Educationally oriented events offered by an industry-led organization, educational institution, member organization, or enterprise combining keynotes, breakouts, networking, and vendor recognition promoting products and services.
Various sponsorship opportunities needed
Ability to handle large numbers of attendees at one time
Breakout rooms required for individual sessions and workshops
Branded layouts to highlight companies and sponsors
Ability to provide talent pre-records prior to the event
Integration of live and pre-recorded presentations
CTAs needed for vendor, partner and sponsor opportunities
Challenges
Most of the heavy lifting undoubtedly is on the event planning staff months in advance of the event; preparing each event ROS and insuring talent readiness falls on the digital events team; managing to last –minute unplanned situations remains true for any event
Managing to last minute content changes, and managing the flow of talent on “game day” are typically the most grueling
Multiple team members will manage to the event “backstage”; rehearsals and dry runs are pivotal to insure success prior to event day and review of digital content quality
Producers following each ROS to the tee is critical to succes
Run of Show
Significant marketing efforts generating event interest well in advance of the event itself promoting event
previews, speaker bio previews, event change announcements, creative representations of past or upcoming event
content
Consistent and intense amounts of energy spent on event agendas, session designs (mix of general and breakout
sessions), securing speakers/talent, or securing events days if spread over a period of weeks
Integration of live and pre-recorded session content, and vendor promotional content
Features
Branded headers specifically highlighting sponsors per event within the symposium
Call to action carousel used to rotate through key messaging and sponsor benefits
Moderated chat allowing for q&a and panel/speaker interaction
Resources panel allowing for relevant documents in-event
Greenroom to manage the flow of and prep of speakers / talent
Breakout rooms allowing for “mini-events” with full stage functionality
Polls/chats during event and pre-event during countdown to fuel speaker and presenter engagement levels
Layouts
Managed layout transitions per session within the event, taking advantage of pre-countdown and countdown stages to promote vendors / partners / sponsors via promotional ads/videos
Common layout elements: moderated chat, branded header, CTA emphasizing vendor / partner / sponsor value proposition
Transitional layout elements: live multi-panel, single speaker with slide deck, video clip (full stage), moderated Q&A with attendee polling
Capacities
Events usually require significant marketing prior to the event
Event duration usually spans either a full day up to two and a half days
To remove virtual fatigue regardless of designing for breakouts, some events will span over weeks to provide a “series” which composes the entire event
Average attendee size of 2,000, raging from 500 to nearly 5,000 attendees