While events from all over the world have been canceled or rescheduled, it is vital to switch to the digital side to keep your planned events on track. By moving the events online, you will also need to adjust your marketing strategies quickly. Now more than ever, going online is the main backup solution for most event businesses.
Your business can start by implementing a wider variety of digital strategies to engage with attendees and promote business services. A good example is Gigabyte, a company that planned to attend the Mobile World Congress and offered a digital tour of its booth. As an event organizer, you can provide similar suggestions to the businesses you work with.
Why Is Digital the New Physical for Events Planning?
With 62% of CROs and CEOs stating that a more innovative approach is needed, such as moving to cloud-based solutions, it is up to event organizers to decide whether they will engage with these demands or cancel the events they have been planning for so long.
Since hosting an event is no longer a solution due to COVID-19 consequences, assuring your business continuity means responding quickly, cohesively, and effectively. What better way than completely turning towards digital?
Decisions that might have been seen as risky in the past can now become opportunities. As an event organizer, getting used to planning a full event online should be a natural evolution of your business continuity plan, growing alongside other emerging events.
According to recent statements, Thomson Reuters reported a 73% increase in global attendees by taking its event digital, and we can look at this example when considering the opportunities brought by the shift away from live gatherings.
In this context, we gathered information on how to prioritize the needs of your upcoming events under a management strategy that supports your digital transformation, regardless of each event’s objective.
3 Things to Remember Before Starting Your Digital Transformation
Once you have settled on your event’s new strategy of going digital, there are a few things that event organizers and managers can do as a fast response to the current situation:
Inform the public about your actual digital business initiatives
Once you have decided on your digital transformation framework, you will need to announce it to all your stakeholders: your audience, the press, and your partners. Having an online presence may open up many opportunities for your new strategy, and we are now seeing many event businesses joining the digital movement.
If you have already started implementing a plan for moving your event to a digital platform, the next step is to build a PR, communication, and content strategy.
By sharing engaging updates across your social platforms and issuing a press release, you can avoid losing registered or potential participants who may be disappointed and assume the event is postponed or canceled.
Throughout this transformation process, focus on strengthening the relationship between your business and your partners. Keep them informed about any changes, as they are a key part of your event’s foundation. This may also be a great time to get input or advice based on their previous experiences.
Moving your events online might be a challenge at first, especially if this is your first time doing so. But that should not stop you from creating a memorable user experience for all your future participants.
There are many ways to engage with your audience and leave a lasting impression with your newly transformed events. Keep an eye on our future posts to discover how to create a cutting-edge online experience for everyone.
A digital transformation requires new partners
Taking a live event digital means that, as an organizer or manager, you need to partner with digital platform vendors who can help meet your specific goals and needs. Your business should consider what formats are most relevant for your upcoming events. Many platforms support a wide range of event formats. Here are a few to consider:
- Zoom: As an event organizer, you may opt for online meetings or webinars, and Zoom is one of the most widely used platforms for these two formats. If you need help getting started, you can find best practices and tips for transforming your event into a strong digital experience.
- United-partners: This platform supports a variety of online event formats, including:
- eAuditorium, for live streaming and storing content in a user-friendly format
- eQuizes, for online CME accreditation
- Virtual congress halls, allowing avatar-based interactions, similar to live congress events
- eDigests, for online journal clubs
- Password-protected access
- Hopin: With over 200 hosted events, Hopin is designed to meet the current needs of event organizers. Its flexible formats support:
- Conferences
- Fairs and trade shows
- Expos and exhibitions
- Hybrid events
- Summits and forums
- Webinars
- Company events
- Broadcast events
- Online courses
- Workshops
- Networking events
- Meetups
There is always room to do more. Moving your event online for the first time may lead to a surprisingly engaging outcome. In doing so, you should explore new collaborations with specialists who can guide you through a complete marketing strategy to get the most value from your online event. If time is tight, it’s important to work with a proactive team that can help you achieve your new event planning goals.
Guide your participants through newsletter campaigns
If you have a strong database of existing and potential attendees, consider launching a newsletter campaign. This is an effective way to share updates about your online events and inform your audience about changes in format or scheduling.
If you think no one will open their emails, think again. People are more connected than ever to digital communication, especially now. For those working remotely, checking their email regularly is essential, as it replaces much of their face-to-face interaction.
Take this opportunity to craft your newsletter thoughtfully. Use interactive content that will attract attention and keep your audience engaged, because your business should focus on driving meaningful human connections. According to ReadyTalk, companies typically send three email marketing messages for three weeks to generate interest and promote event attendance.
Final Thoughts
Focusing on goals, events come in many forms, from customer briefings, envisioning sessions, and small group training to large-scale experiences with thousands of attendees.
The safety of your community should remain your top priority, and embracing a digital transformation is the right step under these circumstances. Let us help you achieve the objectives of your online event. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs and explore how we can grow the events community together.
Lastly, as an event manager, continue to support your team by staying in touch and communicating clearly. They are also adjusting to this new way of working, so be patient, be available, and be considerate.
