5 Steps to a Successful Event-Planning in the Digital Era

Like in other aspects of society, 2020, the start of the pandemic year, accelerated a revolution in the event industry. Since the pandemic has limited each person’s movement, event organizers had to be more strategic in their work. They had no choice but to switch to the digital medium. From fashion to IT events, and everything in between, places like London and Singapore have been organizing exciting events. It hasn’t been easy, but these organizers were able to cope up and thrive. Here’s what they do for a successful event-planning.

An example of one of London’s event success during the past year is The Ortus Club, a leading company that specialises in knowledge-sharing events for senior executives. They started to transition to digital events since March 2020, and organized several c-level events that catered to audiences not just in London, but the whole world.

Another great example of a successful event-planning is Penguins, a leading creative event and production agency in the UK. They were used to delivering a variety of events, from successful and anticipated galas to product placements. However, they now focus on providing their clients with the best strategies and technology for virtual events.

CliveFeed is a brand-experience driven agency committed to delivering creative and impactful events creatively. Apart from the pandemic, they’ve also reiterated their environmental concerns and shifted to sustainability through digitalism.

Each event agency is unique, but there are certain habits and actions that all of them implement. Here are the 5 key elements of their successful event-planning in the digital era:

1. Plan thoroughly and wisely.
The planning stage is the most critical part of event organizing. Once this stage misses some key points, the event might be unsuccessful. Organizers should design a strategy that will bring in key speakers or performers and an engaged audience. They should make sure that everything that they have organized will be enjoyed and appreciated by the participants.

READ MORE: I Started Going Out Again (Amidst the Pandemic)

2. Make topics fresh and timely.
There have been countless digital events at the onset of the pandemic, and most of them have the same topic. Organizers should be able to stand out and create a unique selling point for the event. In order to do this, they must research more and get updated with what’s in with the world. That’s key to more people participating and engaging with the event.

3. Get top and key industry people to participate.
Top speakers are mostly the reason why people will join the event. Apart from the things they will learn, well-known speakers or performers are the main tickets to getting more participants for an event. Make sure that the objectives of the event interest key industry people so that they may want to participate in it.

4. Feature interactive activities.
One of the things that organizers must focus on is audience reactions, actions, and engagement. It’s quite difficult to do this, especially if the event is virtual. However, there are a lot of sources and ideas that the organizers can apply for the participants to get excited. It’s also a great thing that virtual meeting platforms are upgrading and integrating new features that help audiences engage with the speakers and with one another. Organizers can also integrate social media to keep the participants talking.

5. Make the event accessible to more people in all shapes, races, gender, etc.
These days, inclusivity is crucial in every aspect of society, not just in events. Organizers should market towards everyone and a diverse demographic and lifestyles in the event niche. They should always be prepared with materials that some participants might need. The presentations should also be diverse and should create an inclusive environment that pleases everyone.

While everyone wishes to come back to the old normal and be able to witness live events again, COVID-19 doesn’t show signs of going anywhere. It’s a great thing that technology has allowed people to stay in touch and continue to learn and be entertained. Expect more exciting models of technology that would bring people closer despite the distance.