After a Year of Pandemic Producing, We Ask the Big Question - Are Virtual Events Worth It?

Of all the questions we got from clients about the changed landscape in 2020, this is the one we found ourselves answering - and asking ourselves - the most: Are virtual events really worth it?

We started 2020 on the heels of producing a part of nine-city stadium tour. When the quarantine hit in March, our suitcase wheels were still smoking. For a company that prides itself on traveling the world to tell stories, we needed to lean on our experience and expertise to keep the company running. So we made the proverbial pivot - and fast. 

Throughout the year, we found ourselves producing “virtual” shows from soup to nuts for a variety of clients - from a three-day conference to online galas and fundraisers for nonprofits like The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Trust for the National Mall, Cure Epilepsy and Facing History and Ourselves - to the virtual grand opening of the Planet Word museum in Washington, DC. And, we produced content for dozens more. 

Each was different - some were live, some prerecorded, and others were a combo of both. There were fundraising components, interactive polls, musical performances, multiple platforms, etc. Call it what you will… a virtual event, virtual meeting, gala, extravaganza… in our view, they all have something in common. Today's digital events are produced much like TV shows. Why? Because at the end of the day, you must produce for the screen. And considering that our company has deep roots in producing for television, this way of thinking came very naturally to us.

But to go back to the initial question - is it worth it? 

Originally, I thought that in a world of Zoom fatigue and sitting in front of our computers all day, people wouldn’t be interested. 

But, we’ve found just the opposite. These events can bring something that 8 hours of zoom calls can’t....They bring community. 

Not only can they retain the message and magic you have relied on for your live events, but they have the advantage of additional opportunities for creative technology, audience expansion and lasting impact. 

Here are just a few examples from our clients:

An annual, three-day event was used to hosting a crowd of 15,000 in San Diego. This year early on in the pandemic, how many showed up online, and stayed? More than 70,000.  

Another client called their 2020 virtual event “a fundraiser on steroids” after they exceeded their goals for 2020 (and beat fundraising efforts from 2019).

And it’s not just in numbers, it’s in access as well. I recently heard of a hospital that has a swanky fundraiser every year, limited to only a few hundred high-net worth donors. This year, they invited every front line worker to participate in the celebration. It meant the world to the doctors, nurses and other staff to hear from A-list celebrities and top-notch music artists. They were able to be a part of the stories and celebration that they are often left out of. 

As we all kiss 2020 goodbye, we know our industry will be forever changed. And while we long to get back out in the field, to be in stadiums and large venues, and to feel the collective energy that being in a room together can bring, we also know that some things are here to stay.

Even as we begin to emerge from our hibernation and distancing this year, like it or not, the”virtual event/gala/experience” is not going anywhere. 

Here are a few best practices we’ve learned so far:

KEEP IT SHORT(ER), AND MAKE EACH MOMENT MATTER

Audiences DO come - but don’t expect them to stay for 2 hours. Keep things tight and short. Kick it off with a WOW moment, include a WOW moment in the middle, and WOW them at the end.  

Expect to engage/entertain through storytelling. You have lots of competition for attention, and so show flow is important. Redundancy can be a killer, and so you have to look at the whole as a sum of its parts.

QUALITY AND PRODUCTION VALUE ARE KEY

The beauty of these times is that you can mix the highest quality footage with someone’s cell phone video - but do it wisely and think about production value. The show as a whole should have excellent production value, just like you’d expect from every aspect of a live event - but you can use different elements to get you there.

This is NOT NEW. Remember a few years back when everyone wanted to “livestream” their events and panels and keynotes? Well, why did people stop doing it? Because uninterrupted talking heads is boring content to watch! HOW we produce is what’s evolving. And production quality is important - producing intentionally for an audience outside of a venue is key.

PLATFORM IS IMPORTANT, BUT NO PLATFORM IS PERFECT

In the event and production industry, there has been a sprint to build the “perfect” platform. There are existing platforms like Facebook Live and YouTube. New platform options have popped up everywhere, and some at a hefty price tag. There are upgraded Zoom options, Vimeo, microsites... I could go on and on, but here’s the deal. There is not a single platform that “does it all” seamlessly, no matter what they tell you. Just like events in the “real” world, a human touch, customization and tech savvy is going to be required to get it right. 

Don’t rely on your audience. The second your program glitches or there is an issue, they’re gone. Sorry. It’s true. Hire a professional to customize it for you. 

CREATE A PLACE FOR CONNECTION

We’ve found that when our clients ask for “interactive,” what they are really looking for is “connection.” It’s important to create a space for people to communicate with one another. Whether it’s a Zoom breakout or as simple as a text feed, people will want to know who is out there and leverage that community experience we all crave.

LIVE IS GREAT, BUT THERE ARE RERUNS TOO

For an event, you spend months preparing for one night or a few short days. But virtual events have an even longer tail than we expected. We’re finding that our clients are meeting and exceeding fundraising goals well past the event, much to their delight. New audiences are reaching out to learn more. And the content is absolutely flexible enough to slice and dice into bite-size portions to reach audiences where they’re at and on their time frame. 

MAKE IT SPECIAL

Intention is important, and audiences instinctively know when something hasn’t been made with them in mind. Create a signature, high-quality video piece, produce fresh video, create an authentic celebrity moment or a surprise that is completely unique for the audience - they’ll appreciate it, and remember it.  

And finally, the question that always comes next - WHAT SHOULD IT COST?

Is it cheaper than a live event? Probably, but not necessarily. Investment in the platform and the experience is equally as important, whether virtual or live. Think of the budget you spend to get the venue, the catering, the bartenders, the swag - there is a reason you do that, because there is a level of prestige and polish that is required. The same goes for virtual, but even more so because you don’t have a captive audience in a room with two glasses of wine or vodka sodas in hand. The content itself must keep the audience engaged. So invest what would have been your space rental and catering budget into producing the show.

Your audience will reward you, and they’ll come back for more - which is the true currency we need until we’re back in real life.