Flock launches Virtual Event Knowledge Series

By Mike Lysko, chief executive officer and founder of Flock Platform

From the beginning of the global lockdowns, the events industry has been one of the hardest hit, sending many event planners into strategy mode. With initial reductions in mass gatherings, to limits on groups larger than 100, later 50, and then a complete shut-down, it has left the events industry with little option besides taking their much-needed events into the virtual sphere.

Flock has been operating in the virtual and mobile side of events since 2013 providing event tech solutions, so sprang into action as soon as possible by developing features enabling events to be held completely through mobile apps, or through a combination of mobile and online/virtual event platforms.

Over the last few weeks there has been much research and information provided on an incredibly wide variety of virtual and online platforms, all with different pros and cons, and applicable to certain events over others – making it a challenge for event planners (amongst everything else that requires planning and co-ordination) to become complete event tech gurus by knowing which options are best for which types of events, and which options and developments are available when it comes to virtual events.

Understanding this scenario, the Flock team strategised around how to provide valuable information to event planners on virtual events, and thus the Virtual Event Knowledge Series was born. The first live webinar took place on 13 May and had over 150 attendees from eight countries around the world.

The topic was AR (augmented reality) & VR (virtual reality) in events which included a presentation on various platforms and tech capabilities in this space from Steve Pinto, chief executive officer of New Reality.

Mike Lysko, Calley Hayward and Veronica Botes from the Flock team were hosting guests and provided a series of engagement tools, polls and jam-packed content covering:

• The various types of events held (conferences, networking events, exhibitions, product showcases, open days, awards ceremonies, seminars, training workshops and others).

• Some available platforms for lifelike meetings and events with inperson meetups and collaborations from anywhere in the world.

• Important preparation tactics for event planners and their suppliers.

• Tips and tricks for audience engagement to accommodate different distractions and ensure the guests attention is kept.

• How to monetise your online events and add value to your sponsors?

• The importance of analytics and surveys for consistent improvement.

• Give thought to planning for five years from now with the potential for more global pandemics.

Feedback from the webinar has been incredibly positive so far, and got the wheels turning for many event planners, with the possibility for bringing events that may once have been considered strictly inperson events, to the virtual environment – and making it a potential global success with the increased audience reach.

The full event series will cover various topics linking to the success of virtual events, with focus points such as:

• Speaking tips to maintain a human connection online with expert Andy Golding co-owner of Still Human, and;

• Life after lockdown from worldrenowned speaker, Michael Jackson.

• Other topics will include: monetising your virtual event, virtual event engagement, sponsorship in virtual events, and more.

They will be run every two weeks in May and June, with the next episode being held on 27 May 2020.

The aim for the series is to provide event planners with sought-after knowledge to equip them to plan, coordinate and create immersive virtual experiences for their guests going forward. Just like with physical events where the industry evolved substantially over many years with improvements in, for example, production capabilities, event registration enhancements, or Event Apps becoming a standard for better interactivity, engagement and information, we can expect the same with the Virtual Event revolution where the capabilities will improve and attendees will have a higher expectations for their online experiences going forward.

We feel it’s important to provide guiding information to event planners to uplift the events industry as whole, showcase various tech capabilities, improve experiences for attendees through better speakers and engagements, and provide organisers with the confidence to secure sponsorship and monetise events with the tools at hand currently.

As we are exploring, we are seeing more opportunity for global reach, increased sponsorship and calculated ROI for sponsors and various channels and options for monetising events that were never previously available at physical events.

The future will consist of varying degrees of hybrid events (a mix of digital and physical elements in one event), with potential for better attendee experiences and improvements in networking as audiences are no longer bound by logistics and geography.

Events providing a physical and virtual platform simultaneously will need to ensure that the experience is similar for both, particularly when attendee access is monetised. The Virtual Event Knowledge Series aims to provide guidance and insights to the events industry, making it easier for event planners to provide the same memorable experiences that audiences have grown to expect from the South African events industry, and globally.

Who is Mike Lysko?

Mike Lysko, chief executive officer and founder of Flock Platform has been leading the South African-based event tech company since 2013. With a strong interest in tech, and background in managing events, the Flock Eventing Platform and mobile event apps for virtual and hybrid events are created out of solid knowledge and experience in the events industry.