How to Avoid Virtual and Hybrid Event Fails When virtual and hybrid events became a booming industry practically overnight, there was a lot that event planners didn’t know when organizing their events. It took trial and error (and event fails) until lessons learned became best practices. We’ve definitely seen our fair share of virtual events fails over the past year. Some of the mishaps would have made you cringe and some would have made you laugh out loud. With these 5 lessons learned, you are bound to be headed in the right direction for a successful virtual event. #1 — Choosing a platform before deciding your event goals. Always decide your event goals and design the layout of the event before choosing a platform. It’s important to find a platform that meets all of your needs rather than choosing a platform and then organizing your event based on what that platform can do. This will allow you to get the most out of your event and accomplish all of your events goals. #2 — Having an overload of presentations/sessions scheduled without time for breaks With virtual events, attendees are looking for more of an experience. They are on their computers everyday doing work, so attending an event that has a balance between work and play is their dream come true. When planning your event, include fun interactive segments of entertainment (music, mixology, magic, yoga, etc.) spread out randomly throughout your event’s schedule. According to Forbes article, a study on the scheduling platform Doodle showed that there was a “296% increase in group meetings for virtual-only happy hours, cocktail hours, wine/beer/drink social events,” and a “100% increase in group meetings booked for virtual-only yoga, dance, exercise, workout, fitness, aerobics, and Pilates sessions.” #3 — Assuming your event will go off without a hitch As we all learned in 2020…expect the unexpected. Make sure you test your platform multiple times before the event to make sure everything is running smoothly. You want you and your team to be total professionals of your event’s platform so that you know what to do when something happens. Also, make sure you do a sound check and run through with all of the speakers, hosts, entertainers, and anyone else who is involved in the event. This ensures that you can make any edits to their set up and answer any questions they may have. You don’t want a CATastrophe like this one… watch here! #4 — Not prepping your speakers, hosts, or entertainer Make sure all of your talent is familiar with the platform you choose to host your event on. Double check that they had time to explore it or even do a walk-through with them. The last thing you need is your event host not knowing how to virtually bring someone on stage or unmute themselves. If your talent is music, you will definitely want to do a sound check. Every platform is a little different so you will want to ensure that musicians test their levels and don’t get any feedback. #5 — Not taking advantage of basic audio and visual improvements It doesn’t take a lot to significantly improve the quality of your audio and video. The easiest thing you can do is declutter your space or make sure you have a solid background. If you don’t have anywhere in your home that is aesthetically pleasing, use a digital background! You can also use a ring light or just a lamp to improve your lighting and make yourself clear and visible. If you have a microphone — use it! You can get a quality microphone for about $20 and it will make a world of difference. Again if you are booking music, it is highly suggested that they use a microphone. Make your virtual event unforgettable…in the best way possible! Learn more about how EVA can help make your event a success at bookwitheva.com or speak with an event expert here.

Zoom fatigue is real, but virtual events are proven to drive sales. How do you make your virtual events less work for you and more engaging for your audience? Let’s start by looking at the types of virtual events and how entertaining your audience can increase word-of-mouth marketing and ultimately your revenue. According to ZoomInfo, 73% of B2B marketers and sales leaders say a webinar is the best way to generate leads. Once you have determined your target audience, objectives, and topic, you can think about what kind of format you would like the event to take. Every event planner wants to create and deliver an event that meets their objectives — but how do you accomplish that, while delivering your content? Reported by Business Travel News, virtual events can learn a lot from video games. Travis Scott performed to over 27 million people virtually from his home using the Fortnite online gaming platform while the audience danced as avatars. This kind of magic is needed to eliminate virtual event fatigue and is within reach for event organizers everywhere. Whatever your budget and resources allow, there is a solution to make your event or meeting more memorable. Here at EVA, we have produced 150+ virtual events, each with quality entertainment, here are some of our favorite formats: Sessions To Inspire These are sessions to engage your office-based, remote or hybrid team. Weekly or bi-monthly sessions to inspire can increase employee engagement and productivity to support company objectives. These types of events are fun, easy to produce and can be short and sweet. Examples of these events include Game Time, Music Mashup and Caricature Drawings. For more ideas check out our Top 5 Event Ideas for 2021. See what a virtual caricature experience would be like! Virtual Travel Experiences Virtual travel experiences that you can enjoy from the comfort of your office chair or couch. Ever wanted to go to Nashville? Check the latest virtual travel experience EVA is producing. Learn more here. These types of events can engage a new or existing audience for your product or service, increasing word of mouth marketing and keeping your brand top of mind. An example of this is a virtual launch event that is targeted at high net worth individuals to showcase your new solution. Experience New Zealand — A Virtual Event To Inspire Wrapped around your showcase is a professional virtual wine and cheese tasting from a beautiful winery in New Zealand. The audience receives the wine and cheese delivered to their door in preparation for the event. The audience also experiences live and captivating cultural performances. Presentation Speakers give a talk with a live Q&A at the end. This is a great way to present an interesting topic or introduce a new perspective, data, product or solution. During a presentation there is an opportunity to provide a quiz to keep your audience engaged or booking a music artist to introduce your presentation or during the interlude, depending on the length of your event. Check out the incredible musical duo, Ni/Co! Breakout Rooms Your attendees discuss a particular topic and activity planned for the event and then they break out into smaller groups and report back to the main room after their activity is completed. An example of this is a live training event. Here you may wish to welcome your attendees with a professional host, an interactive game or start your event with a mind hacking magic trick that requires audience participation. Panel Discussion A panel of experts discuss a topic without a presentation. There could be a Q&A scheduled at the end or panelists could respond to a live feed of questions. Don’t have a panel of experts? You can book a speaker or thought leader for your event. A Virtual Conference This is the largest and most complicated type of event to organize. It’s like a physical conference that has multiple talks and sessions over 1–5 days. Due to the size of an event like this audience entertainment to increase engagement is essential. The list of opportunities here to engage, entertain and inspire is vast, if you would like to explore quality entertainment available for your conference, sign up on EVA, create an event, and view the profiles of the most popular entertainers. How Do You Know If Your Event Is Meeting Your Objectives? In addition to receiving audience feedback, you can use webinar benchmark research as a guideline to figure out if your event was successful in engaging your audience. Find a list of benchmark reports here. Most virtual event platforms collect data for your event so you can track your engagement stats and calculate your ROI. Need high quality entertainment for your next event? Sign up on EVA, create an event and get access to over 500 highly vetted entertainers and experiences.

So you’re planning an event. Whether you are a professional event planner or were given this role by your company and need some guidance, there are many things to consider when it comes to virtual, hybrid and in-person events. The landscape is changing daily and attendees expectations are getting higher. Audiences have a plethora of options when it comes to virtual events they can choose to attend, so it’s important to have unique offerings. Live entertainment is a huge draw for in-person events, and it is the same with virtual. Everyone wants a break from educational content and spend more time connecting with each other and participating in something memorable. Booking entertainment for your virtual or hybrid event is critical for justifying the attendee value. Here are three steps in determining the type of content that works and how to access it. Step one, set goals These questions can help outline the content and agenda for your event: What type of experience do you want your attendees to have? Are they your clients, co-workers, or something else? How many people do you want to attend your event? Why is this event being organized in the first place? What is success to you and how will you measure it? What is the budget for your event? Will your audience pay to attend or is it free? What type of content can you book to make this event as memorable as possible? Do you even need entertainment? The definition of entertainment varies, but it is actually quite simple to identify. Entertainment can be a keynote speaker, an A-list artist, a magician, a mixology class, a comedian, or even a trivia game (see the blog on some of our popular virtual entertainment options here). Entertainment is an extremely important part to include in your agenda, especially if engagement is one of your event goals. If you want people to come back to your next event, giving them an interactive experience and access to quality content will be the best way to seal the deal. Fun, memorable experiences can also drive sales. If your audience is also your clientele, you will want to impress them as much as possible by being creative and booking content they can only access at your events. Entertainment is what people look forward to in virtual events, especially if it’s something people don’t see often, but how do you find quality entertainment fast? Find the Right Entertainment for Your Events If you are really trying to wow attendees and it is in your budget, A-list entertainment is the way to go. A speaker people have seen on TV or a musician people have heard on the radio will automatically give your event credibility. You may not have Oprah Winfrey’s number in your contacts, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have access to A-list talent. Many people assume they cannot contact people of this caliber but more and more celebrities are open to being booked for virtual events. If your budget doesn’t allow for Oprah but you still want to book a professional speaker, there are lots of quality options. Jason LeVasseur, Mike Wittenstein, and Barbara Rozgonyi are three examples of motivational speakers who are more affordable while still delivering a customized, inspiring talk. EVA is a platform that gives event planners instant access to quality entertainment. This company individually vets every act on their platform to ensure that their talent is not only superior but also professional and educated on corporate and virtual events. They have something for every price point and every event. How it works: Planners can go to bookwitheva.com, create an account and see all of the profiles of quality, vetted entertainers. Not sure exactly what you want? You can “Create an Event” on the platform. Fill out your event details (date, time, budget, type of talent you’re looking for) and EVA’s algorithm notifies acts that meet your criteria. Available acts will then respond with quotes within your budget. You can view their profiles which include videos, testimonials, and information to help you make the best decision on who to book. Once you’ve decided, you can pay online and contracts are generated to ensure everything goes smoothly. Interested in booking virtual entertainment for your next event? Sign up at bookwitheva.com or ask us a question/ talk to an event expert.

Crafting a proposal for any event can be daunting. Whether you are planning a 90 minute experience for your client’s team or a programmed virtual, hybrid or in-person conference, no matter what, there’s a lot of information and education required in order to win that business. Companies have become more comfortable with virtual events in 2021 through a lot of trials and lessons learned, and the return of in-person events has event planners and their clients feeling some type of way. How can you stand out in the crowd and win that event business by presenting captivating ideas to your clients? The events industry now has a full year of data under its belts on how to optimize events for virtual. It is shortsighted to think that virtual events were only a quick fix during the pandemic. Companies are seeing the value of creating a hybrid event model for future events. Here are 3 stats you can share with clients on why they need to be considering new virtual event ideas and interactive opportunities alongside their in person events: 67% of businesses use virtual events complementary to in-person events. 49% of businesses are organizing up to 20–30 virtual events a year alongside their large annual in person events. 67% of events use interactive and gamification strategies to improve audience engagement for hybrid experiences. [source] After curating experiences and entertainment for over 150+ virtual events ourselves, we agree that it is extremely important to incorporate gamification, talent, and interactive programming to help level up a client’s virtual event. When we first started pitching virtual, we didn’t have a streamlined way to successfully highlight and showcase vetted ideas and vendors to our event partners for their virtual events. To fix that problem, we created a virtual event proposal template that helps us consistently present all of the event factors in a succinct format every time. Here is that proposal template and checklist to help you with your next pitch: View & Download Virtual Event Template Here Designing a proposal for virtual events will soon enough become second nature for all of us, but businesses need leaders in the industry like you to show them the way. Our team is dedicated to helping you do this by designing new and creative ideas for virtual event programming, interactive experiences, and entertaining moments. We would love to help you curate your client’s next great event. Need help with your virtual event proposal or pitch? Ask us a question/ talk to an event expert

Hybrid events are the way of the future. If you’re new to the virtual event world we are living in, a hybrid event consists of a live in-person component for face-to-face attendees as well as a virtual component for remote attendees. There are so many advantages, specifically attendees being able to connect across the globe. It basically offers the best of both worlds for attendees while also adding an extra layer of work for the event planner. It’s important to make your virtual component as engaging as the in-person component. You want both groups of attendees to have a quality experience which can take some thorough preparation. Below are some of our top tips for executing an impactful hybrid event. ★ Define Goals: It’s important to have a good understanding of your event goals before you begin planning each component of your hybrid event. Your goals can range from improving your customer satisfaction to bringing in direct revenue from the event. Setting these goals first thing will help determine how best to engage your audience. ★ Find a Reliable Platform and Event Producer: Hybrid events can have a lot going on. It’s important to work with a reliable platform that allows you to seamlessly integrate both components, and secure a producer to manage it all behind the scenes. Some incredible platforms that work great for hybrid events are SpotMe, Bizzabo, Brella, Hopin, Labz, FrontRow, and EventMobi. For hybrid events, in order to showcase a fully produced event and get the correct live feed to the virtual attendees — having an event producer orchestrate it is important if you don’t already have that person on your team. A few groups we recommend for large hybrid events that we like to work with are A&M Agency, Evolution Event Solutions, Lisa Hendricks (independent producer and producer with AFWERX Fusion). For the smaller activations, the team at EVA can handle it for you. ★ Keep Virtual Attendees Engaged: Since the virtual attendees will have the same experience as in-person attendees, you want to keep them as engaged as possible from their homes. This could include interactive networking opportunities, live Q+A’s, gamification on the platform, or entertainment sessions (cooking class, wine tasting, trivia, live (but virtual) musical performance, etc). ★ Curated Content for Each Component: When you start planning your content for your hybrid event, choose content that you know will be engaging for your virtual audience. Then, adjust that content to make it engaging for your in-person audience. While most content will be the same, not all of it should be. (Examples of differing content could include: session lengths, pre-recorded vs. live sessions, polling, Q+A, networking, etc.) ★ Have an Emcee for Your Virtual Component: Your in-person attendees will have an emcee guiding attendees throughout their day and so should your virtual attendees. This really helps to give them a sense of connection to the live event. The emcee helps to lead attendees through the different sessions, spotlight sponsors, encourage attendees to check out the virtual booths (if available), and provide a more personal experience for them. ★ Networking: One of the main reasons people attend events is to network and that doesn’t change just because some people will be attending remotely. A great way to get all attendees (virtual and in-person) interacting is through these networking options: simulive sessions (pre-recorded sessions) that allow all attendees to participate in a live chat, live polling and Q+A throughout the event, breakout rooms/ networking platforms, networking groups (Slack, Facebook, etc). Hybrid events come with more preparation for the planner and more advantages for attendees. With the right event producer, platform, and engaging content, your hybrid event will be a seamless success. If you have any questions about your upcoming hybrid event and/or the engaging experiences we offer at EVA, email us at support@bookwitheva.com or learn more at bookwitheva.com.

The world is filled with people telling you how you should be and what you should do. Especially after the past year we have had, social media is filled with different resources encouraging you to make a difference in your day to day life. This year we learned that making a difference requires a conscious effort. Going about events and life in general the same as we were before doesn’t work anymore (did it ever?). The first step is to not take offense. The work you are doing matters but the world is demanding that we each make more of an effort everyday to be diverse and inclusive. Even a small step can make a big difference to someone. Being diverse and inclusive at your event shouldn’t only happen during Black History Month. February is for honoring and acknowledging the impact that Black individuals have made and continue to make on our communities and country. However, every day should be spent making an effort to ensure that every person from every background and walk of life feels included. We wanted to share some useful information for event planners looking to create more welcoming and mindful event experiences. In order to give as valuable information as possible, we spoke with multiple individuals to gather their advice on how event planners can move forward in creating more inclusive events. One included Yolanda Caldwell, the Chief Diversity Officer at The College of Saint Rose, who gave some insightful advice and sparked much inspiration for this blog. Below you can find a few helpful tips, ideas, and reminders for how event planners can organize more diverse (or fully diverse) and inclusive events. ★ Make a conscious effort/go out of your way to add diversity and inclusivity to your event! Your audience is more diverse than you think. Set a goal/plan and stick to it every time. It can be uncomfortable getting out of your normal routine, but it is important to get past the discomfort to get to a better future. ★ Focus on the importance of inclusivity. To put its importance into perspective, think about a time when you really wanted to fit in or wanted to do something but there just wasn’t a place for you. When you are creating an event, you never want to make people feel like they do not belong. Creating a safe and comfortable space for everyone should be the most important aspect of every event. ★ Diversity and inclusion does not lie in one “genre”. Exposure to diversity can only benefit your event. Here are some ideas: Gender — How many females/women are attending/running your event? Is your event acknowledging pronouns? (They/them, Him/His, etc) Age — Is your event inclusive for all age groups? Can parents bring their children or can you offer a children’s section? Culture — Are you being considerate of different religions or holidays? Some religions do not allow people to attend events on Saturday nights or Sundays. Send out a message into the community or your team to make sure you are educated on your audience. Disability — Make sure to include closed captioning, flashing lights, accessibility, sign language, and/or any other disability based requests for your audience. Race — Are you marketing to different audiences from different backgrounds? Do your marketing materials represent that? Your audience is bigger than you think. Job Rank- Entry level people may also be interested in your event! Send an invitation to college campuses or local community centers. Same goes for the managers or CEOs. Include everyone if possible. These are only some of the options available. The list goes on and on. ★ Add a diversity committee to your team. Having a team specifically set aside to head up a diversity and inclusion initiative for your event is the best way to ensure that every person is taken care of and all needs are being met. ★ Being inclusive includes people with disabilities. HERE is a great guide that lists ways to make your online event more accessible. ★ Always remember that one small step leads to bigger steps. We hope this sparks some inspiration for you and your team to create more meaningful and inclusive events. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at support@bookwitheva.com!

With 2021 finally upon us, it’s important to get ahead of the game in the ideation process for your next virtual event. People are expecting 2021 to be bigger and better than before so it’s important to find ways to take your event to the next level. Below are a few valuable ideas for creating an engaging and memorable virtual event this year. #1 — Live Interactive Games Live games and competitions are the perfect way to keep your audience involved throughout your event. Whether it’s in-between sessions, an entire session itself (happy hour, perhaps?), or an ongoing social media challenge, this is a fun and valuable way for your attendees to stay engaged. Custom themed trivia is one of the most popular games used within virtual events. You can even consider taking polls throughout the event to encourage attendees to interact during down time. One of our favorite interactive platforms that is perfect for any happy hour event and incorporates a ton of fun games is Hermis. A few popular game options on this platform include themed bingo, scavenger hunts, charades, and themed trivia. You can check it out here -> https://herm.is/. #2 — Elevated Production Go big with your virtual event and elevate the production value. There are so many virtual event platforms/ simulations now that create a gamified version of the event for attendees to explore and interact in (check out the platform Virbela here: https://www.virbela.com/ ). If you aren’t interested in the more gamified virtual event, consider taking your video production for your event to the next level. Virtual event producers are able to work behind the scenes to ensure a smooth event and professional appearance. They are also able to produce higher quality videos/livestreams which elevates your event and makes it look more like a tv production. Consider using animation and visuals throughout sessions to keep the audience engaged and keep the production value up. One of our incredible video production partners, Orange Thread, creates such unique and professional results (learn more about Orange Thread here: http://orangethreadlive.com/). Especially for paid events, attendees are expecting the event to feel different than a typical Zoom call. #3 — Keep it Short and Sweet Virtual events are most effective in a less lengthy and more thought provoking setting. Experience has shown that shorter virtual events are more impactful to the audience. Reduce the amount of sessions per day and/or make more sessions available on-demand. This way the audience is able to access that extra information post-event, but it doesn’t take away from the effectiveness during the event. It is hard for attendees to stay focused online for more than 2 or 3 sessions a day. If your event does need to be more lengthy to satisfy all of your event goals, make sure to space out the sessions throughout the week and include breaks and entertainment segments to keep attendees engaged and energized. #4 — Bring Your Virtual Event to Life Adding a personalized element brings your virtual event to life by giving attendees something memorable and makes the event feel more like an in-person and interactive event. Having promotional items from the event sent to each attendee is a great way to advertise for your next event as well. We work closely with our partner at Hip Hues to create incredible swag boxes that include customized items (learn more about Hip Hues here: https://bookwitheva.com/artists/hiphuesexperiences ). Don’t want to do the typical t-shirt, pen, or notebook route? Send your attendees custom items that go with a specific experience. Maybe the happy hour session features a mixology or cooking class and each attendee receives ingredients for that class. This may seem like an afterthought to you at first, but these small touches can really create brand loyalty. Plus, it builds excitement for the events you host in the future (so a win-win)! To learn more about taking your virtual event to the next level with EVA this year, head over to bookwitheva.com or reach us at support@bookwitheva.com. Let’s make it the best one yet!

Taking your event virtual doesn’t mean it’s going to be a long and hard transition. It can actually be very easy and seamless when you do it the right way, even if you are short on time. First, define how your event is going to translate over to virtual and set its goals. Will it practically be the same as if it was in-person or are there elements that will not transfer over to virtual well? This is important to note because it helps you lay out your event agenda as well as pick your platform. You may have to get a little creative with some aspects. Secondly, decide which event platform will fit your event’s specific needs and goals. Maybe your event isn’t very in depth and Zoom would be an easy option. Or maybe your event requires different features that fit best with a different platform. It’s important to get this figured out as soon as possible so that you can prepare your audience and speakers. If you aren’t using Zoom and still want an easy platform to navigate, we highly recommend Hopin. Next, get a list together of special guests you want at your event. Whether it’s speakers, entertainment, or your host, it’s important to get this squared away quickly. If you need help finding speakers or topics, ask connections in your industry and/or potential attendees if they have any suggestions. This will help you find out who and what people are interested in hearing about. Don’t forget to include entertainment in your virtual event. This has proven to be one of the best ways to keep attendees engaged and attentive. Whether it’s a fun round of trivia in between sessions or an exciting happy hour performance and Q+A with a well known entertainer, virtual entertainment helps bring the event to life. (Interested in booking virtual entertainment? Visit www.bookwitheva.com) After booking your entertainment and speakers/hosts, it’s important to get this info out into the public for marketing and registration purposes. This is a great way to promote your event and get individuals interested in registering. Find fun ways to promote your speakers and entertainment that gets attendees excited. It’s always a great idea to ask all special guests to create a short promo video that you can use for marketing your event. Also, make sure to schedule a time for your special guests to get a run through of the platform and have a sound/tech check. The transition from an in-person event to a virtual event doesn’t have to be difficult or more time-consuming. When you follow the right steps and find what works best for your event, you will have successful results. Enjoy the process and embrace the change!

With the holidays just around the corner (I know…we can’t believe it either), it’s time to start planning how you are going to spread some much needed holiday cheer. Whether it’s for your company, event, friends, or family, virtual holiday parties are the perfect way to connect and celebrate this wonderful time of the year. Check out some of our favorite virtual holiday party ideas below! 1. Holiday Themed Trivia We all love a little healthy competition, especially when it involves trivia. Holiday themed trivia is the perfect way to connect, interact, and test the brains of your group. This relaxed game is a great way to kick off the holiday season virtually. Maybe even consider adding in a mixologist who will lead your group in creating the perfect festive cocktail before the trivia game begins. 2. Festive Baking + Cooking Classes Nothing screams the holidays quite like FOOD. Give everyone the opportunity to learn delicious recipes from top chefs. Whether it’s yummy comfort foods or festive baked goods, your attendees will leave this event with full bellies and feeling like the next Martha Stewart. This is the perfect option for your attendees’ families at home to get involved as well. This interactive experience is truly the gift that keeps on giving! 3. Winter Themed Painting + Sips Let your artistic side go wild this holiday season! This fun and relaxing holiday party experience is a great way to bring your event attendees together. Enjoy a night of painting, chatting, and sipping your drink of choice while being led by an experienced painter. This experience is perfect for all skill levels and is another fun way to get your attendee’s families involved! 4. Musical Performance of Holiday Classics + Mixologist Enjoy a night of your favorite holiday classics while sipping a festive holiday cocktail! Holiday music performed by an up-and-coming artist is a great way to spread joy throughout the season. Make each of your attendees their own bartender for the night as they learn how to make the perfect cocktail from a professional mixologist. Customize this experience to fit your specific event perfectly! 5. Mulled Wine + Yoga We could all use a little R&R this time of year! This is a great way to give your attendees a self-care session that is always much needed during this busy season. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, or another wellness session, this is a great way to bring your attendees together for a relaxing time. Craft and sip delicious mulled wine throughout the session as it adds to the holiday themed ambiance. 6. Santa Surprise We all love surprises, especially when it’s the holidays! Surprise your virtual event attendees with Santa to get everyone in the holiday spirit. No, this isn’t just for kids. Santa can “hack” into your event and provide some much appreciated comedic relief. Maybe you have some exciting news to share with your team/event attendees and want a special, holiday themed way to share it? The options are endless with Santa…he’s just that magical! Each year, everyone looks forward to holiday parties where they are able to connect, relax, and celebrate with good company. Just because your event is going virtual doesn’t mean it has to be any less memorable or festive. With these holiday party ideas, you are sure to create a festive, joy-filled experience for your attendees. And after this year…I think we could all use a little extra joy! Need help making your virtual holiday party happen? Contact us at support@bookwitheva.com to learn more about booking these holiday-themed options for your event.