Virtual events have become the new norm in 2020, with creative industries, in particular, being unable to put on their usual events to large crowds. Not only have the recent growth of virtual events allowed us to stay connected and entertained during this long period of being stuck at home, but they have also allowed many people to keep doing their day jobs and earn money.

Live streaming technology is always developing and it is now largely accessible for people to pick up a smartphone or a decent camera and go live at the touch of a button, For virtual events though, particularly events where you are planning to charge people to attend, there’s little room for error and your technology can’t let you down.

Here are some of the ways to host a successful virtual event…

Goals

Before you ‘go live’ online or attempt to host an event, think about what you want to offer and achieve. Do you want your event to be high-value and professional, or will it be a laidback affair that can be recorded from your bedroom? Where do you plan to share your virtual event – will it be a social media event or hosted on your website? How many people do you want to tune in – will it be an exclusive event or do you want to open it up to as many people as possible for brand awareness?

By planning your event thoroughly you can pinpoint exactly who you want to target it to. It’s far better to have a specific target audience in mind than to try and make your event suitable for everyone. This way, you can achieve your goals in terms of viewer count and engagement.

Schedule

Try to find a date and time that will suit your audience best. Consider time zones, national holidays and do your research to find out when your target audience tends to spend the most time online. Although you can try your hardest to find a date and time that suits the majority, its still important to make sure your event is also available at a later date for those who can’t attend.

You could even carry out your own research to identify the best time of day to host your event, giving your audience the chance to vote for their preference.

Promotion

Once you’ve set a date and time and know what you want to achieve with your event, you need to promote it in the right way. If no one knows about your event, it won’t be a success. You should promote your event across your social channels, on your website and via email to make sure all the right people know it’s happening, when, where and how to tune in.

Preparation

In the run-up to your event, you will need to make sure you have all the necessary equipment and technology required to avoid any disasters on the day. First, make sure you have a reliable ethernet internet connection, a high-quality recording device, a video encoder and a professional live streaming platform to support you throughout. Zidivo are one of the leading video hosting and streaming platforms out there, offering users a complete virtual events service where you can customise your package depending on the scale of your event and which areas you need support in. 

Engage

Last but not least, make sure your event is engaging and there are means available for your audience to get involved. Whether you have a dedicated chatroom to accompany the event or you decide to host your event on social media to enable likes, comments and shares, engagement is key to monitor the success of your event and hold the attention of your audience.