You're hosting a virtual event. How can you make it engaging and memorable?

When it comes to virtual event , choosing the right platform for the event is a very important step , this is because if this goes wrong every other thing will go wrong as well . For example , I had a virtual event I was supposed to speak in as a speaker , the host told me telegram would be best and I disagreed because majority of our audience are not active on telegram compared to zoom and whatsapp so instead of telegram , I suggested a zoom for the virtual event and it went so well because we had more turnover of people joining the event . If we had chosen telegram , there is a possibility majority wouldn’t have joined because not everyone even have the telegram app or likes to use it . In conclusion , the right platform is a key .

One thing I've found helpful is when picking where to host your event, it's super important to pick a place where lots of people will join in and where you feel comfortable. I've been using LinkedIn's Audio Rooms and LinkedIn Lives, and I've seen a great group of people who really enjoy what we offer. They like joining virtual events because we've already built a strong connection with them. When you build these connections, you keep in touch with your followers and become more respected in your field.

When organizing virtual events, platform selection is crucial. However, the real key to success lies in engaging your audience. Utilize interactive elements like live polls, Q&A sessions, breakout rooms, and virtual networking to captivate attendees. These tools foster community and interaction, creating an immersive experience. Remember, it's not just the platform; it's how you use it to create an engaging event.

When you’re thinking about choosing a platform, I would definitely consider choosing one that people are already familiar with. We don’t want someone to miss your event because of technical difficulties on their end or because they didn’t know they needed an account in the first place to access the event. Also, when you’re thinking about the platform, think about how you want to present the information. Audio-only events can be awesome to try out. You can host an audio-only virtual event right here on LinkedIn! 🎉 No camera required. No lighting or extra equipment necessary. Just take out your phone & deliver your message over the mic. 🥳

Three things I have found particularly useful. 1) Start off with a visual icebreaker, something the audience can react to immediately (whether its photos of different landscapes or puppies or whatever) and have them respond in the chat so that they are part of the conversation from the onset. 2) Have everyone stand up and "shake it out" as its likely this is not their first virtual meeting of the day". Shifts the energy. 3) Have music featured as some point during the session - I've rarely not had a positive reaction to musical interludes.

I have used facilitation techniques from "Liberating Structures" in the past to enhance interaction and participation at my virtual events and I find them very effective! eg. you can incorporate a mix of formats like "1-2-4-All" for inclusive discussions, "TRIZ" for creative problem-solving, and "Wicked Questions" to stimulate insightful conversations. Prioritize short sessions with breaks to maintain energy levels. Encourage collaboration through breakout sessions, utilizing tools like virtual whiteboards for real-time idea sharing. Also incorporate icebreakers to foster a sense of connection. Refer to "Liberating Structures Handbook" by K. McCandless and H. Lipmanowicz, for more insights on creating engaging virtual experiences.

Your presentation should be structured, but not scripted. The moment the audience senses you are reading verbatim from your screen, they'll tune you out, because you won't be speaking naturally or engagingly. Once you lose your connection to the audience, it's nearly impossible to get it back, regardless of how compelling your content may be. Ditch the script. Hail the speaking outline.

Craft an immersive experience by integrating interactive elements such as live polls, Q&A sessions, and virtual breakout rooms to actively engage attendees and foster meaningful connections. Infuse variety into the content format with dynamic presentations, guest speakers, and multimedia elements, ensuring a captivating and memorable virtual event that breaks away from traditional formats. Strategically plan the event timeline, incorporating strategic pauses, surprise announcements, and gamification to maintain audience energy and interest throughout, leaving a lasting impression on participants.

Virtual events require more planning than face to face interactions. A good virtual event should build community at the outset, providing an opportunity for group members to meet and introduce themselves. With small groups (12 people) this can be done in a plenary session with large groups breakout rooms work well (30 people) with larger groups (50+) use interactive technology to have people contribute to a discussion. Tools such as menti.com are useful for this. Utilizing the chat function assists with keeping your audience engaged. Ask questions and invite comments in the chat throughout the session. Be authentic, take note of points/questions made by individuals and refer back to them to portray a sense investment in your audience.

Don’t assume what your audience will get out of your presentation. Engage with the target audience to uncover their needs and then set an agenda that is interactive, engaging, and speaks to the audience’s goals.

Before an event starts, I like to ask questions in the comments to get the audience involved. I also ask them to share any questions they have. During the event, I say hi to everyone by their name and make sure everyone feels included and welcome. After the event is over, I like to say thank you to every person who spoke or attended. Attendees feel welcome, heard and valued when we do this!

I like to ask for engagement throughout the presentation so that I can connect more with my audience and make them feel included and validated. I do this by using polls and asking them to answer questions in the chat. I also respond to statements or questions in the chat as I'm presenting to make it feel more inclusive. It also helps the attendees to learn from each others own experiences

Know your audience and tailor your topic to their world. When I give virtual presentations, I consider what I know about attendees (their industry, their interests, their affinities). I use real-life examples relating to my audience's needs. And I always leave adequate time for questions.

One aspect of immersive audience interaction is to make the audience feel safe to interact in the digital space, especially women and children who are disproportionately predisposed to cyber-bullying and harassment . The virtual session should ideally convene with a survey to assess audience perception about the topic of discussion, and the most comfortable mode of interaction for them (whether it's through chat or audio). Creating a safe space enhances the quality of interaction with the audience.

Best advice here is to place your camera right in the line of sight of what you’re presenting. This way it seems as if you are making direct eye contact with your audience. Makes it more personable, as if you’re speaking directly one on one. I also like to ask questions and get responses via chat features from the audience. Lastly, I like doing contests and giveaways to keep the audience engaged. When I do giveaways, I write a number 1-10 on a piece of paper off camera and have everyone guess the number via the chat. Then I hold the number up and announce the first person who guessed correctly wins, and how to contact to receive the prize. These tips help keep audiences engaged and results in high LIVE attendance

Be careful not to talk down to your audience. Especially if your audience are adults, each of them will bring diverse expertise and a wealth of experience to the event. If you see yourself more like a facilitator and less like a lecturer/expert, you might have it easier to engage the participants, and create a more valuable event in the end. Your mindset will make a difference.

With so many virtual events these days, it’s easy for people to get fatigued and just fade into the background without really interacting with or absorbing the experience. Creating a theme or some common element that folks can relate to and connect with is a key element in awakening your audience. I’ve found that some simple ways of doing this can include “bring your” themes such as “bring your pet” , “bring your favorite snack”, and “bring your favorite comfort drink”. People tend to feel a sense of belonging if they’ve all done a similar action leading up to the event and when they are able to share something they take pride in, like their pet.

One thing I have found helpful to create a great community base, is to connect with others on a personal level, ask them questions about what they like to do, hobbies, and how long they’ve liked to do so! Community isn’t about creating and audience, but authentic relationships….. and that’s what build community!

Simple things like playing music while people virtually enter the room can set a great tone before the meeting starts. As with every event, you want to understand your core audience and provide a positive impact or give insights/benefits. Work hard to land compelling speakers or even better, a panel of speakers. This drives attendance & interest before & during the event. It’s important to engage the audience while they attend but in a way that isn’t distracting to the speaker(s). Having a chat moderator is always helpful in addition to whoever is hosting or leading the event. Finally, it’s important to engage your audience afterwards with any recordings or resources. Solicit feedback to inform future event topics or improvements.

Curating a safe place for attendees begins with the energy that the hosts are projecting. The attendees must feel a sense of order and care by beginning the time with clear cultural perimeters of the space. They can be invited to participate in the space by reiterating the process and the flow. The attendees are commended for their efforts in participating. Lastly, everyone can be invited to return and partake on a consistent basis as well to connect with one another.

Add a live custom or recap song that summarizes your event, entertains & adds humor to create a memorable crowning moment. This can be created in advance or improvised on the spot

Hire a visual notetaker (aka graphic recorder or sketchnoter)! These visual artists take notes of the session highlights and illustrate them in real-time. You can display them live on-screen if engagement feels low, or you can reveal them after a session for a surprise and delight moment. You can also send the files to attendees as a free gift!

Having an ice breaker is always very fun and engaging. It’s good to have some games with prizes and incentives along the way as well.

Are you ready to make it memorable for your audience? Incorporate unexpected moments or twists. Include interactive elements like quizzes, polls, or quick activities to surprise and involve the audience. Introduce incentives such as small rewards, giveaways, or recognition for audience participation. It adds excitement and encourages engagement.

Getting people to get comfortable enough to interact with others on a virtual platform can be a challenge so adding surprises or games during meetings can enhance engagement by injecting novelty and breaking monotony. It captures participants' attention, adds an element of fun, and fosters a positive atmosphere, making the meeting more memorable and enjoyable. It also encourages interaction, fostering team bonding and reducing the sense of isolation in remote settings.

Think of your teaching approach like a recipe. Stir in humor, sprinkle interactive elements, and let the learning bake. Taste-test with student feedback regularly, adding more of what works and adjusting the mix. It's like crafting the perfect dish, but instead, you're cooking up a delightful learning experience! 🌟

The best part in organizing a virtual event is to evaluate and improve. There are 2 ways to do it : 1) Evaluate and improve from your own previous event or first organize an event and then examine the goods and bads of your event. 2) Attend, observe, evaluate and note the points to improve from some global level online event and plan your online event accordingly. I think this option is the best option to make sure the success of your own event.

We always invite feedback during and after a virtual event via the chat or an online survey. With a certificate of attendance tied to completing the post-event evaluation, we usually get 50-70% response rates!

One way of engaging the audience is to encourage them to utilize reactions available on virtual event platforms. By prompting real-time reactions, you keep your audience engaged and gather instant feedback to enhance your event.

Throughout the virtual event execution, the feedback survey containing the comments and review of the event can be collected from the audience for data tracking, analysing and evaluation. From these data, the new approach on event planning and arrangement can be formulated, which can be more engaging, user friendly towards audience and effective delivery.

The bottom-line to remember is that whatever you do should have a purpose, be meaningful for the audience, and contribute towards the event's objective. Just using different platforms and features to only provide variety won't be of much help. I've used Mentimeter and Kahoot purposefully and they've added value, increased engagement and even knowledge retention during virtual sessions.

When we speak publicly, we are performing for an audience. At the same time, the audience appreciates a sense of genuineness that comes from a lack of self-consciousness about the very audience to which we are presenting. This can make public speaking challenging. It is a balance of expressing vulnerability while keeping the audience in mind, and at the same time possessing enough nonchalance to not allow the presence of audience to interfere with expression. Practice, rehearsal, and a familiarity with the subject matter can all be important to develop enough comfort to help you get into a groove. When these features combine with a sense of purpose, then public speaking can become a gratifying, magical, and even flow-like experience.

Prior to any virtual event, thorough preparation is paramount. Conducting a dry run with fellow presenters ensures a seamless performance by clarifying responsibilities. Tech proficiency, from content sharing to managing breakout rooms, should be a shared understanding among the team. A pre-established timeline, managed by an assigned facilitator, enhances event flow. Setting participant expectations on camera use, display of names, and participation guidelines eliminates ambiguity. Professionalism in virtual presentations is not exempt from meticulous planning; it is the key to a successful and polished event.

Be sure to ask for video testimonials from the attendees who are excited about what they just experienced and learned. Offer a free coaching session or some other incentive.

1) Promote your event well in advance and use social media, email, and other channels to generate buzz and attract attendees. 2) Test your technology before the event and make sure everything works smoothly. Have a backup plan in case of technical issues. 3) Engage your speakers and provide them with clear guidelines, feedback, and support. Encourage them to use interactive features like polls, quizzes, Q&A, and chat. 4) Follow up with your attendees after the event and thank them for their participation. Ask for their feedback and suggestions for improvement. Share the recordings, slides, and other materials from the event.