1. What's To Learn?
Break this out for each group of stakeholders
2. What's The Plan?
While learning may be the most important thing to your audience, the opportunity to interact will keep them engaged. Make lecture time shorter so you can structure these opportunities into your event.
Zoom meeting or webinar
If interactivity is key, a discussion based Zoom meeting is the bread and butter. They work especially well for friendly audiences where participants already know each other. Some clever event organizers are using the Zoom webinar – which keeps attendees at more of a distance but still allows Q&A and chat – to have the same level of interactivity as Zoom meetings by inviting some of their attendees to become panelists.
Paid registration is fine as long as it is based on the value of the content.
1,2,3 Day Marathon Meeting or Short Sprints
There’s a growing movement to spread online conferences out over days, weeks and even the year. A very successful show about the technology behind digital events is called Office Hours which uses Zoom’s webinar format to discuss all things production, including Zoom meetings, every day.What about sponsors?
- Are sponsors clearly marked with a different product type?
- Can they chat?
- Is there 1-1 appointment setting?
3. Internet Connection
With live sessions, the internet connection is extremely important for host and panelists. Make sure the host and speakers have a strong internet connection, if not the entire meeting will be a struggle.
4. Who's Helping?
Zoom allows the host to assign event roles. At a minimum. you’ll want to have a co-host (whose face can be hidden with the “non-video participant” setting) to handle the chat room, tech support and it may also be nice to have them use Zoom’s spotlight video feature and start and stop recording where appropriate. Practicing often and early at every stage of the process will ensure that hiccups will be uncovered and erased in time for the event.
What is nice to have and must have in terms of tech consultants...
"It depends on the particulars of your event, but having someone who knows the platform and works in it daily is worth their weight. They will know when new updates are scheduled to roll out. How those changes will affect your event...Most importantly though, in a pinch they will know where controls are from muscle memory.
Also don't undervalue a professional that works with many clients. You might well benefit from suggestions they make based on other companies successes and failures. "
"It depends on the particulars of your event, but having someone who knows the platform and works in it daily is worth their weight. They will know when new updates are scheduled to roll out. How those changes will affect your event...Most importantly though, in a pinch they will know where controls are from muscle memory.
Also don't undervalue a professional that works with many clients. You might well benefit from suggestions they make based on other companies successes and failures. "
5. Registration
A registration gate is a must for security and marketing reasons, rather than sending or worse, posting links willy-nilly. Keep it simple. Each question asked is going to reduce the response.
6. Want To Try Our Digital Event Set-Up?
If you want to use Zoom with WordPress, two programs you probably already know, DigMeetings can help you produce registration, sessions, downloads and even networking events inside WordPress. All you and your hosts have to do is to continue to work from the familiar Zoom console.
Contact Us
DigMeetings parent company Travmar has helped thousands of meeting and event planners over the last 25 years and would love to help you.