Austin Parker hits a nerve with a bluntly titled post, “Virtual Events Suck” where he lays out all the reasons why the majority of online conferences offer a subpar experience. I agree with him on most, not all, points — and I think this is a good read for anyone planning on volunteering or organizing a virtual event of any size — but especially larger ones.
Austin does offer some potentially helpful insights that might help virtual events “not suck.” Not having a single track is one suggestion. Not having sponsor booths at all (and perhaps trying commercials instead), producing high-quality videos if you pre-record, and offering something that YouTube doesn’t. 📺
Most important of all, “figure out why your audience is there, work for them.”
