Virtual Platforms: Five Factors in Finding a Fabulous Fit
Are you starting to plan a virtual conference or event? Perhaps it is a replacement for an event that simply canceled when the pandemic hit, or it might be a new event. Did you quickly turn a meeting from live to virtual last year and find that the platform selected did not quite work as well as you hoped?
Finding the right virtual platform to fit your needs takes time and research. Before you even start to research platforms, the goals of the event should be well defined. Then, taking a deeper look at the strategy to accomplish those goals will provide direction. Knowing details about event capacity and agenda, budget and registration and attendee communications needs are also crucial to finding the right platform to act as your “virtual venue”!
Deep Dive into Event Goals
For every event - live, hybrid or virtual - the savvy planner will first define and refine the goals of the event. This is a higher-level look at the business purpose of the event, the raison d’être. Delving in to the answers to these questions is a good starting place:
Why are you meeting?
What are you trying to accomplish? Are you raising awareness, training, selling product, working to share best practices, gathering work groups to solve a challenge?
What does a successful outcome look like to you? To your attendees?
How do you measure success?
If you are replacing a previous live event, what were the best parts of that event in terms of meeting your goals?
Strategy to Accomplish Goals
Once the purpose of the event is clear, then we must look at strategies to accomplish the goal.
Is a sense of place important?
Do the attendees need to communicate with each other? As a group or one-on-one? During prescribed times, or at their convenience?
Are sessions run once and done, or do you need access to content for a longer term?
Are work groups necessary?
Do you need to showcase products or services?
What are the expectations around speaker and/or exhibitor interaction?
Essential Details
Only now that we have gathered the above information do we begin to dive into logistical details. Each platform has different features, capacity and limitations. Just as the answers to the above questions will give us a lot of information about what type of virtual venue is needed, so will the answers to the following:
How many attendees?
What is the program format – i.e., general session and breakouts?
Are sessions broadcast live or recorded?
How many of each type of session? What is your largest group size?
Do you have speaker panels?
What are your expectations around chat functionality – video, group, 1:1?
What types of content are presented?
How many exhibitors are expected?
Do you need to show differentiation in the “size” of exhibitor spaces?
Are there specific sponsorship opportunities that you need to offer?
What Will It All Cost?
There is a wide range of pricing for event platforms based on the features included and service provided. They run from $0 for a simple solution such as Zoom for a single-day basic meeting to $50,000 or more for a more complex multi-day program with high production values. Just as important to budget for are other potential associated costs such as video recording, editing, post-production, rehearsals, studio time, video crews, event space and production crews.
Registration and Communications
Registration and attendee communication needs will vary from event to event. You may already have a system you prefer to use, in which case, system integration will be your main concern. However, if you’d like your platform to be able to handle your registration and attendee communication needs, then you will want to know more about the following.
Does the platform have a registration system? Is it robust enough for your needs?
Can event communications be sent directly from the platform?
Can personalized communications be sent to specific segments of registrants?
Is there capability to export registration and payment data to your current system?
What are the costs involved in charging a fee for your event or collecting donations?
Getting Support!
If all this seems a bit overwhelming, it can be helpful to have a trusted partner to guide you. At Lead Dog Meeting & Event Management, we can develop an RFP for virtual venues and then provide project management and industry expertise to get your virtual event started and keep it on track through to completion.
Contact us at 856 429-4018 or email crcaporale@leaddogonline.com to discuss how we can help. Schedule your free consultation.
Lead Dog Meeting & Event Management is a women-owned business, certified as a WBE and a WOSB.