Abby Salameh, Chief Marketing Officer, CAIS & Head of CAIS IQ.
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One big takeaway from the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown is that technology has changed the world of conferences and events in unexpected ways. This change has resulted in less familiar ways to present and train employees and conference participants, while opening up unique opportunities to deliver content that best suits the end user.
As a leader of an event team responsible for creating and executing events, we are in an exciting place with the next phase of planning. Event planners can arrange gatherings at large conference centers, regional meetings at smaller hotels or restaurants, virtual meetings through online event platforms, or a combination of the above in a hybrid or livestreaming event. As we all learned through the sudden onset of the Covid lockdown, these hosted event options have expanded to include everything from virtual reality (VR) simulations and augmented reality (AR) experiences to plain emails and recorded webinars.
So how do you choose which format works best for your audience in a post-pandemic world?
Know Your Audience
There are many ways to deliver content and education in addition to the usual in-person style. The first step is to identify your audience's preferences. For example, if you're hosting a conference, whom do you expect to attend? Are they primarily people who work in your industry? Are you inviting people from one geographic area? Or will there be a broad range of locations you are considering that might appeal to your attendees? Once you know whom you would like to be there, it's easier to decide how to best present information that matches their needs. Knowing your audience is always the first step in any event experience strategy.
Beyond that, the ability to have content delivered in a variety of formats is critical. We need to be flexible in the way we deliver learning experiences because not all of us learn the same way or at the same pace. Some may prefer video, audio or text, or may want to interact with other learners. And there are still others who hold to those traditions of reading from actual books instead of on a screen. We need to serve up content and programs in a way that is most meaningful for the recipient.
Expanding Your Event Content
Be open to producing a high-quality event beyond the traditional classroom setup or the standard conference venue with general and breakout sessions, including through:
Video Content
According to Wistia, the total time spent watching videos has increased by around 249% in the past five years. This increase shouldn't be surprising because video content is not only more dynamic—it is more effective due to its flexibility to enable viewers to watch at their own pace and revisit sections as needed. Additionally, video content permits global access without the cost and time associated with travel.
Benefits of video learning/training include:
• Many users find this visual experience more engaging than other formats.
• Videos can be downloaded and viewed at the convenience of the user.
• To further enhance retention, videos can be adapted to suit the specific needs of an audience.
• Events can be video recorded and edited for those unable to attend to deliver an optimal experience. For example, events with multiple, simultaneous sessions can be broken out so the user can experience every minute of every session, which would be a desired advantage live attendees wouldn’t have.
Podcasts
A podcast can often meet the demand and pace of daily life in today's world. Their format enables you to follow certain shows, and when new online episodes are automatically downloaded each week, you're able to jump in where you left off. Today, podcasts are available in more than 100 languages, which gives you a greater opportunity to reach a wider audience.
Some of the basic benefits of the podcast approach:
• Podcast content can be easily downloaded to the user's mobile device and accessed at their convenience. Dense topics are more consumable this way.
• Listening to content requires less effort from the user—unlike reading and video.
• The user can review the podcast content repeatedly on their own time—in their car, at the gym, etc.
Virtual Live Events
In a world where we're all connected all the time, virtual events can have numerous benefits over in-person events, including increased accessibility and convenience, cost savings, improved measurement and analysis, and increased flexibility in event design. Not only do virtual events allow participants to attend from anywhere, but they generally require lower costs for both organizers and attendees, as there is no need for physical event spaces, catering and other associated expenses. They can enable greater creative freedom and the ability to incorporate interactive elements, such as virtual breakouts and games, to enhance the participant experience.
Additional perks of virtual live events:
• In many ways, virtual participation can seem more direct than being one of hundreds in a large conference room. You can easily arrange to ask questions of the moderator/lecturer and quietly exit from the virtual space whenever needed.
• The interactive nature of virtual events allows the user to respond quickly to confusing or complicated topics and to benefit from a live visual presentation.
Live Events
While so many meetings went virtual during the pandemic, there are fewer things more powerful than face-to-face meetings. This approach allows us to build relationships and trust, learn better, collaborate more effectively, and be inspired by each other's passion—all in real time in a shared space.
In fact, when we asked attendees from our most recent CAIS Alternative Investment Summit what made the conference great, many of them replied that face-to-face networking and education were a large component of their 4.9/5 satisfaction score.
All things considered, delivering year-round programs that offer the flexibility of live, hybrid and online meetings seems to be an answer to sustaining long-term engagement with our core constituents.
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