10 practical tips for online conferences

1. Plan the conference first

What exactly should take place? Presentations or panel discussions? Are there any working groups or parallel lectures? One or more days? (Paid) registration or open format? Should there be a virtual exhibition hall with information stands or should informal (video) chats between participants be possible during breaks? How do participants find out about the offers and put together their own conference agenda? How do participants get access data for the lectures? Should reminder emails or browser push messages be sent when sessions start? What type of reporting on participant activity would you like to receive for marketing and sales?

First, plan the actual event in as much detail as possible — this results in the requirements for the virtual format.

2. Choose the right platform

Once the conference format has been defined, select a suitable online conferencing solution. Depending on requirements, “normal” webinar tools, which are supplemented by specialized software solutions, may also be sufficient. However, additional licenses and/or premium accounts may be required if you want to hold parallel sessions. When evaluating, use the expertise of consulting companies such as Publicare, which can also assist you with invitation management and video documentation.

3. Don't underestimate personnel costs

“We have a presenter who can also take care of the technology right away” — please don't! Participants, speakers and moderators are busy with the conference. At least one clearly defined person should focus exclusively on the technology, ideally a room manager for each room who attends the conference continuously. Tip: It is not recommended to observe several rooms on a computer in several browser windows. It's better to run multiple laptops in parallel.

4. Preparation is essential

Don't start too late. Invest sufficient time in planning and coordination with all parties involved. Test runs help to identify sources of error — and, if necessary, to supplement missing functionalities with an additional solution. Especially when there is no previous experience, a dress rehearsal is also very helpful. At this stage at the latest, it becomes clear once again how important good and coordinated time management is for all parties involved. Prepare yourself for risks too: Who does what if something goes wrong?

5. Prepare the speakers too

It's not just event managers who have to deal with unusual technology and new challenges — the speakers are also faced with this task. Communication coach Anna Bernhardt (http://annabernhardt.de) advises holding trial presentations with all speakers in advance: using exactly the equipment that is also used at the live event. This allows them to ask questions about technology and solve problems in advance — not just when several hundred people are watching. Practical example: Are you easy to understand via the built-in microphone and are the notes from your own presentation program visible when the presentation is shared on the screen?

6. Visual presence and serenity

In addition to the “hard” facts (does the technology work or not), soft factors should also be considered when preparing: Are the speakers well illuminated at home? Was this tested at the same time of day as during the live presentation? Should a virtual background be displayed? Are the glasses reflective? And how do I deal with it if something doesn't work out for me or the participants? Speakers like to deliver perfect content — help them deliver it perfectly online. Together with communication coach Anna Bernhardt, we are happy to develop individual guidelines and training courses for your speakers.

7. Clarify the details in advance

Even after basic planning, new questions will arise again and again. Create a director plan that determines when the presenter hands over to the speakers, which speaker can be seen in the video image and when and who is muted when. Who collects the questions in the chat, answers and selects the questions that are asked in the Q&A session? What other interaction options, such as surveys, are there for participants and who activates them? What should happen if a presenter pulls over or even finishes earlier than planned? The better you decide on such things in advance, the more relaxed the virtual event will be. However, reserve the right to deviate from your own set of rules in practice (see point 9).

8. Mistakes happen — but should be resolved quickly

Something always goes wrong. Constant monitoring helps to identify and correct errors at an early stage. For example, during a conference, a speaker switched to a smaller video chat group during the break — but the private conversation was heard by everyone who had dialed in to the main conference room. It was important that this was immediately noticed and stopped by the technical support team. Practical tip: A parallel chat group with technology and moderators helps with quick coordination.

9. Be flexible

Being innovative also means making compromises. Perhaps not everything can be implemented 1:1 as in a traditional conference. Also see the opportunities: Participants can change rooms much more flexibly, find out more in depth or jump back and forth in recorded sessions. During implementation, something will always happen that requires a quick response — and if the speaker is suddenly offline, the presenter will have to step in and perhaps prefer another contribution.

10. After the conference is before the conference

Get feedback from participants. Discuss the experiences — positive and negative — with your team. What can you do even better next time, where are additional resources needed, and what can possibly be dispensed with?

Can't we save ourselves that?

Does it all sound complicated and like a lot of effort? Then please keep in mind that an offline conference is no less complex. You save on room rental, catering and travel — don't skimp on planning and staffing. And as a final tip: Technology is important, but never lose sight of the people you're hosting the conference for!