Going Digital? You Still Need Your Planner.

A client recently said to me, “Our CEO kept suggesting you whenever we needed help with a project.  We never understood how an ‘event planner’ could help us.  Now I get it.”  I’ve heard variations on this theme throughout my career; enough to make me re-think how I explain what I do when given the opportunity.  Sometimes, people who have worked with me for nearly a decade think that what I do is only necessary for an in person live event.  Event producers possess a lot of valuable and unique skill sets, not the least of which is the ability to see both the big picture AND the small details.  Event producers also understand how one impacts the other.

Here’s just a few reasons why you still need your planner, even if you’re moving your event online.

1) Putting your live event online is not easy.

First, you are not “taking your event virtual.”  The term “virtual” suggests that what is happening is not real, and it is.  You are still bringing people together, you are still delivering content.  You’ve just chosen a digital venue for your gathering.  You actually have to start from scratch and completely re-think your event.  Yup.  I know.

2) The digital platform market is saturated.

Your event producer is going to be the most qualified person to help you figure out what type of platform is best for you, your content, your audience.  Just like you need someone to help you find the right venue for your live event, you need someone to help you find the right platform for your digital event.

3) You’ve got to re-think your content.

Only an experienced producer will know how to refine your message and help it shine on your platform of choice.  A person outside of your day to day brings an invaluable perspective for how your content will “land” with your audience, as well as expertise on how digital platforms invite and encourage engagement.

4) You’ve got to organize and test your content.

Your event producer will review your content, test to make sure it works, and host run throughs with your speakers so that you don’t have to worry about any of that when it’s time to go live.  Can you do this yourself? Probably.  For a standard half-day digital meeting with 10 speakers, that task alone, when done professionally, involves about three full days worth of work.

5) You need a live producer during your event.

Unlike your happy hour with your friends where everyone just figures it out themselves--or doesn’t--if you’re hosting a digital event, you need someone who is paying attention to the technical details of your event.  Your planner is going to make sure no one ever knows the chair of your board couldn’t find the link.  Your planner is another line of defense against internet trolls or just misplaced questions.  Your planner is going to make sure the audio can still be heard when the video buffers and your planner is going to make sure the whole thing runs on time.