How online events can save businesses time and money beyond Covid-19

Hosting meetings and seminars virtually could become the new normal for businesses, says Manar Al Hinai

An increasing number of employers are now acknowledging the effectiveness of online training courses. Reuters

If the Covid-19 crisis has taught us anything, it’s how much time and money we could save by moving events online. One of the biggest challenges I faced before the pandemic hit was finding enough time to attend all the business events I wanted to across the UAE.

However, once the coronavirus took hold and we had to work remotely, we discovered that we could still attend meetings and seminars from the comfort of our homes. It meant I was able to attend workshops to develop my professional career and be present for up to three events per day – something that would have been almost impossible to achieve prior to the pandemic.

An increasing number of employers are now acknowledging the effectiveness of online training courses, and how they could develop their employees without sending them abroad to attend classes.

As we slowly head back to our normal work routine, I expect online events to become part of the new normal, especially once their extensive reach potential and economic efficiency are realised. But as with any successful venture, there are some key things to keep in mind when organising and sustaining online events:

Plan ahead 

Provide your invitees with enough time to schedule in your event. One week's notice is ideal, but don't give them more than two weeks' notice to ensure you don’t lose the excitement. Share the event on all your social media channels, as well as through email and text message. I've found WhatsApp is an effective way to reach my contacts when planning online events, as they are always on the app. Also, share the flyer on your social media channels a few times to ensure nobody misses it.

Get the timing right

While some events can last an hour, others can stretch to four hours or more depending on the type of event. Seminars or workshops, for example, can take a long time. If it's a talk where you are hosting a guest speaker, then 45 minutes to an hour is the ideal length of time. A speaker could discuss a topic for 30 minutes and the remainder of time could be allocated to a Q&A session. People don't like to give up too much of their time and you want to make it comfortable to watch, particularly as many people tune in from their phones.

Pick the right channel

Apps like Zoom allow you to host more than 1,000 people, while some organisations prefer Instagram or Facebook Live. Whatever channel you choose, make sure it’s easily accessible, appeals to your target audience group and does not require a download fee in order for them to attend. People can be discouraged when an application requires a fee for it to be downloaded. Also, as many tend to sign up to an event and then forget about it, send a reminder on the day or a day before with a link to the session in case they have accidentally deleted the details.

Share the schedule

Make sure attendees know how the session will flow and try to be punctual. You could wait up to two minutes for late arrivals, but then start. Depending on the platform you are hosting your event on, welcome people to the session as you would in any offline event, and make sure they know what is coming up.

You could dedicate the first session to the guest speaker’s talk and then open the floor for a Q&A. Walk your attendees through the Q&A session, explaining how they can ask questions whether it's through the chat room or directly. The session is also the ideal opportunity to promote your brand by telling those that have signed in to follow your social media channels to stay up-to-date with news, and to advertise future events.

Online events offer a unique way to keep business on track even during the toughest times, but as we move into the next phase of the pandemic it could save you money and time to focus on other aspects of your business.

Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur, who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi