VIRTUAL EVENT
SURVIVAL Program Coordinator for Phase Training, Alicia Humbard
Q: What is event planning?
A: The detailed coordination of an activity or series of activities for social or educational purposes. Typically marketed to a specific audience and promises to provide a unique experience to each audience segment.
WHEW!
That’s a mouthful. Take all of that and imagine doing it virtually! Many of us have, and most of us will continue to do so as we manage our new normal. We’ve learned best practices and even some of the worst practices, but the area we don’t talk about often is event recovery. A successful recovery actually starts before the event. How do we replenish our creative juices and the juices of our team? Here are some EAST staff suggestions on how they pivoted our in-person events to virtual and how they recovered from stimulation overload.
Meet The Ladies: Jessica Dunham - Director of Events Alicia Humbard - Program Coordinator for Phase Training
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What is EAST Phase Training? EAST Phase Training is unique to EAST; three sets of developmental and supportive training for EAST facilitators in the EAST network.
EAST QUARTERLY | EASTinitiative.org
BEFORE THE EVENT Build-in breaks when planning content. During Phase
Training, we planned a 10-minute break for every hour of live content. This training requires teachers to be on the screen all day. A little break goes a long way for everyone! Snacks & drinks, including some healthy options, are beneficial for both the planner and the attendee! Keep them in easy reach because you never know when a 30-minute meeting turns into a 2-hour conversation. Virtual meetings/events can get real awkward real quick - so plan out every minute - even the stuff that seems serendipitous (i.e., what you say in your welcome, the things you post in the chat, etc.)
During the event Aromatherapy is your friend! Pick up some of your favorite candles that you only burn on training days or heavy online meeting days. Relaxing scents help on those stressful days.
