Virtual and Hybrid Events: a guide to success 2/7

Digital events need Digital Event Teams with specific expertise and knowledge. Discover what you cannot miss in your event team

Industry trends and research confirm that the role of event professionals is changing, and digital is driving its evolution. The new normal requires a team of experts who bring together knowledge of virtual, strategic event planning as well as technical competences. Associations and corporate planners are being pushed into a new reality where they are expected to be digital event strategists and digital event designers. To gain credibility all organisations are expected to have a deep understanding of how to deliver digital content. This is where the DCO (Digital Congress Organiser) plays a vital role in supporting associations and corporate planners by providing a Digital Event Team.

The Digital Event Team is typically made up of the following roles:

• The Digital Event Strategist (DES) advises and guides the client through the landscape of technology, costs and financial planning. The DES rethinks the virtual experience design, choosing options of engagement and networking, helping successfully implement tactics and strategies that foster robust attendee participation, communication and interaction.
• Content & Resource Manager, this customer-focused professional collects presentations, resources and downloadable assets from speakers, sponsors and subject matter experts. He or she can also act as a chat moderator.
• Digital tools expert, this person is responsible for all hardware and software and makes sure all technology can be accessed by participants and is updated with the latest platforms and tools.
• Speaker/moderator coach, this professional manages and train speakers, collects bios, headshots and social media links and makes sure that the speaker/moderator is comfortable with the technologies that will be used in the meeting.
• Communications expert & social media moderator, this person engages the community, manages social media and facilitates the networking and online social moments.
• Fundraising & virtual exhibitions specialist, this person defines the new sponsorship opportunities and finds ways to make audience and sponsor virtual interaction fruitful.

The role of the Digital Event Team goes beyond AV and technology checklists, they provide support with:

• Event planning and overall management, developing a financial plan and managing the event budget.
• Shaping content and format into a suitable framework that integrates content into the technical platform and leveraging facilitation techniques designed to keep audiences engaged from a PC/device.
• Creating and implementing a communication and event marketing plan which helps set expectations and foster participation.
• Creating a sponsor digital strategy, managing and advising sponsors on the profiling and interaction opportunities provided by the digital platform, collecting data as well as preparing reports and analytics.
• Acting as a liaison between the production team and/or the technical providers.
• Managing and training speakers, panellists, moderators, and abstract presenters to use the techniques required to be brief, effective, maintaining attention levels and interacting in a virtual environment.
• Analysing the behaviours of the virtual audience, assisting users on the journey and facilitating networking; managing help-desk chatbots and acting as a chat moderator.

– TO BE CONTINUED –