When it comes to planning a virtual or hybrid event, it’s important to consider whether your event will be a single-day or multi-day affair. It might seem difficult to pinpoint, but with the tips and information below, you’ll be able to determine which event type will deliver the most engagement for your specific event.
Consider Your Event Type
The first and most important part of determining whether your event should be a single- or multi-day event involves really considering the type of event you are hosting and the type of material you will be delivering. An event that is designed to be fun for the attendees will have far more success across multiple days than one that requires the attendees to simply sit and listen, for example. Think about your content, the presentations, and even the speakers themselves, then ask yourself whether the content needs to be stretched out over multiple days or if you can deliver it all in a single day (with a reasonable event length, of course).
How Much Information Will You Deliver?
Next, think about the amount of information that you will deliver during your event. If there’s a lot for attendees to learn, see, hear, or absorb, then attempting to cram it all into a single day’s worth of presentations might not be the best choice. You’ll need to keep your content to the point while giving your audience the tools and time they need to absorb and process the information, and ultimately, this is something that only the event planner can really decide. If you are announcing a new product or showcasing a new marketing strategy, then a single day is probably enough. On the other hand, if you are going through a company rebranding, merger, or acquisition, then a multi-day event may be necessary for providing all the necessary information to your audience.
Is Your Content Engaging Enough?
Boring content doesn’t keep anyone interested for long, and in some cases, it’s virtually impossible to turn dry subject matter into something that people will stay engaged with for more than a couple of hours. Take some time to think about the purpose of your event and the type of content you’ll be presenting to your audience. Is it exciting and fun, or is it relatively boring and dry – albeit necessary? If it falls into the former category, extending it to a multi-day event can be a great way to drive engagement. However, if it falls into the latter, a single day event is probably the best choice.
Will People Return for Day Two and Beyond?
Last, but most certainly not least, when all other factors are considered, how likely will attendees be to return for day two (and beyond) of your event? There are numerous factors to consider, but if you have data from past events, it can help you make better predictions about your upcoming event. If you have plenty of engagement activities scheduled – including things like polls, interactive question and answer sessions, group projects, networking time, etc. – then there’s a very good chance that your attendees will not only return for a second day, but they’ll be excited to come back, as well.
If you’re trying to decide whether to host a single- or multi-day event, there’s no black and white solution out there for you to discover. It all comes down to audience engagement and analytics – and the quality of the content that you plan to share with your attendees.