4 Must Haves For A Virtual Conference

In the past several months, virtual conferences have been the go-to solution to minimize large in-person gatherings. As such, when planning a virtual conference, as opposed to an in-person conference, it’s important to recognize the specific needs and benefits of the virtual platform to yield high attendee engagement.

Here are 4 must-have items to incorporate into virtual conferences:

#1 Communicate clearly, early, and often.

Get people excited with your virtual conference promotions and be clear about what speakers, topics, and more will be showcased during the conference.

Moreover, have a strategic plan for your promotion communication, as well as communication during the event. Give people many opportunities to read/see what you virtual conference will be offering.

#2 Choose compelling speakers and relevant topics for discussion.

Consider what your particular set of attendees (i.e. target audience) will be most interested to learn about and discuss. What topics might be at the forefront of their mind right now? What topics are just around the corner for your attendees’ academic fields, industries, companies, communities, etc.

The same goes for speakers — Who can best or most effectively discuss these topics that your attendees want to learn about and discuss? Which speakers will resonate most profoundly with your audience (especially in light of your virtual presentation)?

#3 Provide facilitated small group, break-out sessions.

Many virtual platforms provide functionality to create break-out rooms- Take advantage of this functionality and be sure to assign a facilitator to help attendees organize their discussions.

#4 Establish a way for conferences attendees to connect after the event.

Networking at conferences is central for both attendees and the conference’s host organization itself. For they reason, consider how you can help your virtual attendees connect and continue their conversations after the conference concludes.

Here are a few ideas: create an ongoing paid community for attendees, offer resource items such as online courses and discussion groups, and/or engage with attendees over an extended period of time (perhaps through social media groups, email marketing, and virtual “live” discussions.

(Source: https://www.mightynetworks.com/how-to-create-host-virtual-conference )