How to Turn Events Virtual: Best Practices

From dealing with algorithm updates to becoming accustomed to new acquisition channels and technology, marketers are used to being agile. Even so, the widespread cancellation of live events made even the most experienced professionals take a deep breath and rethink their strategies.

In March 2020, our team at Element Three had to transform a three-day in-person event into an engaging digital experience—all in 19 days.

Here are some of the biggest lessons we learned along the way.

1. Digital and in-person conferences are not the same

When transitioning a live event into a digital experience, it can be tempting to simply reformat the content and publish it online. But just because you could do that doesn’t mean that you should.

Instead, go back to the foundation: why you’re hosting the event in the first place. The purpose of the event should be what drives the strategy of the digital event.

For example, if the goal of the event is to generate sales, the end digital product is probably going to look different from another that has its goal the providing of an engaging networking experience.

Once you know why you’re spending time and energy on the event, making decisions about format, packaging and collateral, length, and overall experience should become a easier.