How Long is Too Long?

It’s a challenge to balance online event content with how long each segment should be to keep the attendee engaged. Say, for example, you are asking a keynote speaker to participate in the event. How long do you ask for them to speak? Is 15 minutes good? Is the standard 45 minutes too long? How do you decide?

When reviewing industry insights from the Meeting and Events world in preparation for our online event, we discovered that a person needs the visual on the screen to change every 8-10 minutes. Sporting events have capitalized on this for decades. They are able to suck people into watching TV on Sunday afternoon for HOURS! If they are so successful why, then, would the rules of engagement change for an online event?

Changing the attendee’s visual does not mean that you have a new speaker every 8-10 minutes. That would be insane! What it does mean, however, is that the camera angle changes, a slide of content is shown, or you alter the color of the background. When talking about sports, don’t underestimate the value of the instant replay, a commercial, or having a talking head on the screen for a minute or two. All of these are changing what the viewer is seeing every few minutes. It’s keeping their brain engaged even if on a subconscious level. Of course, with an online event, the content and the speaker need to be interesting or there will be very little to keep the attendees around.

Before settling on the programming for your online event, spend some time thinking about the attendee’s experience from their point of view. A wise woman once told me you have to sit in the attendee’s chair, literally, to get their perspective (shout out to Joanne Dennison, CMP!). Attend different online events, meet with other planners, and talk with your team about your experiences. Brainstorm creative ways to change the visual on the screen. Consider things like a picture of the speaker’s family, a slide with content periodically, a commercial for a book or product the speaker has created, or interjecting a question for the speaker to answer.

There’s no perfect answer, but if you were bored after 20 minutes, most likely, your audience will be too.

I’d love to share what I learned from our 3-day online event on this topic,
just email me if you’d like to set up time to talk!

Planners, share this blog with those you mentor, on your social media, and be sure to like it!

Don’t forget to visit tracybaer.com for more resources.