That nice little conversation in the corridors, shaking the keynote speaker's hand one last time and that friendly wink during drinks. It's the little moments of contact during a live event that we missed so much.
Live events are back. But are they back from the past? Or back in a new guise? In my Christmas video you saw my overview of an online event year. In it, one thing became clear: we learned to think in TV formats during the pandemic. As happy as I am that we are mainly going back to live, I also grant us the 5 legacies of "online":
Legacy 1: A more compact message
"I wish my boss was always so to the point could be". More than once I heard this feedback after a live stream. Instead of 20 minutes of speaking time during a live event, an online production should be ready in about an hour. The conversation with an executive or an expert presentation, therefore, has to be brought across the stage in a shorter time. The viewer's attention span is very limited. "Kill your darlings", was something I often imparted to speakers in preliminary interviews. Not a pleasant message for everyone, but it always worked out positively: for speaker and audience. A stronger story, with more impact: even live!
Legacy 2: Making the workplace more central
In the absence of live contact with colleagues and industry peers, "people from the floor" came up faster, more and more creatively during online events. The expert who suddenly acted as table host or sidekick, the sustainability manager who recorded a vlog himself and selfies of colleagues sent in during Christmas drinks. Online productions ensured that everyone contributed to conveying company pride, experiencing connection and broadly highlighting a theme. As much as a stage is the focus during a live event, let's continue to engage the audience and people behind the scenes in different ways live, broadly and creatively as well.
Legacy 3: Thinking in data and ratings
Seeing exactly on a timeline when your participants drop out. Or executives cosily watching back an online talk show on Sunday with their own family. Because online sessions can be watched back, they can also be monitored: ratings and other data can tell us a lot about how strongly a message was received. So can the drinks after an event. But what if live atmospheric impressions and digital data together, can teach us even more for each subsequent event?
Legacy 4: A safe atmosphere first
"We suddenly heard colleagues who always remained silent during heydays. Let's face it, an event is often exciting not only for a speaker, but also for a visitor. Meeting new people, whether or not to share your experience. The safety of one's own living room, during many online sessions, led people to want to share their own experiences more easily and quickly. Instead of standing up in the live audience, the threshold is lower to share something online. How do we also give this form of online safety a place during live events?
Legacy 5: More focus on "content"
Because the attention span is short, relatively much attention was paid to the visual appeal of a broadcast and engagement with the audience. Consider, for example, vlogs, music, bumpers or short contributions from foreign callers. All kinds of content passed the revue. Not just for form, but to support and enliven the broader online story. Content that should no longer be missing during a live event either.
In short, online I think taught us a lot that we can still benefit from live. Fun and great lessons despite our square eyes from the screen during the pandemic. Finding it hard to apply those lessons to your next live event? With pleasure and without obligation I like to think with you! For now especially, lots of LIVE fun and inspiration again!
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