FOCUS
The reason
Time is short and capacities for attendance are even shorter. Meetings dons the attendee’s hat to understand what the crux is for their attendance and participation.
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Source: Virtual Tradeshow Hosting, June 2021
ver the past two years, event planning has come with its own interesting set of challenges. While ensuring an event can successfully go ahead is the first step, the next hurdle is to understand how to engage attendees as we battle for their attention in a world filled with distractions. We’ve seen and experienced it numerous times during the pandemic – running an event is one thing but getting people to attend is an entirely different conversation. Hesitation around inperson experiences as the Covid-19 pandemic has progressed is understandable, so many event organisers and marketers have opted to use the power of digital as a platform. However, based on stats compiled by Vimeo, attrition and drop-off
INSIGHTS FOR VIRTUAL EVENT ATTENDANCE AND ENGAGEMENT
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47% OF VIRTUAL EVENT REGISTRANTS ATTEND LIVE
Virtual event organisers are seeing a high average event conversion rate (47%) from attendees who registered versus attendees who actually attended the live virtual event. The average number of virtual event attendees was 1 849 and there was an average of 10 953 content views.
rates at virtual events are between 30-50% depending on the type of webinar, which means you can expect anywhere from a third to half of your registrants not to make it to your event.
FOCUS CRISIS In his book Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, Johann Hari argues that stress and exhaustion are a killer for attention spans. “Some scientists say these worries about attention are a moral panic, comparable to the anxieties in the past about comic books or rap music, and that the evidence is shaky. Other scientists say the evidence is strong and these anxieties are like the early warnings about the obesity epidemic or the climate crisis in the
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THE AVERAGE LIVE DAY ATTENDEE DURATION IS 2:10:56
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THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF WEBINAR SESSIONS FOR A VIRTUAL EVENT IS 27
The promising average duration suggests remote audiences are eager to engage in virtual experiences. The average duration spent by on-demand attendees is significantly lower, at barely over an hour, suggesting that live components with engagement (webinars, booth rep chats, networking, games/prizes) are key drivers to retention.
Virtual conferences give hosts the opportunity to create a branded environment filled with webinar sessions, content and engagement features to help attendees learn, connect and engage from any location or device. In 2020, 74% of webinars included video, versus 38% in 2019. Speakers are becoming more comfortable hosting video webcasts. Broadcast-level quality (TV and YouTube) and production values are critical to engagement and retention.
1970s. I think that given this uncertainty, we can’t wait for perfect evidence. We have to act based on a reasonable assessment of risk,” says Johann in an excerpt, highlighting that there is a pressing need for us to conquer our ability to pay attention. “I believe we need to act urgently, because this may be like the climate crisis, or the obesity crisis – the longer we wait, the harder it will get,” he explains. What this means for us as planners and organisers is that we need to work harder than ever to create an environment in which our attendees are comfortable and relaxed, and where we can have their full and undivided focus. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated anxiety levels and, if Johann is right, this will not have assisted anyone’s concentration span.
WHAT PLANNERS CAN DO Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide for themselves on the level of interaction and engagement they are most comfortable with. Some attendees enjoy being vocal and actively contributing to the dialogue, while others prefer to be on the periphery observing discussions as they take notes throughout
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79% OF VIRTUAL EVENTS ARE FREE
While most virtual events were free for attendees, that doesn’t necessarily mean that paid virtual events are going away or getting any cheaper. In fact, paid virtual registrations and sponsorships create ample opportunities for event planners to create innovative pricing models for their virtual events. The average price for a paid virtual event in 2020 was US$426 (R6 480).
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TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ARE THE MOST POPULAR DAYS ON WHICH TO HOST VIRTUAL EVENTS The results for virtual events match the results for webinars when it comes to the most popular days of the week to host them. In addition, the majority of virtual events are 1-3 days long and under four hours in duration per day.
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