Over more recent years, the popularity of online events is growing enormously, with hosts and attendees both seeing big benefits. Without the overhead expenses of a venue, assets and staff combined with the restrictions of travel and time, virtual events mean the options available are vast, creating unique online experiences that can be enjoyed by anyone with access to the internet. As well as making attending events easier for both parties, their nature allows for people all over the globe to connect in ways that would otherwise be incredibly difficult. If you are looking to host a global event for the first time or are looking at ways to make your worldwide event more inclusive for all time zones, we have pulled together some top tips to help you along the way.
Considering your timings
With attendees coming from all corners of the world, ensuring that they can attend at reasonable hours will increase the likelihood of a strong turnout. When people are registering to your event online, include a question asking about their location or time zone so you can use this data to your advantage. If possible, try to pick a time for the majority of attendees that fits within 9am to 5pm working hours for corporate events or 5pm to 10pm for leisure events. By picking times that are likely to fit into the daily schedule of attendees, you are eradicating any potential barriers to keep your numbers as high as possible.
Cater to those who can’t attend
Virtual events are much more likely to have a higher rate of no-shows due to the lack of planning and consideration needed. With people attending from their own home, the likelihood of other plans cropping up or distractions causing them to miss the time can mean your attendee numbers are likely to be smaller than anticipated. Although this is just the nature of the industry, it doesn’t mean people aren’t interested and don’t want to catch up. By recording your event as well as live streaming, it can be made accessible following the date so anyone who happened to miss it can still get involved in their own time. For global audiences who may be in a time zone that makes it difficult to attend, the option to catch up at a more suitable hour will mean nobody misses out and you can still reach a wide audience.
Get the audience involved
With so many people from all over the world gathering in one place, make the most of the opportunity to boost networking opportunities and make global connections. Breakout rooms and smaller group activities are ideal for encouraging participation, being a more comfortable scenario for those who may not feel comfortable speaking in front of large audiences. As well as speaking, interactive features such as polls, games and Q&A sessions are great for keeping people interested and breaking up long talks which can lose people’s attention over longer amounts of time.
