Emilie Barta, Virtual Host and Emcee
Emilie Barta, a virtual host and emcee, is at the forefront of the hybrid events movement. Barta has more than 15 years of broadcast/video and in-person event experience. She prides herself on audience engagement via visual and interactive elements, and making remote attendees feel as if they’re in the room even though they’re not physically there.
Barta offers these tips for a successful and productive hybrid event:
- Know your audience. Research key factors like age, gender, income, leisure activities, social media participation and television viewing habits so you can plan and produce a webcast and virtual meeting that will appeal to your specific group.
- Realize that a camera at the back of the room does not make a hybrid meeting. A productive and successful hybrid meeting must have strong elements that engage and keep the virtual attendee constantly involved and excited.
- Start by determining the “who” and the “why.” Then you can start thinking about “what” to give your audience based on their personality, their needs, their learning styles, their attention spans, their technology aptitude, and so much more.
- Offer a combination of exceptional content plus engagement. The content gets people in the door. The engagement keeps them there and encourages them to want to return for more.
- Constantly engage your virtual audience to transform them from passive viewers to active participants. Keep your virtual audience a top priority throughout the entire planning and decision-making process.
- Ensure that all of your vendors understand your vision and have the same commitment to quality as you to create a seamless experience for your virtual audience.
- Insist that moderators, hosts, and/or virtual emcees be the conduit for the virtual audience and enable them to have a warm and welcoming experience. The platform, the technology and the buttons are all tools. Tools are not engaging. People are engaging.
