Are you Considering Hosting a Virtual Event? Here are 9 Must-Have Skills:
Are you Considering Hosting a Virtual Event? Here are 9 Must-Have Skills:
Event planners and facilitators are multifaceted individuals with an array of talents. If you aren’t tenacious and ready for a challenge, event planning may not be for you. In order to be an effective event planner, you must be organized, tenacious, adaptable, flexible, technology savvy, data-driven, creative, and dedicated to customer service. In short, you won’t succeed if you’re a one trick pony. Planning an event will require you to play on your strengths and adapt quickly where you fall short. There’s little to no room for error and you must be willing to embrace challenges and rise in the face of adversity.
- Organizational and Management Skills
The most effective event planners and facilitators have excellent organizational and management skills. They are incredibly detail oriented, know how to build out a thorough plan, and capable of sticking to chaotic schedules, and have what it takes to stay within budget. To execute large-scale global events for hybrid and virtual audiences, the best event planners use project management and other organizational software to keep tabs on every critical piece of information pertaining to the event. Whether they need to reference a past conversation with a keynote speaker or source a contract for a sponsor, they waste no time putting their finger on what they need because they know exactly where it is at all times.
If you’re considering hosting a virtual event but lack organizational and project management skills, it may be time to reevaluate. With so many different responsibilities and constant competing priorities, you must be able to effectively manage your time and pay attention to the smallest of details without losing your cool or derailing your plan. Staying organized and on track without losing sight of the bigger picture is key.
- Adaptability and Flexibility
No amount of planning and preparation guarantees perfection. While planning and preparation may decrease the risk of potential challenges, it doesn’t eliminate the risk all together. Experienced event planners understand all too well that things rarely go according to plan which is why adaptability and flexibility are crucial.
Whether your budget changes, your guest speaker backs out, or your technology fails, you have to be willing and ready to adapt and pivot. Not only are the most successful virtual event planners and facilitators expert planners, but they are also solution-oriented and ready to pivot at the drop of a dime. Remaining open-minded and optimistic are two irrevocable characteristics of successful virtual event planners.
- Technology Savvy
In the world of virtual events, being technologically savvy is more important than ever. Event planners, facilitators and hosts must possess a great deal of knowledge on virtual, hybrid, and in-person event management software, CRM and marketing automation tools that integrate with event software, and omnichannel strategies that deliver consistent experiences across all mediums before, during, and after every virtual event.
- Communication Skills
Strong communications are a must for virtual event planners. Not only are they responsible for facilitating the event from the ground up and completing tasks like sourcing sponsors, and guest speakers, but they are also responsible for marketing the event and communicating value to the intended audience. Event planners and facilitators must be exceptional communications from ideation to fruition meaning they must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills to communicate with all parties involved before, during, and after the event.
- Dedication to Client Service
As the age old saying goes, the customer is always right. Being willing to go above and beyond to please both the client, and attendees is a must for any successful event planner. Phrases that prove your dedication to client service include Not a problem, Let me see what I can do, Absolutely, and My pleasure. Going above and beyond will exude professionalism, respect, and care to the client, key stakeholders, management, and event attendees. It’s important to remember that your determination to make the event a success will not go unnoticed.
- Growth Mindset
Over the past couple of years, many event planners have had to redefine what it means to host an event. Many event planners started out their planning journey when events took place in person and had to pivot when the world largely shifted to embrace virtual or hybrid models. In order to thrive, event planners had to pivot and embrace a growth mindset. While this may not be true for everyone that is hosting a virtual or hybrid event, event planners face many daily challenges nonetheless. Embracing a growth mindset will ensure you don’t shy away when a challenge rears its ugly head. Instead of backing down in the face of adversity, you must embrace challenges with open arms and be willing and able to source and implement timely solutions.
- Data-driven and Analytical
Talented event planners and facilitators are data-driven and analytical by nature. At the end of each event, they analyze post-event reporting to assess what worked and what didn’t and use those insights to plan for future success. Rather than make decisions based on a gut feeling, planners use data to make informed decisions. Event organizers also set goals and KPIs for each event and reflect on what they could do better next time if they didn’t achieve the outcomes they hoped for. Taking this approach will ensure you learn from your failures and prioritize iteration as you strive for success.
- Networking Savvy
All the best event planners are expert networkers. When they aren’t planning events, they are cultivating relationships that help them take their events to new heights. Whether it be chatting up potential sponsors, connecting with a mixologist that may be interested in hosting a virtual class at their next event, or learning from other event planners in the industry, event planners are always networking and looking for ways to level up their next big event. The events industry is heavily people-driven and relationship-based. So, you’ll need a great network of diverse event professionals to make your event a success. You’ll be surprised how often you will call upon your network to make sure that your events offer each and every attendee an exceptional experience.
- Creative Thinking
Clients and attendees alike will look to you for creative, cutting-edge ideas and it’s your job to make them happy. Event planners like yourself must be exceptionally creative, particularly as we shift to a hybrid and virtual world. By being a holistic event planner that thinks outside the box and considers all aspects of an event, you will be able to increase your chances of hosting a successful event that pleases and engages guests. Anything that you can do to stand out from a crowded events industry is crucial.
For event planners who spent years planning in-person events, creativity manifests in the form of a unique event venue, extravagant entertainment, endless swag, or innovative stage design. For virtual and hybrid events, however, creativity comes in different forms. Here are some questions creative event planners have to consider:
- How do I deliver a meaningful and comparable digital and in-person experience?
- How do I keep virtual attendees engaged and connected to in-person attendees?
- How do I get virtual attendees to show up at the event live?
- How do I help virtual attendees feel like they’re part of the event and not just attending another webinar?
Get Creative with Remo
With Remo, you can finally create virtual events that are just as engaging as n-person interactions. This one-of-a-kind immersive virtual event and meeting platform empowers event hosts or facilitators like yourself to recreate natural interactions in any type of gatherings, from global networking events to virtual meetings between colleagues.
Where other telecommunication tools make it possible for you to host virtual networking events, Remo empowers you to take your event to new heights by creating customized virtual environments and unlocking access to intuitive tools that level up the experience. For the first time ever, you can create a captivating virtual environment specifically for your virtual networking event and keep your audience engaged with exclusive features.
With Remo, you can:
- Create unique environments that foster communication and collaboration.
- Craft virtual gathering spaces that are both functional and visually appealing.
- Create designs with no creative limits that align with your virtual networking event.
We’re transforming the way people around the world experience virtual events by humanizing online interactions and we want you and your guests to experience it firsthand. Interested in optimizing your virtual experiences? Get started with your FREE TRIAL today or click here to learn more about how Remo can help you create the best possible experience for your guests.
