Live events are back. While they were challenging to organize pre-pandemic, they will be even more difficult now. Hosting live events entails knowing how to prepare for the worst-case scenario and plan a solution before it happens. This guide discusses the various challenges of hosting live events and ways to overcome them.
Avoid making common live event blunders by identifying and knowing how to overcome common challenges.
Budget is one of the main issues faced when hosting live events. If you have a limited budget, you must effectively plan how to allocate the available resources to pay for various expenses, such as venue rental, live event equipment, staffing, and marketing. It requires a thorough understanding of anticipated expenses and event requirements to handle costs effectively and budget accordingly.
Effective cost management is the best solution to overcome budget constraints. You must develop efficient ticket pricing strategies to ensure you can optimize the profit from the event. However, you should also invest in marketing and planning the event to ensure it can attract a large enough audience to buy tickets. Otherwise, you won't be able to get enough ticket sales to cover the event expenses or meet your sales target. Leverage data analytics and efficient pricing strategies to optimize revenue.
Hosting live events entails various logistical challenges. The most significant challenge is in selecting the right venue. Choosing a venue for a live event requires considering factors such as venue capacity, location, amenities, and cost. These factors should align with your event requirements to ensure you have the best fit for your needs.
If you find a venue that fits your requirements, the next challenge is to ensure its availability within your desired time frame. Securing the venue on your desired date can be challenging when it is popular and in peak season. The best way to overcome this issue is to start your venue search early; ideally, you must do this months before your event. Focus on establishing a solid relationship with venue owners, so you have a backup option in case your initial venue option does not come through.
The next logistical planning of hosting live events involves scheduling and coordination. The task is more complex for significant events involving more speakers, vendors, and stakeholders. You must maintain efficient communication with your event planning team and ensure regular updates for each department to identify and rectify issues promptly. Using project management tools and software can streamline the event planning process and ensure you can keep track of tasks and deadlines.
The technical challenges of hosting live events create the most significant impact on the actual event. Live events require specific technical and infrastructure requirements, such as audio visual equipment, lighting, power and electrical supply, internet connectivity, sound system, and more.
You have to coordinate with multiple vendors, technical teams, and venue staff to ensure you have all the necessary infrastructure for hosting a live event. It also ensures the technical elements are in place and that the event goes smoothly. Before the event, you should conduct multiple site visits to develop a detailed technical plan and perform equipment tests. This will enable you to identify technological and technical infrastructure gaps and plan accordingly. Always devise a backup plan and contingency measures to avoid major technical failures and minimize event disruptions.
The audio visual setup is the primary technical challenge you have to overcome. Check for equipment compatibility, inadequate lighting, and sound quality issues. Hire audio visual professionals to do the testing for this and ensure you have skilled professionals to handle the setup and operation of the audio visual equipment. They can also troubleshoot if necessary. The audio visual team must work closely with the event staff to deliver the optimal audio visual experience for attendees.
The next technical issue you have to prepare for involves technology and internet connectivity. It is especially crucial if you plan to live stream the event. You must have access to a reliable internet connection to ensure uninterrupted event live streaming. Always have a backup to avoid buffering and resolve technology-dependent aspects of streaming your live event. Consider backup connections to overcome the risk of connectivity issues.
Meanwhile, you should plan for any technology integrations during your live event. Tests should be conducted before the event, especially for interactive walls and event apps, to deliver a seamless experience.
It is crucial to have a contingency plan for any technical issues that you anticipate could happen during the event. You must have a team of technical support experts for quick troubleshooting at the event. Your contingency plan should include alternative technical setups and communication protocols for unexpected technical issues.
Attracting and retaining your audience at a live event is a significant challenge. You must employ effective strategies to enhance audience engagement. Incorporating interactive and immersive experiences and elements through augmented reality, interactive walls, and gamification to maximize audience involvement throughout the event.
You can also break up the speaking sessions with interactive sessions, Q&As, and workshops to boost audience participation. Provide platforms for the audience to engage with the event hosts and speakers and make them feel like they're a part of the event and not just passive attendees. Explore ideas to give your audience a sense of ownership of the event, resulting in a more memorable experience.
When planning the event flow, make sure to consider diverse audience preferences. You can conduct pre-event surveys to obtain essential audience data that will provide insight into their preferences and become aware of audience expectations. Ensure ample wiggle room for networking opportunities and breakout sessions in the event schedule. Always be flexible to adapt to the interest and response of the audience in real-time.
Hosting a live event entails several challenges in dealing with the different aspects of event planning. Awareness of these challenges enables you to anticipate when they will happen and devise solutions to overcome them. The more you are prepared for those challenges, the better you can deliver an interactive and engaging event for your audience to enjoy and gain value from.
