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Choosing the right technology for your Virtual Event02 Jun 2020

“Shall we Zoom?”

“ Do you have Zoom?”

“Will the meeting last more than 40 minutes? If so we may need Zoom professional?”

“ How much will that cost?”

Does this sound familiar? Suddenly the likes of Zoom, Teams, House Party, Cisco Webex to name but a few have become part of our lives on both a personal and professional level. Many people and industries who have traditionally relied on face to face interaction have had to change the way they operate to accommodate this new technology.

If you are having to adapt the way you work and interact with staff or clients, or if you are using technology to keep connected with people personally, choosing the right format for your virtual event can be as challenging as the content itself. Here we give you a rundown of our top 5 things to consider when looking at the Virtual platforms currently available.

1.     What kind of event are you running?

The type of event you wish to run can influence which technology is best for you. Some of the top points to consider include the following:

Is the event personal or work related? If work related will attendees joining from external organisations?

Will the event be interactive?

How many people will attend your event? (Some virtual technology platforms have a minimum or maximum number of attendees.)

2.     Which will be the best platform for my event?

Each platform offers something different. As mentioned above, Zoom offers meetings with more than two participants a free 40 minute video call.

WhatsApp allows you to host calls for free up to a maximum of 32 participants.

If you are looking to live stream an event – LinkedIn and Face Book Live offer excellent tools to assist your live event.

If you are looking at a more traditional meeting format then Teams, Zoom or Cisco Webex appear to be three of the favourite providers. More importantly, the vast majority of businesses seem to have adopted one of these platofrms which leads us nicely into point 3….

3.     Consider your audience

Who is the target audience for your event? Are they all from the same organisation? If so, do they already have access to a specific platform? Is that platform compatible with your event?

Some of the most popular platforms are used because of the ease with which people can sign up to them.  If your chosen platform has a complicated sign in process it may deter participants from attending your event or prevent them from signing up to it in the first place.

 Similarly, if your audience needs to retain data (for example a code to enter the event platform) you may find that IT issues overshadow the purpose of your event. Keep it simple is the mantra that we like to follow.

4.     How will I inform my audience of the platform I am using?

Making sure your audience know when and where to find your virtual event can be one of the trickiest parts of hosting a virtual event.

Event Stop is our online event registration and booking system. It allows you to set up and manage your own unique event page. You can invite attendees, send e-tickets and reminders and upload links to your virtual event.

5.     Do you need to add any special features to your event to help it run smoothly?

Would your online event benefit from any ‘extras’? For example, do you need audience engagement technology such as the ability to conduct poll votes? Or do you require break out sessions? If so, will your chosen platform support this? Or should you look to a more specialised provider?

 Some technology platforms specialise in specific areas, for example, Grip specialises in Artificial Intelligence networking for your events. For online events you may wish to look at specialist companies such as Brella or Hopin.

If you want to include more audience response technology, you may look at Glisser or Kahoot. Again, the type of platform you use will be dictated by the number of attendees and the purpose of your event. 

The number of companies offering such specialist services is vast and wide, it is worth doing your research to make sure you have selected the right one. This can make the difference between a good and a great event.

For more information on the Event Stop contact us:

Visit www.eventstop.co.uk/registration/index

Call us on 0344 822 3227

Email info@eventstop.co.uk

Louise White