Virtual Events

The Future of Virtual Meetings

John Clauss — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 02:30:00 +0000

The Future of Virtual Meetings John Clauss Tue, 08/04/2020 - 22:30

Part 5: The Future of Virtual Meetings

Without a definitive end date to the COVID-19 situation, the message resonating among meeting planners is “we might be going virtual for a while.”

Even longstanding events like the Ironman World Championship, which has been held in Hawaii every October for more than 40 years and was originally pushed back to February 2021 amid coronavirus concerns, have announced complete cancelations for the season, with a plan to resume in October 2021.

Events that require in-person physical presence will likely take this route, but for those that previously relied on gathering people for intellectual conversation and learning, more options abound – and more creative ways to do them continue to surface.

Let’s take a look at a few models for future virtual events, and examples of companies putting these creative solutions into practice.

The ‘New Traditional’ Virtual Events

The fallback solution has become the norm and will remain popular over the coming year. Advances in presentation capabilities and speaker formats with technology like Mmhmm, currently in beta testing, will offer audiences an experience they are now comfortable using – but with an added wow factor.

Hybrid Events

With the notion of large crowds dispersed for the immediate future, once gatherings of 50 or less can resume, the hybrid event may become a popular new choice. Small groups can meet up in various geographic locations to interact together, while interfacing with the larger conference or event virtually.

VR Events

Some airlines are forecasting that business travel will never resume to its previous levels. But what happens when you need that in-person experience of a place to convey your message? Enter VR. While pricier and logistically more complex to set up, this format could become popular for things like building tours or other traditionally experiential events.

Regardless of the event type, we will all have to get more creative in how we approach large scale exhibitions like awards shows, trade shows, large trainings and town halls – and ensure we are planning for communication that is no longer one directional, but includes far more interaction to keep attentions on our monitors for longer periods of time.

If your company needs help uncovering solutions, or creatively breaking up programs through existing or custom technology tools, shoot us a note. We’re happy to talk.

This is part 5 of a 5 part series.

Part 1: My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What?

Part 2: Three Paths to a Productive Event

Part 3: Understanding Constraints

Part 4: Staffing for Success

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Virtual Events

Staffing for Success

John Clauss — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 17:30:00 +0000

Staffing for Success John Clauss Thu, 07/16/2020 - 13:30

Part 4: Staffing for Success

In the past few articles we have looked at technical concerns from the type of solution you may need to have your best event, to constraints to be aware of when running the event live or on demand. Now, we’ll delve into staffing.

On top of managing a remote workforce for day to day concerns, many companies are faced with the task of staffing their now-virtual events. We’ll take a look at what this means, and questions you should ask to make sure you have covered all event components.

Do you really need to digitize the roles you’d have had in-person? Do you need an event manager, a communications professional, a dedicated IT specialist? Depending on the complexity of the event, the answer very likely might be yes. At the very least, regardless of event size, you will need a well-developed Run of Show and roles assigned to your existing teammates.

However, if your event needs to have both live and pre-recorded components, having an event planner as well as a director may be something you still need to consider. As with live events, if your structure includes keynote presentations, breakout groups or panel speaking, and table-specific social networking, this requires a layer of complexity that cannot be handled by one or two people alone.

Will someone be checking attendees in from a virtual waiting room? Will you have a go-to tech support person for attendees experiencing difficulties? Will you need an app and text messaging or email solution for sending links during the event so participants can either purchase products or make donations live? Will these be personalized links tied to each individual, or a general link for everyone to use? Will you need a tool that helps you see what monies are being brought in? Will there be other calls to action before, during or after the event, and how will you communicate them?

In addition to an event planner, what about an event director? Someone who will run the show behind the scenes, as well as an event emcee who will bring the audience back and forth between experiences? You may need a special graphics producer for specific backgrounds, or someone assigned just to make sure PPT presentations are forwarded at the correct times. You may also need someone responsible for monitoring and moderating a live chat stream or fielding questions for organizers or panelists. The list can become extensive.

Marker Seven can help you alleviate these concerns. Through our partnership with events and brand consultant Jan Berndt, we are ready to listen and help you find the best solution for your audience and goals. Contact us today to get started.

This is part 4 of a 5 part series.

Part 1: My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What?

Part 2: Three Paths to a Productive Event

Part 3: Understanding Constraints

Part 5: The Future of Virtual Meetings

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Virtual Events

Understanding Constraints

John Clauss — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 23:00:00 +0000

Understanding Constraints John Clauss Mon, 07/06/2020 - 19:00

Part 3: Understanding Constraints

Managing a remote workforce has never been a more pressing concern and managing client relationships from a distance is a new challenge for many businesses as well. Understandably, many companies and teams were simply unprepared for an entire organizational shift to virtual meetings and distance work. And the options abound for how to navigate the seemingly endless choices – how do you find what works best for you?

With several high-profile solutions gaining traction, from Zoom to GoToMeeting, to Google Hangouts and more, you might have jumped into whichever you had existing access to, or heard others using. However, many organizations have needed to backtrack out of their platforms, forgoing Zoom for security reasons – even after the company updated its security measures. Many are unexpectedly left wondering – where do I go now?

Virtual events, like live, in-person events, require a lot of preparation to come off exactly as planned, and just like in the traditional event environment, technology is key to things going well. Unlike the in-person event world, in the virtual event space, there are no backups for ineffective technology. The IT staff at the conference center or hotel are not on call to bring in a new microphone, supply additional power cord extenders, or assist with Internet access.

If possible, your organization should designate an IT troubleshooter to assist presenters and attendees; even if you don’t have a dedicated IT person on staff, someone familiar with the tool you are using, who is available to train presenters ahead of time, and be on call for questions and assistance throughout, is critical to ensure a smoothly functioning event. The top three constraints this person should be prepared to handle are bandwidth, security and encryption, and stable network connections.

If you are using an existing, off-the-shelf tool, you will want to ensure that it can handle audio and video for the number of participants you are planning for, that it has security features available such as password access for privacy if you need it, and that you are hosting from a location with a stable and strong internet connection.

If these things are not accounted for, participants may have trouble logging in, and participating in a seamless manner once in the event. Bandwidth on existing tools is not yet ideal for large events, although it may work fine for smaller audiences.

Additionally, some companies experienced privacy concerns and breaches in the early days of the mass movement to virtual platforms, because proper measures were not put into place. If your event is meant for public consumption, and does not contain proprietary information, you may not need or wish to add security measures that could complicate participation; however, if you do need your information to remain private or within your corporation only (e.g. presentations of products and services that haven’t been officially launched yet) aside from those invited to attend, this is a concern worth looking into further. A custom solution may offer you more of the reassurance you need in all of these areas and can be developed in accordance with your IT security protocols.

As with in-person events, there are multiple ways to approach a successful event. From finding the right platform, to ensuring your events are secure, reliable, and that you have the best practices in place to make them successful, we are here to help you devise a solution for your needs, whether that is an existing solution, or building your own tool for use. Our team can help you determine if you have the necessary infrastructure in place for the audience size you need to reach, and what technology you may need to do these things with greater ease and reliability. Contact us to set up a consultation.

This is part 3 of a 5 part series.

Part 1: My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What?

Part 2: Three Paths to a Productive Event

Part 4: Staffing for Success

Part 5: The Future of Virtual Meetings

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Virtual Events

Three Paths to a Productive Event

John Clauss — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 23:00:00 +0000

Three Paths to a Productive Event John Clauss Sun, 06/28/2020 - 19:00

Part 2: Three Paths to a Productive Event

With the virtual events space seeing an acceleration that should have taken several years, within just a few short months, many companies are wondering how to make their crossover to a virtual environment a productive one.

In Part 1 we explored some of the basic questions for determining the type of event you may need, and its basic structure. In this article, we will examine three primary paths for achieving a productive event.

Path 1 - Adopt Available Tools

Use a tool, in the configurations it offers, as is.

Virtual events and brand consultant Jan Berndt estimates that more than 50% of events can do just fine with existing tools. Companies and entertainers have now successfully broadcast virtual concerts and parties, and there are a number of streaming tools like Crowdcast and ON24 which offer varying levels of interaction.

But more complex events often need custom solutions, which we’ll explore further as part of Path 3.

Path 2 - Combine Available Tools

Create a semi-custom solution by combining more than one off-the-shelf tool

If your event is more complex than a one-tool solution, but can still benefit from several off-the-shelf products, it is possible to create a semi-custom solution by combining two or more existing tools that can work together to get the job done.

For example, you may choose one product to host your meeting or event, but it doesn’t come with a ticketing option. You will need a landing page to sell tickets from and may need to integrate other options as well - and not every out-of-the-box solution is price transparent. This is where a consultant can help you determine what mix works best for your unique situation.

When combining different tools, it is crucial though that you have a compelling customer journey with no “loose ends.” as it can get pretty challenging and frustrating for your attendees if they have to jump between different tools and touchpoints all the time.

Path 3 - Build a Custom Solution

Starting from scratch, develop your own tool to support your needs.

In Germany for example, where brand consultant Jan Berndt is based, auto makers have always streamed parts of their large events in order to reach a broader audience worldwide. Tools like hopin.to, Big Marker and even Vimeo offer some capabilities for bringing these events fully online, but what happens when you have an event that:

Needs to include thousands of participants from your existing CRM platforms?
Needs to be hosted on your own servers and under your own IT security protocols?
Needs to go across dozens of countries, for weeks at a time?
You need each participant to have a profile they can use to log trainings and highly confidential e-learning sessions?
Needs participants to network with other virtual attendees in breakout rooms?
Needs the capability for participants to watch pre-recorded sessions, view live streaming content?
You need to connect with social networks and participate/post as the event happens?

If you need to be fully in the driver’s seat, Path 3 lets you have full control. For these complex, layered requirements, truly custom digital event solutions are required to get everything checked off the list.

A number of events agencies are developing their own products and licensing them out for these more complex requirements. There are usually two options here. The first is to be the fastest. This likely means you are using a beta version of a product, which may not be as thoroughly tested.

The second option is to wait for a perfect solution. It takes longer to build, but you can count on it delivering everything you need. It’s the Apple approach - not the first, but the best. This is the kind of solution Marker Seven regularly delivers for clients.

There are massive amounts of technology on the market and a combination of them will work for basic events, but companies who need to execute a perfect experience cannot simply translate their offline plans into a virtual setting. That requires innovation and major changes to the way events are handled.

If perfection is a requirement, it is no longer a question of whether to make or buy a product. To transform a trade show or larger conference environment into an online experience requires more than existing software. It requires strategic planning, custom development, and even a team, which we’ll cover more in part four, Staffing for Success.

To start exploring an event solution that works for you, please feel free to contact us.

This is part 2 of a 5 part series.

Part 1: My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What?

Part 3: Understanding Contraints

Part 4: Staffing for Success

Part 5: The Future of Virtual Meetings

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Virtual Events

My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What?

John Clauss — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 22:30:00 +0000

My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What? John Clauss Fri, 06/12/2020 - 18:30

Part 1: My Event Has to Go Virtual. Now What?

By now, most companies and individuals that are able to adapt to a work-from-home-environment have adjusted to remote work being part of the new normal, whether temporarily or as an entirely new way of doing business. We’ve learned to turn to virtual meetings and other distance-based ways to connect with clients and teams throughout our workweek, but questions about what to do with our larger events still loom large.

Whether it’s an annual meeting, conference, trade show, or fundraiser that’s been canceled, postponed, or forced online, we are all facing major decisions about what to move forward with, and how. Marker Seven is working with virtual events and brand consultant Jan Berndt, the talent behind digital events and campaigns for Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Spotify and more on ways to help our clients bring their events online in meaningful ways.

To begin developing a successful event plan, Berndt first recommends you understand what exactly you need to accomplish. While this may sound intuitive, it actually requires a bit of thought - you’ll be conducting an existing event in a new way, and will need to determine how much of the experience you’ll need to bring along into the virtual realm.

Virtual and Hybrid Events can be broken into three basic categories:

Broadcast, or one-way-communication events, like webinars or one directional live streams where the speaker or product is the main event, with an audience watching but responding only on a very low level of interaction
Interactive or panel (two-to-multi-way) events, like forums or discussions where participants have the ability to chime in either at any point, or at a designated time after the main presentation
Combination Plus - combining broadcast, interactive, and additional requirements like networking and training sessions, all seamlessly working together in one branded platform to not let the audience jump between different tools and tabs all the time

How can you tell which kind of event you are likely to need?

Begin by asking yourself which different target groups and personas you are addressing with your event and why each group is attending your event in the first place? Then break down these main drivers into short user stories (you will need these at a later stage anyway to build a compelling customer journey for your virtual event) and then try to build a digital experience that caters exactly to these needs. This is so much more important than just trying to build a one to one copy of your analogue event – and suddenly you are going to realize that digitized events come with new built-in opportunities to engage with your audience even more deeply (e.g. match-making and communication among attendees, providing CTA driven information and live offers based on users’ exact interests and profiles, improving experiences based on analytics during and after the event etc.). Think about virtual forms of interaction and try to define KPIs for each of your target audiences in advance — think about your virtual event in a way you would think about your digital campaigns, too.

Also ask yourself if the whole event needs to be live, or if you can provide some parts of the show as on-demand assets. Berndt shares that many people assume that all content needs to be live, but it isn’t the case. Recall a trade show for example where exhibitors provide OnDemand content playing in separate areas away from the main showroom floor - there may have been a pre-recorded product demo you could sign up to watch. An exhibitor’s sales team may have been live and nearby to answer any questions during or after the showcase, either in front of the group or with you individually.

The same is true for determining your virtual event experience - what level of live interaction is needed and useful to accompany your pre-recorded product demos? Should you have a chat feature that can activate during or after the demo where a sales team member can virtually step in to assist? Before you get too complex right at the start: always think about how many (digital) staff members and colleagues you will need to execute and maintain the event.

To help you begin to understand whether to utilize an existing tool currently on the market, integrate a combination of tools, or look for a custom solution, we have a partial checklist to consider as you begin researching how you will manage your event.

Before the Event

Are we holding a live event, or providing On Demand content (potentially with live assistance)?
Determine event type and tool(s) to use
Decide to use public links or password protected rooms
Is registration required, so we can see who is attending, or can people simply call in?
Is payment required, or is the event free?
Do we need to design anything custom - such as backgrounds for speakers, or is the background from where they are calling in OK?
Do we need to train anyone on screen sharing or other features, or do a run-through prior to the event?
Designate a primary presenter/event manager to loop others in, do administrative controls
What sort of event reminders will we send, and at what point before the event? (email, text, calendar reminder, etc)

During the event

Use a virtual waiting room?
Offer chat features?
Allow feedback throughout, or keep everyone muted until a certain time?
Distribute files to be downloaded during each presentation so everyone can follow along?
Poll participants during sessions for instant feedback and interaction?
Record the meeting for future playback?

After the event

Send a survey at the end of the event?
Provide recordings / on-demand content?

We’ll cover specific tools in our next article, Three Paths to a Productive Event, which is part two of a five-part series. The remaining articles include Understanding Constraints, Staffing for Success, and a look to The Future of Virtual Meetings.

To connect with us about questions related to these topics, please contact us.

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