If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.

____

While quarantined at home — trying not to think about a few event clients we lost overnight due to COVID-19 — I represented my social-impact marketing agency, Three(i), at a 3,000+ attendee conference for entrepreneurs and creatives. Yep, you heard correctly. I attended #Quarantinecon, an event that brought together movers and shakers from around the world. We heard from experts that are crushin’ it in their industries, and maximized what we all have in common: time at home. This event, created in only 4 days, was hosted by Scooter Taylor and Trevon Hill, and brought out big names like Bea Dixon of HoneyPot and Jewel Burks Solomon of Google for Startup.

Outside of being informative and an overall great time, it showed that big brands and organizations around the country didn’t have to cancel major conferences and conventions in light of the coronavirus attack. The opportunity to have enlightened discussions and panels, highlight key trends within industries, allow for attendees to network and uplift major sponsors is still possible, but now without wearing ties and name tags. Below are three platforms, you should consider when implementing your digital conference, convention, summit or award ceremony this spring.

1. Hopin.to

Hopin is considered the first all-in-one live online events platform where attendees can learn, interact and connect with people from anywhere in the world. Its purpose is to remove costly elements from an event (food, travel, venues) and focus solely on what matters: connections and content. It even allows you to set up an expo center with vendor booths where attendees can interact and demo a product. Through the platform, you can teach a lesson, break out into groups, come back together for another lesson, then have one-on-one meetings.

2. GlobalMeet

From meetings to online events, GlobalMeet is a business communications platform that helps take you where you need to go. It’s popular for it’s flexible HD video streaming with zero network bandwidth interruption, and its ability to record webcasts and host them in the cloud with unlimited storage for on-demand viewing. Whether you’re looking for self-service options or a fully managed experience, the GlobalMeet events suite has you covered.

3. Run The World

Run the World enables professional organizations to organize more frequent meetings and engage more members, with little financial cost and time needed. Some features include interviewing your guests just the way you are used to, but also enable attendees to chime in, and a “cocktail” feature where attendees can socialize with each other for a one hour cocktail party. Anyone or any organization who could sell tickets and who could get speakers to provide content would do well in Run The World, from influencers and authors to professional organizations or companies.

To agencies like ours, the COVID-19 doesn’t have to stop you from supporting amazing clients with their events. To brands and organizations, you just may be able to take down those “postponed” signs this week and get back to creating engaging moments for your customers, donors and industry. Practicing social distance can coexist with gathering thousands of people in one space — a virtual space.

____

Kenneth Worles Jr. is the President and Creative Director at Three(i) Creative Communications, a social-impact marketing agency for civic, non-profit, development, and entertainment do-gooders.

Kenneth Worles, Jr.

Writing since July 2017 · 2 stories contributed