At Relatu, our mantra is “host people, not events.” Everything should always come back to the core principle of making sure each and every person has a great experience–no matter how big or small their role, from standing on stage to standing room only.
There are a few crucial steps to hosting people online that often get overlooked and create low engagement leading to a dissatisfied audience. These issues typically boil down to one of three things: a lack of preparation, a lack of tech expertise, and most importantly, a lack of connection between the host and the attendee.
How many times have you had to sit through a speaker clumsily narrating the process of sharing their screen? Our team spent a week laughing at the London Incidental Orchestra’s viral meme composing a score to this painful experience we all know too well:
All jokes aside, there’s nothing more cringe-worthy to your audience than watching someone struggle with technology on screen. The friction that can happen with muting microphones, sharing screens, and launching breakout rooms creates serious distractions and widens the gap between the host and the attendee. Hosts shouldn’t find themselves in the middle of an awkward tech whirlwind or spending time troubleshooting. They should be fully present to the audience! Having a well prepared, streamlined experience helps avoid awkward mishaps, but In order to get there, we have to practice, practice, practice. Run rehearsals with every person involved in event day and practice using every single piece of technology–even if you’ve used it a hundred times before.
The Relatu Team has worked on everything from children’s theater to concerts in Cathedrals, from small team-building events to large international experiences, and no matter the size or scale, the most important factor for success is always rehearsals. However, rehearsals do take time, so a great strategy is to make your events and live streams more bite-sized and curated so that you have the time to perfect it. Doing this will also have the added benefit of preserving your reputation and respecting your audience’s time by not forcing them to sit through watching you struggle with the tech!
By creating a repeatable event model with elevated technology, you’ll be able to grow more comfortable with the format and delivery so that you can actually interact with your attendees and be a part of your community. It’ll also take the stress off of your speakers’ shoulders so that they can focus on the content.
