Virtual/ hybrid conferences are of common occurrence now and people look forward to them as a feasible means to connect remotely, share ideas, gain knowledge and promote business activities. Virtual platforms provide immense flexibility to organisers & attendees in terms of time, money & effort. No doubt, the virtual event industry has seen a steep rise in the past couple of years.
We, at ibentos, have seen an increase in clients seeking solutions to their virtual conferences platform needs like routine employee meets, general body meetings, annual corporate gatherings, virtual product launches, medical conferences, B2B meetings, educational conferences and training workshops etc.
As virtual/hybrid conferences are gaining popularity day-by-day, we see new features & benefits getting supplementing them. Still, we have a large number of users who are new to the concept and are subject to making some common mistakes in their debut phase.
Here, we aim to notify the debutants of these mistakes and help them to achieve perfection right through the initial phase.
- Not having a clear vision or aim
Just like before going on a journey, you must know your destination and how much fuel you have in your vehicle, the organisers must start by finalising their aims and expectations for the conference.
– Whether it’s a small, medium or large-scale conference?
– How many resources do you have in your pocket?
– What will be the area of operation?
– What all agendas will be discussed?
The organisers must set clear targets and should know how many resources they have in hand. And then should try to chalk out a realistic plan to achieve the aims.
- Not knowing the audiences properly
You host the conference for the audiences, it is therefore very crucial for you to identify them. Work out the geographies where you can find them. Understand their psychology, language, sense of humour, and areas of sensitivity. This study is important for you in many respects, such as content designing, devising the audience engagement techniques & marketing strategy etc.
- Not selecting a good virtual platform
Nothing is more important for a virtual conference than its virtual platform. It is the interface between the audience and the organisers. It is the stage where the main action happens. In fact, it is the backbone of the entire event. The organisers must therefore get it designed scrupulously. Check for the following things in your virtual platform:
Aesthetic aspects: Environment, Visual appeal, Theme, User interfaces, Wow factor, Background sound and graphical effects etc.
Structural aspects: Registration Page, Welcome lobby, Speaker Lounge, Exhibitor booths, Auditorium or Seminar Halls, Discussion Rooms, Breakout rooms, Networking Lounges, Gaming & Entertainment Gallery Feedback Rooms and help desk etc.
Functional aspects: Speed, Accuracy, Smooth Operation, Design Flexibility, Scalable Occupancy, Data Sharing Capacity, Networking options, Compatibility with other applications, Multiple versions for all smart devices, functionality in poor network conditions, Audio/Visual Interaction option, AI-Enabled tools, Performance Measurement & Analysis etc.
- Not scheduling the conference rightly
Though, scheduling of virtual conferences is a much easier job, there are chances for new organisers to take this part too casually. Any event irrespective of virtual, physical or hybrid should be scheduled around the time when the probability of the target audience participating is maximum. (i.e on weekends or public holidays that are not festivals)
- Not having a proper work strategy
Once you know your agendas, target audience, available time and resources, it’s time to devise a work plan. The time, budget & manpower has to be divided between different departments according to the priority list. Please note that marketing, virtual platform and conference content, should be at the top of the priority list.
- Not having an effective marketing strategy
Marketing is an important aspect of any public event. A good marketing campaign ensures that your target audience is well-informed about the agendas and content of your conference in advance. Make sure that your marketing team approaches your audience on the right platform and with the right message.
- Not designing good content
Good planning and budgeting will ensure proper preparation for the conference. A good marketing campaign will attract the target audience successfully to the conference. A good virtual platform ensures the uninterrupted running of the conference. But it is the content of the conference that keeps the audience gripped by the conference.
– The conference content should be short precise & strictly agenda centric.
– It should be divided into sets of similar sessions.
– Good speakers must be invited.
– Their sessions must be timed and the agendas have to be shared with them in advance.
– Inclusion of interactive sessions must be encouraged.
– There should be frequent breaks & entertainment in between the sessions.
- Not having proper training sessions for staff and participants
Virtual platforms are entirely technology driven. Your staff & audience may have different levels of technological understanding. Therefore, as an organiser, you must ensure that there are enough training sessions for staff and proper acquainting sessions for audiences as well. This will enhance the on-event experience of the audience greatly.
- Not carrying out enough rehearsals
‘Practise makes a man perfect, no matter how typical it may sound, but the proverb holds very true. Your designers may have done their part sincerely, but there is always a scope for an error. And it can be removed only through trial and error. Organisers need to have multiple rehearsals before the final show to remove any possibility of error.
The virtual conferences undoubtedly connect large groups of like-minded people on a common platform to exchange knowledge, and ideas and promote businesses with the least expenditure, time & effort. But, it must be noted that their success primarily depends on the attention connectivity & engrossment of the audience. In physical conferences, the audience may show a high tolerance level but in virtual conferences, even the slightest malfunctioning could induce aversions and loss of interest.
However, if you want to amuse your audiences with a flawless conference, seamless connection, and limitless data transfer & networking options, ibentos is the best choice! Getting curious to know more about us & our virtual/ hybrid products? Visit us at https://ibentos.com/virtual-conference-platform.
