Hear from Gemma Allen and Louise Carrington, our experts on effective virtual meetings & events solutions
Expertise / Virtual Meetings & Events
Virtual meetings & events
At OPEN Health, we have been delivering virtual, interactive meetings and events for many years; from advisory boards to workshops to larger speaker-led events. Whether via bespoke software created by our expert in-house digital team, or other tried-and-tested industry leading solutions, we believe that ‘in person’ isn’t the only way.
Alternative solutions to face-to-face meetings – our capabilities
We advise beyond the technology itself, with expertise across virtual agenda development, speaker engagement, scientific content development and robust, compliant process management, to ensure virtual events have the impact and value as those delivered face-to-face.
Whether you are organising a virtual meeting from scratch or transferring a planned live event to an online format, we have created a handy checklist on the points to consider in order to select the right platform, plan effectively and ensure success.
Get in touch to discover how we can help you deliver impactful virtual meetings and events.
Top tips
Video conferences
Simple tips if you and your teams are remote working and facing ongoing virtual engagements with internal and external stakeholders.
Use your webcam and ask others to as well
- If possible, be seated with the main light source in the room (e.g. window) behind the camera/computer, not behind you
For better audio and reduced feedback, use a headset
- Check other audio feeds are turned off to stop feedback; use your computer or headset microphone, or dial in
- Mute yourself when not speaking, especially if there is any background noise
Share your application, not your whole screen, to avoid notifications and other items on your screen being shared with everyone
- If possible, shut down or turn off email and instant message notifications
Top tips
Virtual advisory boards
When considering a virtual advisory board, we advise beyond the technology itself, with expertise across content, speaker and compliance management to ensure they continue to provide the value as those delivered face-to-face.
Ensure your group is prepared
- Maximise online efficiency by communicating the agenda, key objective of the meeting to encourage more time for discussion
- Pre-meeting surveys can be conducted, and addressed up-front to allow for their discussion to be a focus of the meeting
- Test the technology with each advisor to avoid any technical issues and delays
Maximise engagement
- Recruit a strong Chair and/or engaged facilitators to ensure all voices are heard
- Conduct briefing calls and provide of a meeting flow document to ensure there is enough time for each member to contribute and the objectives are achieved
- Use video to prevent participants multi-tasking
- Use regular polls for efficient decision-making and to support ongoing engagement
Personalise the experience
- Use video during the event to give a more personal feel
- Consider assigning individuals roles, topics or sections of the agenda to lead or facilitate during the advisory board to give a sense of ownership
- Brief ‘silences’ can be built into the agenda to allow each participant to collect their thoughts and as space for less-vocal members to contribute
Follow up and maintain momentum
- De-brief online to gain real-time feedback on the format of the discussions and any improvements that could be made in the future
- Share minutes and follow-up actions promptly, and continue conversations via ‘quick questions’, surveys or a ‘virtual room’ to maintain engagement between meetings
Get in touch
To discuss our capabilities, or to get advice on running virtual meetings, please contact Louise Carrington.
Louise Carrington
Client Partnerships Director
LouiseCarrington@openhealthgroup.com
+44 7468 714 548