The Problem With Virtual Events

Are you Zoomed out? Had your fill of webinars? Well, you’re not alone. As the conference and events industry has pivoted to virtual gatherings, it’s become increasingly apparent how unfamiliar many meeting sponsors and speakers are with the digital stage.

Since the COVID-19 lockdown, I’ve attended several such events (as an audience member) and, well… let’s just say there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Most of the events were marked by technical glitches that should have been prevented with good, thorough preparation. (One major event even managed to mess up the posting of pre-recorded segments. I understand that livestreams are a bit of a wildcard, but to not nail the pre-recorded sessions — how does that even happen?)

What’s worse, though, is that even when the A/V platforms were chugging along perfectly, the presenters weren’t.

There were mind-numbing PowerPoint slides. (Granted, that can happen at live events, too — but, boy, it sure feels more painful online.) There were physical printouts held up awkwardly to webcams as visual aids, eliciting a flurry of chat box complaints from viewers who couldn’t make out the documents.