Webinars are quite popular among organizations and businesses. This event format is usually preferred because it’s simple to organize and provides many of the benefits of a brick and mortar event without the drawbacks.
Some of the benefits of online meetings include reduced costs, no more requirements for a physical space and the fact that your attendees are no longer conditioned to travel, since they can tune in from pretty much anywhere.
However, not everything is sugar coated and there are a few things you need to be mindful of before setting up your virtual event.
Rest assured, because in the following article we will go over a few of the things to watch out for when organizing a webinar.
1) The Goals and Objectives
When you are planning a webinar, the benefit should not be only for you. Equally important is how it will benefit those attending.
The goal of the webinar is often defined as the general intention. While the objective is a specific and measurable result, you desire to achieve to reach the goal. Having clear goals and objectives will help define your messaging.
2) Technical Difficulties
Virtual events are more reliant on a combination of hardware and software in order to work at their full capacity. You or your guests may experience faulty video or audio and this will invariably affect the virtual experience.
The unstable nature of the internet also needs to be factored in, because there is the chance that the network may experience high traffic and this will affect the quality of the entire stream.
What you can do about these issues is to mitigate the risk of them happening or to diminish their impact.
Having high-end equipment will ensure that you put out high quality video and audio. And in order to prevent network issues, be sure to have a solid internet connection.
3) Different Time Zones
If your online program has an international audience, it raises the problem of time zones. The event won’t take place at the same time of day for everyone, meaning that it might be a bit too early for some while it may be a bit late for others.
In this case, when you’re organizing a webinar, think of a date and time which happens to be convenient for the majority of the audience.
4) Engagement
A common issue for virtual events is that they aren’t innately as engaging as in-person events. Even if guests are involved in an active conversation, it doesn’t usually transfer the same energy as it would during a live event.
To ensure that your audience is not left out, you can involve them more in the discussion. You can ask them questions more frequently, request their input or give them the freedom to speak out or to comment on a topic.
A great Virtual Emcee engages the audience, keeps the energy up, segues from one presenter to the next, fills in the gaps, adds insights, levity, value. The virtual format makes all of these duties that much more important. An experienced, confident, professional Emcee goes from being a nice add-on feature to your conference, to being ESSENTIAL to the success of your virtual event.
Jeff Civillico has hosted 60+ virtual events since March 2020 for companies including Nestle, Success Group International, C2P Enterprises, and The American Heart Association. He’s comfortable on all major streaming platforms including Zoom, ON24, Skype, WebEx, and Streamyard. Jeff has 90 minutes of clean comedy material from his award-winning Las Vegas Headline Show that he uses to keep your attendees engaged and entertained. He is quick on his feet, able to segue smoothly between speakers, and extremely high energy.
5) Lack of Activities
Tying in to our previous point, when organizing a webinar you will want to diversify the experience by adding a myriad of different activities throughout its duration.
This way, you ensure that your virtual program remains fresh and won’t be at risk of losing the audience’s attention. You can easily address the issue by adding a bit of entertainment as part of the digital program.
One of the more popular virtual entertainment ideas is Digital Deception. High-tech wizardry involving text messaging, phone calls, emails, and video, our tech-based duo has built an arsenal of interactive magic that can be presented via any online platform. Featured on CNN Tech, Doug McKenzie and Ryan Oakes’ world-renowned blend of tech and magic allows participants to not only watch magic, but experience it firsthand – right on their screens, on their phones, and in their own hands. A unique, shared experience that is suitable for any size group, it’s no wonder why savvy companies such as Google, Twilio, and WeWork have already hired Digital Deception to entertain their remote teams.
6) Too Big to Handle?
If your online program turns out to be a bigger challenge than initially projected, this begs the question – will you be able to handle it by yourself or do you need the help of a professional?
This kind of professional is known as a virtual host and their job is to assist you to moderate the online meeting, to manage the audience and to assist your guests.
Whatever the situation, it’s best to get a professional on board in order to handle the virtual event properly. Did you know that we offer clients TECHNICAL PRODUCTION & STREAMING for virtual events? Full sound, lighting, staging, backdrops, cameras, graphic design, scripting and streaming!
A few expert services we can bring to your Webinar/virtual event:
• Full Technical and Streaming Production
• Entertainment/Speaker Ideas/Talent Contracting & Coordination
• Streaming Producer (that’s with you every step of the way)
• Emcee/MC Contracting & Coordination
• Full Graphic and Video Content Creation and Execution
• Enhanced Options: Sponsor Gifts, Special Deliveries, Catered Meals, Ideas, Creation, Contracting and Logistics
Organizing a Webinar Has Never Been Easier
With the help of today’s technology, you can easily set up a virtual meeting in record time, without much hassle.
Regarding the social aspect, you can rely on the help of professionals in order to diversify and make the event experience more entertaining.
If you want to go this route, then we can gladly assist you. At the Grable Group, we can help you find the right entertainers for both in-person and virtual events.
Reach out to us at (615) 283-0039 and let’s turn your event into a memorable experience!
