The European Association of the Study of Obesity (EASO) and the European Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ECPO) have launched a new guide to holding online events. Recognising that virtual dialogue will continue to be an essential part of our communications for some time to come, EASO and ECPO have designed the guide to provide useful tips and tricks for anyone involved in organising events for World Obesity Day.
COVID-19 has dramatically changed events. In-person meetings, seminars and conferences have all had to move online.
To be engaging, online offerings don’t have to be slick. But they do need to be interesting, enjoyable and free of technical hiccups. The audience needs to feel grateful for having taken the time to attend and is hopefully impressed and more knowledgeable afterwards.
Hosting a virtual event has many similarities to an in-person event, but with the extra challenge of having to work harder to keep the virtual audience engaged. When you are presenting in front of a room of people, you can observe body language and facial expressions to judge whether or not the audience is following what you are saying. But obviously, you can’t see the audience in a webinar, and there is a risk of delegates leaving with just one click, or becoming distracted by other priorities. So, it is critical to plan well and execute professionally.