Meeting Management: Online By Barbara Palmer

Take Away

The Hybrid Host

Successfully adding a virtual audience to your meeting takes more than technology —it takes engagement.And that’s where a virtual emcee can help.

Emilie Barta has perhaps the ideal background not only to have foreseen how the intersection of face-to-face meetings and technology would create newroles formeeting professionals, but also tostep into one of themost visible of them: virtual emcee. And it’s not just because her childhood nickname was “Mighty Mouth.” Barta, who’s based in St. Louis, began her

careerworking in broadcast television and video, but she also has a background in events, “so I get the personal connection and the one-on-one.” A decade ago, shewashosting webcasts of conferences broadcast via satellite trucks; shewelcomedthe vir- tual audience, introduced segments, and took questionsbyemail.“We didwhatwecoulddowith the technology at the time,” she said, to split the focus between face-to-face and online audiences. Since then, advances in technology havemadeit

what is going on, where to go next, and how to participate.” Voice of the virtualaudience. Aggregate and

verbally share the virtual audience’s questions, comments, thoughts, opinions,andstories with peo- ple in the room. “Youdon’twant the virtual audi- ence tomerelywatch,”Barta said. “If they are ask- ing questions,andnoone is there to speakfor them, you are sticking themback into a passive role.” Group leader. Guide and manage the virtual

audience in discussions, table conversations, and challenges, and report conclusions back to the room.When speakers add participatory elements to their sessions, the virtualemcee brings all the indi- viduals in the virtualaudience “intoone biggroup,” Barta said. “I become the ‘table facilitator.’” Red-carpet interviewer. Facilitate conversa- tions withindustry thought leaders, product/service

A virtual emcee actively engages the online participants.

easier for organizations to communicate withaudi- ences online.Andmeeting planners arenowbegin- ningtounderstandthe necessityofnot justcommu- nicating with their virtual audience but engaging it —“of reaching through the camera,” Barta said, “and developing relationships.” The virtual emcee serves as a conduit betweenthe online and face-to- face experience, she said, enabling participants in both formats “toget the most out of the experience through constant information, explanation,mod- eration, conversation, and reiteration.” With an eyeonhelping the position evolve from

“on-air talent” or “talking head” to someone whoactively engages, Barta defined five roles of a virtual emcee: Tour guide.Provide assistance, information, and instruction on all aspects of the event, the virtual platform, and how to participate. “You have to constantly be at attention,”Barta said, “reiterating

experts, speakers, conference organizers, sponsors, attendees, etc., to provide dedicated content and Q&Ato the virtual audience. When the face-to- face audience goes on break, the virtual emcee keeps the interaction going. Color commentator. Provide explanations, summaries, and updates of what is happening in the room, especially when mishaps occur. The flip side of being the voice of the virtual audience is being the eyes and ears in the room. If you leave the virtual audience just standing by in the event of, say amicrophonemalfunction, you run the risk they’ll get frustrated and goaway.Thevirtual emcee keeps the audience company, Barta said, and “does whatever needs to get done, sowhen[the problem] is fixed, the virtual audience is still there.” Which leads us back to her Mighty Mouth

nickname. “One of the reasons my clients love to hire me,” Barta said, “is that I can fill dead air.”

ON_THE_WEB: Mike McCurry, strategic accounts manager for Experient, blogs about “3 Reasons to Hire a Virtual Host for Your Next Hybrid Meeting or Event,” at http://bit.ly/3-virtual-host-reasons.

46 pcma convene December 2011 ILLUSTRATION BY GREG MABLY

Off Script When Emilie Barta serves as virtual emcee for a hybrid event, nothing is scripted in advance. “It’s the one time if I am going to take a drink of water, the audience watches me take a drink of water,” she said. “Everything is real and in the moment.” Likewise, when interviewing speak- ers, “I am not going to ask four stock questions,” Barta said. “I am going to start a conversation based on what I wit- nessed and observed during the sessions” —in both the face- to-face and virtual realms. It’s the virtual version of the hall- way conversation— as if a virtual attendee “ran into the speaker on the way to go get coffee.”

Barbara Palmer is a senior editor of Convene.