5 Key Learnings From Our Virtual Events

Posted by Liz on 4 Mar 2021

In autumn 2020, we ran a series of eight virtual events, showcasing over 100 employers to 14,500 students.

Here are our 5 key learnings to consider for your 2021 strategy...

1. Virtual event fatigue is real

Conversion of “registrations” to “attendees” decreased over time. The conversion from registration to attendees for our first event (30th September) compared to our final event (18th of November) dropped by 24%. Run your events early in the autumn for maximum engagement. 

2. Targeted events increase attendance

The more targeted events led to more engagement between employers and students. And by targeted we mean industry-specific.

We averaged 107 students per employer for our industry-focused events vs 40 students per employer for more general focus events. Ensure your events are targeted for greater attendance.

3. Make the most of peak times

Our busiest time was almost always 11am (1hr 30mins into the event) on day 1, therefore, make sure your event doesn’t start too early and any key presentations are around this time. 

4. Encourage and embrace participation in the chat

Don’t expect, or force, students to come on camera straight away, it will put them off and potentially cause them to leave. Make people comfortable through chat, and that may lead to face-to-face discussion. 

5. Use pre-registration to build audience

Build a larger talent pool by opening your events for pre-registration and promoting to your target audiences. We opened pre-registration for our events 2-3 months before they were due to take place and had over 31,000 event registrations.

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If you’re looking to engage with interested students at virtual events in 2021, register your interest in our 2021 virtual events series.

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