Planning a Virtual Event? Here’s How to Pick the Right Platform

Every event planner knows that hosting a successful event starts by securing the right venue. Virtual event planning is no different when it comes to finding the best platform to draw in a crowd. In a world where attendees may be joining from across the office or across the globe, the necessity of securing a reliable hosting platform is even more vital.  Choosing a hosting platform may be the difference between a successful remote event and a serious lag in your event planning strategy.

With virtual events more than doubling in 2020, it’s no surprise that hosting options have increased as well. The task of selecting the right one for your unique group can seem daunting. The stress of carefully considering factors such as number of attendees, audience demographic, IT parameters and more is enough to make any event planner want to log out.

Don’t close that laptop just yet! AVentPro is here to help. Consider us your virtual venue hosts when it comes to selecting the right platform for your event. We’ve evaluated numerous platforms for a variety of event types to identify which spaces work best. AVentPro helps you pick the platform that best fits your event—not the other way around.

Partnering with a trusted industry expert is the best way to ensure your event goes off without a hitch. You’ll want to consider these custom event planning tips from our amazing team to make your next virtual gathering a success.

Consider Attendee Logistics

Setting the dress code for live events is as simple as specifying black tie or casual Friday. Planning the attendee profile for a virtual event is a bit more complex. Consider technology dress code when planning the right platform for your event. Will attendees be joining on mobile devices, tablets or computers? Will your guests be organizing in a conference room as a group or individually from their own locations? 

Compatibility in terms of audio quality, ease of access and smooth streaming for your specific demographic is one of the areas we can help secure prior to launching a virtual event.

What are the Goals and Outcomes of the Virtual Event?

61 per cent of business professionals utilized webinars as a content marketing tool, while 76 per cent of business-to-business professionals used virtual meetings to make a major purchase decision in the last 12 months. What are the goals and desired outcomes of your virtual event? Measuring ROI for virtual events is best achieved by establishing what metrics need to be tracked prior to the event. 

A robust platform makes metric and data tracking easy with options like engagement data, continuing education credit logs, lead tracking and much more.

Global Reach, Universal Access

In an increasingly global world, it’s important to consider whether translation will be needed. Access assistance, such as closed captions, is also an excellent tool for ensuring virtual events remain inclusive and welcoming for all guests.

Coffee Chat or Lecture?

Studies indicate that the best time to schedule a webinar is midweek (Thursdays yield the best attendance), from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Avoid scheduling right at noon in order to respect your guests’ lunch hour.

Leave room for questions by planning for time constraints beforehand. If your meeting is an hour, plan for a 5-10 minute introduction, roughly 45 minutes of content, and 10-15 minutes at the end of the session for discussion.

(Virtual) Standing Room Only

Virtual event hosts never want to worry about lag while their keynote speaker is presenting. Consider the number of anticipated guests prior to finalizing the event. An optimal platform should be able to accommodate your needs without lag, slow streaming or attendance restrictions. Likewise, for smaller crowds, certain platforms offer a more engaging and intimate atmosphere, such as for a small group of top donors or executives.

Get the IT Department’s Take

Keeping IT departments happy is one of our best skills! Find out if your IT department has restrictions or preferences on which platforms are used during live events. Some networks have firewalls that block certain streaming and hosting platforms. This is incredibly important for ensuring security is always prioritized. As hosts, it’s our job to ensure all registrants will be able to access the event.

Direct Engagement

Audience engagement for virtual events can be challenging. 35 per cent of attendees no-show to virtual events and around 20 per cent feel they aren’t as engaged as in a live event venue. 

Flip these statistics by making the most of a platform’s tools. Moderators, live chats and polls are just some of the perks available for virtual event planners to take advantage of. If the event is part of a series, consider utilizing a platform that makes it seamless and easy to link a series of events and maintain consistency for returning attendees.

Showtime!

Last but not least, determine your virtual event budget. We’ll help match the best platform to your needs and fiscal guidelines. Next, we’ll set up a demo for you to test it out! Our team empowers virtual event planners to host a successful remote gathering that perfectly matches their goals and outcomes, all from the comfort of their office.

Contact AVentPro today to learn more and check out more great event planning tips from our team.