Virtual Event Support: What Does It Mean? How Can it Help Your Next Event?

The global virtual events market size is estimated to grow at a compound annual rate of 18.8% from 2023 to 2030.

In other words, virtual events aren’t slowing down and they certainly aren’t going away.

How do you feel about virtual events?

Are you confident with this new aspect of our business lives?
Have you mastered hosting virtual and hybrid events or are you struggling to adjust?
Do you find yourself facing difficult tech issues during every event?

Many businesses are enlisting the help of virtual event producers to help them tackle virtual events with confidence. Why?

These companies offer virtual event support to ensure virtual and hybrid events go off without a hitch. But what do they actually do? And are they something you should invest in for your next event?

In this article, we look behind the scenes at what virtual event producers do during the 3 key phases of an event to make it successful.

• The planning phase
• Event phase
• Post-event

Virtual event support starts at the beginning when you share your vision with your virtual event producer. This includes:

• Event Goals & ObjectivesTarget Audience (including number of invitees)
• Event-Type Preference (live, virtual, or hybrid)Guest Speakers
• Event Agenda
• Interactive Elements (such as workshops, Q&As, etc.)
• Points of Concern (such as security, audience engagement, etc.)

Don’t have an agenda idea? Not sure what interactive elements to use? No worries. This is where the support comes in. Event support builds on your vision to create a detailed and effective event program.

Virtual event support fills in the gaps in your event plan. Think of it this way: You provide an outline but they deliver a fully developed speech.

Choosing the Proper Platform:

Deciding on the right platform for your event involves more than paying for the pro version of Zoom. There are a lot of event platforms and they aren’t all created equally.

Virtual event producers know the ins and outs of your platform options. They will help you choose the one that meets your needs based on:

• • Features (whiteboards, breakout rooms, chats, live streaming, screen sharing, closed captioning, etc.)
  • Audio/Video Quality
  • Security
  • Participant Allowance
  • Price

Handling Logistics:

Sometimes it’s the small things that make a huge difference.

That’s certainly true for virtual events. Long before event day, your project management team will take care of tedious logistics that make a big difference in the long run.

These logistics include:

• • Sending out login information emails
  • Creating customer registration pages
  • Handling rehearsals (both with your team and with guest speakers)
  • Performing technology checks (including audio/visual equipment, internet speed, ensuring backup internet is in place in case of an issue, etc.)

It’s normal to feel a little anxious on event day. But it helps to know you’re not in it alone. Your event producers get to work hours before the event to make sure everything is ready and on track.

If your event is hybrid, virtual event support gets involved ensuring both the physical and virtual aspects are ready, synched, and running smoothly.

This also includes running final technology checks, checking in with guest speakers, and making sure all presentations are good to go.

What About Once the Event Begins?

This is where your event producer shines. During the event, they juggle multiple aspects to ensure a smooth experience by:

• Gathering Feedback

The virtual event support team gathers real-time feedback from your audience by way of Q&As and chats.

• Handling Distractions

Such as muting the participant with the barking dog, or turning off the camera of the attendee wearing their pajamas.

• Coordinating Breakout Rooms

Whether it’s for networking purposes or to deliver information in smaller groups, the event support seamlessly moves people in and out of rooms as needed.

• Providing Attendee Assistance

By making a phone call or using the chat feature, event support provides immediate assistance to attendees who need it.

• Sharing Presentations

Your presentations are a huge part of your event. Event producers ensure your videos, charts, pictures, and other presentations are shared on time and without glitches.

• Managing Interactive Elements

This might be one of the most important aspects of your virtual meeting.

According to a recent survey, 52% of employees start to lose attention in meetings between 0 and 30 minutes while 92% of workers spend time multitasking during virtual meetings.

Audience engagement needs to be a top priority. Event producers accomplish this by managing gamification, workshops, quizzes, and other interactive elements.

Unlike that friend who never stays to clean up after a party, virtual event producers have your back after the event. How?

Clean Up:

If your event is hybrid, virtual event support will make sure the physical setup is torn down, everything is cleaned, and the event space is left as if nothing happened.

Process Reports:

Most event platforms gather data throughout the event. Your event producer will help you analyze these reports to see how you can improve on your next event. For example:

• • Which interactive element saw the most participation?
  • Did attendance numbers drop at a certain point in the event?

Edit Videos:

Virtual event support produces videos of your event. This could be recordings for invitees who couldn’t attend, videos of certain sections for training, or an event recap for marketing.

Follow-up with Attendees:

Sending out post-event surveys is a great way to gather feedback and learn from your event.

Your virtual event producer will send out post-event surveys that include questions such as:

• • • What did you like about the event?
    • Do you have any suggestions for the registration process?
    • How did you feel about the quality of the speakers?
    • What topics would you like to see covered in future events?

Discuss How to Improve:

Once it’s all said and done you’ll have a final meeting with your virtual event producer where you’ll discuss any feedback and reports gained during the event, any near misses that occurred, and what you learned for next time.

Virtual event support can make your life easier from the beginning to the end of your event journey.

In the planning phase tap into their expertise to choose the best platform and seamlessly handle logistics.

During the event rely on them to make sure the tech side is handled properly, attendees stay engaged, and real-time assistance is provided as needed.

Post-event count on them to clean up, process reports, and use feedback to help you improve next time.

Anyone can sound good on paper. But how do they stand up to the pressure when it’s game time?

Our team at Virtual Velocity would love to show you what we can do. With over 15 years in the event space, we’re confident that our expertise will be invaluable to your event. Sit down with us today and we’ll prove to you why you need virtual event support.