Leveraging Virtual Events for Enhanced Corporate Communication

As your organization gears up for the upcoming Quarterly Business Review or All-Hands Meeting, shifting to a virtual event platform has its perks, especially in the context of remote work. Embracing webcasts for corporate communication can simplify the process, whether you’re addressing a group of 100 or 100,000+ employees or customers.

Confidence in Your Agenda and Presentation

For a high-stake corporate webcast, project confidence and enthusiasm about your content, setting the tone for an engaging and informative presentation. Each speaker should prepare notes and talking points in advance, ideally with a practice run or two, ensuring a smooth and polished delivery. If department heads are sharing their teams’ quarterly achievements and challenges, ensure they are well-prepared to handle any questions that may arise.

 

Facilitating Audience Interaction

In the world of corporate communication, it’s not just about delivering information; it’s about engaging your remote audience effectively. To achieve this, consider incorporating multimedia elements into your webcasts, such as video clips, images, and dynamic graphics, to make your presentations more visually appealing. It’s also important to encourage participation through real-time polls and surveys, allowing your audience to express their opinions and providing valuable insights for your organization.

 

Moreover, don’t underestimate the importance of post-virtual event engagement. After your corporate event, share the recorded webcast with your audience, making it accessible for those who couldn’t attend live. Provide follow-up space for ongoing discussion and questions, allowing employees or stakeholders to continue the conversation, share feedback, and build a sense of community. These interactive experiences and ongoing engagement can enable your webcasts to become a powerful tool for fostering meaningful connections in a remote work environment. GlobalMeet offers the flexibility and features to help you in this journey, making your corporate communication more effective and inclusive than ever before.

Adapting Your Tone to Different Audiences

Whether your presentation is directed towards employees, investors, customers, partners, or a board, it’s important to customize your approach. While the core content, such as presenting sales figures and growth, may remain consistent, your tone should cater to the specific audience. Investor presentations may require a more formal and polished tone, while employee briefings might adopt a somewhat more casual demeanor. Ensure that your tone and delivery match the intended audience in corporate communication.

 

Elevating Corporate Communication Webcasts

GlobalMeet Webcast streamlines corporate communication in a remote work environment, offering both self-service and managed event services so you can focus on delivering your message, not the technology. With the ability to brand your webcast for a cohesive company identity, you can create a structured online experience. Features like audience polling and Q&A sessions promote meaningful interaction. A customized, branded experience allows for a controlled company identity and creates a structured experience online, while audience polling and Q&A features allow for appropriate interaction.

To access comprehensive instructions on creating a professional webcast experience for your upcoming corporate town hall, business review, board meeting, or all-hands meeting, download GlobalMeet’s Virtual Event Planning Guide today. For more information on how GlobalMeet can enhance your corporate communication efforts, contact our sales team today.

two women in business attire walk outside with coffees in their hands talking about video for wealth management with globalmeet's virtual event platform

Using Video to Elevate Your Wealth Management Firm’s Brand

With 275,000+ financial advisors operating in the United States, the challenge lies in setting your business apart from the crowd. In a landscape characterized by uniformity, it’s imperative for your financial advisors to distinguish themselves in order to thrive. Beyond top-tier analytical skills, a commitment to financial planning, and a genuine desire to assist clients, integrating cutting-edge technology, such as video, can be a pivotal factor in differentiating your firm in the bustling financial industry.

 

Remarkably, 90% of financial organizations operate either remotely or in a hybrid model, rendering video production a formidable obstacle. Combining time constraints, budget limitations, restricted bandwidth, and the steep learning curve of video, the task might appear too time consuming.

 

However, platforms like GlobalMeet make it feasible for wealth management firms to streamline and expand their video production efforts without necessitating a steep learning curve or extensive investment in new technology.

Four Effective Ways to Harness Video in Wealth Management

1. Commence with Simple Streaming

The simple act of turning on the camera and clicking “start” is just the beginning of deep diving into the world of video. These webcasts can be repurposed into YouTube videos or sliced into snackable content for distribution to prospects or customers through email. For instance, you could initiate a monthly webcast breaking down the latest market and investment trends and then follow up with a two-week email nurture sequence to reinforce your message. GlobalMeet offers robust analytics and tracking, enabling you to identify precisely which clients are participating and engaging.

 

2. Embrace In-House Production

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily need to outsource video production to an expensive studio. In many cases, the most compelling video content is created by your in-house financial advisors. Such content often feels more authentic and resonates better with consumers, who tend to respond more positively to user-generated content (UCG) that mimics a genuine conversation.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

As with any newly acquired skill, becoming comfortable and proficient with video calls for practice. Encourage both yourself and your team to convert client calls into video meetings, transform one-dimensional slide presentations into dynamic dialogues, and convert written quarterly updates into webcasts. The more you integrate video into your daily routines, the more effortless and expedient the video creation process will become. GlobalMeet Webcast caters to beginners and advanced users alike, simplifying the initial steps and empowering experienced users to elevate their production quality.

 

4. Establish a Valuable Resource Library

Clients often prefer to consume content on their own schedules and terms, which may not always align with a live webcast. Maintaining a dedicated space of on-demand video content allows clients to access information at their convenience. Be sure to include contact information for them to get in touch if they have questions.

GlobalMeet Webcast in the Financial Sector

GlobalMeet Webcast is your one-stop-shop for creating engaging virtual and hybrid events. For financial advisors and wealth management firms seeking to distinguish themselves, establish stronger client relationships, and boost revenue through virtual events, reach out to our sales team today for more information.

tech industry man sitting on steps looks at globalmeet virtual event on his tablet

Maximizing the Benefits of Virtual Events in the Tech Industry

In today’s tech-driven world, whether you are at the helm of a cutting-edge SaaS firm, delivering top-notch IT solutions to global enterprises, or pushing the boundaries of innovation in any sector, webcasting technology can revolutionize how your organization is attacking lead generation, brand enhancement, and internal communication.

Stirring Up Enthusiasm for Your Products

Webcasts serve as dynamic tools to generate excitement and foster trust among end-users, regardless of their position in the sales journey. Equipped with comprehensive analytics, you no longer need to rely on guesswork to assess your webcast’s impact. Benefits of virtual events, such as engaging features like audience chat, polling, and Q+A sessions keep your viewers hooked, offering valuable insights into which aspects of your content resonate most with your audience.

 

Most importantly, webcasts allow you to deliver product-focused information and education in an engaging manner. Tailor your content to suit your audience’s preferences, so your sales team can seal the deals.

Crafting a Distinct Brand Identity

Your brand is your digital calling card, and personalizing webcasts by incorporating your brand’s colors, logos, and other elements can elevate your company’s presence.

Harnessing Your Customers as Brand Advocates

Chances are, you have a base of satisfied clients who are already fans of your services. Let them take the spotlight by featuring guest presenters, pre-recorded videos, and testimonials that highlight the most valuable aspects of your products and services. With GlobalMeet, you can seamlessly weave these elements together for a polished and professional presentation, all while ensuring crystal-clear audio and video quality.

Establishing Thought Leadership in Your Field

Webcasts serve a multitude of purposes, from lead generation to educating end-users about product features, service offerings or introducing new innovations. Thought leadership is no longer just a marketing buzzword; it’s a vital strategy for tech companies looking to gain trust and stay top-of-mind with clients and prospects. Lead the conversation in a compelling, dynamic manner and give your audience the option to revisit it with on-demand viewing.

Safeguarding Proprietary Knowledge and Insights

Whether you’re hosting a product launch or an investor relations earnings call, certain information should remain confidential, shielded from competitors and sometimes the public eye. Enterprise-level security measures, including gated access, password protection, and login authentication, ensure your event is safe and secure.

Generating Revenue

While putting your brand in the spotlight is crucial, it’s important to maximize your events to net a positive ROI. GlobalMeet offers seamless API integration with your CRM and other tools, empowering your sales team to follow up with leads post-event, address their specific pain points, and close deals that align with your sales targets.

Room to Expand

GlobalMeet is not just a one-size-fits-all solution; it offers the flexibility to sell, promote, and build brand trust through one-to-many interactions efficiently and cost-effectively. Utilizing the benefits of virtual events, you can easily scale up to reach global audiences numbering in the thousands, all while presenting your company and events in a manner that mirrors the excellence of the services and products you provide.

 

Connect with us today to schedule a demo and discover how GlobalMeet can empower your tech endeavors.

Graphic of a person holding a tablet and a book icon is appearing off of the screen

5 Benefits of Virtual Events for Publishers

What is a Webcast?

As in-person interactions have historically dominated the publishing industry, the last few years have sparked an opportunity for engaging in virtual events. From book signings to meet and greets to launch parties, publishing has many exciting opportunities for book lovers to interact with their favorite authors.

In-person publishing events come with limitations around travel logistics, budget, and time; authors can only be in one place at a time, and nationwide book tours are not an option for many publishing houses. Publishing events are relegated to big cities, forcing smaller communities to miss out on events that bring their favorite stories to life. Plus, in-person events are expensive.

 

Virtual events have the opportunity to be more cost-effective and accessible for book fans, publishing partners, and anyone else involved in the publication of literary works.

Virtual Events Benefits:

1. Reach a Wider Audience

With a few clicks, authors can broadcast in front of readers all over the globe. No matter the time zone or language, book fans can quickly tune in to a book launch or Q+A session. Authors have the opportunity to expand their fan base in cities and regions they might never have been able to visit. Attendees don’t need to invest in travel, and publishing houses can grow their reach without costly investments.

2. Generate Buzz and Excitement Around New Launches

Similar to the hype of an in-person event where an author announces a new novel or series, virtual events can recreate this excitement. Teasing the event beforehand on social media can drum up excitement, and paid ads can boost the event to an even larger audience. When publishers save tons of money by hosting a virtual event, they can spend that extra money on advertising and webcast promotion.

3. Reduce Costs

The publishing industry often works with tight margins, so every dollar spent on promotion and launch counts. With virtual events being 75% less expensive than in-person ones, publishers can do more with less and spend that valuable money elsewhere, maximizing virtual event benefits. Virtual events save money on more than just the venue; add in service costs, food and beverage, entertainment, gift bags, printed materials, signage, and even extras like valet parking or check-in staff.

4. Experiment with Dynamic Experiences

With high price tags and a lot at stake, it’s hard to experiment with in-person events. If an idea or activity flops, it’s not only disappointing but a major time and money loss. With a lower barrier to entry, virtual events allow for more testing and experimentation in new formats. Want to try a more back-and-forth style Q+A? Bring in adjacent authors from similar series as surprise guest speakers? Want to run polls on the newest book cover? GlobalMeet gives you all the tools and features you need to seamlessly experiment with new ideas.

5. Easily Measure Success

It’s difficult to gauge the success of an in-person event. Behind tracking in-person book sales or attendee sentiment on a survey as they’re walking out the door, it’s difficult to grasp the full picture of success. With virtual events, it’s incredibly easy to measure the number of attendees and engagement analytics and then seamlessly follow up with more information after the event is over. Robust analytics and tracking help you see how engaging individual sessions or activities were and how many people registered versus attended. Plus, with GlobalMeet, you can connect attendee data to a sales CRM and see how many people previously purchased something or how much sales increased afterward.

Use GlobalMeet for Engaging Publishing Events

Virtual events are ripe for opportunity with publishers. From expanding fan bases to saving money to measuring success, publishers can use virtual events throughout the entire publishing lifecycle. GlobalMeet offers publishing houses an easy way to kickstart virtual events and scale them in response to demand. With crystal-clear audio and video, live event translations, audience engagement tools, and an expansive suite of integrations, GlobalMeet is the platform of choice for innovative publishers. Contact us today to learn more about the virtual events benefits GlobalMeet offers.

image showing a doctor using global meet's virtual event platform for a health insurance virtual event

The Ins and Outs on the Health Insurance Market for Virtual Events

In 2021, 92% of Americans utilized health insurance through a mix of public and private companies. Health insurance is often a stressful, confusing topic for many, with ongoing public debates on insurance premiums, coverage, co-pays, costs, and more. There was also a time when the general public knew little about different brands in the healthcare and insurance industry; patients had no choice or ability to “shop around” for coverage when it was through their employer.

 

Health insurance has become a more popular topic, especially with the Affordable Care Act offering patients alternatives outside of employer-sponsored programs. The balance of buying power shifted more towards the consumer, and new metrics like patient satisfaction are the marketing messages of choice. As a result, modern-day healthcare and insurance companies should work to increase brand awareness and trust directly with their consumers. Here are a few ways to stand out in the health insurance market.

First, Establish a Strong Brand Identity

First, a cohesive, strategic visual identity and brand narrative are the foundation of standing out in a competitive market. More than a simple logo and color palette, a brand’s narrative emphasizes why the company exists, along with unique differentiators that beat competitors.

 

Establishing a strong and cohesive strategy across all marketing channels (website, social media, physician materials, paid ads, white papers, email newsletters, marketing collateral, sales sheets, etc.) helps build trust within your target market. Without confident, polished branding, healthcare and insurance companies will have difficulty establishing themselves as a trusted authority and winning the confidence of consumers.

 

However, a nice website and confident color palette simply aren’t enough to win today’s digitally savvy, well-educated consumers. Customizable communication alternatives like webcasts, SMS messaging, and more help build personal touches in this digitized world.

Strong Human Resources and Healthcare Improves Employee Retention

While direct-to-consumers is an important market, employer-sponsored healthcare programs make up the majority of healthcare and insurance communications. Healthcare is a strong draw when comparing companies, and many people specifically seek full-time employment for health benefits.

 

Strong benefits packages are important for workers deciding between jobs, and they also go a long way in improving employee retention. Strong human resource (HR) benefits and perks allow employees to feel valued, but it’s equally important that team members are aware of what they have access to.

Why Use Webcasting for Modern Day Healthcare

Health insurance plans aren’t easy to understand, and static brochures and complicated enrollment procedures exacerbate an already-complex concept. Team members are more likely to understand and comprehend complex payment breakdowns when they’re visually walked through the healthcare guide and can ask live questions and receive detailed verbal answers from their HR manager or the insurance representative.

 

Whether you’re educating employees during open enrollment or trying to reach consumers directly, webcasting allows for effective face-to-face communication. GlobalMeet offers powerful engagement tools for the audience, allowing for chats, polls, surveys, and more. Healthcare and insurance companies can monitor webcasts for questions and reactions, ensuring patients are getting the answers and care they need. Companies can then use these robust analytics to determine how their team members are responding to a new health insurance company, new perks, or simply completing open enrollment.

 

For healthcare and insurance virtual events, GlobalMeet also:

  • Assists insurance agents with communicating healthcare plans and changes to their clients
  • Allows HR to clearly illustrate insurance benefits to employees along with detailed plan comparisons that help them make the best decision for their family
  • Streamlines open enrollment with increased transparency and communication
  • Allows HR managers to educate, advocate, and answer questions more effectively
  • Increases brand awareness and customer loyalty

Schedule a demo with GlobalMeet today to see how we can support your next annual HR benefits presentation or insurance workshop.

image of a business man holding an online investor relations event with globalmeet

Enhancing Investor Relations with Webcasts

How do you feel when you think about your business’ investor relations? Stressed or carefree? Chances are that these relationships are sometimes fraught with tensions and often have to navigate tricky scenarios. However, strong investor relationships can provide significant value to your business beyond any monetary investment; from unbeatable business advice and strategy to a strong network, the right technology can help solidify and strengthen investor relationships.

 

While many earnings calls, investor days, and annual kickoffs have gone virtual, that doesn’t mean sacrificing human connection. Whether you’re excited to report high profits during an earnings call or you’re aiming to be proactive ahead of missed projections, an engaging, professional webcast aims to leave investors with a positive, confident outlook regarding your company.

How to Choose Webcast Technology for Investor Relations

In these high-profile events, you want to rely on a stable, high-quality investor communications platform that is known for powering the high-profile, investor-facing events of Fortune 500 companies. GlobalMeet is the platform of choice when it comes to high-stakes communications thanks to branded events, crystal-clear video and audio, seamless audience engagement tools, and robust analytics and integrations. Here are a few tips for effectively using webcasting technology to improve investor relations.

Create More Dynamic Earnings Calls

While not mandatory for publicly held companies, earnings calls provide an open forum for discussion and communicate transparency and integrity to your partners. With an open earnings call, your business controls the narrative instead of allowing investors to make their own (perhaps incorrect) assumptions. Include an introduction, welcome, a detailed overview, and a Q+A to engage your audience and involve them in the report.

 

While these are important calls, they’re often long, heavy with data and financials, and can be hard to make interesting. Add in a dynamically changing slide layout where you can refresh and refocus your audience’s attention on data, headshots, graphs, or any other visual, and all of these details make for a more engaging call.

Tighten Up Security

Your investors will thank you when they hit gated access, password protection, and other enterprise-grade security tools built into GlobalMeet. With confidential financial information on the line, you don’t want anyone entering uninvited or risk any numbers slipping out to the public.

Create Access on Demand

Let your partners choose how to attend; creating a virtual or hybrid experience for your investor events increases the reach and allows investors to watch on-demand when it fits their busy schedule. During a live event, you can engage through polls, surveys, and live Q+A sessions, giving you a chance to get to know your audience better and create more personal connections.

Secure More Funding and Strategic Advice for Your Business

When done well, investor days can help companies secure capital, improve optimism and outlook, and even raise stock prices thanks to an increase in investor confidence. A confident tone of voice, polished visuals, strong security, and smooth transitions convey that your business and leadership team knows what they’re doing. Don’t be afraid to leverage GlobalMeet’s expert team for virtual event preparation, moderation, and support, too.

Don’t Leave Investor Relations Events Up to Chance

Increase your company’s visibility and credibility by proactively setting your company’s financial narrative in the market. However, we know implementing new technology can feel stressful, but with a proven track record, GlobalMeet is the premier investor communications platform ready to provide professional, engaging virtual events with uncompromised security. Download our brochure and contact our sales team to learn more today.

image of business man using globalmeet webcasting for financial virtual events

Why Financial Institutions Need Webcasting

Financial institutions play important strategic roles with investors, employees, and consumers. As a trusted partner, you want to be their go-to for information during stable, “business as usual” markets as well as through volatile economic times. Whether you’re launching a new service offering to partners or walking a large firm through complex financial procedures, you want to make sure that your message gets across clearly and effectively. For financial institutions seeking to leverage webcasting technology for continuous and secure communication, such as hosting virtual bank conferences, GlobalMeet powers 50% of the largest U.S. banks and 23% of the world’s largest banks as their webcast vendor of choice.

Why Use Webcast Technology Over Traditional Forms of Communication

The absence of non-verbal cues, such as body language, tone of voice, and inflection, in one-dimensional forms of communication like emailing or newsletter updates can often lead to misunderstandings. Furthermore, these methods can feel distant and impersonal, lacking the warmth and human connection typically associated with webcasting. Time zone differences, remote working and geographically dispersed teams are more easily accommodated and accessibility needs are often met better through webcasting.

 

As one of the most trusted vendors in a person’s life, a financial institution like a bank, credit union or wealth management advisor needs to inspire confidence, transparency, and authenticity in customers. This is easily done with powerful webcasting technology that allows for reaching a global audience in real-time or on demand.

Why Leading Financial Institutions Use GlobalMeet Webcast for Video Communication

For enterprise organizations, GlobalMeet Webcast executes polished, resourceful communications at scale. In the financial sector, this is more important than ever for a multitude of reasons.

1. Financial Organizations Need to Provide Continuous Education

For financial organizations specifically, education plays a huge role in maintaining relationships with investors and clients. Clients look to their financial advisors for reassurance, education, and trending information around stock markets, investments, and more. Leading financial institutions know that maintaining a continuous stream of educational information is key when policy changes occur, markets shift, or new investment opportunities become available.

2. Polished Webcasting Technology Helps Facilitate Trusted Relationships

GlobalMeet Webcast supports the trusted relationships financial organizations need to maintain and ensures that confidence and expertise are portrayed through high-quality video and audio. Nothing makes consumers feel more unsure than hearing garbled speech from their financial partner. Across all financial vendors, GlobalMeet Webcast helps keep employees, analysts, members, agents, and customers educated and engaged.

3. Financial Businesses Need to Scale Their Communication

From a small, local credit union to an insurance giant, communication needs to happen at scale. GlobalMeet Webcast easily accommodates 100k+ attendees across time zones and even in different languages. Communication is easily translated through live human translations or on-demand captioning, so no audience feels unaccommodated and left out.

How to Decide if GlobalMeet Webcast Is the Right Webcast Software for Your Financial Institution

From small teams to corporate giants, GlobalMeet is highly trusted by Fortune 500 companies around the world and is uniquely trusted by the world’s largest accounting/consulting firms, responsible for auditing over 90% of all Fortune 500 companies.

 

Explore how GlobalMeet’s leading technology can benefit your financial organization, especially for hosting virtual bank conferences.

mockup of the globalmeet virtual event platform ui for a life sciences webcast

4 Benefits of Virtual Events for Life Science Events

For forward-thinking life sciences companies such as pharmaceutical brands, hospitals, scientific research and development institutions, and medical device businesses, it is crucial to have an events strategy that aligns with the organization’s innovative mission. As your team strives to enhance the quality of life for individuals worldwide, incorporating a virtual events strategy becomes paramount in creating an immersive and omnichannel experience that resonates with your audience.

 

In the rapidly expanding life sciences industry, growth is expected to soar at an impressive rate of 7.6% over the next decade. Every aspect of your marketing events strategy holds significant importance in this fiercely competitive landscape. Whether conducting hybrid training sessions or hosting your annual product roadshow for thousands of customers, utilizing a top-notch, cutting-edge webcasting solution is crucial in creating captivating and dynamic events.

1. Maintain a Laser-Focused Approach to Your World-Altering Mission

Life sciences organizations play a vital role in driving digital transformation, conducting groundbreaking research, and spearheading the development of innovative technologies that can transform lives worldwide. However, your team shouldn’t be burdened by the intricate technical aspects of your events strategy.

 

Dealing with concerns such as video glitches or poor audio quality can be distracting and time-consuming for your internal teams, taking their focus away from more pressing matters. You deserve the peace of mind knowing that your webcasting solution is reliable and ready to go whenever needed. With cloud-based reliability, experience seamless and impeccable audio and video quality, empowering you to broadcast your message confidently and effortlessly, whenever and however you desire.

2. Make a Bold Market Entry with New Products to Ignite Buzz, Enthusiasm, and Adoption

An integral phase of the product development lifecycle is introducing your new offering to customers. This process begins with comprehensive training and education for vendors, providers, and strategic partners to equip them as advocates for your groundbreaking innovation.

 

Take your product launch to new heights by hosting captivating and immersive events that unite attendees from across the globe. To maintain long-lasting brand recognition, offer continuous education even after the launch, and leverage the power of GlobalMeet Webcast to deliver on-demand materials and training resources, ensuring your audience stays engaged and well-informed.

3. Adapt to Diverse Audiences as Needed

No matter the size or scope of your event, GlobalMeet Webcast effortlessly adjusts to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re conducting a smaller scale sales training session or organizing a large-scale annual kickoff event, you can confidently cater to thousands of attendees scattered across the globe, spanning different time zones and speaking various languages. With live event translations and interactive engagement tools at your disposal, overcoming language barriers and fostering active participation becomes a breeze.

4. Maintain Unwavering Security

GlobalMeet Webcast prioritizes enterprise-level security, ensuring that you remain fully compliant. With a robust security infrastructure embedded in the solution, you can rest assured that you meet the most stringent security standards without any concerns.

GlobalMeet Webcast offers a range of powerful tools, including gated access, password protection, and login authentication, enabling you to customize each event and grant access only to individuals who require confidential information. This comprehensive security approach guarantees that your sensitive data remains protected throughout every stage of your webcast.

Harness the Power of GlobalMeet Webcast for Your Life Sciences Event

Unleash the potential of GlobalMeet Webcast to craft an immersive events strategy that aligns perfectly with your distinctive brand and mission. With a multitude of customization options at your fingertips, you can create unforgettable experiences that resonate with your global audience. While you focus on revolutionizing the future of healthcare and disseminating life-changing information worldwide, rest assured that we take care of the logistical intricacies to bring your events to life seamlessly.

 

For additional assistance, explore our dedicated Managed Service team, comprised of experts who excel in supporting the planning, execution, and conclusion of numerous events each year. To delve deeper into the possibilities, contact our sales team today.

How to Create More Accessible Virtual Events in 2023

While virtual events are more accessible than in-person events, organizations must embrace accessibility, equity, and inclusivity when it comes to building strategies for 2023 and beyond. Over 2 billion people globally live with some sort of disability, and a significant number of these are audio or visual impairments. Two hundred seventeen million people worldwide have moderate to severe vision impairment, and over 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss. As so many people struggle to interact with virtual events without an added layer of accessibility, creating an inclusive, welcoming environment during an event is key.

The Rise of Accessibility in Virtual Events

While many strides have been made to make technology, websites, and online events more accessible, there are still ways to enhance the experience. Physically, virtual events already add extra accessibility as they don’t require travel, walking across a large conference hall, climbing stairs, or other movements that might be more difficult for some people. A recent study also showed that online events gather a more diverse audience. People can tune in on their own schedules from home and immerse themselves in content the way they prefer.

3 Best Practices for Accessible Virtual Events

As organizations continue to reimagine accessibility in virtual events, here are a few best practices. Encourage your audience to provide feedback as well on what could make your events easier to watch and absorb.

 

1. Embrace Captioning and Live Translations

With 91% of viewers watching videos without sound, captioning boosts engagement, increases comprehension, and extends viewing times. Without captions, research shows that when people can’t understand or hear a speaker, they quickly tune out, leaving your event less effective and hurting your business revenue. Verizon Media research also showed that people are 80% more likely to watch your video if you have captions. GlobalMeet Webcast offers captioning and live human event interpretation in multiple languages to make your event inclusive across global audiences.

 

2. Give Attendees a Heads-Up on What to Expect

Make sure the agenda is prepped and available ahead of time, so your attendees can know what to expect. This allows them to make any necessary accommodations before the event starts, and cognitively, our brains are constantly working hard to figure out what’s coming next.

Some key items to include:

  • Start and finish times.
  • Speaker bios and session descriptions.
  • Any social interaction that will be encouraged, like break out rooms or participating in the chat or polls.

 

3. Survey Your Audience Beforehand to Understand Their Needs

Confused about where to start on making your virtual event more accessible? Just ask your audience! A quick pre-event survey that asks for their viewing preferences, preferred language, and any other accommodations makes people feel comfortable and heard ahead of time. Avoid spending tons of time guessing what your audience needs, only to find out after the event they wanted something totally different.

Use GlobalMeet Webcast for More Accessible Virtual Events

GlobalMeet Webcast builds an inclusive culture that breaks down language barriers, fosters team building, and improves accessibility and inclusivity. Make your events welcoming to all audiences across the world with an innovative webcasting platform that scales as you do. Contact us today to learn more.