Client:
Alumni of IIT Delhi ’79 batch
Objective:
To manage a reunion of over 200 IITians and their families using a virtual event platform. The aim was to ensure that every session of the event goes smooth and technical glitches, if any, are addressed in real-time without disrupting the flow of the event.
Challenges While Organizing A Virtual Reunion Event For IIT Delhi:
- Over 200 attendees who need to be able to talk and see each other throughout the event.
- More than 60 performers over nine different types of activities.
- Audience needed the flexibility to move into and from special break out rooms during the event.
- Many live performances alongside many pre-recorded ones.
- Time management to ensure that event does not stretch beyond the planned time.
- Spotlighting the performers of every session in real-time
- Muting and unmuting the participants based on the flow of the event
- Being quick with unmuting and spotlighting in case of multiple performers
- Renaming the participants who erroneously join with their device names
- Calling people back from break-out rooms in the main room when they skip reading the broadcast messages.
- Switching between live performances and prerecorded ones.
- Giving the entire event a personal touch
Solution:
- Decided on using Zoom platform as it matched the functionality requirements
- Designed a detailed script with the list of the performers as well as the flow of the event
- Assigned separate individuals as Event host, Zoom host, Co-chairs, Session hosts and backup Zoom hosts to reduce the chances of errors
- Assigned separate personnel for both muting and spotlighting
- Added certain symbols to the name of the performers to make them easily identifiable for spotlighting
- Muting everyone before the beginning of a performance and at the same time informing the speaker to unmute themselves to avoid any unwanted noises
- Did 10 dry runs of the entire event
- Rehearsed all the sessions multiple times separately
- Made breakout rooms with the hostel names of the participants to give a nostalgic touch
Results:
- Since it was a virtual event, people staying overseas were also able to participate, making it a full house.
- Performers were spotlighted and muted/ unmuted accurately.
- The flow of the event was followed exactly as it was designed.
- The event started and ended on time with no technical snag at all.
