Get the most out of virtual events

Many of our favourite events (including Fanshawe College Open House!) are moving to virtual formats these days. When attending a virtual event, there are a few things you can do to make sure you get the most out of the experience. Here are a few tips:

Read preliminary info carefully

Online event organizers will most likely send out an email or two ahead of the event with important information. This will include a link to join the event, the schedule, a list of speakers and any additional details. Be sure to review this carefully to make sure you have everything you need.

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Check out the tech ahead of time

Be sure to review the information from the organizers to find out if you need to download something or create an account for the platform they will use. Also, review the information to find out if participants will be on video or audio. Some platforms will allow participants to be seen and heard, while others will have those functions turned off.

Fanshawe Open House will use GoToWebinar – an easy to use virtual event platform. 

Make a list of questions to ask

Just like an in-person event, an online event will be most beneficial to you if you know what you want to get out of it. Think about the questions you need answered, and write them down ahead of time. Take notes during the event, too and spend some time afterward reviewing everything you learned. Many speakers will provide their contact information—if after the event you realize a question you had wasn’t answered, reach out!

At Fanshawe Open House, you can submit questions through the Questions feature and the presenters will answer as many as they can.

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Enjoy!

Virtual events might be a bit unfamiliar, but there are actually a lot of benefits to them! You don’t have to set your alarm extra early or fight through traffic to get there. You can wear comfy clothes that still look presentable on a webcam. You can interact with presenters, and even other participants depending on the platform. Sure, there might be a technology glitch and at least one speaker will definitely forget to unmute. But virtual events can be informative and engaging—have fun!