The hidden steps to avoiding problems with your virtual or hybrid event

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Our industry’s long-awaited pivot from in-person to virtual has been a real sight to behold. Some players have emerged even stronger than before, applying careful consideration to their new environment and proving that we really are on the cusp of innovation with what many deemed a stopgap.

Others have been less fortunate; their lack of attention highlighting the chasm between the old and new normal, spelt out by live stream crashes, clunky experiences and – worst of all – the dreaded death by Powerpoint.

Considering the industry’s current needs for education, we at EventsCase expect a huge appetite for virtual and hybrid-related content when Event Tech Live opens its digital doors on November 2. But while most organisers will know enough about the fundamentals of running an online-only experience, there are so many hidden obstacles that can derail your progress before you’ve even started.

In anticipation of EventsCase’s session on ‘Mastering Tech Deployment for Virtual and Hybrid Events‘, let’s look at some of the really simple points you could be missing.

Timing is key

In our learning of the format’s benefits, we’ve developed a false and quite worrying belief that virtual events are always easy to put together. Perhaps on your 50th time out, working with the same tech platform, it shouldn’t be too hard to get everything in order.

That said, it can take weeks to plan something that only lasts a few hours but delivers on impact. Here is what time buys you in the world of tech deployment:

  • The opportunity to test your live speakers’ connections and equipment – one of the most common problems with running virtual events.
  • Free days (not hours) to properly explore your tech solution and leverage its full breadth of features.
  • The luxury of giving early access to your platform if you’re running a multi-day event and need attendees to be familiar with it.

Multiple account sign-ups

Virtual event platforms come in lots of shapes and sizes. One might have your users signing up to four or five different accounts to access all the features that make your event experience. Want to view a live stream? Sign-up here. Want to chat with like-minded professionals? Sign-up here.

Our advice is to find one that requires the bare minimum of your audience when it comes to delivering the basics. Virtual attendees have a lower tolerance for obstacles. They aren’t flying 1,000+ miles to be at a venue; they want to dial in and enjoy. The route to your experience has to be quick and pain-free, or prepare for a big drop-off in attendance.

Time zones

Running a global event? Then it helps to calibrate any agendas and personalised schedules to run alongside the attendee’s local time zone. Otherwise, someone in New York booking a one-to-one meeting with a key UK prospect might be around five hours late to their appointment,

By asking the right questions in the registration process and working with a tech provider that’s used to similar obstacles, you’ll avoid another hidden issue.

EventsCase is the industry’s leading all-in-one event management platform and headline sponsor of Event Tech Live. Book a demo today to see why it’s become the no.1 choice for running physical, virtual and hybrid events.


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Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.