TOP Online Events 2020

The sales boosters 2020 were digital trends and opened up a number of new opportunities and potentials for event agencies. Anyone who has waited too long for a “back to normal” has missed the time. A time in which online meetings and digital congresses became the norm and the demands on the organizers are increasing.

It is getting more and more difficult to know all the tools that are springing up like mushrooms. Because there are significantly more than a handful of really good providers for interactive online platforms.

Interaction – that is the word of the hour. Because even without being live and in color at the event, every client wants to take their audience with them and inspire them.

In this blog we would like to introduce you to our TOP Online Events 2020, which particularly impressed us.

But first we ask ourselves what a digital event needs to bring in order not to lose any participants. To achieve the miracle that all guests stay from the beginning until the finale.

 

Personalization on several levels

The most important quality of a digital event is knowing what the participants want – our event can only be successful if we meet the needs of the visitors. For example, what does a controller do in digital sales coaching? It could rather be that his mind doesn’t feel picked up at all. Accordingly, we have to collect all the data in advance that we need for an individualization to our target group and highlight the benefit. For this, data intelligence plays a decisive role: Analyzing participant data and understanding how and why an event is successful will also be decisive for the competition this year.

 

Communication and interaction

During the event, it is extremely important to be in touch with the participants at all time and to respond directly to any questions and comments. This creates an appreciation and the participants feel that they are a part of the event. If you ask a question, it is best for the speaker to respond to this question immediately. Otherwise it disappears in “Chat Nirvana” and the questioner does not feel noticed.

Interaction is the key to online success! Nobody likes to listen to lectures lasting for hours – it’s important that interactive tools are built in. Use the swarm intelligence, everyone will contribute to the success of the event.

 

Apps and external tools

Digital tools and apps create new possibilities and permanently change the event experience of the participants. There are countless tools and apps with which events can become more exciting and the attention of the participants can be kept longer. Let’s not fool ourselves. When you sit at your desk, you also like to check your emails and / or social media on your smartphone. So why not use it for communication in a targeted manner? The apps can be used, for example, for admission management, communication, networking or for gamification of the event.

In conclusion, it can be said that the best online events are those that focus on the participants.

At which events, in our opinion, this was implemented very well in 2020, we will tell you now…

 

Clara’s best online experience:

A virtual FamTrip to Riga with Goal Events and DMC Collection

I went on my first digital FamTrip in June 2020 and was a bit skeptical at first. I already heard from my colleagues that this type of online event often only shows and presents PowerPoint presentations. booooooring!

That’s why I didn’t have high expectations and settled for an hour of passive listening.

When it started, I quickly realized that it was not going to be boring at all but that I was facing a new experience.

At the beginning of the FamTrip, Silvija from Goal Events in Riga welcomed us and gave us a short program preview. Great, it was clear to everyone what was planned for the next hour. And then it started – across Riga. Different suppliers were distributed in different places all over Riga and Silvija switched there live. A tour of the Radisson Hotel Blu Latvija took place. Or a quick visit to the beach. Or a show cooking or a vodka tasting in front of a former Soviet bunker with two officers in disguise who sang “Kalinka” with us. We had to imagine the vodka at the agency ?

At the end there were questions about what had been seen. Which quickly led to people listening carefully. Another fun fact: after the virtual trip, the Roadgames app continued. In this app one found a city map of Riga, on which various tasks could be seen that still had to be solved.

And those who could solve most of the tasks in 10 minutes won two flights with airBaltic to Riga.

Something like that is of course motivating – I was the lucky one in the end and hopefully can redeem my prize soon!

 

Christina’s TOP 1:

Immersive Escape Game by Dresden Secrets

An online escape game? That didn’t convince us at first.

But the game of Dresden Secrets was put together very cool. Conclusion: it was the best interactive online event that I have participated in so far and therefore definitely one of my TOP online events 2020!

At the beginning there was the usual getting to know each other about Zoom and of course there had to be an introduction to the game. Afterwards the Christmas online team building startes immediately.

Game idea: someone stole Santa’s presents. Find the thief and save Christmas!

 

Divided into small groups, 3 documents were provided for the tasks with which the search had to begin independently.

There were many exciting twists and turns and surprises in the two-hour adventure. From spying on various e-mail inboxes and hacking the accounts of individual characters through various Google research, determining melodies to writing e-mails or “buying” merch articles, all the possibilities of the Internet were used.

After a really entertaining 2 hours we caught the thief at the North Pole and thus saved Christmas.

The Dresden Secrets team was always at our side with advice and action during our search and without revealing too much, they always led the teams back to the right track.

Afterwards we exchanged ideas in the large group (approx. 70 people) about the experiences and the learning in the smaller groups. This created a completely different basis for networking and exchanging ideas.

 

Romains winner:

A congress over several days via the Gather.town platform

One of my TOP Online Events 2020 took place over four weeks with 200 guests: every Sunday in August, well-known keynotes from the immersive entertainment industry spoke about their services and experiences.

All participants connected via Gather.town, where they could explore the rooms and interact with each other with their own avatar.

A special gadget was the possibility of connecting the participants to each other via camera. Just like at a live event, you could meet in rooms and talk to each other there.

There was also a designed conference room – anyone who took a seat online was automatically redirected to a virtual zoom room in which the keynote speaker was on stage and giving his lecture.

I was so excited about the event because the tool was just so different! In addition to the playful approach, a lot of knowledge was imparted and the quality of the entire event was very exceptional due to the speakers. In addition, the sponsors could introduce themselves interactively, which in turn led to a different perception.

The graphics of the tool are very thoughtful, you can design everything individually. When customizing a company event, for example, creative event corners can be designed so that the guests can always discover new features and it never gets boring even during the breaks.

I worked with Gather.town immediately after this event because I am convinced of the software. Based on the experience I have made, I can recommend the tool and there will certainly be another collaboration in 2021.

 

Karin’s No 1 in digital workshops:

Live videos with Alisha Belluga

Since November I have become a real fan of online workshops! Especially when the coach is Alisha Belluga. Her live sessions are so full of energy and coolness that you never stop thinking about it. This is not a rewinding of charts, used several times. When Alisha goes live, she’s really “live”. Because she deals spontaneously and intuitively with the topics the workshop is supposed to convey. And still not loses the thread. I always wonder how she does it … Maybe with a lot of post ist sticking to her computer …? Alisha answers questions from the audience, gets to the heart of things very specifically, uses mind maps to develop solutions, which she fills with content during the live session and demands a lot of reflection from her audience.

This is how I imagine online workshops!

Alisha’s program made a lasting impression on me and shaped my approach this year. The thoughts she implements, for example in the Identity Bootcamp, put you completely out of your comfort zone. And that’s what is in demand in 2021!

 

Now we are interested in your TOP Online Events 2020 and, above all, what made them so special for you. Write us on facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Xing, our website or use the following contact form:

 

Because one thing is also essential in 2021: togetherness and learning together. Learning from what changed the world in 2020 and what will continue the disruption in 2021.

Do we walk the the path together?