We always want the things we can't have, right? And right now, that includes happy hours, team meetings, retreats, conferences, and even coffee dates.

Luckily, we've got the tech to recreate these experiences online. But, as anyone who's sat through a neverending online meeting knows, there's more to it than firing up a digital conference room.

It is possible to engineer meaningful and valuable events online--but you have to have a plan and a strategy.

Small Business Masterclass is all about sharing the ideas and skills that will help you navigate a changing economy as a small business owner.

Each masterclass is recorded live in front of a virtual audience--especially apropos for today's topic. Check out the show notes for links to items that we mention during the session, as well as the agenda & notes.

Small Business Masterclass is a joint production of What Works and YellowHouse.Media. For more support on navigating the changing economy as a small business owner, go to explorewhatworks.com/network and become a member of our online small business community!

Today's masterclass is all about hosting dynamic events online. Whether you're looking to recreate an in-person conference experience in a digital environment or get creative with ways to bring people together for the first time, this masterclass will guide you through creating the purpose, structure, schedule, and technology set up that will work best for your event.

You'll also learn about the role you play in an event, how to keep from overwhelming your audience with too much information, and why there's no such thing as too much communication around your event.

Important Links:

• Today's outline & notes
• Tune in for future live masterclasses
• The What Works Network
• YellowHouse.Media
• Standout Podcast Club

Online Event Tools:

• We use Crowdcast (affiliate link) for large events (25+ people) and use the chat & question features to get audience members talking to each other
• We use Zoom for smaller events (25 or fewer people) and often use breakout rooms to encourage participation and give everyone the chance to talk
• We have a community on a Mighty Network (affiliate link) that gives us a chance to communicate between live sessions
• We often put together an agenda in a Notes app or Notion and screen share that agenda so that people can see where we’re at. For larger, more planned events, we use a slide deck to reinforce structure and instructions
• We're going to be user Voxer to create more intimate asynchronous communication during a virtual retreat we're hosting next week'
• I love the book The Art of Gathering (affiliate link)— and, even though it’s geared to in-person events, it would be an incredible resource for thinking through truly incredible virtual events