Virtual is vital: the strategies, design, and attendee engagement of virtual events

ABSTRACT

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has changed the event sector and altered the event landscape worldwide. Thus it is imperative to understand how COVID-19 has changed the event sector, and what can be done to sustain this economic industry. The adaptation strategies are not only important for sustaining the event business but also to retain company visibility. The lockdown phases in Malaysia, which started in March 2020, gave rise to numerous fruitful webinars by event experts worldwide. To give support and guidance, the recorded webinars were made available for the public and shared through YouTube. A content analysis of five webinars was conducted, which presented the discussion of 17 event industry experts worldwide, revolving around three major themes. The themes included strategies of hosting virtual events, strategies for maximising attendee engagement;as well as the design of virtual events. The analysis of these webinars revealed that most of the experts were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly their event businesses, and as a result, tried changing their way of thinking, and brainstormed on how to transform their regular events into virtual events. The findings of this paper are vital as they present practical insights from event experts.