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In-person conference was once considered a good way to bring geographically diverse, yet like-minded people together. But things have changed significantly post-pandemic. In the current era, virtual conferences are proven to be a game-changer for startups and established businesses, as well as anything in-between.
So, if you are someone who needs to arrange, host, or attend virtual meetings or conferences regularly, this article is for you. Here, we will discuss some of the top ways to make any virtual business event successful so that you can plan things accordingly for the next event.
Make A Business Objectives Checklist
Whether the intent of the online conference is to generate leads, reach out to a wider audience, or increase ROIs, make sure the team is well-prepared and on the same page when it comes to business objectives. Setting an objectives checklist will help you attain successful results from the event.
Use Video Presentation If Possible
With a slide-based presentation, it’s difficult to hook your audience and hold the audience’s attention in a virtual setup. So, if at all possible, try to arrange for a video presentation as it turns out to be more engaging and gives a personalized attendee experience. Else, reduce the duration of the virtual session from a standard one hour to something more feasible.
Choose the Best Available Audio Option
Poor audio quality is one of the common reasons that lead to audience disengagement. Several factors can negatively impact the quality of your online conference. These factors include the speaker’s mic output, the platform used to capture audio, network connectivity, etc. So, make sure you have checked the settings and configurations properly before the event.
Practice and Customize Your Presentation
A successful online conference is all about interaction and engagement, so make sure you are all set with your speech and other arrangements. Rehearse your speech to make sure you deliver it well to engage your audience. Alternatively, hire a skilled speaker who can convey information through a modified slide deck in the best manner possible.
Do A/V Checks Repeatedly
Similar to live events, performing A/V checks regularly in virtual meetings is important. Check your audio and video quality in advance to ensure everything is up to the mark. Don’t neglect it even if you are an experienced speaker. The technology that you are using for the current presentation might be different from the one you used in your last event.
Keep the Online Session Interactive
Use audience poll features to make your virtual conference interactive. Many online platforms integrate audience polling feature that gives the attendees an opportunity to share their opinion on something. Explain how your audience can ask questions during or at the end of the session. Make sure to keep an eye on the questions and try to pick a few.
Plan for Technical Issues
What if any technical glitch occurs during the online conference? It’s better to develop a contingency plan keeping in mind all possible tech issues that may crop up during the event. For example, both the speaker and the event host must have a copy of the slide deck so that in case the speaker loses connection, the host can handle the slides.
So, these were some of the potential ways for a successful online conference. Don’t forget to share takeaway material (such as key points of the presentation) with your audience at the end of the session. This will surge the value of the event while leaving a positive impact on the attendees.