It’s hard to believe that 2021 is coming to a close.  In the organizational events industry, planning, producing and executing successful events that meet your objectives has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride.  With all the changes in protocols for safety, as well as lingering travel restrictions and monitoring the comfort levels of attendees to gather, planning a conference or large meeting for your organization has been tricky at best. Now that we are looking at 2022, there are still many unknowns for planning events.How can you create a plan for 2022 that will serve you?

With the right preparation, you can plan a successful event in 2022. Follow these three helpful guidelines:

1. Keep Options Open
During the last half of 2021, the world was opening up to more in-person events and the trend was swinging to “hybrid” events, meaning planning an in-person meeting and pairing it with a virtual component. We still see that trend in motion.  However, with the surge of the latest Omicron variant, we are seeing a real need to keep the virtual option a part of the plan.  We recommend keeping your options open by moving forward with an in-person venue but also planning for a virtual component of your event as well.  This allows you to leverage the energy of the in-person event into the virtual experience, while allowing flexible access for all your attendees, whether they are able to attend in person or not. Your in-person and virtual numbers may fluctuate, but you’ll be ready for both.Many of our clients are concerned about whether adding a virtual option will take away from in-person attendance.  We have not seen that happen.  Adding a virtual component demonstrates to your attendee base that you are aware of the needs of all attendees and are taking measures to accommodate them.  Plus, it adds an elevated status to your event.  We have seen our clients grow the reach of their events by adding a virtual component, in some cases doubling their numbers with the virtual option.Pro Tip: If you are thinking about adding a virtual component to your in-person event, when negotiating your venue contract, make sure you have the ability to allow a third party vendor (like Digital Motion!) to facilitate the virtual component of your event.

2. Select the right virtual platform for your event.
There are many virtual platforms available for your virtual event. Take a look at the overall objectives of your event and what features you need to offer on the virtual side to make the experience worthwhile and enriching for your virtual attendees.  There are multiple considerations to consider, such as the number of attendees you will host, the features you need such as registration, networking, exhibitor booths, etc. There are also technology issues to consider such as the way in which you will stream the sessions into the platform, the analytics you need to collect on the back end, etc.Once you have identified the main features you need, you will be more prepared to select the right one for you. Since there are so many options and price points out there, it can be overwhelming and confusing to pick the right one for you.  The good news is that you don’t have to be a virtual event expert, that is where we come in.  Digital Motion partners with you to help you select the right virtual platform that will serve your event needs.

3. Structure Ticket Pricing and Sponsorship Opportunities for the Win
With a little strategic structuring, you can build sponsorship packages and ticketing pricing that will help you cover the costs of your hybrid event that will also help you achieve  your financial goals.  There are all kinds of sponsorship opportunities on both the on-site and virtual side.  Leverage both onsite featured sponsorship placements as well as virtual ones, adding tiered levels and spotlights for breakout and networking sessions. When creating your ticket pricing for in–person and virtual, keep in mind that, while different, there are costs associated to both delivery methods and those ticket prices can be structured in a way to cover those costs. In addition, if your conference has a continuing education component, take that into consideration when structuring your ticket prices.  

Pro-Tip: For your hybrid event, you can often allow online access to content on-demand after the conference to both on-site and virtual attendees, which adds value to your ticket pricing.

Let’s get started We’d love to hear about the event you are planning and give you our best tips for success!

You can plan a great event in 2022, if you need some help with that, call Digital Motion. 

Happy New Year from the Digital Motion Team!

It’s so easy to get started!

1.) Schedule a free, no obligation consultation by visiting www.digitalmotionav.com.

2.) You will receive our best tips and a customized recommendation for your event, along with an estimate of service options.

3.) Once you are ready to move forward, your dedicated Digital Motion team member will share your Digital Motion Event Success Plan and next steps.

4.) You will be on track to Elevate your Event! We help you make your event a success!