How to make your online event a success
Since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, online events and conferences have been booming. Their successful design requires new skills that were previously more commonly found in TV production.
As long as the topic of Corona dominates our (working) lives, many companies have no choice but to experiment with a wide variety of online formats in the event and communications sector. "Otherwise, they run the risk of losing touch with their employees and customers, and no longer acquiring new customers," says Jens-Uwe Meyer, management consultant and keynote speaker with many years of experience as a TV producer.
Well-known personalities alone are not enough for an online event
"Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the demand for keynote speakers for online formats has been rising continuously," emphasizes Yan Doll, DACH Country Manager at the speaker agency Athenas. But simply having a well-known personality or recognized specialist speak is not enough for an online event to work. Both experts agree on that. That's why they advise potential organizers to heed the following three tips, among others.
Tip 1: Impressive pictures please
In television, there is a term called "talking heads". It refers to people who seem to parrot on the screen forever, without any visual variety for the viewers. They are ratings killers. Many YouTubers have the same experience with videos in which they only talk on camera. This is interesting for a minute or two at most, then viewers tune out. "Even at live events, there has been a trend for years to visualize the speakers' messages with images and videos," Meyer emphasizes. "For online events, this is even more important. That's why their organizers should think about the visual concept very early on in the planning process."
Tip 2: Rather shorter, but more frequently
In the past, one to two-day formats have prevailed for face-to-face events in the congress and conference sector, with 30 to 60-minute presentations as the event framework; in between, there are coffee breaks and small workshops. For the following reason: The arrival and departure of many participants often took so long that they had to spend the night on site. So, from the organizer's point of view, they had to be offered a program around the clock to make this time investment worthwhile.
"In online conferences, meetings and kick-offs, you have to get the key messages across in a much shorter time than in traditional face-to-face events," Doll emphasizes. Speeches should be shorter and interactive elements such as audience questions via chat or interviews should be integrated into the presentations. Meyer adds, "The ideal length of an online event is 30 to 120 minutes maximum." For companies or speakers, this means: Get your message across. And for event organizers? Instead of monumental events, go for series of events.
Tip 3: Create highlights
Let's be honest: Are you happy when one video conference, one online meeting follows the next in your agenda? If so, you are an exotic: most people are not. The so-called "no-show rate" for online events - i.e. the number of registered participants who don't "show up" - is correspondingly high. It is significantly higher than for face-to-face events. "This is also because the organizer does not suffer any financial loss from the participant's point of view," says Doll, explaining the phenomenon. After all, he doesn't have to rent a room for the online event or set up a buffet for the get-together afterwards.
At the same time, however, in principle all interested parties worldwide could participate in an online event, provided language barriers are overcome - which makes the effective number of participants difficult to calculate. "Define your target group very precisely in advance," Meyer therefore advises. In addition, it is important to create highlights and communicate them accordingly. "Then address the potential participants in a graduated, targeted manner several times to arouse their curiosity. Increase their interest in the event - also via social media channels. And keep interest high after registration, for example, with content appetizers. Then the no-show rate is lower."
An online event is not a second-rate alternative
The Corona pandemic is forcing many companies to radically rethink their communications strategies. It will also change the way events are planned and executed in the medium and long term. "What we are currently experiencing is not a flash in the pan," Doll is certain. "Professionally executed online events will play a major role in corporate communications even after the pandemic." So will the number of "so-called hybrid conferences, which combine face-to-face events with live broadcasts," Meyer adds.
Meyer advises companies that want to equip themselves for the new digital communications world to take the above "basic tips" to heart and then simply get started and gain experience. There is no lack of technical possibilities. However, as is so often the case in business, the key to success is "knowing how.
Persons quoted in the text:
- Jens-Uwe Meyer is active as a top keynote speaker for innovation, digitalization and leadership in German and English-speaking countries and in Asia. He also designs virtual events for companies and leads them to success (Internet: https://jens-uwe-meyer.de).
- Yan Doll is the responsible Country Manager for the DACH region of Athenas, a speaker agency with numerous locations worldwide. The company arranges well-known speakers and personalities for presence and online events (Internet: https://www.athenas.de).
