Way back in March, (I know, seems like decades ago) Momentum pivoted hard and fast into virtual events and we were quite fortunate as we capitalized on two advantages; first, our COO invested heavily in virtual events back in 2009 in the wake of the Great Recession, so he had a ton of experience in evaluating technology platforms, integrating with existing systems and converting live event programming into virtual. Our second advantage was our infrastructure. Momentum was built as a completely virtual, distributed workforce company back when it was launched in 2012, so our technology infrastructure was already best in class when the pandemic hit, and our culture was already built to support a work from home environment. While these two advantages definitely gave us a “leg up”, it by no means made the transition to virtual events easy. We learned a lot about what makes a virtual event successful – from technology to workflow, account management to support – and we also learned what pain points we can, and cannot overcome.
Below, please find a few of our lessons learned:
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- Treat virtual event platforms like venues; one size does not fit all. We work hard to identify an event’s desired outcome, (i.e. networking, social interaction, etc.) and then match the right software.
- Mind the time. The majority of our efforts spent with clients is dedicated to virtualizing their content for a digital audience. What might work in real life, likely will not work in a digital world.
- Know your audience. Some industries are more tech savvy than others – so be cautious about spending a lot of money on underutilizing technology
- Do not undervalue support. Most virtual event providers do not provide any virtualization support. Yes, you get some great technology, but it will still take a lot of effort to ensure your event executes seamlessly.
- Redundancy! Redundancy! Momentum invests a tremendous amount of time in speaker prep, audience training and on-site execution. We’ve seen a thing or two and are prepared to handle almost any uncertainty.
If you’re struggling with how to virtualize your fall event, Momentum might be able to help. We are a full-service event company that utilizes several different virtual event platforms that provide engaging, digital experiences through our Conference as a Service (CaaS™), a complete end-to-end solution that delivers professionally researched, developed and executed virtual events without taxing any of your internal resources and doesn’t require any subscriptions or long-term commitments. Our services have been used by dozens of organizations including IBM, EY and Am Law 50 law firms, and can provide any or all of the following:
- A customized virtual event and networking platform for:
- Content delivery
- Brand activation
- Social engagement
- Exhibition activation (if desired)
- Standard video production services:
- Pre-recording of sessions
- Speaker virtual presentation training
- Audio/Visual/Lighting tests and quality checks
- Production and post-editing including graphics, images and matching presentation slides with performance. (Client can provide their own graphics if so desired)
- Live stream of pre-recorded content with live Q&A option
- Post production assets
- Authenticated access for approved attendees only
- Training and support for presenters
- Walk-through and platform training for attendees
- Full “day of” helpdesk support
- Consultation on session design including timing and format
- Consultation and suggestions on engagement and social interaction activities
- Production schedule
- Post event analytics reports
If you would like to learn more about Momentum’s Conference as a Service (CaaS™), please email Ben Greenzweig or feel free to visit https://momentumevents.wpengine.com/caas.
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