Virtual Event Landscape: 4 Tips for Planning

By Sara McGinness

The world of corporate event planning is, and always will be, changing. But nothing beats the changes we saw as a result of COVID19. Fully virtual events posed a HUGE adjustment for not only the attendees and presenters, but the planning was a different beast all together. Even though we have seen the world returning to normal, the mark made on events has changed forever: there is no escaping the virtual landscape. When I stepped into my first role planning corporate events, it was the height of the pandemic, and I was also a student at NDSU. So luckily for me, virtual events have always been a part of my event knowledge base. Though this column focuses on a fully virtual event, all these tips can transfer into a hybrid layout as well. Here are Four things I keep in mind when planning a virtual event.

Consider the journey your virtual attendees will take

Try to put yourself in their shoes. You want it to be as clear and as simple as possible. In contrast to an in-person event, at any point during your virtual event, (especially the beginning) your attendees can easily leave if they get frustrated just by closing the window. So, consider what roadblocks or confusion they might have and think about how you can remedy them early on.

Unpopular opinion alert!

How many virtual bells and whistles do you need to make an impact on your attendees? In the past three years we’ve seen an explosion of new virtual event platforms coming out of the woodwork. Many offer fancy features for attendees to utilize like avatars, virtual lounges, interactive VR experiences and more. I understand and appreciate the desire to engage your virtual audience with a more interactive experience. However, from my experience, when I attempt to use the bells and whistles, I become frustrated and give up. My goal is to learn and consume the content in session(s), not create an avatar. Now I’m not saying these bells and whistles do not have a place in the event world; however, I would argue in the corporate landscape, a simple chat or question pane will suffice. In the end, when making your decision, consider your target audience, industry and investment.

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Every time I host a virtual event, the stress of technical mishaps, network bandwidth and presenter confusion are top of mind. Whether you’re hosting a 1-hour webinar, or a full day event, preparation and testing is key. Start early and make sure you are familiar with the platform you are using to host. If you are leveraging an outside vendor, meet with them to get a tour of the program and ask questions. Next, set up time with each of your presenters to do a tech check. If you are leveraging an outside vendor to host your event, ask if you can conduct the tech checks on their platform so everyone can see how the event will run. I recommend scheduling a time slot about 10 days in advance for the total time of their presentation slot, plus 10-15 minutes for them to ask questions.

For example, if their presentation is 45 minutes long, I would schedule a 60-minute meeting. For a full day event, this can be a considerable block of time for you to invest. However, I highly recommend making it a priority for many reasons. One, this gives each presenter time to rehearse their entire presentation in front of a small audience, while still giving them enough time until event day to make changes. Two, they have an opportunity to get comfortable with the platform from a presenter perspective: how their sideshow will advance and show their notes, how to see questions from the attendees, if they can use a virtual background or not etc. Last, but certainly not least, you are able to thank the presenter for all their time and hard work they are putting into the event. Us event planners can’t do it without people willing to be on stage! Use this time to genuinely thank them. I firmly believe having a rehearsal makes everyone more comfortable and confident throughout the entire event.

Learn from others.

Now, more than ever, we can hop onto the internet and see how others are hosting virtual events. Sign up for events relating to your industry or even one outside of it. When you find one you want to attend, take note of your experience. How did you enjoy the journey? Were you confused? Did you get frustrated and need a support ticket for help? Were other attendees leveraging the bells and whistles available? Overall, see what pieces a good fit for your next event might be and what might not.

At the end of the day, we all want to give our attendees the best experience possible. That starts with the preparation and considerations by those planning the event. I hope these four things help make your next event a huge success! Happy planning!

McGinness is the marketing manager at Network Center Inc.

Tiffanie Honeyman Megan Fletcher

Flint Group hires two

Flint Group has hired Tiffanie Honeyman and Megan Fletcher as an analytics lead and project manager, respectively.

Honeyman will use her skills to build out the Flint analytics team and support account leads with performance analysis and actionable insights.

Honeyman earned a degree from the University of Phoenix with a focus on marketing, advertising and illustration. She was the founder and CEO of OpGo Marketing before joining Flint Group.

Fletcher is passionate about branding, strategy and public relations and will use her skills in project management to support clients in the agriculture industry. She is most excited to jump into the agency world as this is her first full-time job out of college.

Fletcher earned a marketing degree with a minor in strategic communications from North Dakota State University.

Betaseed 2 new sales associates for Minnesota, North Dakota and Canada

Steven Taves and Sydnie Shepherd have joined Betaseed as sales associates working in four sugarbeet markets covering Minnesota, North Dakota and Canada, the company announced recently.

Steven Taves Sydnie Shepherd

Taves is a new sales associate working with Cody Lehman, Betaseed key accounts manager, to serve sugarbeet growers in Minnesota, North Dakota and Alberta, Canada, in the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative and Lantic Sugar sales regions.

Shepherd is a new sales associate working with the Betaseed sales team and John Samdahl, sales manager, in the American Crystal Sugar Company market in the Red River Valley region. Taves resides in Glyndon, Minn., and worked in sales with a regional seed company for two years before joining Betaseed.

Shepherd recently worked in sales for a heavy construction equipment dealer. Her experience includes working with sugarbeets as an intern with Betaseed for three summers. She currently resides in Leonard, N.D.

Ashley Johnson

KLJ Engineering LLC (KLJ) recently announced that Ashley Johnson has been promoted to KLJ’s proposal manager. In this role, she will manage proposal document design, coordination, and support timely, accurate and costeffective proposal actions, according to a press release. Johnson will strategize with leaders on effective win themes specifically related to pursuits and provide support and guidance to the proposal process including Go/No-Go decisions, operations team coordination, writing, and overall quality control of deliverables. She first joined KLJ in 2017 as a graphic designer.

Jessica Egge has been promoted to the role of director of interior design, she has been with Ackerman-Estvold since 2017. Egge has spent more than 27 years in the field of architecture, from preliminary design, construction documentation and the bidding process to construction administration and project completion, the company said in a news release. Egge specializes in all things interior; by assisting clients in analyzing their needs and developing a plan that will best accomplish beauty and function for their project.

“In this role, Egge will continue to focus on assisting our clientele to create innovative concepts and vibrant spaces using the newest in materials, colors, textures and technologies and serve as a lead liaison for other team members as well as leading interiors business and proposal development,” the release said.

Tony Meyer Cody Jennewein

Alerus adds two to the team

Alerus recently announced the hiring of two new individuals to the Grand Forks office.

Tony Meyer has joined the company as a financial advisor. Meyer has almost 10 years of financial services experience, with an emphasis in providing a high-level of client service and solutions tailored to each client’s specific needs.

Cody Jennewein has also joined the company as a financial advisor. He has several years of financial industry experience.

In their roles, Meyer and Jennewein deliver comprehensive financial advice to meet clients’ holistic and unique long-term objectives.

They work closely with other Alerus specialists to build the right team for each client’s circumstance to help ensure they achieve and maintain financial wellness.

As First International Bank & Trust ’s Director of Retail Banking, Sheila Gerszewski helps ensure our customers feel cared for in every interaction and through every transaction. We are grateful forher leadershipin our organization and communities.

As First International Bank & Trust ’s Director of Retail Banking, Sheila Gerszewski helps ensure our customers feel cared for in every interaction and through every transaction. We are grateful forher leadershipin our organization and communities.

Congratulations Sheila, named among this year ’s Top 25 Women in Business.

Congratulations Sheila, named among this year ’s Top 25 Women in Business.