sessions

Think TED style talks: captivating and inspiring sessions delivered by thought leaders and motivational speakers, with polling and Q&A for audience engagement. For larger groups, different sessions can be broadcast at the same time to give viewers personalised choice, with viewing on-demand available later.

Curated experience at home

Complement speaker sessions with health and wellbeing, team building and personal development. Get attendees up and moving with a professionally guided yoga session, explore Australian flavours with a sommelier led wine tasting session, have a personalised hamper sent to their home – deliver a truly memorable experience with activities that engage on a deeper level.

Connecting attendees

From discussion groups to “speed dating”, attendees can meet, network, and share ideas through video or text chat in meeting hubs. They’ll be able to schedule meetings and exchange contact details 1-on-1 or in small groups, and sponsors and exhibitors can get involved too.

Ongoing engagement

An attendee-first communication strategy will take your virtual event to the next level. Build up the excitement and surprise around the virtual event through emails, an app, a dedicated website and any other communications before, during and after the event.

Gamification is a tried and tested way to engage attendees. Earn points for attending sessions, asking or answering questions, meeting exhibitors and interacting with other attendees. Choose a great selection of prizes that attendees will be eager to win, encouraging them to engage with the content, speakers and other attendees.

Virtual is here to stay, so don’t wait!

While the increase in virtual events has been embraced out of necessity, it’s expected that virtual events will remain as an equal or complementary option to in-person events. Virtual events require just as much logistical planning, creative thinking and careful execution as physical events and with a professional event manager behind you, hosting a virtual event can be easy.

At Solterbeck Events, we believe in achieving the same goals, delivered differently. Start now with the new age of events. Contact us on +61 399 495 900 and let us turn your face to face event into a virtual one.