1. Live In The Time of Quarantine

If Content is King

It deserves its own throne.

As I’ve written before, I am excited about the opportunity to fully leverage the potential of live, virtual connection to expand the potential for live human engagement. I believe we are positioned to design some amazing hybrid (LIVE/virtual) events. And I applaud all those who have managed, without a lot of warning, to shift their planned conferences and events to a purely online, socially distant experience.

I feel obliged, however, to wave a small caution flag. We can’t assume that the content we created for one medium will just pour directly into another. There’s a reason we don’t drink coffee out of a soup bowl or serve filet mignon on disposable food containers with plastic forks. The vessel needs to support enjoyment of the content.

Live events and virtual events each have specific needs and advantages that should be designed into the plan. Virtual events need the oversight and planning of a TV-show crew that understands the timing and tempo of the experience. They know when to zoom in and when to cut away to a breaking story. Likewise, production teams for huge live events may share the titles of their video colleagues, but in many instances they rely on the discipline and planning of a military operation. We wouldn’t expect the production team from the Today Show or Good Morning America to handle the demands of producing CES. And the reverse is true.

Right now, many associations and corporate marketers are considering the advantages of hybrid event solutions; we want to ensure that the designs are approached by teams who understand how to leverage each medium to the fullest.

If this is a topic that speaks to your situation, I hope you’ll enjoy this recent webinar with industry experts around designing, producing and marketing a virtual event.