The basics of planning an online event are not that different from offline events. However, by planning with an understanding of the unique characteristics of online events, you can increase the satisfaction of both participants and speakers. In this article, we will focus on the ‘time allocation’ aspect, which is often overlooked when planning online events, and introduce some key points.
__Table of Contents__
– [1. Be aware of the time allocation unique to online events] (#1-)
– [2. Keep each part of the event to 20 minutes or less](#2-20)
– [3. How you choose the time of day can make or break your online event](#3-)
– [4. Is it easier to get participants to attend in the morning or afternoon?](#4–)
– [5. How should you consider the time for breaks?](#5-)
– [6. Time allocation that is unique to online events](#6-)
## 1. Be aware of the time allocation unique to online events
When planning an online event, it is important to be aware of the pacing of each session. Many people have been moved by the wonderful speeches and presentations of speakers at offline events. In such cases, time may have seemed to pass very quickly. However, at online events, even if the content is the same, time can suddenly seem to drag on. Participants tend to quickly leave online events if their concentration is broken.
In order to keep participants’ attention and increase their satisfaction during an online event, it is important to keep each part of the session short.
## 2. Each part should be “20 minutes or less
If we assume that a session is 60 minutes long, we can divide it into three parts: a lecture, a panel discussion, and a Q&A session. At this time, it is good to keep each part to 20 minutes or less. After 20 minutes, we move on to the next part, which helps to keep the participants’ concentration up and reduces the number of people who drop out part way through.
It is also important to keep each session short. This is beneficial not only for the participants, but also for the speakers. Even for experienced speakers who have been through a hundred battles, it is difficult to keep talking for a long time in front of the camera without being able to see the reactions of the participants. In order to maintain the motivation of both the participants and the speakers, please be aware of the time per session and the structure of the event.
## 3. Choosing the time of day can make or break your online event
There are generally considered to be appropriate times for holding online events, and it is said that 11am or 2pm on weekdays are good times for people to participate. One of the strengths of online events is that they can be planned as lunch sessions that people can watch while eating lunch.
However, because online events can be held anywhere, it is by no means the case that you don’t have to think carefully about the time of day you hold them. In particular, for business-use online events, there is a tendency for the number of participants to drop off after 5pm. This is because at that time of day, there are many other options available, such as “prime time TV programs”, “YouTube”, “mealtimes”, and “housework/childcare”.
## 4. Is it easier to get participants to attend in the morning or in the afternoon?
When holding an online event, you will probably want to prepare a main content that will be the highlight of the event and attract participants. If you are holding multiple sessions on the same day, where should you place the main content? The answer is ‘at the very beginning’. The motivation of participants in an online event is at its highest during the first session on the day of the event. The same is true if the event is held over multiple days. The key point is to attract participants with the first session and then to connect them to the subsequent sessions.
## 5. How should we consider the break time?
Next, we need to consider how much time should be left between sessions. For offline events, we sometimes leave 20 to 30 minutes between sessions to allow for things like bathroom breaks. For online events, it is said that it is better to keep this time as short as possible. In online events, it is easy to leave with just one click or tap. Within the limits of not interfering with operations, please consider how you can move on to the next session in a short time of 5 to 10 minutes.
It is common practice to switch to a screen that says something like “The next event will begin at ◯◯”, between sessions. If you want to prevent people from leaving during the break, playing background music is a good idea. Even if they take their eyes off the screen during the break, they will be able to recognize the sound when the session after the break begins. It is also a good idea to play videos of commercials for your company or sponsor companies during the break.
## 6. Allocating time in an online event
The basic principles of event planning are the same whether it is an online or offline event. However, as we have explained, if you plan an event using the rules of thumb for offline events, you may have trouble attracting participants and keeping them engaged. In this article, we have focused on allocating time, but it is important to think about and plan for online events in a way that makes it easy for participants to leave.
