Why I Love Virtual Events
In 2019, a virus shut the world down. Fortunately, we had technology available to allow the human race to connect over the Internet in an entirely new way.
I’ll never forget the week when our entire book of live event business went away. Well, almost. An existing client was too close to their event date to cancel and unable to hold their event in person. In the span of about three weeks, we had to convert their fundraiser into a virtual gala. So we built a studio, put on our masks, and reinvented the wheel. The gig was a resounding success that far exceeded their fundraising goals.
In the beginning, nobody understood the technology. Our strategy was to meet clients and audiences ‘where they were’ and adopt their preferred platforms. We figured it would be better to save the audience the frustration of installing new software on their computer. In that process, we learned the strengths and weaknesses of each platform and how to leverage the best and mitigate the worst aspects of each. Once we had the technology sorted out, we focused on quality of content, engagement, and retention. We featured studio shoots and pre recorded content. We tested new platforms and added some fun interactive features. We created methodologies to make it easier for our clients to produce compelling content and for their audiences to consume it.
And then a really interesting thing happened. Audiences began to embrace virtual events in a way that no one expected.
When vaccines became available and it looked like we would be going back to our offices and in-person events, a surprisingly large number of people were disappointed. We had grown to like the freedom of working from home and the accessibility of virtual events. Audiences around the world learned to enjoy Q&A and chat features. People even stuck around in the ‘breakout rooms’.
In the last two years, the virtual event sector has been maturing rapidly. Software companies are merging and acquiring each other. The larger players are introducing new features that make their platforms more robust and accessible. Virtual events can now easily feature downloadable and on-demand content, real-time captioning in multiple languages, a variety of screen-sharing options, and more.
Most advances in events come from new technology options. Line-array loudspeakers, LED and intelligent lighting, blended projection and LED video are a small sample of the new tools we use to dazzle audiences. With virtual, I think the innovation came from the audience themselves. Because we were forced into this new way to communicate, we didn’t think that people would like it as much as they do.
I’m glad that so many people have embraced virtual events. I believe that they are the next big advancement in our industry, reaching more people than ever before in a way that is inclusive, accessible, and environmentally responsible. Our task is to make them engaging and memorable. There is a new audience out there, and I want to meet them where they are.