The article provided above contains several suggestions for businesses looking to host virtual events in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. To prepare for online events, organizations should consider dedicating a website or page that allows interested guests to find information and to register all in one location. Businesses should also be thoughtful in choosing a streaming platform and can base this decision on a number of different factors: audience size, engagement needs, and overall objectives of the event. There are varying benefits and uses of platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook Live, etc.
In my group’s semester-long campaign efforts for The Crooked House in Milesburg, we’ve been focusing on two main strategies: raising funds and raising awareness. Just last week, we had the opportunity to present a list of tactics that we’ve brainstormed so far with our client, the artist and architect behind the sculpture, Ben Fehl.
One of the fundraising initiatives that seemed to resonate with Fehl was the idea of hosting a virtual sip and paint event. The Crooked House has actually held an in-person occasion of this kind in the past, but my group was unsure of how feasible this would be in the near future given current safety restrictions in place for COVID-19. However, Fehl assured us that a local community center would allow for social distancing to be implemented, but enjoyed the virtual aspect that we proposed, too. Our modified plan for this fundraiser would encompass a hybrid of the two; interested individuals who felt comfortable could attend in person, and all others could enjoy the same experience from the comfort of their own homes.
As The Crooked House’s PR team, we would need to work out any and all logistics required for both in-person and online scenarios. An external opportunity that we would plan to take advantage of, in this tactic, is using bottles of The Crooked House wine, which is made by Fehl’s father, Jacob. The cost of a ticket – which we had estimated for $25, perhaps – would cover entry, or online access, into the event and The Crooked House wine to ‘sip’ on throughout the painting instruction. Another unique appeal to this event would be the chance to paint local celebrities; people like the Milesburg mayor, Penn State Nittany Lion mascot, or County Commissioner Michael Pipe were listed as figures of interest. This would also require us to reach out to any of these individuals and secure confirmation for their participation, so that interested guests would be guaranteed that aspect of the experience as well.
With all of this in mind, the Reach Further article will serve as a helpful resource for my group, should we head further into planning and execution stages for the event. Since The Crooked House already has its own Facebook page with over 400 followers, maybe arranging a scheduled event via Facebook would be effective in reaching interested guests. Residents of Milesburg and the surrounding Centre County are likely the most familiar with The Crooked House and would potentially take interest in/be able to attend in-person, and other followers – perhaps more physically distanced – could enjoy the virtual benefits. As far as the streaming platform is concerned, I don’t think that Fehl will be able to necessarily interact as much with the virtual audience if he is the sole paint instructor among an in-person audience, too. The article actually provides the testimony of a woman holding a virtual paint night via Google Hangouts, where she can easily access the platform and play around with in-app tools. Depending on how many guests The Crooked House hybrid sip and paint would attract, I think this platform would definitely be something to consider, but I wouldn’t want to completely rule out like Facebook Live, either. If we promote this event via Facebook and have guests RSVP through the social media site, as well, it could be more familiar for online attendees to navigate come time for the actual event.