If you’ve only attended a handful of virtual or hybrid events, the concept of content overload is maybe something you (or your participants) have likely had to contend with. Although online platforms make it easier to have more (e.g. presentations, speakers, panels, participants, etc.), event organizers still need to make sure they’re balancing capability and capacity — the capacity for their attendees to easily navigate and interact with the most relevant content in seamlessly and intuitively.
There’s so much to do!
Today’s most successful and largest virtual events offer dozens of presentations and panels covering a variety of topics over the span of days and with the production value to boot. With so much content, it’s understandable how the attendee experience can be one of bewilderment in terms of figuring out what they choose to attend and participate in. Furthermore, event organizers and presenters need a way to ensure their portion of the overall event is enticing enough to get and keep people there. It’s like a large buffet where everything looks and tastes good but one can’t possibly consume it all!
Segway to streaming
Perhaps a better analogy than a buffet is the experience one has opening a streaming platform and being overwhelmed by the number of options they could watch. As is often the case, you can spend more time choosing what movie or show to watch than you do actually watching the chosen program. For this reason, platform developers in the virtual and hybrid event space are beginning to resemble and even mimic some streaming services to help participants navigate the sea of rich content. Beyond the platform, event organizers are also finding ways to personalize the participant experience from the get-go by engaging the audience, building communities, and providing recommendations.
Looking towards the future
With the pandemic being the main precipitator of virtual and hybrid event adoption, we’re still in the beginning stages (time wise) of mainstream adoption. As such, event organizers and platforms are still figuring out the optimal way to showcase material in a way that is effective, personalized, and user friendly. Let’s be honest though, even large in-person conferences of old weren’t always the easiest in terms of knowing where everything was, at what times, and then actually getting there!
As we move forward, online platforms will even incorporate things like machine learning that take into account information on users, which organizations they’re from, maybe a pre-event interest survey, and make more refined recommendations throughout the event. Over time, and with more and more data, virtual and hybrid solutions might be able to suggest potential agendas, content, and guide experiences ultimately in a way that is even more organic and effective than ones that are strictly in-person.
What virtual event organizers can learn from this stream platform comparison is that they will become better as time goes on and eventually a core vehicle in the event arsenal. Who doesn’t have (or have access to) a Netflix account these days? Streaming platforms are more ubiquitous now than traditional TV packages but it did take some time to get there. Event organizers that acknowledge this evolution and make an effort to marry the right people with the right content will see that attendees spend more time with it. More time means more engagement, networking, success, and possible event revenue.
The events industry may seem more complex nowadays with all the options out there… and that’s where we come in! Contact Baldwin Audio/Visual Solutions today to learn about our event solutions.