Giving a good presentation or workshop at a Live event or trade show is already a skill in itself. Those presenting a session at a hybrid or online event also have an online audience to keep captivated from behind a screen. How do you maintain attention and ensure sufficient engagement?
Jaarbeurs 's specialists have extensive experience in organising online and hybrid events from large to small, and would be happy to give you some tips on how to make a real impact with your online event:
Prepare well
Before your online event, consult well with the organiser or venue owner about the technological options on offer. How many cameras will be used to film? How is the lighting set? How will you be portrayed and how will the online viewer see your presentation? Then, at the venue, make sure everything is properly tested: are any videos or slides ready, does the chat option work, how is the quality of the image?
Link offline and online audiences
Often, colleagues or speakers giving a presentation are mostly used to being in front of a real audience to sense the mood and connect. At a distance, this works differently. Therefore, discuss how the online audience can also be involved in the presentation, for example by also welcoming them in the introduction. In addition, it can be nice to have a moderator monitor all online interaction via chat, polls or social media and give this interaction real attention during your programme by, for instance, answering questions asked online or reading out fun tweets shared with your hashtag.
Stick to the programme
Online visitors are often interested in specific sessions and therefore log in especially at a certain time for that purpose. If the programme runs late, you run the risk of them logging out early again. Therefore, make sure you have a punctual start time and limit the possible delay. Short and powerful presentations work best, both online and offline. The great success of TED talks - which last no longer than twenty minutes - proves this.
Entertainment at intermission
When the live visitors are talking to each other during the coffee break, you don't want your online viewers to have to look at a black screen or empty chair. Therefore, provide a stream of what is happening at the fair or show interesting interviews or videos, for example.
Need help with your online event?
Jaarbeurs 's specialists have over a century of experience in organising events and conferences. And for them too, it took some time to find the right methods to have as much impact online as with offline events. But, with a positive attitude and a focus on what can be done (again), they have now acquired a good taste for it and have built a permanent studio for online events which has already been put to good use by various companies. And with success!
Would you also like to organise your event fully or partly online from a professional studio, and with the right support? Jaarbeurs is happy to think along with you!
