As face-to-face events return (que the celebration), venues are seeing a surge in enquiries and bookings. So, do you have the right strategy to secure your perfect event venue in a post-Covid world? What impact has the pandemic had on venues, and how does your venue choice impact your live event, and in turn the user experience?
Here we breakdown the answers to your burning questions on all things venue strategy in six simple steps.
Gone are the days of finding a venue that just ticks the boxes of space, location, and facilities. Of course those requirements are vital to your event and audience journey, but to really create a ‘brand experience’, every single touchpoint needs to reflect what you’re trying to achieve, and your event venue sets the tone on arrival.
We recently hosted the DS Automobiles DS 9 press launch and the venue – Le Manior aux Quat’Saisons – was a massive part of that experience by bringing to life the French heritage of the brand through world class, indulgent service. Le Manior effortlessly expressed the brand without the need for additional comms and background explanation.
Successfully align the venue to your event objectives and you’re halfway to driving the message home for your audience.
The world has woken up to the climate crisis, and the events industry is no exception. Venues are responding and updating their policies and procedures accordingly, but think about how your venue choice will impact the sustainability of your event.
Will the location allow your audience to limit their travel, or come via public transport? Does the venue offer more sustainable solutions when it comes to things like catering, power, and waste management? This obviously links back to the brand values too, and if you’re aiming to create a more sustainable event, your venue needs to align with this objective.
There are of course venues completely dedicated to providing a sustainable offering. Recently we hosted an event at Storey’s Field Centre in Cambridge, a sustainable venue dedicated to the local community. Consider these new innovative spaces for a more sustainable event that also challenges the status quo.
In England, all restrictions on capacities and gatherings imposed during the pandemic have been lifted, but many venues are adapting to this change slowly. Don’t automatically assume your audience will be comfortable with a pre-pandemic style experience and consider how your venue choice and layout will appear to those that may be nervous about attending an event.
Perhaps limit your capacity to 75%, stagger arrivals at registration to prevent bottle necks and queues, and use table plans to reduce people movement. Whatever tactics you use to put your audience at ease, you need to balance the local guidance with audience expectations.
Plans are changing frequently, but opting for a last-minute booking strategy will limit your venue options considerably. Since the roadmap announcement in England, venues have seen a surge in bookings, and availability for the remainder of 2021 is extremely limited.
Many venues are already, or close to fully booked from September onwards, so you may need to consider adapting your plans to accommodate what’s available or widen your venue search area to maximise your chances of finding the right venue for your activity.
Whilst we’re talking about venue searching, expect this process to take longer right now. Venues still have staff on furlough, and many are working with a reduced staff. This means venues are taking longer to respond to enquiries, so factor this into your timeline when submitting briefs.
If you have specific questions, such as power availability for electric vehicle car charging, allow even more time. As more often than not, the sales department will have to gather more technical information from other teams.
Contingency planning has never been more important than right now. To ensure you are covered for every circumstance, review your venues cancellation terms and payment plans with a fine-tooth comb.
In what situations can you cancel or reschedule your planned event? How much notice do you have to give, and will it cost you anything? Could you use the venue to host a hybrid event instead?
Be realistic with payment plans too and don’t expect to be able to provide ultra-low deposits. Venues have seen a severe revenue reduction and will need cash flow to plan and prepare for your upcoming event.
The above is by no means an exhaustive list of things to consider when choosing your event venue. Of course, finding a venue that reflects your brand, is within budget, and meets your requirements has always been a challenge. But in this post-covid world, these new factors are something to add into the mix.
Next up in our confessions series is Megan Mulholland, a Project Manager in our Public and consumer engagement team.
From the managing a crisis at the London 2012 Olympics, to creating a temporary venue in the Sierra Nevada Desert, Megan’s 10 years in the industry has been varied to say the least.
I work specifically with clients that engage with the general public and consumers, mainly within the public or financial sectors.
My day-to-day involves putting together project plans, liaising with clients, writing proposals, and going onsite (when possible!) Most of the events I run are roadshows and campaign activations. I don’t often work on conferences or private events, although in the last year things have changed slightly where face-to-face events haven’t been possible.
When it comes to engaging the general public, my clients were not sure if virtual would be suitable. But once they saw what was possible through our successes with other clients they bought into virtual, and we’re now running virtual events alongside planning for face-to-face campaigns from this summer onwards – which I’m very excited to get back to!
More recently I ran a fully virtual AGM for a financial client which was a first for them, so that really allowed me to put my virtual event experience to good use.
On crisis management
My events career started at 18, working for an exhibition stand business which involved a lot of travel around Europe which I absolutely loved. However I wanted to move into a role that required more creativity and strategy which I’ve been able to do since joining Strata.
I do enjoy the practical logistics side of things, but for me it’s key to bring that into the wider fold of why a campaign is being run in the first place.
There is a huge focus on sustainability in events which is really exciting, but also necessary. The pandemic has really highlighted that and shown how we can all be doing more to reduce our impact on the wider environment.
Building sustainability into our campaigns is now standard, and clients want to see how we can help them minimise their carbon footprint and other environmental considerations.
For me, I love the people. Being onsite and meeting new people all the time means every day is different and there is so much variety.
I also enjoy the project structure to events, as you’re working towards something which in the end you know will be rewarding. I thrive working under pressure so deadlines and critical path plans keep me focused.
Trust is vital. There is a lot of work behind the scenes that my clients are responsible for, so anything I can do to take strain and pressure away from them is how I add value. Also understanding that I am one part of a much bigger picture helps me and my clients work together to problem solve and create solutions that are right for everyone involved.
For newcomers to the industry, my biggest tip is to just go to everything. Attend every supplier event, go on FAM trips and get yourself out there. Meet people to learn about different destinations and suppliers, as networking gives you vital contacts that can really come in useful later down the line.
Dealing with the public certainly has some surprises, but I can’t really go into detail on that!
One minor debacle was when I worked on the London 2012 Olympics supporting on the sponsor suites. A client had designed their own bespoke furniture that we manufactured, but unfortunately, three days before the sponsor suites opened our supplier had a fire in their workshop completely destroying everything.
We were not prepared to accept something off-the-shelf, so we worked day and night with local suppliers and carpenters to get replacements made. So I had no sleep for four days, which aged me about 20 years, but we got it done and the client was happy!
About six years ago I ran an event for an automotive client in the Sierra Nevada Desert in Spain, and there is literally nothing there other than a racetrack.
We had to bring in everything required so installation was over two months long, but literally creating a venue from nothing was so rewarding. Creating a completely bespoke experience for your guests isn’t something you get the opportunity to do on every project, so its one that I’m really proud of.
It might sound a bit mad, but I actually love the time just before you get onsite when you’re juggling 100 different balls and have lots of spinning plates; it’s the definition of organised chaos and I thrive on it.
Some people might say this time is the most stressful as there is a lot of nervous energy. But I love the adrenaline rush that comes with it all.
If you want more from our team, head over to Amelia’s confessions.
In a recent post on virtual event learnings, we outlined how data can be your new secret weapon when it comes to evaluating your events and planning for the future.
But how do you make sure you get the right kind of valuable data that will provide strategic insights for future planning? Here we explain all, with five simple steps to using data from your events.
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web
For any communication or engagement campaign you must always start with why. What are you trying to achieve? And how will you determine success?
Maybe you’re launching a new product and want to drive enquiries, or you’re communicating new business strategies to your employees that they need to adopt. Whatever your objectives are, you need clear KPIs and objectives that you review after the event to show you have achieved what you set out to do.
So, you’ve got your objectives and KPIs – great! Now you decide the best way to track those metrics, and what processes you will put in place to capture the right data. Virtual events have given us the opportunity to track fantastic engagement statistics, but most of the time you need to dig a little deeper than number of logins and viewing time.
Take the example of communicating new business strategies to employees. You could ask everyone what they learnt from the session, or what processes they will adopt moving forward in response to the new strategies.
The key is balancing the right data you need, with what your audience are prepared to provide you with – i.e. don’t give them a lengthy survey to complete. Make sure your data capture mechanisms are effective.
Capture opinions throughout the experience, design a compelling feedback survey, or if you’re lucky, the data you need can be produced at the click of a button with the right data integration systems. Virtual experiences can make this part a lot smoother for the audience, but done the right way a live experience can provide the same level of data too.
Understanding the emotional impact of an event for example, requires pre-planning and usually needs some kind of data capture before and after the experience so you can compare the two. So as live experiences return, ensuring they are digitally enabled will allow for data capture to be a seamless process for your audience.
The key is to not sideline this part when you’re too busy planning the experience itself. Remember, without this data you won’t know if all your hard work has paid off.
You’ve designed a lovely survey and built-in feedback mechanisms, but you need to ensure your audience engage with these and give you their valuable opinions.
Crucially, make sure your data capture is timely. Ask for feedback immediately after, or better yet live as the experience is happening. Doing this ensures the feedback is accurate, but also gives you the best chance of getting the data, as you’re audience are already there in front of you. Providing an incentive to giving feedback always works well, but usually if you engage your audience at the right time you should see results.
Remember though, the true impacts of some experiences are measured over time, so not everything can be done instantly.
So now you have lots of lovely data, well done you! But simply looking at it isn’t enough. You need to put it to work. This is where dashboards and reports come into their own, and help you to understand what your data is telling you.
Review your KPIs and determine if you’ve succeeded with your objectives. Did your messages sink in? Have you had an increase in product sales?
This part is surprising a lot of people at the moment. As clients are seeing that virtual experiences are often achieving the same satisfaction scores as their live counterparts. If this is the case you need to ask yourself, what do your audience actually value, and what kind of experience will provide that best?
If all is well, you have lots of green ticks against your KPIs and everything was success. But if you didn’t quite hit your targets then your data can still provide valuable insights, as looking at what didn’t go so well will allow you to adjust your plans for the future. You might even learn something unexpected.
Either way, your job doesn’t stop there, as true value from your data comes when you use it to shape your future strategies. Should you host the event again? Do you change the format? Perhaps you communicate in a completely different way. Whatever you discover, remember that your data is valuable, and needs to be treated as such, so make sure to extract every last insight you possibly can.
Ever wondered what being an event manager entails, and what the best and worst parts of the job are? We thought you might like to get to know our team a bit more, learn what makes them tick, and why they love working in this busy, creative, and sometimes crazy industry we call events.
From being a stand-in for the chef, to hosting a party at the bottom of a volcano, our Deputy Head of Event Logistics, Amelia Windsor has done it all!
I lead on larger logistics projects like conferences & incentives, and I work with the senior team to manage resource requirements and career development for our event logistics team, including leading the intern development programme. Day to day I work on client pitches, line manage members of the team, and have responsibility for one of our key client accounts.
Logistics touches every department so I work with everyone! Large projects mean complex plans, so I work closely with all teams across the business such as production, creative studio, finance of course, and the warehouse team. Away from events I also work with the sales & marketing team by supporting on pitches, and attending industry events on behalf of Strata.
Sustainability is at the forefront of the process now, particularly after recent events. Working with my team we make sure we give options to our clients to make their experiences more sustainable, even when being delivered virtually. Hybrid and virtual events have an obvious lower environmental impact, but there is still very much a place for sustainability across the entire planning process. Everything from build materials, to catering and travel has an impact, and our clients are asking for more ways to offset their carbon footprint. Looking at ways to reduce carbon emissions or how you can offset your footprint are now a given in the brief response.
Keep calm.
Things change or can even go wrong very quickly in a live environment, as so much is out of your control. Something that makes someone excel in this industry is the ability to stay calm and work out a solution.
I work better under pressure, otherwise I’m an excellent procrastinator. I love a list, and working to thorough project plans means everyone involved knows the state of play. I’m also realistic with my time pressures, so if I know a project needs additional resource then I work with the senior team to arrange that. There is no weakness in acknowledging when you’re too busy, so ask for help and don’t be afraid to say no.
I fell into events, as back in Australia I originally started my career as a producer on a breakfast radio show. But I had the opportunity to start a new position at the Australian Institute of Sport, looking after Olympic & National sporting teams, and coordinating things like their travel, catering and accommodation. This suited my anal personality perfectly and I was instantly hooked. (I also enjoyed telling people what to do!)
I love working with lots of other creative people. My favourite projects are those that require team work and collaboration.
The lead up to an event is so exciting, knowing all your hard work will culminate into an amazing experience for the audience, that you created, is so rewarding. A lot of our work really is creative and magical, and you get to create once in a lifetime experiences for people.
I even had someone on an incentive ski trip before who have never even seen snow! Seeing people’s pure delight makes all the hard work so worthwhile.
I’m straightforward and trustworthy, so I don’t over promise when I know something isn’t realistic. So when I say I’ll deliver something, my clients know that my word has value.
The Sea Containers in London is stunning. We’ve hosted an annual press event there for a number of years and it’s just so beautifully designed. Plus you get impeccable service and it has a strong ethos behind it.
Costa Rica, as it’s completely different to anywhere else I’ve been before. They say “Pura Vida”, which means “pure life” but it represents so much more in their way of life. The scenery is stunning, with beaches and rainforests making it a fantastic destination for incentives, but as a country it is very sustainable and is in fact one of the world leaders in recycling. So if you’re looking for an innovative and sustainable destination then consider Costa Rica.
My most memorable event was a press launch in Iceland (the country, not the shop). The product being promoted was a camera, so we designed the whole experience to be photo worthy throughout. As well as doing the traditional Icelandic activities, we worked with the local DMC to host a private party at the bottom of a volcano just outside of Reykjavik – something you’d never get to do as a tourist. It was truly stunning and one of those parties that literally went on through the night!
This is followed closely by an incentive in South Africa we hosted a couple of years ago. Some of the winners hadn’t even been outside of the UK before, so taking them on their first trip with a Safari was such a privilege.
I once had to step in at the last minute to run an awards gala dinner. When I got there for the briefing with the caterer it was clear they were ill prepared and unexperienced. As a result, service for the first course took 25 minutes, and despite my best efforts working with the waiting staff, the main service was even worse, resulting in a very unhappy client. However the catering manager was not best pleased with the feedback and walked out along with the head chef before completing dessert service! So I had to don the chef hat, plate up 500 desserts, and coordinate the waiting staff to get the service finished without a glitch. Never again will I shout at a catering manager.
Hands down it’s the travel. Right now it’s on hold of course, but we know it will make a come back soon enough as there is a hunger for everyone to get out and see the world again – myself included!
The medium of virtual events is here to stay, and whether you are reinventing something that is usually an in-person experience, or planning a brand new virtual event, there are a lot of things you need to build into your planning to ensure a successful virtual event for your brand. These 12 tips are not an exhaustive list of course, but make sure you consider them for your next virtual project.
Put your audience at the focus of everything you are doing. Make your content relevant to your brand so your audience can relate to it. The magic formula pleases all your stakeholders, but your target audience are the most important.
No one needs to be trained on how to turn up to a conference room (you’d hope!), but they might need it for a virtual platform they have never used before. Allow for this in your comms and if necessary, host a training session.
Engagement can be trickier in a virtual environment, so you have to plan ways to facilitate this. Have live polls, Q&A, chat rooms, surveys, and breakout sessions to make it easier for your audience to engage. Think seminar, not lecture.
Bring some fun to your virtual event by adding a game or competition. Give your audience a photo challenge or host a quick-fire quiz to test who is listening – prizes bring out the competitor in everyone!
Presenting virtually is completely different to standing in front of a live audience so make sure your speakers are well briefed, and ideally well-rehearsed too. Looking down the camera is powerful.
Timing is everything. Too long and you lose engagement, too short and your message doesn’t land, so prioritise your content & make every minute valuable. We recommend 45mins-1.5hrs max for a live internal update.
Use a variety of content channels to appeal to everyone. Feature key messages in your main broadcast, but supporting content can be delivered through downloadable assets to keep the conversation going.
Pre-recorded film features allow you to add value to your content – for example, seeing a product in situ rather than static in a studio. Use video where you need to so your audience see more than just your speakers living room.
Whether it’s with a celeb guest appearance, a unique online platform that your audience hasn’t seen before, or content that blows them away. Whatever the method – make your virtual event memorable & unique.
You need good content AND a user friendly format to make your message easy to reach & engage your audience. Don’t sacrifice one for the other when it comes to planning.
Your objectives must inform every planning decision you make. For instance, if you want your audience to connect with each other, you need a platform suited for networking rather than a broadcast format. Remember what you’re aiming for and you’ll deliver the best end results.
In such a serious climate at the moment, and with limited time, it can be easy to forget the fun. Plan in ice breakers or have something ‘just for fun’ running, whilst everyone logs on – a recent micebook event had a DJ spooney set to keep us entertained!
If you need more virtual event tips then check out our other blog posts below or contact us for more information.
How to kick start your virtual 2021
Four learnings from delivering virtual events
Protecting your brand at virtual events
Whether it’s your end of year company update, sales kick off for 2021, or just an opportunity to engage your staff – employee events look a little different right now.
Your business objectives will drive the agenda, but what’s true of any employee event, and even more so today, is to use this opportunity to make your workforce feel more connected, more valued and more inspired.
So, how do you deliver on these crucial objectives when your event is virtual and your people are the other side of the screen?
From registration onwards, aim to co-create content, crowd source ideas, and give everyone a voice. Anything can be built into the right virtual platform, capturing questions, feedback, or even content like self shot videos from speakers or delegates. It’s never been a better time to make the content inclusive and why not step back from the traditional top down communication. After all, everyone has a smart phone…
The more your staff are involved, the more relevant and impactful your content will be. Peer to peer communication is hugely credible. It doesn’t have to be entirely business related either – allow staff to curate their own music playlist, or share photos that summed up their 2020 experiences – and link through your social channels in the build up to the live event to drive engagement and conversation.
We’re all stuck at our desks / kitchen tables / spare room at the moment, so set challenges to get everyone up and moving as part of your opening welcome. Set the tone, reenergise, and get everyone focused before you hit them with in-depth content. We recently had fitness guru Joe Wicks host an exclusive virtual workout session for a client event, to tap into healthy bodies and healthy minds, as its proven to improve productivity, stimulate creativity and reduce stress.
Networking has always been a benefit of face to face events – don’t forget to make time for this virtually. Make it part of the agenda and purposefully bring people together who wouldn’t normally engage with each other. Keep the networking groups small and inspire them with common goals or topics to share. Many virtual platforms provide ‘match making’ features to link likeminded people together and having smaller group discussions allow for better virtual networking.
Provide something tangible that goes beyond the screen. We create and ship out event kits for our client’s virtual events that include things like activities, food and drink, and even a surprise to be opened onscreen. These added touches brings the event to life for your audience.
We help our clients create impactful virtual experiences, so get in touch if you want to kick start your next virtual event.
We’ve been delivering virtual events & digital experiences for over 20 years, but nothing prepared us for the changes that we’ve seen during 2020. Virtual events have grown exponentially, and the demand from our clients to deliver online experiences has skyrocketed. Whether it’s a virtual incentive weekend, online training platform, or digital brand experience, we’ve delivered it in 2020.
So, to help you create successful virtual events for your brand, we are sharing some of our top learnings on all things virtual.
The creator of TED, Chris Anderson, said their 18-minute talks are ‘long enough to be serious and short enough to hold people’s attention’. Well, they must be doing something right as their top video has been viewed over 52 million times.
With live events we’re used to filling an agenda to the brim but when it comes to virtual you must flip that process on its head and condense your whole agenda into bitesize pieces of content that are 45 minutes or less. This does not mean the whole event has to be that short, but you might need to split it over a few sessions or days to cover everything off. This allows for content to be digestible and provides a platform for ongoing communication.
As with any communication, start with your objectives and your content hierarchy will fall into place. Supplement topics can be delivered through downloadable content if appropriate, but keep the live element engaging and timely.
Audience data has always been invaluable. And now, by embracing virtual event technology you can improve your event performance.
If having a high event attendance, but low a feedback survey response rate sounds familiar to you, then you will love the possibilities of data capture & analysis that virtual platforms bring.
The right platform provides 100% measurement of user behaviour without them ever having to answer a question. You can measure attendance by the second and ascertain how well individual pieces of content performed. Did your audience watch the whole session? Or did they duck out after the sales figures?
The data you obtain from these systems enable highly accurate performance analysis, so you can learn and make improvements right away. This is why a lot of brands are choosing virtual event platforms, even if the content is pre-recorded. Viewing numbers alone do not prove engagement. But with the right virtual event platform you can prove your event ROI in real-time and have the power to analyse and improve everything you deliver.
Moving away from live broadcasts allows for more freedom and creativity in your content, and the audience get to see more than a static studio. For example, you can shoot on location real-life product features, and have full control over the final edit in advance.
In today’s world, reducing risk factors when delivering events is high on the priority list. Using pre-recorded content adds an additional layer of control and reduces the risk of presenters being unavailable, or unexpected restrictions causing problems on the day of your planned broadcast.
Live broadcasts do obviously have a place in virtual events, and there is no right and wrong approach to this. But you have to balance the value of your content with the right level of live interactivity for your audience.
In recent months virtual platforms have boomed, not least those that create virtual 3D worlds you can experience using a personalised avatar. These online worlds make virtual communication and networking quirky and creative. However, before you sign up for one to host your next virtual event, make sure the user interface is suitable for your audience and straight forward.
As with any event – be it virtual or face to face – the user experience is a vital part of the events success. It does not matter how good your content is, if your audience doesn’t engage with the platform, they will never see it.
So, remember to choose a user interface that facilitates your event objectives, but is appropriate for your audience and one they will buy into.
For years, the events industry has delivered exceptional standards of production for conferences around the world. For a live conference you would not accept a mic cutting in and out, so why accept it on a virtual one?!
We have all become far too accustomed to seeing pixelated live streams, and presenters in their bedroom with the occasional interruption from the dog barking at the postman. But just because right now its deemed acceptable to get away with slack presentation standards, doesn’t mean you should. Particularly, when your brands reputation is at stake.
100% of responses to our recent poll answered ‘YES’ when asked “Does bad production quality of a virtual event reduce your engagement?” So quality production is essential to a successful virtual event.
Whether you are delivering a formal presentation to your employees, shooting a consumer video, or sharing company updates with your shareholders, the virtual experience should still showcase your brand and align with its standards of quality.
Here are some ways you can make sure your brand is protected when delivering virtual events.
Use a studio set up
For a live event you would put together a fully branded stage production. Why approach a virtual event any differently? TV studio style production is understandably the approach many brands are taking right now, as it allows for the most professional set up.
Using multiple camera angles makes the viewers experience more dynamic as their view regularly changes, giving them something new to look at which helps keep engaging high. Also, having a branded studio with your speakers in one place minimises distractions, and gives you more control over what your audience is seeing.
You obviously need to consider the safety factors if bringing speakers to one location, so this option depends on individual circumstances as to whether it’s suitable.
Presenting at home
You may have a very limited budget, or you have speakers from all around the globe meaning it is not practical for a studio style set up. No matter, there are still multiple things you can do to ensure your presentations are aligned with your brand.
Play director. Just as a film director would, look through the camera of your speaker setting and check what you can see. Adjust the camera angle, and make sure the background is tidy and free from distractions. Ideally speakers should be in a quiet and private environment to minimise the risk of interruptions.
Depending on your content and the brand, it may or may not be appropriate for speakers to subtly showcase some personality in their background, for example through particular books on the shelf, or with their favourite piece of art on the wall. Review this with each of your speakers and agree the background setting for their presentation.
Or for an even more professional production at home, you can of course ship some recording equipment & branded kit to each presenter in advance, so they have their very own mini studio. This protects the quality of the content captured but keeps the personality behind the speakers. This is a popular approach many brands are taking as it ensures the brand is positioned with quality production but keeps the personality behind the speakers.
Brief your speakers
Presenting virtually is a whole different experience compared to standing up in front of a room of people and speaking live to a real audience. Most of the time, with virtual presentations, speakers cannot see their audience, so they have no reactions to bounce off. This sometimes results in monotone presentations that lack energy and come across no different to a pre-recorded message.
This can be tackled by efficient speaker training from both a technical, and delivery perspective. Making sure your speakers know how the software works, when they will be cued up, and tips on how to bring in some flair will all help the presentations to land successfully, and of course the content be the focus.
Bring in support
Just as you would for a live event, your onstage speaker cannot be the only person there to help deliver the experience. The speaker needs to focus on their content and engaging the audience, not making sure the live stream is working, or regulating questions. Tech support, as well as a speaker host are both vital, as the tolerance for time lags in virtual events is so small.
Remember, your virtual event is the face of your brand today, so it’s even more important to deliver a professional production. At Strata we have delivered hundreds of digitally enabled projects with broadcast quality production and world class technical expertise. So, if you need help to deliver your next virtual event to professional standards then get in touch.
Reward high performers with a unique weekend of inclusive experiences from the comfort and safety of their own home.
Have you had to hold off on delivering your planned incentive programmes due to the events of 2020? Or perhaps your staff have gone above and beyond in recent months and you’d like to recognise that. Lucky for you, virtual incentives are now a reality, and as part of the ‘new normal’ we find ourselves in, rewarding staff through an online experience can still deliver the WOW factor.
For over half the year now, sales teams have been missing out on previously promised rewards, with no new date in sight anytime soon. Virtual events and experiences have seen a massive increase in uptake understandably, so why not turn your planned incentive reward experience, into a virtual one, and deliver it now without further delay.
With virtual incentives the sky really is the limit. Budget that usually would be blown on travel and accommodation can be reallocated to A-List celebrity appearances, bespoke virtual seminars and personalised deliveries that all combine to create a unique, at home experience that is safe, timely, and cancellation proof.
We’ve been delivering a lot of virtual experiences recently – read more about our most recent virtual experience here – so we thought we would share our top tips with you for creating your own at home reward experience .
Know your winners
Of course, with a live incentive trip you would always speak to your winners in advance and make sure you were catering to their individual needs and requirements. So, any virtual experience will need to be as bespoke but in a slightly different way. What space do winners need to take part in any activities? If you are cooking for example, do they have a suitable kitchen? If winners have children, pets or other people at home will they be able to take part still? Could you adapt any activities to allow other people in the house to get involved? These are all things to consider when choosing your activities. It is definitely not a one size fits all approach to a virtual incentive itinerary, and it needs to be completely tailored to each group of winners.
Don’t forget the tech
You probably don’t need to allocate a large part of the budget to high spec production of video content if everyone is watching it on a small laptop screen, but you need to make sure the content delivers well, and the user experience is straight forward. Whatever tech you’re using, the key is to have it all hosted from one central place, such as a webapp. This create a user-friendly experience, that facilitates conversation, interaction, and one single location to view the content from.
And as always, test, test, and test again!
Content is king, but so is engagement
You may have the best activity schedule with anything, and everything needed for a jam-packed weekend of fun and frolics. But if your activities don’t help to bring the group together and allow for time to socialise – albeit through a web camera – then you aren’t creating a shared experience. Make sure your hosts & speakers are specialists in delivering virtual content. Presenting online through a webcam is a very different task to getting up and speaking in person to a room of people sat in front of you. Brief your hosts and speakers well and, if necessary, provide training.
Get social
So much of the joy on an incentive trip is from sharing unique experiences with others that helps to form new friendships with colleagues. Its challenging to translate that online, but you can still facilitate social interaction. As we have all experienced recently through zoom quizzes, it is noisy if you have more than a few people on a group chat! So, running smaller intimate breakout activities, or even setting up virtual dinner tables with up to 6 people at each, will allow for easier conversation to flow between everyone to break the ice.
Add the wow factor
Again, you need to know your audience here to make sure you hit the spot for their interests and tastes. Of course, celebrity experiences with opportunities for online 121s with famous faces and idols is one way to hit the mark.
Also adding a surprise element with something out of the ordinary, like you usually might do on a traditional incentive, will help to deliver the unique experience that is expected with a hard-earned incentive prize. Remember the purpose is to reward hard-work, and motivate for the future.
It can’t all be virtual
You will undoubtedly need some physical element to the experience in order to facilitate activities, and really create a full sensory experience for the winners to enjoy. Incentive trips usually revolve around fabulous food and drink, so a virtual weekend should be no different.
You can also provide additional items & gifts to create an ‘incentive at home’ experience in the form of an upscaled swag bag.
Balance your itinerary
Just as you would with a traditional trip, you need to factor in downtime to the schedule to make sure the experience is relaxed, and not a regimented ‘plan of fun’.
When it comes to virtual experiences it can be easy to forget your winners have at home lives they are in amongst, whilst joining the various sessions. So additional downtime and breaks need to be planned in.
There are many more elements that are needed to create a successful virtual incentive experience, but we are keeping the rest to ourselves for now! So, if you are considering rewarding your staff and need more tips and ideas for activities, then get in touch to see how we can help.
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