If you are following the French presidential election, you might have noticed all the efforts that are being made so that all citizens can have an access to the myriad of debates and interviews of the candidates. Nowadays, new technologies have made possible for anyone in France to attend political events through livestreams on social media. One can even ask live questions to candidates on Twitter and eventually get an answer! One thing is sure, people are experiencing differently live events! However, the trend of “virtual events” has gone much further. Only yesterday, we were informed of the existence of virtual career fairs and exhibitions. At first, it seemed to be the perfect solution for event managers to gather people from anywhere in the world. But, is “virtual events” the new black?
As we did not want to put the cart before the horses, we decided to ask Corbin Ball - a meetings technology speaker and probably one of the most influential people in the meetings industry - his thoughts about virtual events. Although he attended several virtual exhibitions he is a little bit sceptical about them. First of all, he believes that is not a successful format as the interface is sometimes not enough appealing and intuitive for the attendees. Marielle and I went through some screenshots of virtual events and it is true that it is not as impressive as the ITB in Berlin was. Not many efforts are done on the decor and on the environment as a whole. But those tiny details, and yet essentials, could help the attendees to have more excitement as well as bearings. Moreover, Corbin Ball also mentioned the fact that even though he could see other attendees on the virtual platform, he did not know if they were completely immersed in the event as he was. One can only believe this argument. When we are on our computer, we suddenly have the ability to do fifteen things at the same time: checking our emails while writing an essay on Google Docs with our teams and eventually listening radio online. But no one (unless physically with us) can know that we are not completely focused on our essay, right? Well, that is exactly what Corbin Ball is pointing out: the social commitment (which is the fundamental of the event industry). Therefore, to some extent, Corbin Ball believes that some virtual exhibitions and trade shows cannot be as successful as “real” ones because they do not meet the attendees basic need of: shaking hands, building relationships, making brainstorming sessions, etc. But, of course, the event industry includes thousands of types of events.
For instance, what if virtual meetings could actually represent serious benefits for companies ? The first we can think of is cost reduction, of course. Firms do not have to travel people around, rent spaces, pay for rooms and audiovisual equipment in order to have a one-hour meeting. By reducing these costs, companies can focus and allocate the money in bigger events. Also, the meeting costs will depend on how many people were connected to the virtual meeting. Practical right ? The American Cancer society, for example, used “Lanyon meetings” for registration, budgeting and live streaming technology which resulted in “millions and millions of dollars in savings” (Event Manager Blog, 2016). But, don’t be mistaken, virtual meeting can also be profitable. If a virtual event hosts a famous speaker that will deliver brand new insight on a subject, then attendees are willing to pay a small fee in order to listen to him. In fact, they are somehow ready to pay the price of the privilege of hearing on previews a VIP and ask him questions regarding the topic. According to Dave Smith (Inc, 2011), the virtual events are allowing event managers to make heavy event marketing to promote a company and its events. Reducing costs is not everything, green movement is. Organizing virtual meeting has a huge impact on the environment. Attendees simply have to register online and be part of the meeting, through new technologies. Since we are talking about new technologies, they first, reduce the paper consumption, but also increase the productivity of the employees. What if they forget a part of the meeting ? No worries, the virtual conference was recorded, is available online as well as the speaker’s notes.
To conclude, how can we organize a successful virtual meeting ? These are our tips : First, you need to be sure that all the equipment is working. Choosing the right tool for the meeting is essential. Many companies have been created in order to give the best experience as possible. As an example, Join.me is the perfect tool for screen sharing and teleconference. Skype is a great tool too, but only for 10 people. Then, set specific goals in order to maximise your time. Speak clearly and know that the microphone is sensitive. By respect for your workmate, turn off your phone and have a backup plan if something goes wrong. With all these advice, we wish you a great virtual meeting and hope that you will be able to attend to one someday !
What about us, students ? Can virtual meeting be profitable for us ? The answer is YES ! And the best example we take use is our school, since the beginning of the year, we are used to participate to the career tuesday, which use conference calls. We can also participate to recruitment forum and have skype interviews with professionals. In a nutshell, virtual meetings represent time and costs savings, but also a lot of opportunities, for all.
To conclude, how can we organize a successful virtual meeting ? These are our tips : First, you need to be sure that all the equipment is working. Choosing the right tool for the meeting is essential. Many companies have been created in order to give the best experience as possible. As an example, Join.me is the perfect tool for screen sharing and teleconference. Skype is a great tool too, but only for 10 people. Then, set specific goals in order to maximise your time. Speak clearly and know that the microphone is sensitive. By respect for your workmate, turn off your phone and have a backup plan if something goes wrong. With all these advice, we wish you a great virtual meeting and hope that you will be able to attend to one someday !
