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Host engaging and successful virtual fundraisers and galas

Help your guests discover common ground and make long-lasting connections

Book a demo Try for free

Fully customizable lounges and stages

Add your own colors, branding, and sponsors

Guests can move freely

Hosts can set table topics, and guests can engage where they are most interested
Learn more

User profiles

Customizable profile fields let guests share discoverable information about themselves that shows up right on their video feed
Learn more

Opt-in contact exchange

Your attendees can click a button to share their contact info directly with specific guests they've met
Learn more

What people are saying

Hear from our customers

Everyone had a great time! People loved the music, games, and moving between tables to talk to different small groups. Everyone was impressed, and many stayed until the very end.

Victoria Kikoen

Project Manager at Stamps.com

People really enjoyed moving around to different tables and catching up with different people. They loved that there weren't assigned breakout rooms and really appreciated that they could choose who they wanted to interact with.

Sarah Snell

Chief Operating Officer at HFA

Try it out for free!

Get started with a free trial in just
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Guiding Lights Fundraising Event

Example fundraising event with spaces for a wine tasting and silent auction

View and customize

Planning Hybrid Events: An essential intro

Why hybrid events need a different approach and how you can make them successful every time

Get the e-book

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Organize and host virtual fundraisers and galas - Social hour

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Host engaging and successful virtual fundraisers and galas! Help your guests discover common ground and make long-lasting connections...

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Most of us have learned the art of video conversations, especially post covid-19 has happened. Teachers teach students online, and patients consult the doctors over the
videos. Furthermore, it is easy to organize online stages conference with the help of online stage presentation video software. The world we know is changing rapidly, and video conferencing has become the best bet when it is not safe to meet loved ones or coworkers.

Video Conferencing: Benefits + Remote Workforce

Millions of people work remotely even when no physical distancing norms exist. There has been great reliance on video conferencing tools and the clear reflection in the
data. According to the data, since 2005, remote working has increased by over
140%.

The remote workforce has allowed starters to work from Home and increase employee satisfaction. On the other hand, some employers remain concerned that remote work can impact productivity, communication, and teamwork. As a result, even if the job pays
less, some employees are ready to pay cut in exchange for a greater
flexibility remote work offers.

Online stages conference is considered the rising trend for remote work and a perfect communication tool for scattered teams. Today video conferencing tools provide many features apart from video collaboration like task assignment, project status reporting, integration of third-party apps, and workflow management tools.

Work From Home, forever?

Some companies have vowed to work remotely forever, and some have chosen a hybrid culture. It seems to be the case for now, but this does not mean office culture will perish
forever. On the contrary, the biggest advantage for remote work offices is
saving costs associated with real estate capital.

Who Uses Video Conferencing?

People involved in the B2B and B2C education and healthcare sectors rely heavily on video-confirming solutions. With many use cases, team collaboration and video conferencing tools
are used for everything, including interviews, employee onboarding, and
webinars. In addition, these tools are gaining popularity for hosting
large-scale virtual events.

43% of in-house and remote teams use a video conferencing solution.

78% of corporate organizations use video software.

83% of companies with over 250 employees are likely to purchase video calling tools.

During and after the Coronavirus pandemic, millions of healthcare professionals become safe and more continent with the technology. In addition, it means video calls can be exceptionally
valuable.

Impact Of Video Meetings

With the help of video conferencing tools, you can increase engagement, avoid miscommunication and allow team members to join online video meetings from anywhere, any time, and from their choice of devices. As a result, these tools have become the most
the preferred and standard way of meeting formats, replacing traditional conference
room meetings or audio conference calls.

45% of teams use video tools daily or weekly.

80% of employees use video calling for 1:1 meetings.

78% of employees use web conferencing tools for team meetings.

75% of CEOS say that video conference calls will replace audio-only calls.

67% of employees say they are likelier to contribute to a meeting over video conferencing.

What Is the Future of Video Conferencing?

The market for video collaboration will hit the value of $11.56 billion by 2027, as a Transparency Market Research study. Moreover, the demand for video conferencing will keep
growing as technology advances with bigger screens, high-quality cameras, and
high-speed internet.

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The State of Online Stages Presentation Video In 2022 - Social Hour

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Most of us have learned the art of video conversations, especially post covid-19 has happened. Teachers teach students online, and patients consult the doctors over the videos. Furthermore, it is easy to organize online stages conference with the help of online stage...

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As event organizers plan their virtual and hybrid events, it's common-and important-to ask which content should be pre-recorded, and what should be live-streamed.

From an event planning perspective, it's essential to have a combination of pre-recorded and live-streamed content to have more control over creating an ideal attendee experience. The tricky part is understanding how to effectively blend these content types-especially when it comes to breakout sessions-without your virtual event feeling like a glorified webinar.

Read on for an overview of the best ways to use pre-recorded content at a virtual event to help your team strike just the right balance between the live event you want and the consistently exceptional experience your attendees deserve.

Advantages of Pre-Recorded and Live-Streamed Virtual Events Video Content

Whenever possible, we recommend that you survey your anticipated event attendees to understand their feelings toward live-streamed or pre-recorded content and what type of sessions they prefer for each delivery. For example, a customer panel or general event session may be ideal as a pre-recorded session, but an executive AMA or a how-to educational class will benefit from real-time audience interaction.

Where Pre-Recorded Event Video Excels

As you assess how to balance your virtual event agenda, consider these primary advantages of pre-recorded content over live-streamed sessions:

Accessibility. Event teams can add captions to pre-recorded videos, and overlay visuals or text elements that enhance the content's clarity.

Greater speaker diversity. Your event has the potential to attract more speakers if sessions are pre recorded, because it reduces the potential for scheduling or time zone conflicts. Similarly, the lack of a required travel budget opens up your speaker pool to include industry experts from the nonprofit, academic, and pre-funding startup realms.

Show flow control. It's stressful to manage an entirely live event. What if a session runs late? Or a fire alarm goes off in the middle of your opening keynote? Not to mention finding a last-minute replacement for a mainstage speaker that cancels the day before your show. Pre-recorded content gives event planners total control over their event's timing, ensuring a perfectly executed show flow.

Higher production value. Pre-recorded sessions allow speakers to practice and record their sessions as many times as they need, which means that pre-recorded sessions are often higher quality than a livestreamed equivalent. Additionally, the show producers can review all recorded content and ensure there is a consistent production quality for each, which leads to a more cohesive event experience. Plus, technical issues such as presenters with slow internet connections can be avoided with pre-recorded event sessions.

When It's Best to Go Live

While there are many advantages of pre-recorded virtual event content and breakout sessions, you cannot deny these benefits of live-streamed sessions:

Innate excitement. There is a natural excitement that comes from a live-streamed session, both for the speaker and the audience. In some cases, speakers will prefer live sessions because of this excitement.

Real-time engagement. Audience participation and engagement is an ongoing challenge for virtual event planners. Live-streamed sessions generally are more likely to garner attendee engagement, giving these session types a slight edge over pre-recorded sessions (but we'll explain how to overcome this challenge next).

Recording potential. Live-streamed sessions can be recorded, too, which can provide your attendees with lasting value from your event as they watch session replays. Just keep in mind that most live-streamed session recordings will need some degree of post production editing before being ready to share.

Spontaneity. People miss the "in-the-now" feel of an in-person event, and live-streamed sessions have the best potential to capture this feeling given the live audience. Live speakers can reference other sessions from the day, comment on shared conference experiences, and adapt their presentation to add excitement, spontaneity, and an undeniable sense of authenticity they simply can't do in advance of your event.

How To Make The Most Of Pre-Recorded Virtual Event Sessions

Event planners can consciously craft experiences that turn pre-recorded conference content into exciting, real-time engagement opportunities. Here are just a few ways that you can drive the most value from your pre-recorded virtual event sessions:

Coordinate Virtual Event Watch Parties with Session Speakers

Pre-recorded virtual event sessions are ideal for enabling your event speaker(s) to engage with their audience in real time through your virtual event platform. While a session plays, the speaker watches the session with the audience, and sends messages through the event platform to highlight key points, answer questions, and solidify the real-time event experience.

As your team receives videos from your session speakers, create clips and stills from these videos that you can use on social media and in your email marketing. Create sizzle reels that highlight your event speakers, and tag them on your event social media pages to connect attendees with the speakers.

Edit Videos for Accessibility

Ideally, your team should receive pre-recorded virtual event videos from session presenters a few weeks to a month before the event (if not sooner). This way, your team can address the accessibility best practices we shared above, including adding captions to videos, addressing any issues with lighting or contrast, and more.

A major advantage of pre-recorded video content is that it can readily be available for on-demand replay. This gives your attendees full control over when they enjoy a session, especially if they had to miss it due to a work or family commitment.

Choose A Virtual Event Tech Platform That Enhances The Attendee Experience

By strategically blending pre-recorded and live sessions at your virtual event, your team can more confidently control the event timing, meet the range of your attendee needs, and support a thriving event community.

After building your event agenda, your team can lock in a virtual event platform that will enable the dynamic session styles that your attendees deserve. Book a demo with Social hour today to learn about our superior presentation spaces and modern features that will ensure that every event session is incredible.

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How To Effectively Use Pre-Recorded Video Content To Enhance a Virtual Event Pre-Recorded Content for Virtual Events - Social hour - Frameable Blog

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As event organizers plan their virtual and hybrid events, it's common-and important-to ask which content should be pre-recorded, and what should be live-streamed. From an event planning perspective, it's essential to have a combination of pre-recorded and live-streamed content to have more control over creating an ideal attendee experience.

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Host fun, engaging virtual holiday parties

Make this year’s virtual office party memorable

Book a demo Try for free

Fully customizable holiday events

Add your own colors, branding, and themes

Networking spaces

Help your teams make real connections with small-group topical conversations in custom lounges
Learn more

Background music

Set the mood with curated holiday playlists that play in the lobby and softly in the background
Learn more

Word game

Play a game of anagrams against your peers at your table to mix things up
Learn more

What people are saying

Hear from our customers

I highly recommend Social hour for corporate events – these folks have the expertise to ensure your event is top notch! Our virtual holiday event was a great success, with many staying for the full four hours! The team at Social hour were an absolute pleasure to work with and supported us from start to finish.

Carey Arnett

President at Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners

Our Sage virtual holiday party was surprisingly fun! The various "tables" with topics allowed me to jump around and talk with people, like it was a real party. It was nice to see everyone, joke around about various topics, reminisce about the past year with no pressure or awkwardness that sometimes accompany virtual events. Highly recommended!

Dermot O'Sullivan

VP, General Manager at Sage Realty - WKO Design Build

Try it out for free!

Get started with a free trial in just
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Alpine Annual Holiday Party

Holiday party with conversational table topics and a photo booth

Lounge

Photo booth

Branding

Team building

View and customize

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Virtual company holiday, Christmas party - Social hour

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Host fun, engaging virtual holiday parties for your remote/hybrid teams. Transform your next event with Social hour.

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Spaces built for interaction and engagement

Tables

Table conversations are the core of the Social hour experience. We believe the richest social interaction happens in small dynamic groups, where members may easily come and go as they please.

Learn more

Stages

Give a presentation, host a panel, screen a video—and so much more. Our stage layout is simple yet flexible enough to accommodate your event.

Learn more

Stages with tables

The best of both worlds! Think gala or wedding reception. Hang at a table with your friends, stop by other tables, watch and discuss stage speakers and presentations.

Learn more

The best guest experience

Table topic icebreakers

Use our curated conversation starters or add your own to help guests network easier and learn more about each other!

Learn more

Emoji feedback

Respond to the speaker with emojis. Applaud, laugh, raise your hand without interrupting.

Learn more

Background music

Set the mood with curated playlists that play in the lobby and softly in the background.

Learn more

Word game

Play a game of anagrams against your peers at your table to mix things up!

Learn more

Jigsaw puzzle

Work together with your table guests to solve beautiful jigsaw puzzles!

Learn more

Photo booth

Small groups of individuals at your event can come together to create a great souvenir snapshot everyone will cherish!

Learn more

User profiles

Guests add a little personal information that is visible on their video stream during the event—make memorable connections.

Learn more

Participant listing

Search for guests across the event to view their profile, chat with them, share your contact info, or join them at their table conversation!

Learn more

Contact sharing

Share your profile details and contact info with people you want to connect with after the event is over!

Learn more

Connection summaries

After the event ends, you can view a summary to see who you met with and where to you can connect with them afterwards.

Learn more

Multi-language translation

Social hour fully supports events with multiple, simultaneous live audio translations for different languages.

Learn more

Sign language

Social hour presents American Sign Language (ASL) and other sign language interpreters in a video stream next to the speaker they are interpreting.

Learn more

Virtual backgrounds

Protect your privacy and have some fun! Choose from 8 background images or blur your background as a privacy screen.

Learn more

One-on-one networking

Connect with other guests in one-on-one sessions.

Learn more

Networking nudges

Automatically send private and subtle prompts to guests to visit another table so they can meet new people!

Learn more

Tiered chat

Talk to anyone at the event! You can chose to chat with individual guests, your table, or the entire event.

Learn more

System check

Allow guests to test and troubleshoot their network, camera, and microphone setup to ensure that they can enjoy your event with no technical issues!

Learn more

Web-based experience

Join from a desktop, tablet, or mobile web browser, no download required!

Learn more

Live technical support

You can count on someone to need a little extra support, which is why we'll be there to talk them through, in person, on video.

Learn more

The best host experience

Multi-room events

Use as many rooms and layouts as needed for your event.

Learn more

Video announcements

Address all your guests at once with video announcements. Gracefully interject small table conversations to inform guests about upcoming speakers or whatever you'd like.

Learn more

Pre-recorded videos

Upload your video presentation content before the event and test it out so you know you're ready to press play when it's time to show your video.

Learn more

RTMP streams

Configure RTMP streams before the event to play live and produced content on stages in the best audio and video quality possible.

Learn more

Stage recordings

Automatically record all presentations and speakers on stage during your event and access the recordings at any time!

Learn more

Ushering

Subtly prompt guests to get them where they need to be or to join a specific room or table!

Learn more

Smart grouping

Seat guests at tables based on commonalities. Based on guest information provided by the host or based on users’ custom profile fields, tables can be suggested to participants.

Learn more

Event agenda

Add some structure to your event with an agenda that outlines your run-of-show so attendees know what to expect and what's happening when!

Learn more

Live captioning

Create an inclusive event and provide attendees full control over their closed captions.

Learn more

Single Sign-On (SSO) and login options

Configure how you want your guests to join your event! Choose from Google, Microsoft, and LinkedIn, via email verification, or through your own Single Sign-On (SSO) or SAML integration.

Learn more

Large tables

Increase the maximum number of seats per table from 7 to 15.

Learn more

Multiple hosts

Build your event with the help of your team. Invite a decision-maker to sign off on your event design.

Learn more

Host support

We’ll help you carefully design your event and hold as many practice runs as you want.

Learn more

Leave a lasting impression

Branding

It's your event and it should look like it! Add your brand (or personal) logo to be displayed in all event areas.

Learn more

Custom colors & backgrounds

You have a vision and we support it. Use one of our curated colors and backgrounds or pick your own.

Learn more

Event pages

Customize your event landing page to create a welcoming experience for your guests, with your logo, an event image, and a description of your event!

Learn more

Event metrics

So how did it go? Event metrics show you exactly that—who came and when, what tables were popular, and everything else.

Learn more

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Table conversations are the core of the Social hour experience. We believe the richest social interaction happens in small dynamic groups, where members ...

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Are You Looking for Virtual Fundraiser’s Ideas 2022?

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Are You Looking for Virtual Fundraiser’s Ideas 2022?

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If you are looking for virtual fundraiser ideas for 2022, then social hour can be the right choice! Social hour helps your guests make real connections with small-group topical conversations in networking lounges. Feel free to visit our website!

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Despite the resurgence of in-person events, savvy event planners know that virtual and hybrid experiences are here to stay. Now comes the tricky part: how can you best blend event offerings to provide the most value to your community?

Mike Allton, head of strategic partnerships at Agorapulse and virtual event strategist, has hosted more than a dozen virtual summits and webinars and 100+ live-streamed video conversations. Mike joined me ane the #ContentChat community of marketers and content creators to share his best practices for designing engaging virtual and hybrid event experiences.

Let's break down his top takeaways to help you drive the most success with events this year.

6 Tips For Virtual and Hybrid Event Success in 2022

Event planners who can craft truly audience-focused, problem-solving, and joy-inspiring events will receive the greatest reward from their activities. Virtual event attendee expectations are higher than ever, but these tips can help you create meaningful events regardless of the format:

Be Realistic About Your Team Resources

Any virtual or hybrid event requires considerable effort. Mike says that while virtual events are often less logistically challenging and more affordable than in-person or hybrid events, there are still plenty of challenges associated with hosting them. Assess your resources including your team's bandwidth to handle an in-person or hybrid event. If you are new to these experiences, we recommend starting small with a simple virtual event before tackling a multi-day hybrid event.

A2a: Second, do you have the resources and bandwidth to handle an in-person or hybrid event? Virtual tends to be less challenging logistically & budget-wise. #ContentChat
- Mike Allton (@mike_allton) April 4, 2022

Survey Your Event Communities

Before making any decisions about your upcoming events, speak with your event community. First, you need to deeply understand their current needs and goals for any event type. Then, ask these questions through surveys or in 1:1 conversations:

How comfortable are you with in-person events?

What are the "must-have" elements for you to attend an in-person event?

What challenges are you facing in your job?

How do you prefer to network and engage with other event attendees?

You can only build a compelling event agenda with presentations that will truly help your audience with these details in hand.

Establish Clear Event Goals

Based on the feedback from your event communities, establish your event goals. Once you know your goals, Mike says you can more easily determine the ideal event format and what you'll need from your virtual event software platform.

Make Networking and Engagement Effortless

As many of us know from first-hand experience, most virtual events fall flat on networking and engagement. Too often, virtual event experiences are viewed as glorified webinars, which misses the bigger opportunity. As Mike says, "it's the Magical Moments during networking that make the events stand out for attendees." To reinforce this priority, schedule networking time in your event agenda. Additionally, create space for attendees to network, including open rooms with conversation prompts to spark dialogue. And don't forget the potential power of social media to engage your event attendees.

Mike starts his events with 30 minutes of speed networking so attendees can connect 1:1 for five minutes each, meaning each attendee meets six new people first thing. This sort of built-in networking activity can be helpful to break the ice in a virtual setting, especially for your more introverted attendees who wouldn't otherwise introduce themselves to others.

Offer Different Event Types To Accomplish Specific Needs

For most teams, the best event strategy in 2022 is to offer a mix of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events to appeal to unique community needs. For example, Mike is planning a series of major virtual summits, smaller virtual meetups and webinars, and a hybrid event (likely) in Paris this Fall.

A1a: I definitely recommend marketing teams consider a virtual or hybrid approach, even if they would have been 100% in-person otherwise. #ContentChat
- Mike Allton (@mike_allton) April 4, 2022

Repurpose Event Content to Drive Ongoing Traffic

Recorded event sessions provide a gold mine of content potential. Repurpose all your event content to offer new ways for your community to engage with the material, including blog posts, infographics, podcasts, social video clips, and templates.

A6a: Every session is a recorded video which means you can repurpose that content 24+ ways to drive ongoing traffic, leads and sales for your business. #ContentChat

This article lists a bunch: https://t.co/TjK6iarLWS
- Mike Allton (@mike_allton) April 4, 2022

Evolve Your Virtual Event Strategy in 2022

Most people are not ready to give up on virtual events, which presents an incredible opportunity for brands to build on their event successes from recent months. Continue to survey your event community to understand their needs, and explore new event offerings to find ways to delight your community further.

If you're looking to learn more about creating successful event experiences in 2022, read through the full #ContentChat recap here and learn more about how Social hour can bring your next virtual or hybrid event experience to life.

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6 Tips To Achieve Optimal Virtual and Hybrid Event Success Virtual Event Planning Advice - Social hour - Frameable Blog

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Despite the resurgence of in-person events, savvy event planners know that virtual and hybrid experiences are here to stay. Now comes the tricky part: how can you best blend event offerings to provide the most value to your community?

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6 Tips To Achieve Optimal Virtual and Hybrid Event Success

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6 Tips To Achieve Optimal Virtual and Hybrid Event Success

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Despite the resurgence of in-person events, savvy event planners know that virtual and hybrid experiences are here to stay. Now comes the tricky part: how can you best blend event offerings to provide the most value to your community?

Mike Allton, head of strategic partnerships at Agorapulse and virtual event strategist, has hosted more than a dozen virtual summits and webinars and 100+ live-streamed video conversations. Mike joined me ane the #ContentChat community of marketers and content creators to share his best practices for designing engaging virtual and hybrid event experiences.

Let's break down his top takeaways to help you drive the most success with events this year.

6 Tips For Virtual and Hybrid Event Success in 2022

Event planners who can craft truly audience-focused, problem-solving, and joy-inspiring events will receive the greatest reward from their activities. Virtual event attendee expectations are higher than ever, but these tips can help you create meaningful events regardless of the format:

Be Realistic About Your Team Resources

Any virtual or hybrid event requires considerable effort. Mike says that while virtual events are often less logistically challenging and more affordable than in-person or hybrid events, there are still plenty of challenges associated with hosting them. Assess your resources including your team's bandwidth to handle an in-person or hybrid event. If you are new to these experiences, we recommend starting small with a simple virtual event before tackling a multi-day hybrid event.

A2a: Second, do you have the resources and bandwidth to handle an in-person or hybrid event? Virtual tends to be less challenging logistically & budget-wise. #ContentChat
- Mike Allton (@mike_allton) April 4, 2022

Survey Your Event Communities

Before making any decisions about your upcoming events, speak with your event community. First, you need to deeply understand their current needs and goals for any event type. Then, ask these questions through surveys or in 1:1 conversations:

How comfortable are you with in-person events?

What are the "must-have" elements for you to attend an in-person event?

What challenges are you facing in your job?

How do you prefer to network and engage with other event attendees?

You can only build a compelling event agenda with presentations that will truly help your audience with these details in hand.

Establish Clear Event Goals

Based on the feedback from your event communities, establish your event goals. Once you know your goals, Mike says you can more easily determine the ideal event format and what you'll need from your virtual event software platform.

Make Networking and Engagement Effortless

As many of us know from first-hand experience, most virtual events fall flat on networking and engagement. Too often, virtual event experiences are viewed as glorified webinars, which misses the bigger opportunity. As Mike says, "it's the Magical Moments during networking that make the events stand out for attendees." To reinforce this priority, schedule networking time in your event agenda. Additionally, create space for attendees to network, including open rooms with conversation prompts to spark dialogue. And don't forget the potential power of social media to engage your event attendees.

Mike starts his events with 30 minutes of speed networking so attendees can connect 1:1 for five minutes each, meaning each attendee meets six new people first thing. This sort of built-in networking activity can be helpful to break the ice in a virtual setting, especially for your more introverted attendees who wouldn't otherwise introduce themselves to others.

Offer Different Event Types To Accomplish Specific Needs

For most teams, the best event strategy in 2022 is to offer a mix of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events to appeal to unique community needs. For example, Mike is planning a series of major virtual summits, smaller virtual meetups and webinars, and a hybrid event (likely) in Paris this Fall.

A1a: I definitely recommend marketing teams consider a virtual or hybrid approach, even if they would have been 100% in-person otherwise. #ContentChat
- Mike Allton (@mike_allton) April 4, 2022

Repurpose Event Content to Drive Ongoing Traffic

Recorded event sessions provide a gold mine of content potential. Repurpose all your event content to offer new ways for your community to engage with the material, including blog posts, infographics, podcasts, social video clips, and templates.

A6a: Every session is a recorded video which means you can repurpose that content 24+ ways to drive ongoing traffic, leads and sales for your business. #ContentChat

This article lists a bunch: https://t.co/TjK6iarLWS
- Mike Allton (@mike_allton) April 4, 2022

Evolve Your Virtual Event Strategy in 2022

Most people are not ready to give up on virtual events, which presents an incredible opportunity for brands to build on their event successes from recent months. Continue to survey your event community to understand their needs, and explore new event offerings to find ways to delight your community further.

If you're looking to learn more about creating successful event experiences in 2022, read through the full #ContentChat recap here and learn more about how Social hour can bring your next virtual or hybrid event experience to life.

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6 Tips To Achieve Optimal Virtual and Hybrid Event Success Virtual Event Planning Advice - Social hour - Frameable Blog

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Despite the resurgence of in-person events, savvy event planners know that virtual and hybrid experiences are here to stay. Now comes the tricky part: how can you best blend event offerings to provide the most value to your community?

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How to Choose the Best Video Conferencing Provider 2022

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How to Choose the Best Video Conferencing Provider 2022

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There has been a paradigm shift in the business in recent years, especially in their work culture. With remote work becoming the new normal more business rely on video conferencing software to communicate. No one would have imagined of remote work could bring so many advantages to the business and the employee's pre-Coivd-19. But after Covid-19, many companies have adopted hybrid work and remote work as their preferred choice. For example, you can try SocialHour, which will help you make real connections during Online Table conversations.

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Virtual Conference Platform - Virtual Conference

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There has been a paradigm shift in the business in recent years, especially in their work culture. With remote work becoming the new normal more business rely on video conferencing software to communicate. No one would have imagined of remote work could bring so many advantages to the business and

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Virtual Company Kickoff Agenda Elements That Will Excite Your Team for 2022 [via Frameable]

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Virtual Company Kickoff Agenda Elements That Will Excite Your Team for 2022 [via Frameable]

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Don’t worry. You can still host a fulfilling online company kickoff that will reinvigorate your team and help address their anxieties about the future of work. So get started with planning your kickoff today by exploring these must-have kickoff agenda elements that work great in a virtual environment.

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To say that 2022 will be a busy year for most companies would be an understatement. The global workforce continues to grapple with the impacts of the pandemic, teams are hedging their bets on the best hybrid work arrangements, and The Great Resignation is forcing companies to rethink how they meet the needs of a distributed workforce.

The start of the year-and this year especially-is a valuable time to realign your team and rally them behind your company's goals, while also providing them much-needed reassurance. An annual company kickoff can effectively meet this goal, but what will kickoffs look like in the age of remote work, and can they capture the same energy as an in-person kickoff?

Don't worry. You can still host a fulfilling online company kickoff that will reinvigorate your team and help address their anxieties about the future of work. So get started with planning your kickoff today by exploring these must-have kickoff agenda elements that work great in a virtual environment.

How to Build an Engaging Online Company Kickoff Agenda

Design your kickoff experience as an all-virtual event, regardless of if there is an in-person element. This approach will keep you focused on what matters-building a seamless, intuitive, and fun digital experience for your team. Then you can adapt the in-person components to blend with the online platform and virtual experience.

Lean into the advantages of the digital kickoff environment. Features like pre-recorded videos, in-platform messaging, and small-group breakout rooms can all replicate many of the beloved elements of your traditional kickoff event.

Keep in mind that your virtual attendees need a healthy mix of session types and lengths to stay engaged. Sustain excitement throughout your virtual kickoff by hosting these types of activities:

Awards & Recognition: Celebrate both team and individual successes. It is crucial to acknowledge accomplishments from the last year and spotlight team members for their contributions. These awards ceremonies should be fun, personal, and all about your team's success.

Company Executive AMAs: Spotlight company executives and leaders to share their goals for the year and explain their priorities. Allow your kickoff attendees to ask questions through your virtual event platform and collect questions ahead of time, too, to kickstart the Q&A.

Customer or Client Sessions: Your company customers or clients can offer a valuable perspective to your team, including why they love working with you, what they look for when seeking solutions providers, and how you have helped advance their brand. These sessions are ideal for a virtual environment because they require no travel (just be sure to express gratitude for your customer's time after the kickoff).

Hands-on Virtual Training Sessions: Help your team work more efficiently by hosting virtual training sessions, either as an entire company or in small group breakouts. These training sessions can troubleshoot common tech challenges, explain how to use company tools and software, or develop skills like time management and conflict resolution.

Improv: Develop your team's skills in a fun way by facilitating quick improv sessions. These short activities should involve no more than 5-10 minutes of prep before your participants present in front of the whole group or a small breakout group. The activity should align with your company in some way, such as asking team members to create a promotion for a new product, roleplay a customer interaction, or envision their day-to-day experiences if they worked in a different department.

Speed Networking: Kickoffs are essential for connecting team members that usually do not interact. Set up small group breakout rooms for five-minute speed networking. Pose a question for two team members to discuss, and then shuffle everyone to a new partner once the time is up. Use pop-up notifications in your event platform to facilitate the transition.

Team-building: A kickoff should strengthen your team's trust in each other and align them with your brand values. Host a series of team-building activities or sessions that solely focus on helping your team get to know each other better, understand each teammate's strengths, and reinforce your team culture.

Entertainment: After your team finishes your core kickoff content, it's time to let them have even more fun. Coordinate an exciting activity or experience, such as a group cooking class, live musical performance, virtual escape room, or a happy hour with pre-sent cocktail mixers. Don't treat this as a box to check in your planning-actively seek input from your team to understand what type of entertainment would be the ultimate way to finish your kickoff.

3 Virtual Company Kickoff Best Practices

Your online company kickoff will delight your team if you host a mix of the sessions we explained.

We have three final tips to ensure you truly hit the target on delivering a fulfilling virtual kickoff:

Poll your team ahead of time to understand what they hope to gain from the meeting. This will help you fine-tune your agenda and balance your executive team's needs with your team's hopes.

Mail supplies to everyone ahead of time so that they have everything they need for the kickoff. These supplies can include workbooks and activity sheets, as well as company swag or other goodies.

Coordinate food to be delivered to everyone's house, or mail gift cards for them to order from their favorite local spot. Plan some informal lunchtime activities or open networking rooms to keep the energy high.

Online Company Kickoff Platform Essentials

As seen by the variety of activity ideas that work great for an online company kickoff, companies need to pick a virtual kickoff platform that can facilitate a blend of networking spaces and presentation stages to maximize the kickoff success.

Social hour is a virtual event platform that hundreds of organizations have trusted, and we're ready to help you host your best kickoff yet. Learn more about our customizable lounges and stages and intuitive features that are sure to delight your team.

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Virtual Company Kickoff Agenda Elements That Will Excite Your Team for 2022 [via Frameable] Online Company Kickoff Planning - Social hour - Frameable Blog

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To say that 2022 will be a busy year for most companies would be an understatement. The global workforce continues to grapple with the impacts of the pandemic, teams are hedging their bets on the best hybrid work arrangements, and The Great Resignation is forcing companies to rethink how they meet the needs of a distributed workforce.

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Video content about social hour services.

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Video content about social hour services.

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Visit social hour to know about more services related to best virtual conference platforms and many more.

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Social hour is the best service provider related to online events, virtual conferences , virtual networking and is also helpful in trade shows and fundraisers online events.

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Host an Online Trade Show that Guests Will Love |Social Hour 

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Host an Online Trade Show that Guests Will Love |Social Hour 

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Trade shows are an effective event for any industry that helps in boosting the market share of the industry. Online trade show connections helps industries to make the right connections, reach new audience segments, showcase new offerings, and sell more products or services.

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Social Hour on Gab: 'Host an Online Trade Show that Guests Will Love |...'

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Social Hour on Gab: 'Host an Online Trade Show that Guests Will Love |Social Hour Trade shows are an effective event for any industry that helps in boosting the market share of the industry. Online trade show connections helps industries to make the right connections, reach new audience segments, showcase new offerings, and sell more products or services.

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How To Effectively Use Pre-Recorded Video Content To Enhance a Virtual Event

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How To Effectively Use Pre-Recorded Video Content To Enhance a Virtual Event

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From an event planning perspective, it’s essential to have a combination of pre-recorded and live-streamed content to have more control over creating an ideal attendee experience. The tricky part is understanding how to effectively blend these content types—especially when it comes to breakout sessions—without your virtual event feeling like a glorified webinar.

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As event organizers plan their virtual and hybrid events, it's common-and important-to ask which content should be pre-recorded, and what should be live-streamed.

From an event planning perspective, it's essential to have a combination of pre-recorded and live-streamed content to have more control over creating an ideal attendee experience. The tricky part is understanding how to effectively blend these content types-especially when it comes to breakout sessions-without your virtual event feeling like a glorified webinar.

Read on for an overview of the best ways to use pre-recorded content at a virtual event to help your team strike just the right balance between the live event you want and the consistently exceptional experience your attendees deserve.

Advantages of Pre-Recorded and Live-Streamed Virtual Events Video Content

Whenever possible, we recommend that you survey your anticipated event attendees to understand their feelings toward live-streamed or pre-recorded content and what type of sessions they prefer for each delivery. For example, a customer panel or general event session may be ideal as a pre-recorded session, but an executive AMA or a how-to educational class will benefit from real-time audience interaction.

Where Pre-Recorded Event Video Excels

As you assess how to balance your virtual event agenda, consider these primary advantages of pre-recorded content over live-streamed sessions:

Accessibility. Event teams can add captions to pre-recorded videos, and overlay visuals or text elements that enhance the content's clarity.

Greater speaker diversity. Your event has the potential to attract more speakers if sessions are pre recorded, because it reduces the potential for scheduling or time zone conflicts. Similarly, the lack of a required travel budget opens up your speaker pool to include industry experts from the nonprofit, academic, and pre-funding startup realms.

Show flow control. It's stressful to manage an entirely live event. What if a session runs late? Or a fire alarm goes off in the middle of your opening keynote? Not to mention finding a last-minute replacement for a mainstage speaker that cancels the day before your show. Pre-recorded content gives event planners total control over their event's timing, ensuring a perfectly executed show flow.

Higher production value. Pre-recorded sessions allow speakers to practice and record their sessions as many times as they need, which means that pre-recorded sessions are often higher quality than a livestreamed equivalent. Additionally, the show producers can review all recorded content and ensure there is a consistent production quality for each, which leads to a more cohesive event experience. Plus, technical issues such as presenters with slow internet connections can be avoided with pre-recorded event sessions.

When It's Best to Go Live

While there are many advantages of pre-recorded virtual event content and breakout sessions, you cannot deny these benefits of live-streamed sessions:

Innate excitement. There is a natural excitement that comes from a live-streamed session, both for the speaker and the audience. In some cases, speakers will prefer live sessions because of this excitement.

Real-time engagement. Audience participation and engagement is an ongoing challenge for virtual event planners. Live-streamed sessions generally are more likely to garner attendee engagement, giving these session types a slight edge over pre-recorded sessions (but we'll explain how to overcome this challenge next).

Recording potential. Live-streamed sessions can be recorded, too, which can provide your attendees with lasting value from your event as they watch session replays. Just keep in mind that most live-streamed session recordings will need some degree of post production editing before being ready to share.

Spontaneity. People miss the "in-the-now" feel of an in-person event, and live-streamed sessions have the best potential to capture this feeling given the live audience. Live speakers can reference other sessions from the day, comment on shared conference experiences, and adapt their presentation to add excitement, spontaneity, and an undeniable sense of authenticity they simply can't do in advance of your event.

How To Make The Most Of Pre-Recorded Virtual Event Sessions

Event planners can consciously craft experiences that turn pre-recorded conference content into exciting, real-time engagement opportunities. Here are just a few ways that you can drive the most value from your pre-recorded virtual event sessions:

Coordinate Virtual Event Watch Parties with Session Speakers

Pre-recorded virtual event sessions are ideal for enabling your event speaker(s) to engage with their audience in real time through your virtual event platform. While a session plays, the speaker watches the session with the audience, and sends messages through the event platform to highlight key points, answer questions, and solidify the real-time event experience.

As your team receives videos from your session speakers, create clips and stills from these videos that you can use on social media and in your email marketing. Create sizzle reels that highlight your event speakers, and tag them on your event social media pages to connect attendees with the speakers.

Edit Videos for Accessibility

Ideally, your team should receive pre-recorded virtual event videos from session presenters a few weeks to a month before the event (if not sooner). This way, your team can address the accessibility best practices we shared above, including adding captions to videos, addressing any issues with lighting or contrast, and more.

A major advantage of pre-recorded video content is that it can readily be available for on-demand replay. This gives your attendees full control over when they enjoy a session, especially if they had to miss it due to a work or family commitment.

Choose A Virtual Event Tech Platform That Enhances The Attendee Experience

By strategically blending pre-recorded and live sessions at your virtual event, your team can more confidently control the event timing, meet the range of your attendee needs, and support a thriving event community.

After building your event agenda, your team can lock in a virtual event platform that will enable the dynamic session styles that your attendees deserve. Book a demo with Social hour today to learn about our superior presentation spaces and modern features that will ensure that every event session is incredible.

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How To Effectively Use Pre-Recorded Video Content To Enhance a Virtual Event Pre-Recorded Content for Virtual Events - Social hour - Frameable Blog

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As event organizers plan their virtual and hybrid events, it's common-and important-to ask which content should be pre-recorded, and what should be live-streamed. From an event planning perspective, it's essential to have a combination of pre-recorded and live-streamed content to have more control over creating an ideal attendee experience.

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Why does Social Hour Platform consider the Best Stages of Conversations?

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Why does Social Hour Platform consider the Best Stages of Conversations?

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Now upload your video presentation content before the event, configure RTMP streams, and get fully supported events with multiple-language translation at Social Hour. In addition, Social Hour provides different stages of conversations that are simple yet flexible enough to accommodate your event. So, take a free trial today!

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3 Tips to Make Virtual Happy Hour More Enjoyable

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3 Tips to Make Virtual Happy Hour More Enjoyable

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Many people now use this amazing virtual happy hour platform to build a team, assist new co-workers, and give them many needful breaks. So, if you are looking to host a virtual happy hour with your colleagues, then here are the three tips that can help you make it more enjoyable and successful on Social Hour.

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Since we have faced the first lockdown due to COVID-19, many people have tried to find ingenious methods to manage their work in the world. Many people don't even miss a beat in the new normal, from virtual doctor's consultations to virtual fundraisers and galas.

Moreover, we have found many ways to stay connected to our family, friends, and other loved ones. For example, Social Hour's virtual happy hour has gained widespread popularity.

Many people now use this amazing virtual happy hour platform to build a team, assist new co-workers, and give them many needful breaks. So, if you are looking to host a virtual happy hour with your colleagues, then here are the three tips that can help you make it more enjoyable and successful on Social Hour.

Virtual happy hour is a social get-together, but unlike an in-house party, its success depends upon fewer people rather than a huge audience. Social hour is the best virtual happy hour platform where you talk individually, so keep the guest list to a limit. Adding more and more audiences can result in unmanageable conditions

Once you have decided the date and time, send the invitation along with the unique meeting ID to all guests a few weeks before. After that, send a follow-up a week before, and then, once again, 2-3 hours before the D-day. This lets your guests to preparation time. For instance, set up their computers, wear out their t-shirts and sweatpants, and more!

It is also important to take care of your surroundings before going live for the meeting. For instance, make sure your kids are not playing in the background. If your bedroom is your office, make sure the bed is made, and everything is placed at its decided location.

Wrap Up

By approaching Social Hour for virtual happy hour in much the same way as you enjoy the in-house party, you have to ensure that your guests are relaxed and enjoying the meet-up.

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3 Tips to Make Virtual Happy Hour More Enjoyable

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since we have faced the first lockdown due to COVID-19, many people have tried to find ingenious methods to manage their work in the world. Many people don't even miss a beat in the new normal, from virtual doctor's consultations to virtual fundraisers and galas .