Rather than having a committee do all the work coming up with topics, why not shift the focus and ask your members for recommendations? Crowdsourcing is one way to make this shift. Once all ideas are shared via an online platform, give attendees many days to vote on the ones they want. The top vote-getters are the topics for your event.
Once your crowdsourcing is complete, now it’s time to hire the right individuals to deliver the goods. While many planners prefer to hire free presenters to keep their budget lean, gratis speakers aren’t as refined as paid ones and can bore your audience in no time.
Complex content with over scripted PowerPoint slides will also cause attendees to drop out of the meeting. Determine what’s absolutely critical and, if necessary, give your presenters a template to follow that limits the number of words on a slide and the number of slides in a deck.
Shake things up! Here are a few ideas to try:
Mail out a token of your appreciation for registering for your event (i.e., a gift card, bottled water, nuts and designer mask). Aim to get it to them to each attendee one day before your virtual meeting begins.
Send attendees a survey immediately following the program. Show all results within a week, along with the plan for immediate and long-term improvements. They must know you are listening to their suggestions to make the next virtual meeting even better!
De-de Mulligan is a digital marketer, blogger and President of Mulligan Management Group, a full-service, boutique marketing agency. A former meeting planner who received the MPI Ohio Chapter’s Planner of the Year award in 2006 and 2012, she brings a unique perspective to her blog posts, including for Rentacomputer.com. You can connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn. https://www.tsnn.com/blog/six-planning-tips-engage-your-virtual-audience