If the cornerstone event on your calendar has been canceled or postponed, or maybe the live event is going forward but you are anticipating significantly reduced attendance, you’re likely considering a virtual event.
Planning a virtual event can be a daunting task. Before you jump in, consider these 10 tips to make your event more successful (and less stressful)!
1. THE BRIEF IS YOUR NORTH STAR
The key to every successful sales and marketing initiative is clarity around your goals, your target audience and your message. Before diving headfirst into virtual event planning, hit the pause button and review your Creative Brief. The brief is the document that captures the details of the situation, the opportunity, your ideal target audience and what behavior you are trying to motivate. Do not assume that the brief you created for the face-to-face event will work as-is for a move to a digital environment. Think through the implications of a digital experience and modify the brief accordingly. And refer to the brief throughout your planning process.
2. WHO’S COMING TO THE PARTY?
In a perfect world, who do you want to come to your event and what do you want them to think, feel or do by the end of it? When you participate in a trade show, to a certain extent, you are relying on the show organizer to drive traffic to the event. Your job is to entice that traffic to your booth to engage with your team and hear your pitch. When planning your own virtual event, you are now responsible for reaching your audience and motivating them to attend in addition to engaging with them during the event. Use your digital attendee personas to help identify your ideal audience member and build that rich profile to help guide your pre-event, during the event and post-event activities.
