Navigating the Choppy Waters of Multimodal Events Planning

The ship has sailed…moving events online isn’t about building the same boat for different waters.

by Summer Issawi and Erica Venton

In the past one year plus, we’ve seen a wide variety of events shift online. While some hit the mark, others left us unsatisfied. Maybe it was the orientation event that contained the right information but was buried under lengthy videos without markers. Or the overloaded resource guide absent of graphics and entirely unsearchable. Or it might have even been the staff meeting that left you disconnected, disengaged, and confused. These Multimodal Blended Events Guidelines will get you on the right path for where you want your event to be. As we reflect on the year-long pivot of in-person to virtual events, three pitfalls are worth the focus. Let’s talk about how we can build a boat that will sail in these virtual waters.

Rethink the experience in its entirety and focus on the major goals of the event.

Let’s look at the big picture here and in the context of our current realities.

1. What do we know about our participants? What questions do we have about them?
2. What is the real goal here and what are we trying to accomplish?
3. What is the takeaway? What should participants walk away with?
4. What primary learning experiences will make this event a success?

Organize these concepts in terms of main level and sublevels as well as by audience or role. Event planners need to make sure everyone involved with this initiative, especially project partners and stakeholders, are very clear on the answers to the questions above. Oftentimes, team members assume everyone is on the same page but unless it’s articulated and agreed upon, we run this major risk (activity: each team member drafts a response to a question above. Responses are shared in order to reach consensus and set a solid foundation for the event). Remember to stay true to these notions and let that be the North Star for every decision you make. The North Star is a “landmark, or sky marker, that helps those who follow it determine direction as it glows brightly to guide and lead toward a purposeful destination…the North Star depicts a beacon of inspiration and hope to many.” That strong foundation keeps you true to your goals and makes for an impactful experience. From the ground up, we need to rethink and redesign for what should be and could be (in light of our objectives and key results).

Accept that some aspects of in-person events can’t simply convert to virtual.

In evaluating each of the components and the entire experience overall, keep accessibility at the forefront and maintained throughout design and implementation. We have to make sure all components are usable by the largest number of participants and especially keep in mind that all users benefit from the variety of formats presented. While captions were initially created for those hard of hearing, a wider group benefits from utilizing those captions in note taking, comprehending and recalling information, and searching the text. Creating content in a variety of formats offers flexibility and generosity for our users.

We don’t often see submarines in inland lakes, just the same as we wouldn’t put a paddle boat in the middle of the ocean. Different modalities offer unique characteristics and we should cater to that. For example, instead of the usual networking event, imagine a Twitter Chat where folks engage with colleagues/experts in the field and across the world in a more inclusive fashion during a time that works best for them as well as asynchronously. Or imagine hosting a typical orientation for about 75 administrators and leveraging Microsoft Teams to acclimate them to the university, train on processes, build community, and sustain that momentum in a one stop shop within a tool they’re already using or at least easily at their fingertips (huzzah to Rashad Muhammed for creating this for new admins last fall). For this year’s conference, the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) crafted “engagement maps” to recommend specific session tracks for various roles who might get overwhelmed by all the options or get lost in trying to navigate the variety of activities within this two week conference. At the outset, this activity engaged participants to own their experience and build a schedule around their needs.

Always remember your MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

Consider quality over quantity and intentionally doing a few things really well instead of trying to do it all. Less is more. Sometimes we try to do it all, in a short window, and with a whole lot of stuff in the mix. Use that obstacle as an opportunity to rethink what is possible, necessary, and desired, and reflect upon the items that may detract from that (review the questions asked in Step 1 above). Drill down to the basics to define what is essential and what are great bonus features of your event. Move swiftly, effectively, and efficiently. Look at all of your components and make sure the flow is orchestrated with elegance and clarity.

1. Start with empathy, stay focused on your customer first, and then move towards the North Star, where purpose and vision meet inspiration and hope.
2. Prioritize decisions based on your participants, guided by best practices specific to that audience, as well as the overall values of your experience.

While we have been granted the opportunity to showcase the best of multimodal events, this also comes at a time when organizers and participants are exhausted. We can leverage online and in-person aspects to create compelling learning experiences that facilitate change. Garner creativity and support from the various facets of the event to remix, redesign, and envision what could be. While some things are out of our control, some ideas need a more critical lens. Let’s continue to offer and extend grace, flexibility, and kindness to our post-pandemic work and craft experiences to sail smoothly across choppy waters. Again, please check out the Multimodal Blended Events Guidelines for more details.

For more tips on moving events online, check out this talk from Johnny McGraw, curator of TEDxMSU.

Reference:

Gamble Theard, J.(2019, January 17). The North Star: A symbol of inspiration and hope. https://theweeklychallenger.com/the-north-star-a-symbol-of-inspiration-and-hope/