In our previous blogs, we have been exploring this changing era in virtual events. We were giving our insights into how to design in this ever-changing space. In this blog series, we wanted to make sure we were giving different perspectives. Silver Fox has many partners in the event space, and they, like us, have been evolving to meet this shift during this worldwide outbreak.

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To build from a previous interview we had done with Evia Events on virtual events; we posed some questions. Please look at the answers from Evia owner and CEO, Hilary Laney.

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How has Evia embraced a changing era in virtual events? We are helping our customers and partners look at the long-term impact of all of this in the event industry. We feel confident it will lead to more opportunities. Building a virtual audience is critical for the sustainability of an event. At Evia, we have always seen this value, and so I am really excited to see businesses and organizations embracing the change. We want to help these businesses and organizations build an effective strategy with the right providers and technologies to make this a success.

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What are the challenges with virtual events, and how does Evia solve for them? The biggest challenge with virtual events is understanding what that experience needs to be and what success looks like afterward. Most businesses and event professionals understand the ROI of an in-person event, but that is not always clear in the virtual space. We are here to help with that! We have been studying this for many years. We have seen what works and what doesn’t work, and so at Evia, we spend a lot of time building that strategy with our customers. Once they are clear on their goals, then finding the right technology solution is much easier.

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What should our designers and presenters be mindful of when creating content for a virtual event? I think there are three very important factors to keep in mind as a content designer and presenter

• Virtual attendee attention spans are short. The average online video consumption duration is 2 minutes. So, you want the content to be attention-grabbing from the beginning—don’t lose your viewer!
• Mobile is the number one way virtual audiences view video content. Be mindful of this when designing content because the screens are smaller. Less text and more visual.
• Build content that works for everyone. Accessibility is critical, especially in a virtual world, because your audience is everywhere. You want the content to be consumable by all.

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What excites Evia about the future and now of virtual content and branded experiences? We are very excited to see what hybrid events look like in the future! We imagine a day when all in-person events also have a virtual audience. This excites us because it means that everyone is included in the conversation, which will ultimately lead to more diversity and inclusion in business. And that is our mission!

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A big thank you to Hilary for sharing her insights and thought leadership with us! In our next blog, we will ask some questions of Jim from Distinction Communication to give you the perspective of a company that specializes in speaker coaching and messaging methodology to give his perspective on the shifting landscape in virtual events and communication.