1. Shorter videos increase learning retention
Attention spans are tricky online. Distractions lurk around every corner, and focusing on a presentation becomes much harder, partly because some attendees overestimate their multitasking skills. Consequently, less of the content sticks. If you’ve ever felt too drained after two or three 30-minute videos to start another, you are certainly not alone. Timeframes that pose no problem at an in-person conference can suddenly feel like a marathon in a virtual setting. Shorter, concise presentations solve this. To ensure no presentation exceeds your set time limit, use pre-recorded videos instead of relying solely on live content.
Be careful with shortening content for virtual medical conferences: If your event is certified for continuing education, ten minutes is not enough for a presentation, as one CME credit corresponds to 45 minutes of training time.
2. Prepare your speakers for their role
Presenters play the biggest role in shaping individual (shortened) program segments, yet very few are familiar with virtual conferences. Sometimes there is even a bit of skepticism, as there is a huge difference between speaking to a live audience and speaking into a void. The Society for Cultural Anthropology was ahead of its time with Displace18, their 2018 conference, which was held as a virtual event back when few people were taking the format seriously. We can thank the organizers from back then for their very clear materials: What should speakers keep in mind when recording their own presentations? or How do you create a voice-over presentation? If speakers are spread across different countries, it doesn't make much sense to have them travel just for a recording (assuming travel restrictions even allow it). On the other hand, a professionally equipped studio eliminates the technical burden of video production. For those with shorter travel distances, such a service—now offered by many convention centers—is highly recommended.
Recording a video becomes much easier if speakers use sub-points and divide the video into several chapters—or produce a separate short video for each chapter. Instead of one 15-minute presentation, you might have three videos, each five minutes long.
Further practical tips for speakers at virtual conferences (keywords: camera height, lighting, reflections, framing, clothing) can be found on Katrin Taepke's blog.
3. Schedule breaks
If the stream runs continuously from start to finish, learning retention suffers (see tip #1). Attendees should always have some time after each session to rest and process the information. At home, there is usually no buffet to visit at any time, so most people have to cook their own coffee and lunch, and they often use breaks to catch up on emails or make phone calls.
Especially around lunchtime, the break should be a little longer. This way, no one has to sit in front of their screen with a growling stomach just to avoid missing anything.
Unfortunately, some organizers plan virtual conferences without any breaks at all, fearing that attendees won't return afterward. This concern is not unfounded, but the root cause usually lies in the content itself. It is crucial to inform attendees in advance about when and how long the breaks will be, or to make the videos available on-demand so everyone can manage their own time.
4. Attendees should do more than just watch
Well-produced content is the foundation of a successful virtual conference. If attendees can contribute to the sessions instead of remaining in a passive spectator role, the event will stand out much more positively. Unfortunately, many still struggle with this. In a recent survey, organizers stated that engaging attendees is by far the biggest challenge.
There are hardly any presentations that no one wants to comment on. Many speakers welcome questions and follow-up discussions or find it helpful to get an overview of the attendees' perspectives. Virtual conference organizers should therefore always provide opportunities for interaction. This works best directly where the content is hosted. Do not rely (only) on social networks—while conference attendees can meet there, it only works for those with an account. Anyone who chooses not to create one, perhaps for data privacy reasons, will be left out.
5. Facilitate networking
Unfortunately, contacts at virtual conferences are currently often limited to people who are already part of one's own circle. Complete strangers are contacted much less frequently, even though many attendees attend conferences specifically to make new connections. Organizers can help by providing contact suggestions based on shared interests.
Virtual discussions in small groups also encourage getting to know one another through collaborative work on a topic. In addition to presentations, a virtual conference should therefore always include formats where exchange is the primary focus. This also works very well as an icebreaker right at the beginning.
6. Conversations can be scheduled
A major advantage of virtual conferences is that attendees can experience the event at their own pace. Shouldn't that also apply to live conversations? For scientists, for example, it is quite frustrating to be required to be available for one or two hours for poster discussions, only to find that interest is limited in the end.
That wasted time could have been much better spent exploring the virtual conference. If someone wants to speak with the authors about their poster, a meeting is scheduled instead.
7. Use moderators
Sometimes participants are hesitant to speak up if no one else has done so yet. Critical remarks in particular can be misinterpreted in a virtual space, even though they are perfectly normal and generally constructive at scientific conferences.
Moderators are incredibly helpful because they can monitor conversations and intervene to prevent such misunderstandings. They step in when needed to spark discussion, smooth over disagreements, or filter out inappropriate comments.
8. The virtual conference should only open after registration
Even if you don't charge a fee for a virtual conference, participants should be required to register to access all features. While it is fine to make streams and videos accessible without registration, interactions can quickly get out of hand—for example, if the comment section is hijacked by trolls and flooded with disruptive, nonsensical posts. This makes the moderators' job much harder. To be on the safe side, link your virtual conference platform to a professional registration system. This gives organizers maximum control over who can access which content.
Do you have any other tips for organizers that we should include? We welcome further suggestions—including those from a participant's perspective.
