On 2 February 2021 ATPI Events directed a webinar titled ‘Navigating corporate travel in 2021’ for our ATPI Corporate Travel colleagues – an interactive panel discussion from the Fokker Terminal in The Hague.
“The current Covid-19 crisis presents many challenges, but it can also be seen as a unique opportunity to do things differently. Business travel, for example, is under a magnifying glass right now. When the world slowly opens up again, will we still go on business trips? And if so, what choices do we have to make in order to do this? “
Planning a Successful Webinar
ATPI Corporate Events’ project managers implemented the use of ATPI’s 5 Step plan in order to prepare and manage the webinar.
Ten weeks before the webinar took place ATPI Corporate Events determined the target group (s) and discussed the possible content themes with colleagues from ATPI Corporate Travel. Stakeholders selected the following three relevant topics; duty of care and safety, sustainability and digitalisation. All of these topics touched on the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fact that ATPI has so many specialists within the business, all with different expertise and experience, made the process of combining knowledge extremely valuable. Each brand really complemented each other during this project and brought out the best in each other.
It was decided that the webinar would take place in the form of an interactive panel discussion featuring experts from various well-known travel organisations (see below) with whom ATPI Corporate Travel works closely either as a supplier or as a customer.
Guest experience should always be a priority and project managers wanted viewers to feel part of the broadcast. In addition to the pre-asked questions, viewers could participate in the panel discussion during the event through a chat function. There were also several polls on the screen, on which viewers could vote via their phone. The results were discussed live by host Wendelien Wouters.
Both the subjects of the webinars and the speakers were announced in phases in an email campaign during the run-up to the webinar. This not only built enthusiasm but also created a high level of engagement, with attendees sending in questions for the panel in advance. Each registrant
received their own personal URL, so that attendance could be measured accurately afterwards.
In the meantime, work began on designing the programme of the webinar. This should be thoroughly considered so that attendees remain engaged throughout. For this reason, it was decided that the webinar should last for around 90 minutes.
Going Live
The success of a digital event often relies on the use of the right technology, streaming platform and detailed script, particularly when lights, sound and cameras are involved. In the instance of the ‘Navigating corporate travel in 2021’ webinar, this required project managers to become directors and manage even the finest of details.
COVID-19 Proof
When organising all events the team follow Covid-19 protocol at all times. This includes ensuring:
1.5-meter distance.
Wearing masks.
Disinfection points.
Maximum number of people – who are allowed to be present – is not exceeded.
The final phase: Evaluation & results
After the webinar, viewers were asked to take part in a survey to find out what they thought. What did they think of the subjects discussed? Was the length of the webinar appropriate?
Viewers rated the webinar very positively, with an average score of 8/10. The quality of audience interaction and participation was scored 9/10.
The results further indicated that the discussion, the diversity of the panel and the interaction between speakers and the audience were highly valued. The time of the webinar (14:00 – 15:30) and the length was judged to be just right.
Suggestions for next time from viewers:
“I have attended many webinars over the last year, but this was one of the best – good host and personable speakers”
“The webinar was very interesting. The host had everything under control and it felt well managed.”
“Insights about where the (trip ) world goes and how things shift are interesting to hear “
“It would be nice to do something interactive in between – the tour at the beginning was great, but this would also be a nice break midway”
“Maybe invite a guest speaker from outside the travel sector for a different perspective? ”
“More updates on Covid-19 safety measures and what to expect in the future would be interesting”
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