Misconceptions About Hosting a Virtual Event
At Kennedy Events, we pride ourselves on being our client’s faithful guide through the often overwhelming world of events. As a team of solutions seekers, we are committed to leading our clients down the path to success. It’s become evident that our clients need our expertise now more than ever to navigate virtual events. With goals from fundraising to maintaining brand relevance, a gifted guide is more crucial than ever.
Our clients run the gamut from event rookies to event whizzes, and we love them equally. Regardless of their levels of experience and knowledge of live events, we’ve been encountering a lot of the same misconceptions when it comes to moving to virtual event production.
Think of Your Virtual Event Software Platform As Your Venue
Misconception #1: The platform is plug-and-play and attendees stay.
Would you book a venue for a live event and think “ok, now I’m all set”? Absolutely not! The same applies when selecting a virtual event platform. It seems like there’s a new platform available every day, and each one offers different features and pricing that ranges from $50 to $25,000+. We encourage you to think of your platform in terms of booking a live event in a grassy park or five-star hotel. Even the nicest venue might come with helpful staff and tables, but you still need to conceptualize how to build the best agenda and create the entire attendee experience.
The same holds true for virtual events. You can pay for the most lux platform available but there is still an immense amount of design and implementation to be done leading up to the event. Virtual events especially need compelling content and momentum to keep your audience’s attention. We’ve developed a stacked toolbox of ways we keep that engagement and avoid attendees leaving your virtual venue with a simple click.
Just Because It’s Virtual, Doesn’t Mean It Costs Less
Misconception #2: The only big cost is the software platform.
We’re used to managing huge budgets with over a hundred line items and 30+ vendors. You’d think that taking your event virtual means your savings on catering, venue, rental furniture, and live entertainment will cut your event spend in half, but the hard truth is a big NOPE.
You are going to need a platform to host your event, this much is true. You’ll also need a strong AV team that can manage the magic behind-the-scenes along with pre-production like recorded content and editing. Speakers need a lot more preparation and coaching to avoid unpolished presentations. Graphic design needs might end up being double what you’d need for a live show. Consider how you are incentivizing engagement: Live streaming a DJ? Swag store? Drop-shipping cocktail kits? To stand apart and not only attain but retain those attendees, you need to create rich content and offer clever experiential moments. These costs can add up, so be realistic. If you want your virtual event to look polished, it won’t realistically happen for a fraction of the price of a live event. The same goes for your event team bringing it all together through goal setting, agenda building, timeline, and budget creation, and event management. The same tasks apply to virtual events.
If Your In-Person Event Needed a Professional Planner, You Absolutely Need Support Transitioning to Virtual
Misconception #3: Planning expertise is no longer needed for virtual events.
If you need an event planner for a live event, which is easier to visualize, why would you go it alone with something as new-to-you as a virtual event? When you can actually see the volume of what’s been produced, it’s easier to identify the amount of work that went into building the environment. Virtual events require just as much planning and logistical strategy, but a lot more of it is hidden behind the scenes. Planning a virtual event may require even more precision because errors are more visible and your audience is less forgiving. An audience may not think twice about a live event starting five minutes late, but try that at a virtual event and you risk losing people.
Building a tight production schedule is key, along with scriptwriting, editing, rehearsals, registration management, pre-event messaging, sponsorship support… The list can go on and on which is why having a team of event experts on your side, guiding you through every step of this process, is an investment worth making. Having that same team manage all the behind-the-scenes operations during your virtual event—ready to triage any hiccup that may arise—is not only an asset, but it’s also a necessity for success.
Do You Need Help Planning Your Virtual Event?
We are offering a free 30-minute consultation to get you started. Book your call with us and let us get you on the right track for your virtual event.
MaRIANNE JACKSON
Marianne Jackson is a senior producer and the creative director at Kennedy Events. She specializes in making our client’s biggest design and decor dreams tangible while also ensuring that the event day menu is worthy of a Zagat mention. (Seriously, her taste and culinary connections are that good). Her fervor for adventure, cuisine, and aesthetics is visibly apparent in every event—whether in-person or virtual—she produces.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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