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Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

  • 1.  Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 09-28-2020 11:25

    Happy Monday, Community members! We are back with the second of our new weekly series, Huddle of the Week. In case you missed the first discussion, the Community team will be posting one discussion question every Monday for you to engage and learn more from your peers during these times. The questions will range from industry best practices, pivoting your programs during these times, planning for a post-pandemic world, and more.

    Our second discussion question this week is: What are your suggestions/best practices for the non-tech savvy or older generation attendees to participate & engage in a virtual event? Particularly for those who are not familiar with interactive websites, virtual meeting providers like Zoom, social media, etc.?

    Please reply with your thoughts and ideas below. Feel free to ask additional questions or share your own experiences, as well! Remember, initial thoughts can spark more ideas, so be sure to share your insights, even if you do not have direct experience. 

    If you agree with other users' replies or found it helpful, be sure to click the Recommend button. #HuddleoftheWeek #VoiceIt


    #ManagingVirtualEvents

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    Danni Czark
    Senior Associate, Online Community Marketing
    Cvent
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 09-29-2020 10:40
    Most non-tech savvy people CAN manage email. And they CAN manage to watch videos. Take a page out of Cvent's best practices  - I did! For my live-in-person event, I would send a weekly "Know Before You Go" email with logistics info. Then on the actual DAYS of the event I would send a "Daily Connection" email with a summary of what was happening that day, highlighting the most important sessions.

    For the Know Before You Go emails, which I typically do for 6 weeks in advance, you could send people to a short (1.5 to 2 minute) video to demonstrate a piece of the Virtual Technology you are using. That way they are familiar. For the last Know Before You Go,  make that a summary, i.e., "Be sure to have watched these short videos to have the best experience at this virtual event."


    ------------------------------
    Brenda Ainsburg
    Channel Program Manager
    brenda.ainsburg@siemens.com
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    United States
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 10-03-2020 16:06
    You are either comfortable with tech, or you are not. Contrary to belief, it is not an older generational thing ;).
    Like @Brenda Ainsburg said, most people can handle emails and clicking on a link. Sometimes you do need to hold their hand​ a bit, but they get the hang of it.

    ------------------------------
    Steven Schlossman
    Jack of all trades. Master of none.
    BMW Car Club of America
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 10-05-2020 09:19
    In response to @Steven Schlossman's assessment, almost regardless of their job/career, people vary widely in their comfort with and use of technology.

    I know nurse practitioners with literal doctorate degrees who can barely handle their smart phones and teachers who struggle with technology - and they are teaching very tech savvy kids for the last 20 years. Even people who sell advanced engineering products can struggle with web interfaces and phones.

    So communicate in small, digestible bites with regular frequency.

    Nothing disincentives me more than receiving an email as long as an instruction manual with no white space.

    Short and Sweet and To The Point, please...

    ------------------------------
    Brenda Ainsburg
    Channel Program Manager
    brenda.ainsburg@siemens.com
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    United States
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 09-29-2020 12:36
    You could provide them with step-by-step instructions, similar to a training document, communicate, offer videos and support assistance.

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    Andrea Timbes
    CRM Administrator & Lead Catcher
    Visit Fort Worth
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  • 6.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-01-2020 06:34
    One word.   Patience.  This helps avoid the frustration a non-techie may be feeling.

    ------------------------------
    Edward House
    App and Tech Supprt
    Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-02-2020 06:30
    I like Brenda's Daily communication idea. It is always good to over communicate. For those struggling even then, we would pop onto a screen share and walk them through it that way. We found if we can not assist in person, it is best to do it over the phone. The extra added TLC really goes a long way.

    ------------------------------
    Coy Rushton
    Graphic Designer
    Primary Residential Mortgage
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-05-2020 09:15
    As many others have said, utilizing email to plot out instructions is great. I've learned that using icons consistently within an email and also within your platform help someone that might be a more visual learner. Additionally, making the "help" section of the online platform very easy to find alleviates the stress of seeking out help. We are all very used to chat feature on many websites, and even with internal business communication. Never underestimate the power of instant communication to help someone through a customer service experience involving tech.

    ------------------------------
    Beth Vriesen
    Director, Support Services
    ALTOUR
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 10-05-2020 20:16
    Edited by Steven Schlossman 10-07-2020 14:18
    I also utilize screenshots and detailed instructions in emails. Especially when directing attendees when they need to go back to modify their registration, Just need to take in account, desktop and mobile devices.

    ------------------------------
    Steven Schlossman
    Jack of all trades. Master of none.
    BMW Car Club of America
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    User Group Member
    Posted 01-08-2021 07:22
    Screenshots are a lifesaver! We develop one-pagers and post them as links on our sites for quick & easy reference for our attendees.

    ------------------------------
    Jennifer Jones
    Senior Event Specialist
    Corning Incorporated
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-07-2020 08:54
    Our internal teams host trainings that include calls to personal cell phones, landlines (yep!), and walking the less tech savvy clients through the basics to get onto a Zoom meeting or into our event platforms. We also have a digital toolkit that is reviewed through Zoom once our clients can access a Zoom meeting. We train from the ground up if necessary and even have a technology 'play book' to offer .pdf file copies or mailed/printed copies to those who need the help.

    ------------------------------
    Amanda Adams
    Mid-Atlantic Territory Client Services Coordinator
    Cognia, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-08-2020 16:31
    I hand picked 4 of our... less tech-savvy members and used them for testing everything tech for our conference! It was easy to identify 4 people who I knew would struggle just from previous communications regarding tech! Once identify, I reached out to each by good ol' telephone. I asked them if they had considered attending our virtual conference (2 said yes, two said probably not because it sounded too hard) and then I spoke to them about what I had in mind for them. 

    Basically, they would get free registration ($300+ value) for simply doing what everyone else would do, but then providing me with all the feedback. I had one person attempt to register with no help and he was instructed to only email for assistance using the conference registration "contact us" function. He actually worked it all out with no need to use the contact us (yay!) but he did give me some great feedback. The second person I gave the same instruction as the first so I could again test the "contact us" function. She did send an email asking a few questions and I was able to email back a response and she continued with her registration, no problems. The third and forth people I setup a call with and had them talk through everything they were doing as they were doing it. I told them ahead of time that I would give limited help as I wanted to see how long it took them to work things out for themselves. 

    All in all - my testing worked out great and I got two really valuable things from it: 1. Some of the language we were using was clear and by having people technically challenged going through the process, it was very clear to see what edits I could make to help the process progress smoothly and 2. It gave me some great items to add to our FAQ's and other informational content on our conference website. My 4 testers were all very happy to help and appreciated that I had thought about the struggles they may have had - The obviously appreciated saving the cost of their registration!

    ------------------------------
    Sharna Pascolo
    Program Director
    Texas Society of Architects
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    User Group Member
    Posted 01-08-2021 07:21
    Love this idea! I already have a few users in mind that can assist me with this :)

    ------------------------------
    Jennifer Jones
    Senior Event Specialist
    Corning Incorporated
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 10-13-2020 10:26
    I like Brenda's suggestion of "know before you go" information. Of course, most people won't bother reading it prior to the event, so having a live "tech support" person available in chat or some other way can really help the tech-averse navigate and get the most out of the virtual experience. Ideally, I would love to be able to log into someone's computer to get them where they want to go quickly (something that has been helpful with my mother as I help her learn technology), but of course, that would be quite a stretch!

    ------------------------------
    Lori Wildman
    Senior Marketing Manager
    DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-16-2020 14:34
    Danielle, 
    Thanks for starting this conversation, I sure did enjoy reading everyone's comments and thoughts! Great read!

    ------------------------------
    Colleen Beck
    Director of Sales & Marketing
    The Westin Tampa Bay
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Community MVP
    Posted 10-17-2020 20:08
    I also sometimes do a soft launch to the registration to a select few of my most vocal critics. :)

    ------------------------------
    Steven Schlossman
    Jack of all trades. Master of none.
    BMW Car Club of America
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-19-2020 16:37
    We have found that with more restaurants opening and implementing QR code menus, that our non-tech savvy event participants have picked up on how to work QR codes better-- because of that we were able to put our Covid consent and safety/waiver online and use a QR code to mitigate exposure risk of collecting pens and papers. Using the integration of GoTo has helped make things more streamlines as well so there arent registration emails coming from cvent, GoTo, and our team.

    ------------------------------
    Hannah Humke
    Event Marketing Specialist
    Cochlear Limited
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 10-26-2020 15:06
    I would first send a brief, user-friendly survey to gauge how comfortable the audience is with the technology and then use the results to determine my strategy. If the number of non-tech savvy is minimal, then I might just reach out to those folks directly and offer a quick, hands-on training and answer any questions they may have prior to the main event. If the numbers are more significant, then I would step up the communication and provide a document with step-by step instructions and plenty of screen shots.

    ------------------------------
    [Nikki] [Burn]
    [Travel Technology Administrator]
    [Maxim Healthcare Group]
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 11-12-2020 12:08
    Simplicity is best! Clear, step by step instructions are always helpful, especially if you are using a less well-known platform. Links to screencast videos that show exactly where to click are helpful.

    ------------------------------
    Amy Zientek
    Director of Sales
    Visit Lubbock The Convention and Visitors Bureau
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 11-19-2020 16:28
    We have a "test your technology" session before our virtual events. In the session, people can pop in and out to make sure they can familiarize themselves with the software.

    ------------------------------
    Chelsea Tyrie
    Senior Executive Assistant
    American Contractors Insurance Group
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 11-26-2020 13:00
    Step by step clear instructions can be very helpful. We also produced a how to video before our virtual conference.

    ------------------------------
    Scott Sward
    Global Travel and Events Manager
    Viewpoint, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 12-22-2020 11:16

    Clear instructions, repeated many times in pre-event emails, instructional videos, and simple tasks within our Crowd Compass app have helped with our "lesser tech-savvy" attendees.



    ------------------------------
    Missy Dunne Hurley
    Events and Project Manager
    Native American Finance Officers Association
    ------------------------------



  • 23.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 12-22-2020 14:02

    I know that for a large group this is near impossible, but if you are hosting a small virtual meeting of 25-50 you could offer to walk those that are unfamiliar with, or uncomfortable with, technology or a new platform.  For larger groups having step by step instructions, or a video instruction link that you send out with plenty of lead time for them to test the platform and feel more comfortable using it.  In addition enough lead time gives them time to send in questions and get support.  



    ------------------------------
    Ann Starley
    Senior Group Sales Manager
    Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau
    ------------------------------



  • 24.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 12-28-2020 12:20

    I agree with the suggestions above.  Using short, informative emails beforehand can be helpful.  A combination of videos, icons and short bullet points help both visual and non-visual learners.

    In all attendee communications,  @Brenda Ainsburg nailed it: communicate in small, digestible bites with regular frequency.



    ------------------------------
    Stacie Karkhoff
    Budget Reconciliation And Reporting Manager
    ALTOUR
    ------------------------------



  • 25.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 12-29-2020 13:16

    Love the "know before you go" routine in the email and step-by-step instructions. We have also found using any type of gamification can encourage people to learn the platform and get savvier on the apps before they attend a conference. Additionally, having all the materials needed on the app or in the virtual space helps push the less savvy into the platform you would like them to use. 



    ------------------------------
    Courtney Riley
    Digital Marketing Technical Supervisor
    CNC Software, Inc.
    ------------------------------



  • 26.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 01-07-2021 12:29
    I agree with what everyone has said and providing clear instructions that are repeated numerous times in numerous places with videos is super helpful.  We also have someone dedicated to assisting people with technical needs prior to and during the event. 

    ------------------------------
    Deedee Southerlin
    Program Manager
    Georgia Southern University Division of Continuing Education
    ------------------------------



  • 27.  RE: Huddle of the Week #2: Engaging with Non-Tech Savvy Attendees

    Posted 01-07-2021 17:58
    Hello All,

    I like to use Cvent's marketing resources whenever possible to help my attendees navigate event tech.  No matter the demographic, everyone can use a little help sometime ;-).  For instance, CrowdCompass has these great flyers that are basically "See-Spot-Run" illustrations on how to download, log in and navigate the mobile event app.  Truly makes the job of the platform admin much easier when assisting attendees with the tech side of things! 

    Be safe, be well, be kind.

    ------------------------------
    Gladys Ward
    Executive Assistant to the CEO
    The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board
    ------------------------------