Many organizations find themselves transitioning from in-person to virtual events in order to deliver opportunities for education, training, networking, fundraising, and more. With the vast shift to virtual events, new solutions are being introduced to the market while existing event technology vendors are experiencing a spike in onboarding new customers and platform usage. Researching and evaluating the quality, features, bandwidth, and security of virtual event technology requires a vetted process to ensure the success of your organization’s investment.
Our Process
We help organizations define core business objectives, evaluate available options, develop a plan and successfully deploy virtual event technology solutions.
Define Core Business Objectives
Before thinking about technology, we work with your organization to define your core business objectives by understanding what the primary business drivers are for the events. This is helpful to determine if, and how, a virtual event will achieve your goals. Primary business drivers can include, but are not limited to:
- General education or training
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for certifications
- Networking opportunities
- Exposure for vendors and sponsors
Our team then helps you establish a defined budget and business metrics to meet your organization’s virtual event needs. By conducting a readiness assessment, evaluating past events, and creating goals for future virtual offerings, a plan to measure success is created.
Evaluate and Select a Virtual Event Technology
The evaluation stage involves assessing the core capabilities required to execute a successful event with the event technology offerings available, and the organization’s readiness to implement them.
Example of Core Capabilities:
- Plenary and keynote sessions
- Break out of educational sessions
- Virtual tradeshow or product locators
- Real time video conferencing of attendees
- Participant polling and interaction
We take on the evaluation criteria and scoring mechanisms used to screen appropriate products. Product demonstrations are then arranged for key staff members and a solution that aligns with business objectives is selected.
Develop an Implementation Plan
Our team develops a critical path timeline and detailed project plan that outlines:
- Promotion and registration
- Training and orientation of staff and presenters
- Terms and conditions
- Content population
- Testing
- Guide for attendees
Develop and Deploy Virtual Event Technology Solution
Our experts address issues such as the needed IT infrastructure, systems integration, content provisioning and training and orientation of staff members and volunteers on the new solution. Finally, we deploy the solution and measure results to execute a successful virtual event for your organization.
Why Hartman for your Virtual Event Technology Strategy?
Hartman helps organizations navigate complex and ever-changing virtual event technology offerings. There are dozens of vendors who offer virtual conferencing, but upon deeper analysis, may fall short on the features that your event requires to be successful. Our team seamlessly facilitates the process of selecting a virtual event technology solution that aligns with and achieves organizational goals.