Virtual Meeting Planning Strategies for Uncertain Times, Covid-19 and Beyond – Virtual, Hybrid and Webinar Presentations by Julie Holmes, Innovation Speaker
VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS:
As a professional member of the National Speakers Association and a Fellow of the Pro Speaking Association of UK and Ireland, I am actively engaging in discussions with colleagues around the world on the topic of virtual presentations in light of the COVID-19 situation. Here are some FAQs, tips, options, and considerations that you might find useful.
- How is Julie helping event organizers in the time of COVID-19?
Whether we are talking about an unexpected fire alarm, public safety issue, or a global health crisis, Julie is a professional, and she is a partner to you in helping you and your attendees. She is keenly aware of the current concerns and recommended precautions for events. Julie can address the COVID-19 “elephant in the room” with sincerity and positivity, which will help to put your attendees at ease. She is also continually adjusting her content to ensure that any potential risks are considered and mitigated where appropriate (like fun alternatives to handshaking!).
- Can Julie deliver an effective presentation VIRTUALLY if we choose not to host a live conference?
YES! Not only is Julie is more than happy to deliver her content virtually, but she is also well versed in providing polished and engaging content in the virtual medium. Your audience needs this content, and Julie is adept at adjusting her delivery to give the best possible experience for any platform. (p.s. She can even offer a “tips session” for internal/non-pro speakers on how to rock the webcam!)
- Is it possible to have a HYBRID event, and is that still effective?
ABSOLUTELY. This is, in Julie’s opinion, the next best option to being live. Having the speakers, venue, and even a small live audience can provide the dynamic of a conference. Add to that a group of moderators that are monitoring live stream feeds, remote Q&A, and more.
- Is a virtual keynote the same thing as a webinar?
When you choose to host a virtual conference, it will be valuable to ensure that your speakers understand the difference and can deliver an exceptional experience for attendees. “Webinar” is a virtual type of presentation that can be more closely aligned to a “breakout session” while a “Virtual Keynote” would be a more apt description for a keynote or general session. The expectations for this type of content, approach, and style are different. Virtual Keynote = So dynamic, you feel like you’re in the room!
- What platform(s) and technology are recommended for virtual conferences if needed?
This question is dependent mainly on audience size. There are virtual conference platforms that mimic a live conference environment. For example, you can have keynotes, and then attendees can choose to split into separate virtual breakout rooms.
If you are offering continuing education credit for attendance, you’ll want to use a platform that tracks viewer attention, as well. For a smaller group, a webinar platform like Zoom (one of Julie’s favorite tools) can be an inexpensive and effective option. Make sure that you are leveraging WEBINAR solutions vs. MEETING solutions as they provide for bigger audiences and more audience management features. Webinar solutions also allow people to be moved to “breakout rooms” for quick discussions (imagine a table discussion topic).
A few virtual conference platforms that you can consider include ON24, vConferenceOnline, CommPartners, and Zoom.
- What additional resources might be needed for a virtual conference presentation?
It would be best if you planned to have multiple moderators for each program to field questions and provide technical support. For a virtual keynote with a large audience, Julie recommends working with local TV or video studios that have exceptional experience and professional equipment to support the production and streaming of presentations. This also creates a much higher quality result for attendees!
- Try to get more reach with a live stream option.
Virtual events do have the added ability to scale easily! Consider offering a virtual summit experience where content can be recorded, shared, and accessed anytime. You might even be able to earn a bit of extra attendee revenue with virtual summit tickets as the costs of traveling to the original conference might have been a deal-breaker for some prospective attendees.
- Have a backup plan for your backup.
While Julie LOVES tech, it can go wrong sometimes. So, ensuring that all virtual presenters (and ideally attendees) are hardwired for internet is essential. It’s also a good idea to have a recorded presentation backup to share in the event of an unforeseen connection issue.
- Don’t forget your sponsors and vendors!
For many events, vendors and sponsors provide a lot of financial assistance. Make sure that you are considering how to still deliver them the best possible value for partnering with your event. They can record videos to share or provide live-streamed presentations in addition to the usual “send an email to the attendee” option.
- Will we still need to pay our speakers and other vendors if we choose to go virtual?
It’s always a good idea to review the terms of your contracts with each partner. Despite what some might believe, canceling an event due to COVID-19 is not considered Force Majeure unless you are in a banned or quarantined area. There are currently no areas in the US that are flagged as high-risk by the CDC. Choosing to be cautious is not sufficient cause for contract termination by either party.
Certainly, working with a speaker (and other partners) that are willing to be flexible and deliver a virtual program is a good option. Some, like Julie, will do their best to offer a reschedule option instead of charging a cancellation fee. In cases like these, you are expected to honor your speaker contract and investment agreement. However, Julie does her best to work with you on providing her services at a future, mutually agreed date to ensure that you get full value from her services. Options like this have proven to be a win-win for everyone involved.
- Please consider those that are considered AT HIGH RISK.
Julie has heard from both speakers and audience members that are having to take extra precautions because of existing medical conditions or immunity factors that put them at a higher risk for contracting and being severely affected by COVID-19. Many people might be personally healthy but care for others with compromised immunity. Please consider them in your event planning and know that the professional speaker community is working together to ensure that we are supporting our colleagues wherever possible.
- Julie is here to help!
We’ve partnered with Julie because she is a PRO, and she is here to help you in any way she can. Together, you’ll deliver an amazing and valuable event for your attendees!
More comprehensive Virtual Event Guidance is available from our partners:
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Virtual and Hybrid Event Planning Tools & Tips A to Z
More about Julie Holmes: Julie Holmes – Innovation Speaker
