{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Written by Charlotte \u2013 Content Manager at Scouts","standfirst":"","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EYou may be one of many in the charity sector who\u2019ve had to re-think their events calendar in 2020.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Throughout the pandemic we\u2019ve seen global leaders such as a Google shift their onsite plans into completely virtual events. They scrapped their two day \u2018Cloud Next\u2019 conference and went digital-first with their \u2018On Air\u2019, free, digital event series spanning across nine weeks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, at the Scouts we\u0027ve been propelled to rethink our digital approach to our events. In July we hosted \u003Cspan\u003EThe Great Indoors Weekender\u003C/span\u003E, which was the UK\u2019s biggest digital summer camp. Just over 120,000 young people were registered by 44,000 adults across the world. Using our Scout ambassadors and harnessing our partnerships, we hosted a wealth of activities (all accessed digitally) which allowed young people to take part from the comfort of their homes. The free digital event, reached over 813,000 people on social media, with the #TGIWeekender hashtag seen over six million times and the website pages dedicated to the event, visited over 345,000 times. The event allowed thousands to connect, learn and most of all have fun!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs COVID-19 is set to stick around for a little while longer, we\u0027re continuing to adapt our once face-to-face events to be digital. Every September we host our annual \u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022Gilwell Reunion 2020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ereunion\u003C/span\u003E,\u003C/a\u003E at our HQ, Gilwell Park. The face-to-face event brings together 4,000 volunteers from across the world and has run every year since 1921 (except for four years during WW2). The event helps thousands learn more about projects and programme activities, share knowledge and network.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThis year, for the first time ever, our 94\u003Csup\u003Eth\u003C/sup\u003E reunion will be \u003Cstrong\u003Ecompletely digital.\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith social distancing, social bubbles and group sizes limited across the UK, it\u2019s important we understand the benefits of an online event and how your organisation can shift to digital-first.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are some of the benefits of a digital event? \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAccessible and on-demand \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013 It\u2019s easy for attendees, no matter where they are in the world they can log on and join in from the comfort of their living room.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECost effective \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013 Not only for your organisation but for the attendees. Outlays like venue hire are removed and there are no travel, accommodation and additional expense costs for your guests.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EContent can be repurposed \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013 Allowing you to update, refresh and add new content throughout the duration of your event.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EContent won\u2019t expire\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 Post-event, sessions can be converted into webpages, videos and blog posts. Allowing your guests to revisit the content and access further reading across your website.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAttendee reach \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013Can be greater than that of a face-to-face event (especially if your digital event is free).\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaborative engagement \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013Through mediums like Q\u0026amp;A, it allows attendees to feel they are part of something bigger. It could even empower those who wouldn\u2019t usually speak up in a conference to raise their hand and ask a question.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat can you do to make your digital event a success?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMake it free\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 it can make your organisation more visible and accessible for everyone. You can always add a donate button to encourage attendees to give towards your organisation.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromote your event\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 across your website, social media channels and emails.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShare timings\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 make sure the information and instructions are easy to navigate and the links are simple to find.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromote any partnerships\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 ask your supporters to promote your event across their website, social media channels and email(s). This will generate more exposure and you may capture the interest of a potential new audience.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHave an event specific #hashtag\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 encourage your attendees to get talking on social media using your hashtag. Ask them to share their key highlights and tag your organisation.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStream live\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 live content is authentic and captures the audience\u2019s attention. Share videos, activities and interviews which are easy to digest.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHost a Q\u0026amp;A \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013 to encourage conversation and networking. This allows you to engage with your audience and gives you valuable insight into your content and generates real time feedback.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromote further events \u003C/strong\u003E\u2013 this is a perfect opportunity to tell your audience about your upcoming events\u2019 calendar.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow can you reflect on the event?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGive thanks\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 via email and social media.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAsk for feedback\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 create a poll on your website or a feedback link through an email, this will help you gain insight for future events.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGather the data\u003C/strong\u003E \u2013 use tools such as Google Analytics and social media insight tools to gather key data about your audience, channels and content.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, physical events offer an inherent value that some may argue is unmatched by a digital event. However, as we\u2019re not quite sure when face-to-face events will resume with certainty, your organisation can use these uncertain times to really harness your digital capabilities. Adding a digital component is a great opportunity to showcase all that you do, reach those who may have not noticed you before and build excitement for your physical events in the (hopefully) near future.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"05 August 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":48550,"nodeName":"How to shift from physical to digital events","title":"How to shift from physical to digital events","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/10478/scouts-logo.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1db789232a4a190","caption":"Scouts Logo","type":"jpg","size":30784,"width":800,"height":450,"altText":"The Scouts logo"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"How to shift from physical to digital events","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"How to shift from physical to digital events. 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