https://bloomerang.co/resources/webinars/ Lisa Schra, Advancement Director at Living Stones Academy, and Paul Hart, a long-time brand and communication volunteer at LSA, will share about their recent “Stones of Hope” gala-type fundraising event. Through this event, Living Stones saw an increase of 50+% in revenue and attendance. They will share their suggestions for helping you make a similarly successful event.

1. Creating an on-line event
Principles to keep in mind:
First and foremost this is about communicating your mission.
This may go without saying. But wanted to start with the basics!
Interaction matters.
Do what you can to have the event feel live and connected. For the LSA event, we asked a few key
people to help participate in the chat feature to help with engagement in the event.
Let people know what to expect for content and timing.
During the event, provide cues so people know how much longer a particular section is or where they
are in the program. Don’t assume that people joined right from the beginning. Also good to send a
general timeline before the event so viewers know how long the event will be.
Tips:
Have people RSVP just like a real event.
Get them to make a commitment to attend. We used an incentive (red envelope). It will also help
people to sign up early rather than waiting for the last minute. But one advantage of the virtual event
IS that people can just “show up.”
Keep it short: 45 minutes–1 hour max.
Overall content should not be longer than one hour.
Strike a balance with live content and canned content.
Canned content should be constrained to about 4 minutes max at a time.
Be prepared for people who don’t stay tuned in the whole time.
For instance if this is a fundraiser, make sure to give viewers information early on to know you need
their gift and why, and the resources to do so.
Have fun and make sure it’s fun for your viewers.

2. Format for the medium
Individual components of your presentation also can’t be as long as it would be in person. Watching
a person talk for 10 minutes doesn’t hold viewers attention like it would in-person.
Make it easy for viewers
You don’t want to lose people by using a platform that is hard to use or that users have to download.
Make sure it’s simple so anyone can use.
Be ready for early arrivers
Decide how to handle awkwardness of having people sign on at different times before you are
officially ready to start. We did a pre-show.
Practice, practice, practice!
We did three run-throughs with our webinar technology. We needed every single one to ensure that
the technology did not get in the way of the messaging.
Insights/Aha moments:
Keep it moving, but let it breathe.
A bit contrary to “keep it moving” but viewers still need some breathing room and space. For
instance, at an in-person event we have a transition from one speaker to another. The person is
introduced, we clap and watch them walk up to the stage. Even in a virtual event our brains need a bit
of a break and also to be reminded of where you are in the program.
Acknowledge the challenges or newness.
This is new for everyone. You can acknowledge it. Viewers also have grace as they know it’s new
for you as well.
Lastly:
Have a comprehensive communication plan
Need a plan to create anticipation and generate excitement for the event. Provide information on how
to view and what to expect from the event. And round out with thank you after the event.

3. Advantages of a virtual event
● No constraints on who can attend -- we could invite all of our parents which usually we
cannot do because of limited space. We also had people watching from around the country.
Also a good format for older folks or others with limiting mobility or those who do not like
crowds. Families with LSA students enjoyed watching together.
● Shorter time commitment for your donors. Easy to say “yes.”
● Because of that donors likely would be more willing to invite others to watch with them
● Reduces your expenses
● While you’ll likely want to have people RSVP ahead of time so you can build interest, people
can decide the day-of to attend. You couldn’t do that with an in-person event
Be you - know your lane and don't forget it. Stay true to you.
Be authentic, be genuine, be warm
Be grateful
Developed by Lisa Schra & Paul Hart
May 2020