Hi friends! Check out the full notes below from Pitch and Plan Podcast Episode 101— Virtual Events During a Global Pandemic. You can listen HERE.

Episode Summary:

In the first ever episode of the Pitch and Plan Podcast, April Burks and a special guest take on virtual events during a global pandemic. April Burks is joined by Fatima Conteh, the Founder and Owner of IndieSoulGlow and event manager at Fishtown Analytics. Fatima Conteh specializes in event planning and community engagement while investing in the personal and professional well-being of people of color. In today’s episode, we discuss COVID-19’s effect on event planning and the creativity that has emerged from going virtual. April and Fatima dive deep into what the best streaming platforms for events are and some of the benefits and drawbacks of hosting events virtually.

In this episode, we discuss…

[0:05] Introductions
[0:36] COVID-19 & Social Distancing
[4:18] Pivoting Business During COVID-19
[6:36] How Has COVID-19 Affected Event Planning for You?
[11:07] Creative Aspects Coming Out in Virtual Events
[17:22] What Social Platform Do You Use?
[24:18] Coming Together to Provide Positive Experiences
[29:57] Mistakes You’ve Seen/Made in Virtual Events
[34:37] Providing Sentiment Through Feedback and Polls
[36:18] The Future of Virtual Events
[40:53] Closing Thoughts
[42:56] Connect with Fatima!

Episode Notes:

In light of the Coronavirus, the event world has had to dramatically shift directions to continue hosting events. Our guest today has been able to bring her events onto a digital platform but admits that there is not the same level of control as in-person events. Technology can quickly become the biggest anxiety of holding these events. What if the Internet cuts out? What if you can’t hear the speaker?

For Fatima Conteh, her first virtual event with her company Soul Circle, was a workshop on stress and trauma. She felt it was a great learning experience and is excited to increase the attendee engagement by implementing quick check-ins and community building aspects.

Fatima shares that events are getting creative in this time with better visuals such as banners and backgrounds. Fatima feels it is crucial to get as much information as she can from her attendees before the event. This enhances the conversations during the event and makes the community feel more seen, even if it’s virtual!

Recaps of information during and after a virtual event can also increase attendee engagement. Including things such as ice breakers or answering questions allows the attendees to engage from the comfort of their own home. Even virtually, you can implement moderators for last minutes changes and pronunciations, something that happens in in-person events.

April and Fatima break down the varying streaming platforms and weigh the advantages and disadvantages that each brings to the table. Fatima has utilized Facebook Live the most as it is already connected to a social media platform that so many people are using. Zoom is not connected to a platform but is a more sophisticated and controlled experience. Zoom allows for splitting screens and makes it more personal by having the option to see the attendees involved. Fatima thinks that Zoom is one of the most reliable across the board.

April and Fatima cover a few more options that are available to fellow event planners and attendees. Each of the platforms has their own advantages and can each be beneficial for different types of events.

Fatima shares the most positive thing that is coming from doing these virtual events is that people are coming together to provide experiences. The mistakes that Fatima sees the most are in terms of engagement. When having events digitally, it’s important how the speaker is presenting and engaging the attendees. Involving the attendees in the conversation is more inviting and increases the attendee engagement.

April and Fatima stress the importance of duration when events are being held virtually. The attention span of an attendee watching a screen is not the same as if the attendee was attending an in-person event. Instead of having a super long event think about the benefits of splitting the event into bite size chunks to digest.

Both April and Fatima believe that virtual events will continue post-COVID1-19. This experience will change how people see gatherings now and as an event planner will add a whole new liability to bringing groups of people together. Fatima adds that she will continue to have virtual components in her in-person events. This allows those who wish to attend to have the option to engage virtually. Fatima also expresses the idea of a digital host. This would allow people to have a form of engagement instead of a static stream.

Virtual events give the opportunity to have speakers and attendees from all over the world. April shares an event she recently had that initially could not get certain speakers due to not having the travel budgets. Once the event was made virtual, there were speakers from all over the country! Streaming the event to allow speakers and attendees all over the country is a true driving reason to continue holding virtual events. The event world has changed dramatically in the last few months but the benefits of holding virtual events are allowing a whole new community engagement and speaker experience!

Links to Look At:

Want to Connect with Fatima Conteh?

IndieSoulGlow Website | [https://indiesoulglow.com/]

IndieSoulGlow Instagram | [https://www.instagram.com/indiesoulglow/?hl=en]

IndieSoulGlow Facebook | [https://www.facebook.com/IndieSoulGlow/]

SoulCircle PHL Instagram | [https://www.instagram.com/soulcirclephl/?hl=en]

Also mentioned: Philly Tech Week | [https://2020.phillytechweek.com/]

Virtual Event Platforms Mentioned

Zoom | [https://zoom.us/]

Facebook Live | [https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/solutions/facebook-live]

WebinarNinja | [https://webinarninja.com/]

WebinarJam | [https://home.webinarjam.com/index?r_done=1]