In recent years, virtual conferences and events have increasingly replaced in-person events as an engaging way for businesses to connect with their audience. Virtual events are a great way for businesses to become more accessible, reach their target audience and promote their latest products or services. Physical events aren’t the only way to host a live event anymore.
As companies continue to shift towards the digital landscape, it’s now more important than ever to show how well your brand can pull off an effective and engaging virtual event.
We’re here to help you figure out how to plan virtual events and create your appealing virtual event, no matter your budget.
Technical requirements
There are some key technical elements to setting up your virtual event that needs to be addressed before you can get started.
Firstly, you will need a strong internet connection to carry you through the whole event without jumpy audio quality, skipping videos or crashing software.
Secondly, you need to research and decide which virtual event software you are going to use to host your event. Well-known platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook Live, are easier for your audience to navigate, but this may not be your only requirement, so it is important to pick the right software for you.
Lastly, getting the right equipment will show you how to run a virtual event effectively. The essential equipment you may need to source includes:
- Microphones
- Cameras
- Laptop, computer or tablet
- Lighting
- Desks or stands
- Industry-specific equipment (for example, if you’re selling clothes, samples of your work might be displayed on mannequins)
Benefits of short-term equipment rentals
While you’ve been researching how to run a virtual event, you may have noticed that some elements can be a little tougher on the budget than others. Luckily, at Hire Intelligence, we offer a wide range of relevant, short-term equipment rentals that are much more cost-effective.
Plus, there are some brilliant additional benefits to hiring the equipment you’ll need for your virtual event, let’s have a closer look.
Affordability
A key benefit of renting equipment for your virtual event is the low cost. Often, businesses only need the specialised equipment for a short period of time, so it makes little sense to purchase them only to have them stored away for the majority of the year. Handing over a large sum for the possibility of little to no return on investment is not the most cost-friendly method.
Plus, if you own the equipment, you also have to store it when it’s not needed. Whether it’s taking up valuable space in the office or you’re forking out for storage fees, the space and money taken up could certainly be used more effectively.
If you don’t plan on using the equipment very often, then hiring it when needed on a short-term contract will save you time and money.
Technical support
When you rent equipment for your virtual event from Hire Intelligence, our team of experts is on hand to help with setup and technical support. Even throughout your event, our technicians can troubleshoot any issues that may arise, giving you peace of mind that your event is well looked after and will run smoothly.
Latest models
Another bonus of renting equipment for your virtual event is that it gives you access to a huge range of the latest models, which may not have been affordable if you were to purchase them outright. This is not only kinder to your budget but is also mightily impressive to your audience.
Top-of-the-line technology means you won’t have to worry about whether it’s going to perform well—hiring the newest models means you have one less thing to worry about.
Step-by-step guide on how to run your virtual event
1. Choose the right equipment and software
First things first, you need to consider how to run a virtual event. Live streaming an event requires a few key decisions before you can get started. Which event hosting software are you going to use? Are you going to hire your equipment to save money? Now’s also the time to set your event goals.
Choosing the right virtual event platform to host on is one of the key aspects that will determine how successful your online event is. Decide when the right day and time to start your event is so that you can reach the majority of your audience. The popular Instagram Live, YouTube Live or GoTo Webinar platforms are three great options to consider hosting on.
2. Promote your virtual event beforehand
Don’t forget to promote your event with social media posts, website content, blog posts and other channels of communication before the day of the event. Advertising your virtual event up to six weeks before the date means you have enough time to spread the word, and hopefully the buzz, amongst your audience and the wider community in your industry.
3. Develop an agenda
Compiling a clear and interesting agenda for your event allows your audience to know what to expect. It can get them excited about what’s coming up—as long as it’s engaging enough. Think about key event content and activities that will ignite interest in your audience and use them to your advantage. Consider including sections such as a fun quiz or Q&A sessions, and encourage real-time voting during the event so virtual attendees can feel as though they’re part of it instead of just watching passively.
4. Test the technology
This dry run step allows you to troubleshoot any technical issues that may arise before the actual event to ensure your virtual event technology will run smoothly. Consider setting up a backup virtual platform to host the event on if problems occur on the day. It’s worth remembering that if you rent your equipment from Hire Intelligence, our technicians will be on hand to assist in ensuring it is all running as it should.
5. Engage your guests
Virtual event planning can feel strange initially, so think about ways you can effectively engage with the audience remotely. What will they expect from your virtual event? Ensure you deliver what they want, while also introducing elements that will pleasantly surprise them. Perhaps offer them an exclusive discount or first look at a new product for attending the virtual event. The most important thing is to consider your brand image and what you stand for while designing ways to engage your guests.
Hopefully, you’ve already catered for your agenda what you know your audience will enjoy, now’s the time to pull it off effectively. Engage with the camera during the event and your guests’ faces, answer questions that pop up, and encourage audience interaction if suitable.
6. Measuring event success
Post-event it’s important to analyse all the data you collected and judge how successful it was—there’s no point in doing the same thing in future events if the first one was a bust. Consider the aspects that did and didn’t work well and how you can improve everything for your event attendees next time. Debrief with your team and discuss all the elements together.
Plus, let your audience know where they can access a recording of the event in case they missed it or want to revisit a certain section, this also lets people that were unaware of it know that you are a brand that often runs virtual events so they can tune in next time.
Ready to run your virtual event?
Rent all the equipment and software you’ll need to run the perfect virtual event or live stream for your business from Hire Intelligence. Our technicians are on hand to help you determine what equipment you will need and how to set each element up to help ensure your event runs smoothly. Contact the IT specialists at Hire Intelligence for a free quote in 20 minutes, as well as expert advice on how to level up your next virtual event.
