What happened in 2020 stays in 2020!

Well, perhaps not quite… with restrictions on large gatherings continuing into this year courtesy of “Lockdown v.3” and whatever may follow, many of you will potentially be facing another indefinite period of cancelled events.

However that doesn’t have to be the case – why not take matters into your own hands and look at how, in 2021, you can attract an even larger audience by creating online events. Host a virtual event full of interesting and relevant content designed to attract a remote audience of existing and new customers and keep them 100% engaged.

How do you engage with and keep an audience interested

Most importantly your virtual event and content should be relevant to your audience and the industry you’re addressing. Mixed and muddled messages will drive people away before you’ve even started.

Have a clear agenda that is easy to navigate so that attendees can easily find the webinars or events that are of interest to them.

Once they arrive, you need to keep them engaged – a lot of them may be working from home and easily distracted. Interactive tools requiring responses are often the solution.

• A live chat function, either in groups or 1-to-1, enables networking in real time during your virtual event

• Live webinars with Q&A sessions and/or additional polls and quizzes provide realtime feedback and conversation openers

• You can even include games to make your online event fun, keeping attendees enthusiastic and encouraging them to stay for results

Invite well known personalities within the industry to give a lecture or host a webinar. If well promoted before your virtual event, audiences will be encouraged to come and stay. Do your research and you will energise your audience and create an atmosphere of excitement.

Consider using some pre-recorded sessions. Whilst these may lack the spontaneity and real-time engagement of live sessions, the advantages are that the production can be more measured and professional and delivered without connectivity issues that often come with live online events.

Finally, encourage sponsors to come on board. Involving sponsors and exhibitors in your online event by using brand placement and/or a virtual exhibition hall, potentially opens it out to a wider and more diverse audience. This can only benefit all parties.

Make 2021 a virtual success story.