10 Virtual Events
When planning an event for virtual delivery, it is important to consider if all attendees are going to be participating virtually or if a hybrid model will apply to the event. If a hybrid model is utilized then care should additionally be taken to ensure that the participants who are virtual are engaged to a similar extent as the participants are who are in-person.
*Remember that not everyone has full access to the internet and may have challenges with connection or be limited in their engagement due to the device from which they are joining.*
Included in this section: Virtual Considerations, Zoom Meetings, and Other Helpful Chapters of the Inclusive Events and Programming Guide that apply directly to virtual events.
Virtual Considerations
Ask Yourself
- What is the accessibility of the platform I am using and how will I adjust or create my event to fit a virtual format?
Recommendations
- The University of Iowa has Zoom Live Transcript (CC) enabled as an option for Zoom users. It is recommended to use the Zoom Live Transcription feature in all meetings on campus. Auto-captions do not yet meet accommodation levels of accuracy but do assist those in equal participation in meetings and events.
- When hosting a virtual event, consider sharing participant expectations regarding camera use. Before asking recipients to turn on their cameras, consider the context and reflect on potential impact your request may have on participants. Requiring camera use in a virtual setting could cause issues of equity, inclusivity, and access.
- Consider the type of virtual event that is being planned (e.g., Webinar, Virtual Conference, Internal Hybrid Events, External Hybrid Events) and pilot the accessibility of the structure (e.g., live, one-way audio and video) with a diverse team from multiple point-of-views (e.g., host, participant, panelists). Sometimes, offering a recording or having the event pre-recorded allows for increased accessibility as captioning and others need could be addressed prior to a participant’s experience.
- To allow for optimal engagement, consider using multimodal communication strategies, breakout rooms, and other strategies to promote networking and engagement. If the content that is being discussed could be triggering, consider providing a trigger warning associated with specific content to allow participants to decide what they will chose to or chose not to engage in.
- Unfortunately, events that are virtually still take resources to make them successful. The ability of the event to utilize additional features and approaches or the level of marketing may be dependent upon how the event is funded. In the case that events are paid, one should consider whether or not cost of the event is prohibitive to participation and seek community feedback as to whether this is a barrier. If cost is a barrier, considerations should be made for lowered cost plans or alternative scholarship strategies. Know your budget and seek diverse p