Virtual audience needs – Part 2

This is the continuation of the article written by Emilie Barta on planyourmeetings.com

“NEED 7: Make sure they know what’s happening now and what’s coming up next so they can plan their schedules accordingly.

• Provide a detailed agenda of the day’s activities as soon as your registration opens.
• Use a customizable window on the virtual platform (if available) to list the day’s sessions, provide speakers’ social media IDs and website links (if possible) to help generate buzz and increase the size of the audience.
• Use the announcements feature on the virtual platform (if available) to remind audience members what’s coming up next.
• Provide teasers in the selected chat tools, both on and off the virtual platform, to continue the conversation and heighten anticipation for upcoming activities.
• Ensure virtual emcees (on-camera), virtual moderators (off-camera) and session speakers always introduce the next event so the audience is never left wondering.

NEED 8: Provide virtual viewers with tools they trust so they’re comfortable using them and use them often.

• Don’t use a tool that you think is “cool” or “cutting edge” if your audience doesn’t feel the same way.
• Provide training on proper usage of the tools before the event via a video tutorial, blog post, webinar, social media chat or some other form of tried-and-true-for-you” communication.
• Provide a brief “tool tour” during a virtual pre-show to remind the audience of its choices, where to find them on the virtual platform or their second screen, and how to use them throughout the event.

NEED 9: Constantly tell them how they can participate through visual and audio reminders, so they’re not at a loss for “words.”

• Provide constant information, explanation, moderation, conversation and reiteration through virtual emcees (on-camera), virtual moderators (off-camera), session speakers and technology tools.
• Remember that the virtual audience is always growing and evolving, so make sure that every time something is said it is said with the same enthusiasm as the first time.
• Take advantage of graphics and lower-thirds throughout the event since audiences retain more information by seeing it and hearing it at the same time.”

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Virtual audience needs

This is an article written by Emilie Barta, giving deeper insight into the virtual audience needs. Original article: http://planyourmeetings.com/2013/06/24/virtual-viewers-needs-explained-further-part-1/#.UfhgXZUf5Qw

“NEED 1: Combine shared and custom content so virtual attendees participate in the experience and have an experience all their own.

• Use communication tools and generate buzz by crowd-sourcing topics to discuss and soliciting help from industry experts for Q&A sessions.
• Selectively choose which sessions to livestream based on the urgency of topic, its audience appeal and the ability/willingness of the speaker to go virtual.
• Provide dedicated virtual content before the shared program, during on-site breaks and when the shared program ends.

NEED 2: Provide crisp audio, visually stimulating video and a user-intuitive virtual venue so that virtual attendees don’t get frustrated and walk away. 

• Choose the appropriate microphone for the task, and train every single person who will use it in proper microphone etiquette.
• Make sure camera operators have live-broadcast experience and follow the action at all times.
• Don’t choose a virtual platform for its bells and whistles or cheapest price. Do make sure it has a clean user interface, that the communication tools make sense and that it works consistently.

NEED 3: Make sure speakers present content, ideas and discussions to the virtual audience not around them. 

• Speakers must make natural eye contact with the camera as if it were another set of eyes in the room.
• They must reference virtual audience viewers periodically throughout the session and ask for their input.
• They must make sure that questions from the virtual audience are answered directly to the camera.”

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12 things needed by a virtual audience

In an article published in May 2013, Emilie Barta highlights 12 things the virtual audience needs.

You can read the whole article here: http://planyourmeetings.com/2013/05/03/virtual-audiences-need-you-in-at-least-a-dozen-ways/?cat=Advice#.UfB2fJVVtQy

“Here are 12 things the virtual audience needs from you:

1. A combination of shared and custom content, so they not only share in the experience, they have an experience all their own.
2. Crisp audio, visually stimulating video and a user-intuitive virtual venue so they don’t get frustrated and walk away.
3. Speakers who present content, ideas and discussions to them, not around them, so they can make “eye-contact” with the educator and be engaged in the conversation.
4. An advocate who acts as their eyes, ears and voice in the room.
5. Their questions answered and their comments heard so they feel like an appreciated audience member and not an unwelcome guest.
6. A 360-degree view of the action, so they know what they’re missing but do not feel like they’re missing out.
7. To know what is happening now and what is coming up next so they can plan their schedules accordingly.
8. To be provided with tools that they trust so they feel comfortable using them and use them often.
9. To constantly be told how they can participate through visual and audio reminders so they’re not at a loss for “words.”
10. To be able to network with their peers no matter where they’re located, so they don’t miss out on valuable “hallway handshakes.”
11. An immediate and well-organized archive so they can go back to see what they missed and continue any conversations they started.
12. This might be the most popular. Do you know the other thing your virtual audience needs? Bathroom breaks! But be sure they know exactly when to return and what they’ll miss if they don’t.”

How to customize your virtual booth

To better suit your brand image on a virtual trade show, you can choose from the large range of booth templates offered by Visiofair. Once you’ve chosen one, you can change the colors and move items to customize it according to the colors of your logo, your products, etc.

You changed your mind and want to make your booth look different? That’s a piece of cake! Just choose another color or switch for another booth template to match your wants and needs. Here are some of them:

Online program for hybrid event

Article written by Paul Cook. Follow the link: http://pauljcook.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-feast-of-your-online-programme.html

“The Feast of your Online Program

In deciding to hold your hybrid event you begin to put your programs together for your different participants. As you know with hybrid events; you have your onsite participants and online participants.

In creating your onsite program you may well be able to call on your previous experience or that of your colleagues/service providers as face to face events have been with us for many years.

But creating the online program can be trickier for some event planners. There are some very good online programs forming part of a hybrid event but the majority I have experienced have fallen to being a victim of too much (feast) or too little (famine) for the online participants.

An online participant has the same physical needs as an onsite participant. Whilst you cannot see your online participants you will know that they will need to eat, drink and have time for comfort breaks and that has to be built into your online program experience. If you don’t consider this then you are not looking after your online participants.

I have experienced many hybrid events as an online participant only to find that there wasn’t a gap in the program for me to do anything other than stay glued to my computer. It probably wasn’t intentional on the part of the event planner but it didn’t help make my experience as good as it could have been.

My key tip here is not to have speaker presentation, speaker interview, speaker presentation, speaker interview in a continuous loop but to have a balance which allows breaks for your online participants.

Let them grab a coffee, check their messages, and generally provide them with the freedom to do what your online participants are able to do in their break periods.

I think that one of the reasons why so much is packed (by some event planners) into an online program is simply due to the ‘engagement fear’ that many event planners have. It can come from the idea that if there isn’t enough content then the online participant will leave the event.

My view is that with carefully planned content that allows breaks and reflection time the online participant will be much more likely to return to your program and become involved in your event.

Good luck with your online program planning and next time I’ll look at the ‘famine of your online program’.”

Top 10 tips for hybrid conferences

Source: http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/SM-Top-10/Articles/The-Top-10-Tips-for-Hybrid-Conferences/

1. Brief, brief and rebrief your speakers

Speakers need to be aware there is an online audience not just the one in the room and can help if there are issues on the day.

2. Make a contingency plan

Plan for every eventuality – problems do happen especially with live events and online streaming. Check your plans with colleagues who have hybrid event experience or consider using a consultant for bother planning your event and contingency planning.

3. Interact with your audience

Make use of the virtual platform engagement/networking tools. Also use Twitter, it’s a great way of interacting and can really help if you do experience technical problems with your virtual platform. Promote your Hybrid hashtag in advance and monitor tweets though Hootsuite or GleanIn, this also allows you to measure participant engagement and satisfaction levels.

4. Experiment

You can experiment with physical and virtual attendees, live and remote speakers and all sorts of technology to help find the best fit for your event.

5. Use your contacts

We got great advice and help from people who’d done it all before and they really helped us avoid some obvious mistakes. LinkedIn is a great way to find experts in the hybrid field if you don’t have contacts already.

6. Make A/V a planning prerogative 

Have your technical requirements for lighting and power agreed by the venue in advance to ensure they have the capabilities that you require long before you arrive to set up.

7. Market early

Allow as much time as possible to market your event, ideally 4-6 weeks and ensure that your marketing communications strategy includes a mix of email, social media, online website promotions and PR.

8. Extend your reach

Ask your speakers to invite their audiences and promote their sessions using the Hybrid hashtag and URL to your virtual event centre.

9. Get the word out

Involve a PR agency to help you raise awareness in advance, the press love technology and can secure valuable column inches for your event.

10. Measure!

Set clear objectives, benchmarks and targets to help you measure your success. What are your objectives, what does success look like for you?

Virtual events: benefits for stakeholders

Source: http://www.siteforum.com/de/produkte/all_in_one_social_business_suite/virtuelle_events/marktteilnehmer-und-deren-vorteile_go6u72zs.html

Translated from German

Virtual events offer many benefits to all the market stakeholders.

• Organizers

Strengthening and managing the community and the ecosystem
Reaching new target groups
Transfering traditional business models into the online world, increasing online sales
Converting easily prospects into registered users
Developing customer exhibitors, experts and thought leaders to keynote speakers
Simple and cost effective organization, several times a year
Multiple reusability of contents
Rapid and sustained lead generation

• Exhibitors

Faster, easier access to targeted groups via a web browser
Greater range and greater number of contacts, leads and customers
Measurable results and reporting, for example, by the number of clicks, virtual business cards and leads
Easy creation and reusability of the stand
Optimal marketing through SEO, SEM and Social Media
Greatly reduced costs, thus more sales staff and more budget for sponsorship, advertising
Simple booking of webcasts and keynotes possible

• Visitors

Fast and easy access via Web browser; it is possible to visit several fairs a year
No travel costs, easy access, regardless of hours and location
Well-planned and short visit time (usually 1-2 hours)
Other interesting participants and experts are quick to find and to contact
Interesting topics and content can be forwarded quickly

• Experts

Representing the knowledge and experience in webcasts and keynotes
Simple, rapid dissemination of content, presentations and videos
Reaching new contacts in the webcast auditorium
Search engine optimized content by integrating the events in the community

Multilanguage

Source: http://www.virtuelle-branchenmesse.de/grundlagen.html#118

Translated from German

In the course of globalization and increasing international competition, an online trade show must be available in different languages. This means not only German and English, but also Asian languages, depending on the industry and target markets of exhibitors.

At the world’s largest real IT fair, CeBIT 2005, the number of Asian exhibitors increased to nearly thirty percent. A virtual trade show faces even more international competition because it’s reachable from China, from Berlin or Barcelona.

Content is king

Source: http://www.virtuelle-branchenmesse.de/grundlagen.html#117

Translated from German

A good online trade show includes extensive, specialized, current and well-prepared content. Content must be in sufficiently large scale and it has to be really relevant. Regarding the content, it is important that it is categorized and tagged. With new tools, the new content is made readable by computers. It is easily possible to optimize the presentation of content in a virtual trade show.

In the end, all parties benefit when many qualified visitors visit the online fair. The issuing companies should have the option of uploading their content themselves. It is very easy to manage the contents through a powerful content management system (CMS). Supportive work technologies make it possible to subscribe to customized news feed.

Virtual trade show analysis

Source: http://www.virtuelle-branchenmesse.de/grundlagen.html#13

Translated from German

A virtual trade show should provide extensive analysis options for exhibitors. Information that each exhibitor gathers tediously at a face-to-face trade show will be recorded, processed and made available to exhibitors through the virtual platform. A virtual trade show features evaluation tools of valuable data, customer flows and centers of interest of the visitors.