OBSTACLES IN VIRTUAL EVENT

COVID-19 has changed and influenced our daily routine. All our plans got either cancelled or rescheduled. Oof! So troublesome. But yet, it can’t stop us from moving forward. Even if we can’t do it face to face, we can do it virtually. But do you think the virtual process is smooth?? Have you organized any event? Or is it your first time going to organize one? It’s never too late. Here you will get to know the challenges & difficulties faced during a virtual event.  Some web conferencing app allows only limited users. So this is a problem if the event focuses on a large scale. At times like this event coordinators must create multiple links and manage it causing trouble for coordinators.  Some of the attendees may be first timers so it necessary for the event coordinators to let them know how to use the web conference app and tools in it. Some tools may be difficult or complex for them to understand and use it for the first time. There may be issues with firewall if the web conferencing is done using older versions of chrome or internet explorer.  As the event is in virtual mood, the participants or people attending the meeting will most likely be attending the event from their home. This may cause distractions in the event, like if the video is ON and if any of the family members are present there it causes distractions to the event.  One big challenge is the sponsor. They provide funding and in-kind donations toward events and, in return, are given a platform to share their product and/or service to the event’s attendees. The sponsors either want to do a poster hall presence or event branding. Or they may do it for social cause. It depends.  Cost of the event must also be taken into consideration. If the cost is high attendees may think it’s not worth. So while deciding the cost per person the coordinators must look into it carefully.  Following and going as per the agenda is also very important. A task in an event must be finished in the specified time. Little deviations are accepted. On spot management skills is very necessary when it comes to events. Suddenly the speaker will not be available to take part in the event, sudden network problem or any other. Event coordinators must be prepared for it.  The availability of network in rural area is a major problem. The network is either null or poor in the rural area. Thus people in rural area face this problem and are unable to attend the event even though they have huge interest in the event. The next is the audio quality. Audio quality is affected due to various reasons like surroundings, network quality and so on. This results in attendees missing the important segments of the event.  Difficulties may arise due to improper communication also. So coordinators must deliver clear information. In some events, the event coordinators may hire a co-host or virtual assistants to help the virtual event to run smooth.  Every event needs a sense of togetherness and only then the event will create a special space for all to speak out their mind and create a commitment to all that they are doing something good.  But still the communication between the attendees is difficult and almost not possible. In some web conferencing app the tools are limited and communicating to a specific person is also not possible. It is also difficult to have a lively event as it make become chaos. The event must be planned in such a way that the content is really interesting else the attendees may get bored and disinterested in it.  The attendees will not be able to get the same experience as they get as in the face-to-face conference. Exposure is reduced.  Making the event interactive is another challenge; we cannot know who is speaking as switching ON their video is their choice. First the host must make all the attendees comfortable so that they can speak their mind. Then host or event coordinators must come up with an interesting questions or topics for all to discuss.  There may be times when the event coordinators do not know the difficulties faced in the viewers side. Especially when the screen is shared, the size may be alright for the coordinator but for the viewer’s side it may be a trouble. Sharing the screen may also cause some sensitive problem. As there may be some notification popping up, it may raise some sensitive issues. Screen sharing may also cause delay in the receiver’s side. Thus lag between the video and audio.  If the event is more than 5 hours, event coordinators must make sure to give breaks in between and come up with small game or task for attendees to take a break and relax themselves a bit. This would help in making the event a friendly event.  By the end of the event during questionnaire session, all may not be able to clear their doubts. Also clearing doubts then and there is also not possible as it will distract the presenter. So this is a setback in virtual event.  Before the event, it is recommended to frame the rules of the event, in order to prevent unnecessary disturbance during the event. If attendees break the rules, be prepared on how to deal with them. So these are a few difficulties I faced in virtual events and think it’s important to get to know it beforehand. All will look good before the event starts. But Fun begins after it… So have you come across any of such problems? There is always some ways to overcome it. If Plan A fails always have a Plan B. (Plan C, Plan D….) Look forward and be prepared ahead of everything to face it.

Stay Tuned. ~Nandhitha Kalyanasundaram