Video conference call fatigue is real. Today’s virtual attendees are tired of the Brady Bunch squares they interact with daily and are looking for high-quality and to be intrigued when they attend virtual events or trade shows.
Few people look at a video conference call and say, “Wow, this is captivating just like broadcast events.” These platforms may be a great tool for peer discussions, family functions or the classroom, but not for a professional presentation of topical information with testing, accreditation and larger group engagements.
With the rise of multi-tasking and increased distractions from working at home, attention in a virtual meeting drops off very quickly without engaging content. Attendees’ expectations of these virtual experiences are not based on live events; rather, they are comparing them to other broadcast moments like live-streamed content, online concerts, television shows and movies. Raising the bar for an engaging virtual experience to a broadcast-produced level is now expected by audiences.
There are several downsides to using video conference call platforms for a virtual event. They include limitations on branding and control of the attendee experience. It is hard to raise the experience to reflect an aesthetic representation of your brand when you are constrained by platform capabilities. User navigation and interactivity are also limited, as is production value. Nothing replaces the power of a director and tech team behind-the-scenes calling the show, cuing the speakers, handling late-breaking agenda changes, and lowering the stress of the meeting team and presenters.
Don’t let your brand reside on a platform that cannot reflect your professional message or engage your audience for the short window of time you have their attention. To create a truly impactful virtual event, engage professionals that are capable of providing a broadcast-quality production with higher quality graphics and content, engaging brand activations, well-lit and professionally framed camera shots, background imagery, seamless transitions and interstitials. This will raise the experience for attendees and achieve your organization’s goals.
With more than 20 years of live event experience, GES’s Kirk Saboda has produced and delivered events across the globe. Excelling as technical director, stage manager and creative designer, Kirk was recognized for his business acumen and moved into positions of greater responsibility as director of sales for the Ontario services team. His customer-centred approach and strong technical capabilities give him distinctive industry knowledge to better relate to his clients.
