Seamless event experience guide: Preparation checklist

What's the best way to measure the success of an event? Is it by counting the number of attendees? Or even better – ticket sales? The chances are that your stakeholder defines success by attendee satisfaction. Or at least, that's how 67% of event stakeholders do. 

So how can you make participants excited to join your event? 

Complimentary gift bags and snacks may not be enough. Instead, make their experience as seamless as possible. Knowing your audience, defining the event goals, and picking the right tools should do the trick. But don’t think that’s all, there are a few more things to consider. 

Luckily, we've prepared a complete preparation checklist to help you avoid surprises or technical hiccups. So, let's dive right into it.

Starting with the essentials

How much time do you have to prepare? During the pre-pandemic times, 48% of event planners had 6 to 12 months before the launch. But even if you don't have that much time, it's best to start by taking small steps. Here are some questions to ask yourself: 

What’s your event goal?

A seamless event begins at the concept. So, before you get into detailed planning, ask yourself why you decided to host this event in the first place. This question may or may not always have an obvious answer. Still, it's a good idea to pinpoint what you aim to achieve with the event. 

Once you pin down your goal, set an objective to measure the success. 

Who is your audience? 

You're not hosting the event only for yourself, aren't you? That's why it's best to focus on the audience. Consider the expected number of attendees and their demographics. Where will they be traveling from? What information do they need?

Once you know your target audience, you'll be able to figure out the time, date, and location for the event. Of course, this will also help you pinpoint what other services your audience will need. 

Let's say the participants are multilingual. This cue may prompt you to consider holding the event in their native language. So, why not add remote simultaneous interpretation services to your must-have list?
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What's the format of your event?

The pandemic has moved most of the events into virtual platforms. But even when governments remove restrictions, virtual and hybrid events aren't going anywhere. 

That's why, even if an on-site event is possible, don't be quick to brush off other formats just yet. Each of them has its perks! Check our blog post that identifies key differences between remote, hybrid, and on-site meetings if you need a detailed comparison.

How flexible is your budget?

An event can be taxing in terms of stress and finance. So, to avoid nasty surprises, figure out the budget beforehand, and of course, stick to it. Poorly allocated funds can stop the event planning on its tracks. Also, going over the limit or increasing expenses can disappoint your stakeholders. 

If your budget turns out very tight, changing the format can help. Going online or making the event hybrid can give you more wiggle room in your budget. Here are some of the critical expenses you may need to include in your budget: 

• Venue
• Catering
• Entertainment
• Décor
• Staff
• Marketing
• Software
• Interpretation
• Audio/video equipment
  

Do you need to gather a team?

No matter how hardworking and productive you are, you'll probably need help at some point. That's why it’s essential to get some extra hands. 

If you gather a large team, think about the management tools. Platforms like Asana or Jira allow you to divide tasks effectively and keep your progress on track. 

Are you ready to outline your event?

Now it's time to put everything into one place. While having your goals, audience, format, and budget in mind, draft a brief outline of the event. The outline should help you figure out the preliminary time, date, and location. 

Once you have the details in check, think about the program. Ask yourself: who will host the event? Who are the main speakers? Then, outline the activities and topics of discussions. And don't forget the emergencies – think about who will cover if a speaker doesn’t show up. 

Here's a little cheat sheet of what you may need to include, depending on the kind of event you're hosting:

• Venue
• Catering 
• Host of the event, speakers, and presenters 
• Interpreting services
• Activities and entertainment 
• Software
• Audio/video equipment
• Publicity and promotion if necessary 
• Registration and RSVPs
• Sponsors and partners 
• Volunteers 
  

Now that the vision of your event is ready, what's next? 

Choosing the right software

Besides good planning, you'll need good software to make the event seamless. Choosing the best tools will help you get the most out of your event. 

Pick your go-to video-conferencing platform

No pressure, but the video-conferencing platform can either break or make your event. So choose wisely. There are numerous options on the market, but to make things easier for you, we compare two platforms – Zoom Events and Interactio.

Zoom Events – a platform dedicated to virtual events and conferences. 

Here are the features Zoom Events deliver: 

• Breakout rooms
• Ticketing and registration options
• Live streaming
• Viewing on-demand option
• Content sharing
• Screen sharing
• Interactive whiteboards
• Polling
• Q&A sessions
• Suitable for online and hybrid events
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Interactio – a multilingual event solution that offers a lot more than remote simultaneous interpretation:

• Easy to use for video-conferencing 
• Smooth sound and video streaming
• Sound checks
• On-site and online support during the event
• Interpreting in an unlimited number of languages
• Easy meeting moderation
• Live streaming
• Breakout rooms
• Screen and file sharing
• Live polls and surveys
• Group and private chats 
• SAML authentication for extra security
• Detailed event analytics
• Interactio platform works seamlessly with virtual and hybrid events
  

To put it simply, Interactio is as efficient as any other popular video-conferencing solution. But it has a benefit that separates it from others. Interactio connects people from around the globe by breaking language barriers.
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Make your event multilingual through remote simultaneous interpretation

Speaking of multilingual events, do you know why it's a good idea to consider hosting your event in different languages?

According to Cedefop, 63% of EU adults know at least one foreign language. But do you know how many of them say they know the language well? Only 31%. So, why not connect everyone in your event through the language they understand the best?

Above, we mentioned Interactio for a reason. In addition to being rich in features, our platform has another benefit – we built it with both the attendees and interpreters in mind. 

Our intuitive console allows our highly qualified interpreters to make your event multilingual. No matter how rare the language is. That's right. We can connect you to a skilled interpreter of any language. 

Most importantly, we will make sure that everything goes smoothly. Our technical support team monitors every event. So if anything happens, we'll solve the issue in real-time. After all, you want your event to be seamless, right? We're here to help.

Why not use a mobile app?

Are you curious about how to make attendees informed and engaged? Try using an app. According to Eventbrite, 83% of event organizers used an event app in 2019. 

An app improves the event-goers experience by providing schedules, custom agendas, and reminders. Chatting with attendees or even speakers can also boost attendees' satisfaction!

Pick engagement tools 

Keeping attendees engaged can be a challenge. That's especially true for virtual events. So, make sure you're taking advantage of all possible virtual channels. 

For instance, you can use event gamification tools and survey platforms, including social media contests. Of course, don't forget the digital swag bags!

Decide on how to approach registration and ticketing

Have you decided on how you will invite participants to your event yet? There are several channels to announce your events – for instance, email, social media, or ads.

Once you capture your audience's attention, ask them to register or buy a ticket to secure a spot at your event. Platforms such as Eventbrite can handle ticketing and registration for you. Just make sure to set up everything early, so people have time to prepare for it. 

Getting ready for the event

Now that you have almost everything figured out, it's time for the finishing touches. 

Don't forget to book in advance

To guarantee that your preferred services will be available for the date of your choice, make sure to book in advance. Whether it's a venue or a piece of software, the sooner you have everything ready, the better. 

For instance, the Interactio team encourages you to contact us at least 7 working days before your event. But even if you get to us later, we'll try our best to support your event. 

Schedule important messages ahead of time

Once you have pinned down the date of your event and gathered the full participants' list, it's time to pre-schedule important communication pieces, such as:

• Invitation to the event
• A reminder to buy a ticket 
• A reminder of the event
• Invitations to polls and surveys
• Promotions and invitations to join the event's social media
• A thank you message for coming to the event 
• Recording of the completed event and key notes
• Testing your software and tools before the event starts
  

During an event, anything can happen. An app can start updating, your camera may turn out to be faulty, and the presenter may struggle to use the video-conferencing platform. Technical issues can send your event off the rails. 

Don’t forget to test your software and tools 

To avoid any of these issues, test everything in advance. Are your automated emails reaching the targets? Are your microphone and camera operating? Double-check everything before going live with your event. 

Let's wrap everything up

Planning an event can be a hectic process. Still, with some extra help, you can keep everything running smoothly.

Here's the full checklist to help you out:

• What's your event's goal?
• Who is your audience?
• What's the format of the event?
• How flexible is your budget?
• Do you need to gather a team?
• Are you ready to outline your event?
• Pick your go-to video-conferencing platform
• Make your event multilingual through remote simultaneous interpretation
• Why not use a mobile app
• Pick engagement tools 
• Decide on how to approach registration and ticketing
• Don't forget to book in advance
• Schedule important messages ahead of time
• Don’t forget to test your software and tools
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