Online Conference Creation and Development

Topics

Best practice for developing online-only conferences and events

This resource is a developing best practice resource for Creating and Managing Online-only Conferences & Events.

To ask questions of experts and the community visit the Discussion Forum >>

What tech should I use?

Webinars

A video conference / meeting service (eg. Zoom. See list below)

Single Stream Conferences

For the best user experience an Online Conference Platform (OCP) which includes or combines with webcasting service and has tools OR if you don't have the resource for this, a Video conference / meeting system

Multiple-stream or Sponsored Conference

Bespoke website with integrated functionality supported by a specialist service company

For details of suppliers, view Online Video Conference & Online Conference Services entry >>

General

Don't replicate an offline conference with the same programme, but do focus on creating the same value for each of the stake-holder types
An event that is moved to online could take place over many more days, with fewer or no parallel streams - but more than a week
If you have delegates in different time-zones - it is un-necessary and possibly unwise to have lunch breaks
Allow breaks between sessions, so as to be sure of starting subsequent sessions on time - important when many online delegates may be showing just for a single or few sessions

Delegate Engagement

Regular delegate engagement provides better feedback that with little, however the topic and resources for preparation and to support the online event may dictate what is possible
Have a "producer" to assist with technical and engagement aspects for each session, which may need multiples when parallel to support
Polls - prepared in advance (including evaluation polls)
Questions & Answers (ideally which can be voted up by dels)
Drop in links and other content in chat stream, that comes from speakers presentation. This requires reviewing all presentations in advance
Find out Knowledge Bank articles / content that may relate to the topic, to recommend
Consider using a Mobile App for the engagement, as this is an easy second-screen which can be viewed concurrently, and provides variety. It also then doesn't need integrating into the conference session video web page
Start with some engagement as delegates join to make them feel engaged from the start - a poll to establish delegate's experience / knowledge / situation may suit

Vocabulary

"On-demand" - Availability of recorded sessions after recording at any time required by the viewer
"Live" - Available to viewers at the moment it is happening, or only a few seconds after
"Online" - Our preferred word (over "virtual") for an event that is available via the internet on compueter, tablets and mobiles
"Online / Virtual Conference Platform" - An technology solution on which to host a conference, with the Education Programme, Networking, Exhibition and Sponsor functionality
"Online delegate" - a person who accesses the online event remotely by the internet
"Video conference / meeting" - a conference / meeting that takes place useing video conference / meeting service (eg. Zoom)
"Virtual" - We believe this is commonly used mistakenly, as we fully expect there to be events that are virtual, eg with speakers that are not real people, and exhibition stands that are virtually created. Think Virtual Reality where the environment is created by programmers. Use "Online" instead which works better for the event and the delegates.