Lessons learned after half a year of virtual events
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 5:33 am
It’s no secret that this is a difficult time for marketing and event agencies. By now, we’re all aware that we need to move from in-person to virtual events , but knowing how to get there and how to achieve the desired result is easier in theory than in practice.
We are currently discovering as we go, experimenting with new technologies, and learning to fail fast. The five most important tips we have learned so far about virtual events are:
Always have a plan B... and even a plan C
For example, if we had an in-person dinner experience honduras phone number list scheduled, our plan B might be to host the event virtually by having a celebrity chef on-site, teaching a cooking class in a professional studio on one of his recipes. As part of that experience, we would also send attendees meal kits to cook alongside the chef, but each from home.
Additionally, we need to have a third option as well, and if the first two go wrong, move on to plan C, which in this case would be to have the chef film the video himself in his own kitchen, select a recipe that focused on pantry staples, and send gift cards to all attendees to purchase the necessary ingredients at our sponsoring supermarkets.
Both meal kits and studio-produced video would be wonderful options that, if we went with the latter option, would still allow us to connect with our customers in a meaningful way .
Content through experience
According to Forbes, scheduling platform Doodle has seen a “ 296% increase in group meetups for virtual-only happy hours, cocktail hours, wine/beer/drinks socials,” and a “100% increase in virtual classes like yoga, dance, exercise, workout, fitness, aerobics and pilates .”
Consider changing your next content event to a hands-on virtual experience, such as a wine tasting, a craft workshop, or, as we’ve done for some of our clients, an escape room . It’s a good idea to have an executive from your company speak at the top of the event or ask your sales reps to interact with customers via video or live chat, answering questions or concerns about your solutions.
We tell you this because more and more IT managers prefer to attend virtual events .
Don't be afraid to make mistakes
Launching an event that isn't 100% planned can be nerve-wracking, but we're here to encourage you to do it. You need to move quickly in times of change.
Once you have an “MVP” (minimum viable product), go ahead and launch it. Put your product on the market to see how your customers are receiving the idea. Take note of what’s resonating and what’s not, and use that feedback to continually adapt.
With some of our initial virtual events, we started small by targeting our “MVP” at a single market. We then gathered feedback from internal and external stakeholders on how that event was resonating with customers. Once we were able to incorporate some of that feedback, we expanded our efforts to target a broader, more regional audience.
Along those same lines, don't be afraid to try something different. Dare to try webinars and online events . Restricted times can generate creativity .
Communicate and collaborate
We need to be careful not to overwhelm our customers with too many offers, since nowadays they receive so many emails inviting them to so many webinars and events.
Since most people are working remotely right now, make sure you have the right channels in place to facilitate an open and ongoing dialogue with your customers. This could be done through weekly video conferences or by using the various platforms like Cisco Webex or Zoom as chats to communicate.
In our case, we have increased communications on our internal channel with our demand generation team. This allows us to be as united as if we were in the same office, sharing questions about projects and updates from our clients.
We are currently discovering as we go, experimenting with new technologies, and learning to fail fast. The five most important tips we have learned so far about virtual events are:
Always have a plan B... and even a plan C
For example, if we had an in-person dinner experience honduras phone number list scheduled, our plan B might be to host the event virtually by having a celebrity chef on-site, teaching a cooking class in a professional studio on one of his recipes. As part of that experience, we would also send attendees meal kits to cook alongside the chef, but each from home.
Additionally, we need to have a third option as well, and if the first two go wrong, move on to plan C, which in this case would be to have the chef film the video himself in his own kitchen, select a recipe that focused on pantry staples, and send gift cards to all attendees to purchase the necessary ingredients at our sponsoring supermarkets.
Both meal kits and studio-produced video would be wonderful options that, if we went with the latter option, would still allow us to connect with our customers in a meaningful way .
Content through experience
According to Forbes, scheduling platform Doodle has seen a “ 296% increase in group meetups for virtual-only happy hours, cocktail hours, wine/beer/drinks socials,” and a “100% increase in virtual classes like yoga, dance, exercise, workout, fitness, aerobics and pilates .”
Consider changing your next content event to a hands-on virtual experience, such as a wine tasting, a craft workshop, or, as we’ve done for some of our clients, an escape room . It’s a good idea to have an executive from your company speak at the top of the event or ask your sales reps to interact with customers via video or live chat, answering questions or concerns about your solutions.
We tell you this because more and more IT managers prefer to attend virtual events .
Don't be afraid to make mistakes
Launching an event that isn't 100% planned can be nerve-wracking, but we're here to encourage you to do it. You need to move quickly in times of change.
Once you have an “MVP” (minimum viable product), go ahead and launch it. Put your product on the market to see how your customers are receiving the idea. Take note of what’s resonating and what’s not, and use that feedback to continually adapt.
With some of our initial virtual events, we started small by targeting our “MVP” at a single market. We then gathered feedback from internal and external stakeholders on how that event was resonating with customers. Once we were able to incorporate some of that feedback, we expanded our efforts to target a broader, more regional audience.
Along those same lines, don't be afraid to try something different. Dare to try webinars and online events . Restricted times can generate creativity .
Communicate and collaborate
We need to be careful not to overwhelm our customers with too many offers, since nowadays they receive so many emails inviting them to so many webinars and events.
Since most people are working remotely right now, make sure you have the right channels in place to facilitate an open and ongoing dialogue with your customers. This could be done through weekly video conferences or by using the various platforms like Cisco Webex or Zoom as chats to communicate.
In our case, we have increased communications on our internal channel with our demand generation team. This allows us to be as united as if we were in the same office, sharing questions about projects and updates from our clients.