In recent times, virtual events have become the norm for how events are conducted. Having proven to be an efficient and cost effective way of holding such events, as well as allowing a larger number of people to attend from anywhere in the world, many event organisers have shifted to virtual and hybrid events. It is advantageous not only to the organiser but to the attendees too.

But conducting a virtual event can be different from conducting a traditional one. Here are 5 tips that will help you conduct a successful virtual event:

1. Set a clear purpose:

It’s Important for everyone involved on the team to understand why your virtual event is being held and what goals need to be achieved through it. Set clear goals that are Specific Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time based (SMART). Creating these aims can help you understand where you want to reach and how you want to get there.

2. Know your audience:

To create content and a successful event it is vital to understand your audience. This can help you create content and find topics that your audience not only wants to know, but also needs to, and make the event more relevant & interesting. It is also helpful to find out demographic information like age groups, languages spoken, job statuses etc. to curate content most suitable to your attendees.

3. Choose the right speakers:

Close to 67% of virtual events have external or guest speakers. When choosing speakers for your virtual event, it’s important to make sure they have proper authority and experience on the topics they are covering. It’s also key to make sure that your speakers can conduct an engaging and fun talk even through virtual platforms, since speaking at virtual events and traditional ones are not always the same. Practice multiple times with the speaker and also brief them on the technical aspects of the platform.

4. Engage your audience with interactive elements:

Audience interaction is one of the biggest contributors to a successful virtual event. To engage your attendees you can use interactive elements like polls, Q&A sessions, chatbox for attendees to network, quizzes & games, and more. This helps keep your audience interested and on their toes during the event, and can also give you more information about what your audience wants and likes for future reference.

5. Follow up/ Feedback mails:

85% of marketers consider attendee satisfaction to be a key factor to the success of an event. After the conclusion of the event, you can find out how your attendees’ experience was by sending them a feedback mail. Audience feedback can help you figure out what went right and what you can improve on for next time.

By using these methods you are not only creating a better virtual event for your attendees but also gathering insights on the ways you can improve your strategy. At the end of the day, doesn’t everyone want a win-win situation?