Five Ways To Create A Successful Digital Event

This article was originally posted on Forbes Coaches Council.

With the advent of the novel coronavirus, taking the necessary precautions to make public health a priority by moving in-person gatherings to livestreams, online learning and “digital events” isn’t just a matter of conscience, it’s a critical call to action that many leaders are upholding.

Leaders across the country are publicly taking the lead in this effort by canceling travel for employees, postponing events or having them “go digital,” and in general making sacrifices to their overall developmental planning. While some of these decisions are prudent in terms of physical health, they may be detrimental to employees’ well-being.

Smart companies are finding ways to invest in both.

Case in point. One company we know, a large global organization, reacted to the global health crisis by canceling six months of upcoming leadership development training. Sadly, the stress and uncertainty of the times meant that what employees needed more than ever was connection and support — exactly what was lost when the programming was canceled.

There is a better option. Consider an alternative path another company took: not canceling events altogether, but simply (and creatively) moving them online. I encourage leaders to serve employees better by continuing to offer their development initiatives and events while still preserving necessary precautions by making them virtual.

A cautionary note: going virtual isn’t always easy.

Rather than creating a mad scramble with a last-minute decision, here are some principles for effectively moving meetings, programs and events to a virtual, online setting where the work continues to get done, while keeping employees safe.

Prioritize ease of use. Make the systems that you use for your virtual platform as simple and streamlined as possible. This avoids having to set up large networks of administrative support, not to mention preventing frustration. Even a pre-established public platform, like Zoom or Skype, works perfectly fine, and many people are familiar with them already. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel!

Create connections. When going digital, the biggest loss is the in-person connection. Remedy this by using video screens whenever possible to make people feel like they’re in the same room. Intentional use of interactive activities throughout the event, like chatting, surveys, Q&A sessions and fielding personal questions, can help people connect and make sure the event is engaging, warm and connected.

Use visual aids. Just as one would do when facilitating a live meeting, making effective use of on-screen audiovisuals is important. Sometimes virtual meeting attendees have trouble accessing either the audio or the visual options for a meeting, but this is a challenge that can easily be overcome. Producing and distributing an articulate, succinct script based on the live event, and a video or onscreen version of the materials, ensures that everyone gets the most value out of the session, whether they can access only the audio, only the video or both.

Preserve and share. Every virtual session should be recorded, and the recording, as well as materials shared, should be distributed after the event. Companies can certainly put parameters in place when it comes to sharing proprietary information, but if attendees have any issues logging on, often due to logistics like time zoning, they should be able to participate on their own time.

Provide accountability and support. If the intention is to create an outstanding virtual experience to make up for the live event that has been canceled, make sure that people can ask questions, follow up on what they’ve missed and get the material they need.

As my team and I have assisted our client partners in moving their large-scale, international events into virtual sessions, we have found the principles above to be enormously helpful in achieving success. Not only did participants feel connected, inspired and engaged, we also realized we had created a model for the future in which virtual events can serve as a viable alternative (but not a replacement) for live events. Such a model can be used to bring together employees in remote locations, in different time zones and, yes, even in the event of a global health crisis.

Listen to the comments we received recently from a senior-level attendee after transforming an international, two-day live event into a set of virtual meetings, with less than 36 hours’ notice:

“It is great how quickly time flies while I was attending the sessions, how close I felt to the group and all things I have already learned and how quickly I can start to put new ideas into practice now!”

Those comments could just as easily come from the live-event version of the talk; in other words, the move to a virtual platform, made with care and consideration, ensured participants had a valuable experience even in the online environment.

The coronavirus pandemic will eventually ease, but employees will always want and need to be supported and connected — not just “canceled.” So whether you have a lot of lead time or just 48 hours, try the five principles above to maximize the virtual effectiveness of your next remote event.

Read more of my leadership advice on Forbes Coaches Council.