Managing events

Create interactive and engaging internal events and broadcast them to the entire company.

From town halls to sales kickoffs, product launches to Q&A sessions, internal events are a core part of business life. That doesn't need to come to a halt when employees are working remotely. You can still run engaging and interactive events that reach everyone, virtually. This guide will walk you through best practices for creating an engaging community around internal events in Workplace.
And make sure that you read on to find the Workplace team's own learnings from the entirely virtual Transform 2020 events.
Want to share this video with your Workplace community? You can download it here.
1. Create an event logistics group
1. Create an event logistics group
Create an event logistics group to centralise all of your event management communications. Make the group secret to ensure that only the right people can be added to the group and see posts.
You'll be using posts and chat to keep everyone up to date and to share documents, videos, images and more. For more information on managing teams and projects in Workplace, read our guide.
2. Create an event in Workplace
2. Create an event in Workplace
Creating a Workplace event allows you to:
  • Share important information, such as location, event description, agenda and more with attendees
  • Send invitations through Workplace notifications and third party calendars, including Google and Outlook
  • Track responses to invitations in Workplace
  • Engage attendees in the lead up to the event with polls, posts and more
  • Notify attendees in Workplace when event updates are made
Follow these steps to create an event in Workplace:
  1. Click on Home in the left menu, click on See More and select Events
  2. Click +Organise Event
  3. Add a name and description for your event
  4. You can upload your own cover photo or choose from a few templates available. For guidance on cover photo sizes, take a look at this guide
  5. Add a start time and end time. You have the option to schedule multiple events
  6. Add a description and an Event Schedule, then click Next
  7. Choose whether you'd like to broadcast the event to Workplace, add an external link if you're broadcasting to another platform or add a physical location where your event will be hosted. When you're done, click Next
  8. Choose who can see and join the event. You can select the whole organisation, only people who are invited or members of a specific group you're a member of.
  9. Add your co-hosts if you have any
  10. Toggle on if you'd like to send invitations to people's calendars
  11. Tick the box at the bottom to send out invitations, then click Create event
Anyone who is eligible to attend the event you created will be able to find it and RSVP from their Discover Events page.
3. Build up excitement
3. Build up excitement
In the lead up to the event, engage invitees by sharing polls, teaser videos, agenda updates and more on the event page or in a relevant group. In addition to Workplace, it's a good idea to use all of your organisation's communication channels to get the word out about the event. Here are just a few examples:
  • Send out email communications from an executive, inviting people to the event and sharing instructions on how to tune in
  • Consider sending another email the day before or an hour before the broadcast to remind people to join.
  • Include a sneak peek of the event in your internal newsletter.
  • Add a promotional banner to your intranet's home page.
4. Broadcast the event by going live
4. Broadcast the event by going live
By broadcasting the event using live video in Workplace, you can reach more employees than ever. Live video allows you to engage your audience with features, such as Q&A, polls, comments and reactions. Auto-generated captions and translated captions make your event more accessible, and the recording will automatically post to your group, so anyone who misses out can catch up later.
Before going live, make sure that you're set up for success with the following tips:
  • Make sure that your network connection is strong before the event
  • Use Do Not Disturb to disable all Workplace notifications, so you're not interrupted during the broadcast
  • Restart your computer one hour before you're due to go live to prevent your device from crashing or forcing an update
  • Face a window to get a good source of natural light
  • Use headphones or a wired microphone to make sure that viewers can hear you clearly
For more helpful tips, take a look at the Live Town Hall Playbook.
When you're ready, you can go live by navigating to the Event you created in step 2. You can do this by going to Home > See More > Events. Once you're on the event page, follow these steps:
  1. Click on the Set up broadcast button
  2. Toggle on live questions if you'd like to gather and respond to any questions during your broadcast
  3. Toggle on live polls if you'd like to publish one or more poll during your broadcast
  4. Choose the device you'll be going live from
  5. If you will be going live with others, toggle on Broadcast with other hosts. You will get an invitation link that you can copy and share with your co-hosts on Workplace Chat
  6. Adjust your camera and microphone settings
  7. You have the option to give your live video a title and description
  8. Click Go live now. If you're going live with other hosts, this button will read meet hosts. You will be taken to a room, where you can meet your co-hosts and, when you're ready, go live using the button at the bottom of your screen. Note that only the live video creator will be able to see and click on the Go live button.
  9. If you're broadcasting with others, you (the live video creator) can modify the broadcast layout by clicking on the three dots at top right-hand corner of your screen and selecting either Grid view or Speaker view.
  10. You can also mute your co-hosts if needed. Co-hosts can mute each other but not the original host.
5. Engage viewers during your broadcast
5. Engage viewers during your broadcast
Use Live Producer's polls and Q&A functionality to engage employees throughout your broadcast. Polls can be set up in advance and published at any time during your live stream and speakers can gather any questions and respond to them in real time with live Q&A. You can see these two features in action and practice using them in your next broadcast in the Live Video Producer interactive demos.
It's also a good idea to have community managers driving conversations within Workplace comments. They can point people to resources, help answer any questions and encourage conversation.
6. Keep up engagement after the event is over
6. Keep up engagement after the event is over
Some people in your organisation won't be able to tune in real time, but with live video, they can always catch up and share comments and reactions after the broadcast has ended. You can make that experience easier for them by taking the following steps:
  • Translate captions so that people who speak other languages can follow along
  • Create video chapters to allow your viewers to skip ahead to parts of your broadcast that are most relevant to them.
  • Reply or react to comments added to your live video post after the broadcast ends, so every viewer feels like their voice is heard.
  • System admins can send a short five question survey to attendees through Workplace to gather feedback on the event.
7. Monitor views and engagement
7. Monitor views and engagement
You'll be able to see real-time engagement metrics during your broadcast, such as views, comments, reactions, shares and more. Once the broadcast ends, dive deeper into the data in your post insights by clicking on the … at the top right of your post > Post insights. You'll be able to track views, engagement and drop-offs across your entire broadcast.

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Events in action: Workplace Transform 2020
Events in action: Workplace Transform 2020
Transform is Workplace's annual summit that brings together Workplace customers to share best practices, discover insights and learn more about the future of the platform.
Transform events are typically held in person in multiple locations across the globe. But this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Our EMEA and North America Transform events were held entirely virtually and live-streamed into a multi-company group to an audience of several thousand participants.
Here are a few tips and learnings from the Transform team to help you make your next virtual event a success:
  • Use a combination of live and pre-produced content. Pre-produced videos will be quick and engaging while live speakers can connect more authentically to the audience.
  • Use a high-energy, fun host to weave the segments of your event together and engage with the audience. The host can also provide input on practical details as you progress. Running internal auditions is a fun way to select the right person.
  • Don't try to replicate what would happen in person – attention spans are different, and so are people's expectations. Think about how you can create small chunks of content or shorten key messages to keep audience attention. Structure your content so that you prioritise the most important content first.
  • Prepare for the unexpected. Conduct rehearsals and if possible, record them. On the day of your event, you'll have a backup if you encounter technical difficulties. Rehearse your backup plans to ensure that there are no surprises.
  • Just because your event has concluded, doesn't mean the community and networking have to end. Find ways to continue the conversation into the future.
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