Hybrid Events are here to Stay
Events have a big role not only in networking, learning, sharing and experiencing but they also have a big impact on the economy. Face-to-face events...
Have you ever been bored while attending a Zoom meeting or listening to a presentation? In May 2021 we had a pleasure to have Cyriel Kortleven in our webinar with Linda Nilsson. The hot topic of the webinar was how to carry out entertaining online session and what practices should organizers avoid.
Cyriel has earned himself a nickname, The Simplifier. He wants to make change in the mindset of people who attend online sessions. Cyriel himself has a guideline for online sessions. Even though people are used to attend online sessions and there is nothing special about the rules, it is refreshing to crystalize the outlines.
With this list above, Cyriel wants to break the ice between him and the audience. It might not include the most common guidelines but going through it in the beginning of the session relaxes the audience. With open communication he attempts to create connection that will foster interaction and comfort in online session.
Another great way to create interaction is using polls. If audience does not feel familiar to express their opinions naturally, polls are delicate way to make people open their mouths.
Cyriel agrees that some people find online events more difficult than traditional physical events. Reasons might be such as technical issues caused by internet connection but also uncertainty about the platform. If the used platform is totally new to the participant, the key issue is the usability and understanding of it. Make sure to guide your attendees on how to use it.
Beyond technical issues come so called human factors. To get participants excel themselves and start conversations with each other online is also counted as an issue. It’s often taken for granted that people perform small talk while taking a cup of coffee, but when online, the tables have turned. It is mainly considered to be harder to socialize online than it is face to face.
Human issues include also participants’ exhaustion or the feeling of being stuck in front of the screen. Too strict schedule does not offer time to process your own thoughts or take a break. To avoid having totally numb audience, Cyriel encourages to engage participants as much as possible to hold their attention.
To create successful online session and enjoyably experience to your audience can demand more planning than physical event. Eventually everything is about daring to try new things and find your own path: if you never try out your idea, you will either never know if it works. The main thing is to be creative and activating. More Cyriel’s tips and tools can be found from the webinar here. Learn more about our solutions for online sessions.
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