Introduction

Online conferences are something very popular today. According to Meeting Fever, 73% of employees work in a partially remote team, making virtual meetings and conferences essential. But is it that easy to create a high-quality online conference that is equal to an offline one? Actually, everything is not as easy as it seems. Organizing and holding a successful conference needs a lot of knowledge and practice.

So, if you have ever thought about how those conferences are made, and what are the main tips used during the organizational process, keep reading!

We will talk about seven extremely important tips, that will help everyone, no matter what kind of conference, no matter what it’s about, or what kind of field it is in.

Let’s move on!

1.   Choose the Right Platform

Selecting the right platform for organizing your online conference is very important. Several factors should be taken into account while choosing a suitable platform. For instance, the conference’s purpose, audience size, required features, and budget. Both paid and free platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, will help you create a perfect conference online. Of course, all of the platforms and tools are different and offer various features, so you have to examine each of them in detail. 

Let’s talk about some of these tools: 

• Zoom: An extra popular platform is Zoom. It offers an easy-to-use interface, various features, and security for your conferences. Zoom offers webinars, breakout rooms, and virtual backgrounds, making it perfect for various conference needs.

• Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams, included in Microsoft 365, makes collaboration smooth with chat, file sharing, and video calls. It enhances meetings with live captions, translation, and AI insights, ensuring interactive conferences.

• Google Meet: Google Meet, part of Google Workspace, provides a simple, reliable, and secure video conferencing experience. It’s easy to use and accessible with a Google account, eliminating the need for extra downloads. Perfect for organizers and attendees alike.

2.   Work on the Introduction 

Crafting a compelling introduction can significantly enhance your conference experience. It establishes the tone, captivates participants’ attention, and lays the foundation for what lies ahead. A great way to introduce yourself at the online conference is to create a video and make the first good impression. So, what benefits can a good introduction give to your conference? Let’s talk about some of them:

1. Grabbing Attention: A strong introduction hooks the audience and sets a positive tone for the conference.
2. Establishing Relevance: By outlining the conference’s purpose and benefits, the introduction helps participants understand its importance.
3. Building Connection: A personal introduction fosters rapport between speakers and attendees, facilitating meaningful interactions.
4. Setting Expectations: The introduction clarifies conference topics, format, and schedule, ensuring everyone is prepared for participation.
5. Creating Excitement: A lively introduction builds anticipation, encouraging active engagement throughout the event.

3.   Share Helpful and Exclusive Information

Sharing informative and exclusive information boosts your conference by showcasing your professionalism and providing value to attendees. Unique insights and resources not available elsewhere create a distinctive atmosphere, encouraging dynamic discussions and building a sense of community among participants.

Additionally, offering exclusive information demonstrates your commitment to delivering benefits and actionable takeaways to attendees. By providing content beyond routine channels like articles or webinars, your conference becomes a must-attend event for industry professionals seeking cutting-edge insights and expertise. 

Sharing helpful and exclusive information isn’t just about improving your conference; it’s also about building credibility, encouraging engagement, and nurturing a vibrant community of like-minded individuals. By focusing on delivering valuable and unique content, you craft a conference experience that’s both memorable and impactful, leaving attendees inspired and eager to come back for more in the future.

4.   Be Confident

One must-use tip to have a successful online conference is to be confident. Confidence plays a crucial role in boosting your online conferences. What can change the host’s confidence, and which advantages does it have? Here are the main ones:

• Engaging Participants: Confident hosts and speakers effectively captivate participants, holding their attention and encouraging active involvement in conference activities. This boosts engagement and fosters greater participation.

• Overcoming Challenges: Online conferences often present technical hurdles and unexpected issues. A confident host can calmly and efficiently navigate these challenges, reassuring participants and ensuring smooth event management.

• Establishing Credibility: Confidence is infectious. As a host, exuding confidence builds trust and credibility among your audience. This confidence enhances their belief in the conference’s value and the speakers’ expertise.

• Inspiring Action: Confidence catalyzes action. When hosts confidently share ideas and insights, they motivate participants to implement new strategies, embrace best practices, and pursue further learning.

• Creating a Positive Atmosphere: Confidence contributes to a cheerful ambiance, energizing participants and fostering enthusiasm. When hosts and speakers radiate confidence in their abilities and content, it sets a tone of optimism that permeates the entire conference experience.

5.   Use Real-time communication

Real-time document collaboration during conferences injects dynamism, turning passive listening into active participation. Attendees collaborate on shared documents or presentations using platforms like Google Docs, Office 365, and Teams.

Rather than just discussing ideas, collaborative documents allow groups to co-create content instantly. Attendees split into small teams, working on shared files to draft text, create slides, or manipulate data. This promotes teamwork and encourages leveraging each other’s strengths.

Additionally, adding comments sparks immediate discussions on proposed changes. Attendees offer feedback, suggestions, and clarifications, leading to iterative improvements and enhancing work quality.

After collaboration, groups present their work to the wider team, promoting diverse perspectives and ideas sharing. This enriches the conference experience and fosters a sense of ownership in the output.

Although underutilized, real-time document collaboration has the potential to bring creative ideas to fruition and foster active engagement, making it a valuable tool for enhancing conferences.

6.   Ask Questions

Asking questions is vital during conferences, playing a key role in boosting engagement, facilitating learning, and sparking meaningful discussions. Here’s why:

• Promotes Critical Thinking: Asking questions prompts critical evaluation of information, leading to deeper comprehension and nuanced understanding.

• Sparks Discussion: Questions initiate lively debates and allow for the sharing of diverse viewpoints, enriching the conference experience.

• Encourages Active Participation: Questions prompt attendees to engage actively with the content, inviting them to share perspectives and contribute to discussions.

• Facilitates Learning: Questions push speakers to delve deeper into topics, helping attendees gain deeper insights and broaden their understanding.

• Drives Engagement: Continuous questioning keeps attendees involved, creating an interactive environment where everyone feels encouraged to participate.

• Enhances Problem-Solving Skills: Attendees develop problem-solving abilities by posing questions and seeking solutions, fostering innovation and creativity.

7. Think About Possible Technical Issues

When planning a conference, it’s essential to factor in potential technical challenges. By anticipating and preparing for these issues, organizers can reduce disruptions and guarantee a flawless experience for attendees. Technical hiccups might involve connectivity problems, audio or video disruptions, or software and hardware compatibility issues. To address these concerns, organizers must thoroughly test equipment and software beforehand, have contingency plans in place, and provide technical assistance to attendees. Proactively handling potential technical issues preserves the conference’s integrity and ensures a seamless experience for everyone involved.

In addition to conducting thorough testing and providing technical support, organizers should also communicate transparently with attendees about potential technical challenges and the steps being taken to address them.

Conclusion

From searching for the right platform to considering technical issues beforehand, each of our tips will help you plan your online conference and hold it successfully. As you can see, each factor is significant and has to be taken into account. In addition, if you’re thinking about holding a large conference for a large number of attendees, you can promote it via various channels and make it more visible. 

Always remember to grow and improve your knowledge continually if you’re thinking about creating engaging conferences online! Experiment, and don’t be afraid to fail! Everything comes with practice.