5 biggest mistakes about (online) events

For some they are a true blessing and for others a red rag: online events. But no matter which side you're on, have you ever noticed the misconceptions and myths that persist around online events? We've brought back a few from recent conversations with colleagues both inside and outside the company. Some of them make you smile, others make you tear your hair out. What they all have in common, however: They can make you or your colleagues think.

Phenomenon 1: Planners reduce their requirements to a minimum

This is something that most event planners would only do for presence events in the greatest of circumstances: Reduce their requirements for the event. 

What do we mean by that? Time and again, we encounter event planners who drastically downgrade their online event requirements. For example, because the video conferencing tool or online event platform of their choice does not include certain features or does not enable interactions.

• An online survey is not included? > Then we'll do without surveys this time.
• We can't present exhibitors on the platform because it's just a video conferencing tool? > Then we will present the exhibitors on the event website. That will do it too.
• There is no list of participants on the platform? > Oh, that's not so important anyway and always a DSGVO issue.
• We can't connect participants live? > Never mind, no one will volunteer for a live question in front of a running camera anyway.
• Online quizzes and other gamification elements are not possible? > Our target group is not that playful anyway.

Imagine this for your presence event. Would you reduce your event to one day just because the location cannot offer you a two-day rental period? Would you request a location for 5,000 participants and then rent one for 2,000 participants because the overall concept of the location was more coherent and the price was cheaper? 

Phenomenon 2: Everything is free on the Internet

In fact, a lot of things are free on the Internet. Much of the content that we had to buy from bookstores, video stores, publishers etc. before the Internet did cost money. Today, almost everything is permanently available for free: News, the best restaurant tips, whitepapers and webinars, search engines, map services and much more. What most people forget about these free services is that they pay for them with their data, e.g., with the display of suitable advertising. So not everything is available for free on the Internet, but only supposedly for free.

But this myth persists and is also automatically transferred to online events by some. "Why should I spend money on a platform when Zoom and MS Teams are available (almost) free of charge?" is a frequently asked question.

For the sake of good order, let's answer the question briefly:

• because with us you get much more than a video conference
• because you do not pay with your data.

Phenomenon 3: We built our own event platform

Maybe when the pandemic started, the platform that meets your needs didn't exist and you set out to create something yourself. But unless you're also an IT vendor, you're probably not putting all your resources into developing a platform.

Event platform providers, however, deal 24/7 with exactly that - an online event platform. That's exactly why we and our market companions know it so well. It's like your events for which you are the expert. Perhaps you will also grow a gray hair or two if everyone who has ever organized a wedding or a birthday party thinks they can also organize large-scale or business events.

Phenomenon 4: There is always someone who does it cheaper

This goes a bit in the direction of phenomenon number 2 and the freebie mentality on the Internet. But what is meant here is the comparison of two prices that do not have the same basis. 

In short: You will always find a provider for your online event who offers it cheaper. We can't tell you for sure whether they offer the same service and the same expertise. We can only say this much with certainty: Only compare what is comparable. Or do you reject the TOP location in a metropolis with the words that you have now found a youth hostel in the countryside that offers it cheaper?

Phenomenon 5: I don't have time to talk to you - I have so much on the plate and I need to move my event planning forward

Event planners sound like this or similar, stuck in manual legwork or assembling online tools for their next online event instead of relying on solutions that are easy to put together and use.

Do you know the story of the farmer who spends all day on his farm catching his chickens? When asked why he doesn't build a fence, he replies that he doesn't have time, after all, he has to catch the chickens. 

Don't fall into this trap. Instead, go straight for an event platform that is easy to use, comes with many useful features and integrates other tools and media - with just a few clicks.

Conclusion

Online events can be really successful - if you set them up correctly and choose a platform that fits your requirements and your target group. If you want to know what trember has to offer, arrange a short demo right away and let us show you how your online event could inspire your target group.