As chapters adapt to a world affected by COVID-19, they must learn to overcome obstacles presented by technology and distancing. For those planning virtual events, steps must be taken to ensure the meeting goes smoothly and consistently engages attendees. Presentations must be adapted or else lose much of their effectiveness and impact. To get started, here are nine tips to help your chapter plan a successful virtual event:
- Establish Your Team
This should consist of 1) a virtual host/emcee, 2) the presenter, 3) a technology point person, 4) a chat moderator, and 5) breakout room leaders (if applicable). Breaking up responsibilities will limit stress and ensure proper management of the event.
- Engage Every 4 Minutes
As a rule of thumb, encourage your presenter to incorporate some kind of engagement element every 4 minutes to renew audience attention. For example: share a poll, ask attendees to type something in the chat, draw attention to an interesting or amusing photo, break up the presentation with a brief video clip, tell a story, or call for a tactile action. Tactile actions could include prompts to: “write down your goal,” “close your eyes and imagine _____,” “everybody take a quick stretch break and reach high up in the air,” etc.
- Recognize Individual Attendees
Greeting members by name as they enter the virtual room or responding to specific messages shared in the chat can help attendees feel welcomed, acknowledged, and encouraged to continue participation.
- Use More Slides with Fewer Words
Break up any text-heavy slides and increase your slide count. One slide per minute is ideal. It may seem excessive but the frequent change in visuals will draw the audience’s attention and help them stay focused.
- Utilize PowerPoint Add-Ins
Explore engagement tools to incorporate into your PowerPoint presentation by clicking on “Get Add-ins” under the Insert tab and typing “interactive” into the search bar.
- Have a Tech Rehearsal
Schedule a rehearsal at least a few days before the event and give the presenter an opportunity to test their tech setup and familiarize themselves with the virtual environment. Make sure their camera and microphone are both working well and test any engagement tools. You can also alleviate attendee stress by allowing them to enter the virtual environment 15 minutes prior to the meeting or having a preview day the day before a major virtual event.
- Incorporate Tactile Elements
For special or multi-day events, consider shipping something physical to attendees in advance. This could include a customized booklet for notes, a bingo card for an engagement activity, or branded accessory. Meetings that allow participant’s to be on video, like the tech platform Zoom, could also incorporate fun response elements like clappers or raise hand.
- Encourage Networking
Ensure that attendees are given time and space to network so they can learn from each other as well. Consider incorporating breakout room discussions, a central chatroom for attendee messages, or a board to post questions which others can respond to with advice and suggestions.
- Make It Fun
The best way to engage and impact attendees is to make the experience fun and enjoyable, whether that’s through creative green screen backgrounds, jokes, games, or other elements. Virtual events can limit audience accountability, so your presentation is in competition with social media, emails, and anything else that can be accessed on the attendee’s phone or computer. Brainstorm with your presenter to help them create a fun and engaging atmosphere for your chapter.
Have any other tips on virtual events that have worked well for your chapter? Share in the comments below!
