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A Detailed Checklist for Virtual Conferences

by Media
Near the end of the London chapter meetup this morning—early this morning—events came up briefly. One participant said that, for an upcoming event that was moved to virtual, he was registering more participants, including people from much further away than normal. “Only snag is I don’t have the confidence to charge enough money.”
(I just heard in a panel discussion that a B2B conference organizer is seeing more people sign up from the same organization that she normally sees.)
“The way we’re using digital tools now has changed so much to our advantage,” another participant said. “People need to be connected. They are craving meaningful connections and communities around our content. Everyone [asks] what’s next? Probably a combination of online training and connections. There’s an opportunity there.”
An extensive new report has been released by the Association for Computing Machinery titled “Virtual Conferences: A Guide to Best Practices,” advising how to replace face-to-face conferences with virtual ones during the pandemic. It is quite detailed.
Here are a few highlights.
Take advantage of the medium. “[Virtual events] are not just about the technology that supports them, but they are, first and foremost, about rethinking and retargeting the things that organizers and participants normally do into new media and new forms of interaction. Virtual conferences need just as much people-power and organization as physical conferences.”
Set up training sessions with speakers. This is new stuff to almost all of us. “Organizers cannot rely on speakers’ prior experiences on giving conference talks. It is strongly advised that organizers set up training sessions ahead of time for speakers and session chairs, so that they can learn how to function in the platform(s) where the conference is taking place, and how to interact with people in other roles and with the audience. These can be as short as 15 minutes.”
Ensure that attendees/audience members can text chat and engage. When we’re physically at a conference session, we are absorbed in what we’re watching. When we’re at home, there are so many possible distractions. We need something that keeps us engaged. (Ironically, the discussion I’m watching has been conducting polls. They work!) “…The glue that binds participants together is text chat. There will need to be several group-chat channels, including all simultaneous participants in the conference, session-related channels, and smaller, specialized chat channels for smaller groups. This makes all the difference between a person watching a video of a talk by themselves, and watching a talk together, at the same time, with a group of like-minded people.”
Monitor those chats. “It is important that the text chat feeds are monitored by an identified person, and that questions are fed into the live session as appropriate, and that feedback is given to the speakers during live sessions, as they may not be able to monitor such feeds themselves while giving their talks.” I’ve also seen where the session parts are taped, and the speakers are present to answer questions as they come up.
Provide a virtual “map.” How many of us have gotten lost among the rooms and floors of a physical conference? Me. For virtual conferences, navigation is equally important—maybe more important given our online frustrations. “The live sessions of virtual conferences need to be easy to find and get into. The online program needs to have information about when and ‘where’ the sessions will take place, e.g., the Zoom meeting links, the Webinar links, the Slack channels, etc. All of this information should be presented through user interfaces that are easy to understand and with links that ‘teleport’ participants to the ‘places’ they want to go.”
Plan for 3-4 hours of content a day. “Without the need to limit travel time, we might settle on 3-4 hours per day for virtual conferences rather than the 9-12 for in-person meetings. This also makes dealing with time zones easier. An in-person event that was normally 2-3 days might translate to a week-long virtual event. Conferences should consider providing some form of certificate of attendance.” Given how busy everyone is, that “week-long event” may not be viable. Another group here at SIIA is doing Tuesday and Thursday individual sessions for a month and calling it [Conference Name] Deconstructed.
Create some fun time. There should still be a group whose task is to set up an entertainment program that may include live music, outings, etc. “This task is even more important in virtual conferences. Someone in the organization should be in charge of adding things for participants to do online together.”
There’s a lot more great advice in this report. Check it out here.
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A Baseball Watch Event Hits a Virtual Home Run. Here’s Why.

by Media
There was a wonderful Zoom event last week, out of which I believe brought some excellent lessons for putting on virtual events—even though it was a very popular subject and a few drinks were on the respective tables. It was the 2019 World Series Game 7 Reunion Special featuring coaches and players from the Washington Nationals who were all simultaneously watching a replay of their victorious Game 7 win over the Houston Astros in late October.
The biggest lesson to come out of this Zoomcast is to take advantage of a medium’s strengths. Zoom, or similar platforms, can put a whole bunch of live faces on the screen, have them speak in turn and give viewers that reassuring Brady Bunch feel. Facebook allows people to comment a mile a minute, but most importantly feel a part of things. Here are a few other lessons:
Have a smart, well-respected moderator. The event, which took place on Zoom but was available for fans to watch on Facebook, actually had two good moderators—Dan Kolko, an announcer for MASN which carries the Nationals, and Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals’ longest tenured player and a hugely respected presence in the community. Zimmerman proved that he easily has a life after playing, prodding the players to speak and react throughout—even leaving a question on the table when he needed a bathroom break. And when there was a lull, he then added his own experiences.
In these times, a dash of humanity goes a long way. Earlier that day, Zimmerman had begun a new charitable effort—Prosforheroes.org. “The goal is to ensure that health care professionals have the tools they need to stay safe, including supplies, reliable equipment and healthy meals for themselves and their families every day.” The gofundme page is already up to $309k. This had more than a dash of humanity, but small businesses don’t need anything of that size. Just allying yourself to one of the great causes out there can be a good thing. “We’ve taken part in this and you can too.”
Give your audience points of engagement. When I watched Education Week’s Online Summits, there were virtual conversations taking place everywhere between registrants and Education Week editors and invited speakers. For the Game 7 Special, fans watching could comment on Facebook and that became part of the show. I’ve read about other virtual events with surveys or polls in the middle, and, of course, questions to post on the chat line. We want to engage!
Do all or some part of it live. At the Nationals celebratory parade in November, second baseman Brian Dozier became famous for taking off his shirt on stage. So, of course, he had to enter this event shirtless as well. It brought the most laughter of the whole Zoomcast. I doubt any of your speakers is going to come into your event shirtless, but people still appreciate spontaneity. Maybe that’s a speaker making reference of something that happened that morning or telling about her current situation. I’ve watched some of Bob Coleman’s live daily shows, and they feel urgent.
Offer a little behind-the-scenes information. The players started talking about the conversations they were having with the umpires at the end of the game. The catcher Yan Gomes said the umpire told him in the bottom of the 9th to try to relax. (Gomes told him, “I’m okay, just call some strikes.”) Zimmerman said the umpire at first base, with just one out to go, congratulated him—a baseball no-no until the last out is recorded. Try to tell some similar-in-style stories that your audience might not get to see.
Home is where the heart is. We saw lots of dogs, a few kids, some crazy backgrounds, a Japanese boulevard—baby shark himself Gerardo Parra came on from Japan where he signed this year—and a few man-caves. People understand that most speakers are home now, and while your events will be more business-oriented, personal items can add to the atmosphere.
Divide and conquer. The Game 7 Special was unbelievable fun for us fans, but at 4 hours-plus, it did clock in a little long. I actually watched over the weekend in 40-or-so minute pieces. That felt just right—even though I wasn’t able to also watch the game. Remember, what you’re doing now has an afterlife. I get a sense people are watching at all hours these days. You can do episodes or parts and then post everything for later. If it’s good, people will watch.
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Helpful Crisis Resources From SIPA Members

by Media
“If your small business has received approval for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), congratulations on obtaining aid to help get your business and your employees through the shutdown measures needed to stop the spread of COVID-19,” writes Bruce Brumberg of longtime SIPA member myStockOptions.com, in an article titled You Got Your Paycheck Protection Program Loan. Now What? Advice From Small-Business Lawyers.
“However, you need to use the loan carefully. First, you want to maximize the feature that makes the PPP loan forgivable. Second, you want to use the loan properly so that you stay out of legal trouble for any potential abuse of the program.”
Brumberg’s article, along with his previous post—How to Avoid Going to Prison for Your Payroll Protection Program Loan: Advice From Former Federal Prosecutors—both appear on the Forbes website. They are just a couple of the many great resources that SIPA members are providing during this pandemic—many of which can be of general help.
Ragan Communications posted an article today titled In the COVID-19 Era, Try These 12 Virtual Collaboration Tools. “Especially in volatile, uncertain times such as these, it’s crucial for businesses to maintain communication continuity and streamlined teamwork… The good news is that there are plenty of online tools that can make working together a breeze. Try these 12 tools to maximize your productivity.” The tools include G Suite, Nifty, Backlog and Monday.com.
Access Intelligence’s PR News site has a Q&A up today titled How to Communicate and Pitch During the Pandemic.
PRNEWS: What are some keys for an effective media relations strategy during this crisis?
LT Taylor, communications director at Burrow, the online furniture brand: “Tread lightly and reset your goals and expectations since so many outlets and reporters have shifted their priorities. It’s still important, maybe more so, to understand why you’re telling a story…and who might be interested in it. As always, spend time reading each content creator’s previous articles, see what they’re sharing on Twitter, and approach each pitch with empathy.”
Deb Hileman, CEO, Institute for Crisis Management: “In the midst of the overwhelming amount of difficult news coverage about the virus, some reporters are seeking pitches about feel-good stories that can uplift audiences. The caveat is that many of them will want virus-related, feel-good material. Stories about actions your organization is taking to help customers, employees or the community will add to its goodwill bank of trust and reputation.”
Business Management Daily has a host of articles that could be helpful to small businesses and the people who work there. Quiana Darden writes about Why You Need Standard Operating Procedures Now More Than Ever.
“When the workforce is turned upside down, not too much is standard about how you operate. Even so, having standard operating procedures, also known as SOPs, in place can help you maintain a sense of control and consistency in your business.
“You might be up against any number of situations now or potentially in the future—from staff on extended leave to hiring temp workers to manage tasks to possibly downsizing your staff. Since you don’t know what’s to come, now more than ever, you want to have SOPs in place as a tool to help your business operate more efficiently.”
The International Risk Management Institute has its own free COVID-19 Resources. One of the many articles is Coronavirus (COVID-19) Business Income Losses—Are They Covered?
“The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19 are wreaking havoc on all of us—individuals and businesses alike. Businesses that have purchased coverage for business income loss as part of their commercial property insurance may well be hoping that they will be able to recover under their policies for income loss due to the coronavirus.”
Here’s one last link that could be helpful—even if it isn’t from a SIPA member: 3 Meditation and Mindfulness Apps for Stressed-Out Event Professionals.
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Profiles of 2019 SIPAward Winners Provide Ideas During Crisis

by Media
With the deadline looming for SIPAwards entries—you can’t win if you don’t enter!—it’s a good time to list some of the profiles I wrote on 2019 honored entrants. The SIPAwards are a total win-win-win entity, especially in these challenging weeks. Great efforts get recognized and applauded, members read about them, we celebrate (virtually) at SIPA 2020, and helpful times are enjoyed by all.
Here’s a rundown of a few profiles that I wrote of 2019 winners, with links to the full stories. Except for one in-person event, they are all initiatives that can be executed during our current climate.
In 2018, the Informa Pharma Intelligence editorial and marketing teams collaborated on the release of its annual white paper analyzing the evolution of pharma R&D for the past year. But this wasn’t your typical medical or scientific report. It was more music to their audience’s ears. “Using the evolution of music as the backdrop for the 2018 report, the team set the trends… against everything from present day pop charts to the birth of jazz,” they wrote on their 2019 SIPAward-winning entry.
“Education Week Online Summits are an ideal way for busy educators to access timely information about a range of critical issues in K-12 education easily by using their phones or desktops and integrating their learning directly into their usual workflow,” wrote Matthew Cibellis, director of programming, live & virtual events, for Education Week, in his 2019 SIPAward-winning entry last year.
“Gas station owner Mike is struggling to keep up with the times, and not just in his wardrobe.” Thus begins one of the many OPIS animated videos featuring Mike, here wearing a psychedelic shirt and headband. This 98-second marketing video is one of many in the OPIS RetailSuite Video Series starring the buyer persona (but not Oscar-nominated) “Mike the station manager.” This campaign helped produce 600+ closed sales in 2018, and drove a 17% YOY increase in sales revenue for the retail segment of OPIS business—and won a SIPAward.
The original trial sign-up page for Money-Media’s Life Annuity Specialist looked a bit intimidating. It had several boxes to fill out, a password to create, enter and re-enter, and many asterisks which usually isn’t good. Then there was a testimonial, a confirmation box, “privacy and cookie policies,” and finally the Sign Up button at the bottom. Whew! But then a new trial sign-up page was created, and success followed—and a 2019 SIPAward for Best Success Story.
Talk about a win-win initiative. In 2018, Connectiv member Putman Media’s inaugural Influential Women in Manufacturing (IWIM), a recognition program honoring women who are creating and leading change in the manufacturing and industrial production space, honored 22 women and won a coveted SIPAward. Along with that came new social media channels, an awards breakfast at their annual Smart Industry event—shown here with Putman’s three IWIM creators—a new sponsorship, webinars, a podcast series, and, oh yes, 27 more honorees in 2019.
“Mapping out the email content for the entire marketing campaign from the first to the last email enabled me to really put myself in the attendee’s shoes and think, ‘what is my customer’s journey’?” That quote is from Sarah Plombon, marketing manager for Access Intelligence, in her 2019 SIPAward-winning entry for Best Success Story. For their 2019 Nuclear Deterrence Summit, she created an automated email marketing campaign that drove an 18% increase in year-over-year attendee revenue.
“Data shows that 39.4% of people who view this quiz are completing it, 49.7% of people who begin the quiz are completing it, and 99.2% of people completing the quiz are entering their email addresses,” wrote Megan Sigg, marketing coordinator for Access Intelligence’s PR News, in her 2019 SIPAward-winning entry for Best Lead Generation/Nurturing Campaign. “Overall results of this lead-generation campaign have exceeded expectations bringing in more than 700 total leads…”
Again, here is the link to the 2020 SIPAwards. There’s still time to enter, win and be included in this column next year!
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Lessiter Media Scores a Big Lead Gen Win With an ‘Educational’ Quiz

by Media
I received an email from Lessiter Media Chairman Frank Lessiter over the weekend talking about the success they’ve been having with quizzes in the last few months. So, of course, I had to take it.
Quizzes are one engagement element that can still be effective now—and frankly can bring us a little relief. (I’ve read that jigsaw puzzles are also reaching new popularity heights.) In fact, this morning, a sports station here presented the most compelling content in weeks by doing quiz questions to callers. And trivia nights have already found a comfort zone online—one friend just gave a thumbs-up testimonial for one and forwarded it to me. They’re charging $18.
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“Hey, it’s Frank!” a pop-up emerges with his photo when I go to Lessiter’s no-tillfarmer.com. “Have you taken the 12-question quiz, ‘How Much Do You Actually Know About Cover Crops?'” It takes less than 5 minutes to complete and we’ll send you a copy of your quiz results in addition to a FREE PDF copy of our popular 28-page eGuide, ‘The Pluses & Minuses of Today’s Most Popular Cover Crops’ via email.”

The link takes me to “How Much Do You Actually Know About Cover Crops?” with a big sponsor logo—Schaeffer’s Crop Enhancements—up top.
“Take this quick 12-question quiz to find out. This quiz wasn’t created ‘just for fun,’ but to act as an educational tool.” I quickly answered the questions and then a final one asking if the sponsor can call me, before getting my results. I got 5 right! Wow, maybe I should play the lottery today. That makes me a “PLODDER.” One point lower and I would have been “McFLY.”
The quiz was fun, yes educational—who knew that forb is not a primary cover crop species?—and great lead gen for Lessiter Media.
“We have received 3,346 total submissions from Nov. 7, 2019, through March 31, 2020,” Lessiter wrote. Some 3,160 are unique. About 1,658 are new email addresses to our database which we are currently marketing to with subscriptions and event promotions. To date, there are 120 new NTF subscribers from this list of quiz takers with a first order date after the quiz launched.” I may have to opt out.
This was the first quiz that Lessiter Media launched with a sponsorship. “We launched [a quiz] last fall for our farmer audience that was a really tough quiz on soil health,” wrote Lessiter. “It was pulled together by No-Till Farmer senior editor John Dobberstein, while Joanne Volkert of our audience development staff handled the marketing aspects.”
Here’s the promo breakdown that Volkert developed…
  • 15 total promos in the weekly email newsletters (No-Till Farmer, Strip-Till Farmer and Cover Crop Strategies email newsletters;
  • 8 total promos in these three daily newsletters DEUs (NTF, STF, CCS);
  • 3 total email promos to our entire grower audience;
  • 2 Facebook posts (one on NTF and one on STF);
  • 6 total Facebook ad campaigns ($541 total expense);
    – Posted once each in several outside grower LinkedIn groups;
  • Was part of their National No-Tillage Conference event contest in November to earn more entries;
  • Posted in “Everything Cover Crops” Facebook Group, another outside grower group
  • Farm Babe (Michelle Miller, an ag influencer on social media) shared with her Facebook followers
I had to look up that last one, and there she is, The Farm Babe (thefarmbabe.com). “‘The Farm Babe’ unearths the truth behind modern farming… Big city globetrotter turned Iowa farm girl.” Given the state of my exciting evenings, I may watch one of her videos tonight.
Lessiter said that the quizzes will amp up a bit from here. “With our American Farriers Journal market, we’re starting a monthly quiz on specific areas of trimming and shoeing horses. Hopefully, we’ll find sponsors for this quiz series. As you would guess, we’re happy with the results.”
If you get a few extra minutes, I also urge you to listen to a Lessiter Media podcast titled How We Did It. For the final “bonus” episode of the series, longtime editor Dave Kanicki sat down with Frank Lessiter and wife Pam, along with their son, Mike Lessiter, president of Lessiter Media, to discuss the company past and present. It’s wonderful. And yes, there is a sponsor.