Planning your next live event

Now events are back in people’s calendars, what do you need to be mindful of when you organise your next live conference, presentation, launch or get together?

4 things we’ve learned about how events work now

At Linney, we’ve produced a myriad of live events– in-person, online and hybrid. Here's what we've discovered about the new balance between in-person and virtual communication.

1. Everything’s different now

Attendees are used to attending events from the comfort of their own home or work desk, they need extra motivation to attend an in-person event.

So, an in-person event needs to offer more good reasons than ever to justify the time investment needed. Matchmaking events can offer free accommodation and travel, while expo’s can become more experiential.

Virtual events aren’t off the hook either. With so many available now, they need to work harder than ever to hold our attention in a calendar filled with Teams calls and Zoom meetings.

That means more impactful, shorter run-time content. Sharpening the focus of an event so you’re clear about what you want to achieve – and communicating it effectively to attendees. Not just tweaking how you worked before, but rethinking the balance and form of your whole event.

2. Embracing the power of now

What makes an event an event? It’s the powerful moments we all share together.

Nothing beats the thrill of a live event unfolding in front of us. Studies report three times the engagement for live over recorded content, even when it's happening online.

So, every event needs to be shaped to make the most out of your unmissable live content – creating shared experiences that reward participation, like revealing exclusive information or being the first to know.

3. It’s time to get personal

Get to know your audience- what exactly are they looking for? This applies to internal events too. Research your colleague’s pain points to ensure they get the most out of your event.

Using data about your audience allows you to segment and customise your content to provide a tailor-made event experience. It will also help them connect through digital matchmaking and networking before, during and after the event.

And it doesn’t only work virtually. Clever data-tagging can mean bringing the same hyper-personalised experience when your guests meet face to face.

5. Not everything’s made for sharing

When you invite in-person and virtual audiences to the same event, one single format won’t work for everyone.

The things that will engage people gathered together in a conference centre or hotel are very different to what will cut through at home or in a busy office. Understanding the difference means you can create the right content for the right environment.

A shared connected experience, based around a central online networking space, makes sense at the heart of your event. But compelling parallel experiences for different audiences will make the best event for both kinds of audience.