Event Management in the New Norm
Cultural, sports, leisure and entertainment gatherings have been the type of events that people are mostly looking forward to attend. Albeit the huge roadblock for event management industry to make sure the show must go on, there are many ways to still run events in line with the standard procedures of the new normal. And to make sure this can be done, event management industry is now relying on technology to run events virtually.
Here are some tips on how to run events virtually:
1. Details, details, details
Planning – Careful planning is the key to a successful event. From the nitty gritty of attendees time zone to languages used, this is important so it can be communicate clearly to both speakers and participants. This not only will give an insight on numbers of people watching but help in factoring the need for them to do their daily routine at home such as eating, toilet breaks, and – these days – taking care of their kids.
Bandwidth – To ensure a smooth event, technical capacity need to be factor into consideration. Test the event setup in advance using different quality ratio that can cater different bandwidth as to able to deliver high-quality audio and video.
Nature of event – Live? Pre-record? The nature of the virtual event need to be taken into account as it can influence the decision on which platform will suit it best. One thing that also need to be taken into consideration are the current digital habits of people attending the event. We must remember that not all attendees are tech-savvy.
2. Keep it engaging
From presentation design, keynotes, audience participation, host interactions – all this play a vital role. What may work before the new norm may not work well in a small screen. Connection between event and the audiences need to be established well as audiences are watching it from the comfort of their home, and we all know the distractions we get staying at home.
3. Unforgettable events
An event that have a valuable insight or spectacular showmanship, will give a longer life and stronger impact to the audiences. It can be on the same platform with the rest of event organizers, but a good show will always be the talk of the town. While making an impact, it would also be good to get in touch with the audienes post-event. For future reference, get feedbacks from audiences as this will give more room for improvements to create better events in the future.
The real question here, will the new norm for event management replace the feel of being there physically? Truth to be told, no. As much as we crave to feel like ‘human’ again, the world has changed. But if we can give as much ‘human’ feel to these people – virtually – the impossible can be possible.
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