How to CREATE AND Host an Online Event

Why LIVE online events? 

• People crave human connection, now more than ever. Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and Youtube Live are all great, but they don’t allow people to see each other’s faces and hear one another’s voice. 
• It can be tempting to do pre-recorded videos, and if you want to provide those, Zoom does let you record sessions if you have one of the Upgrade tiers. But those don’t allow the same human interaction and community building that Live sessions give.

Key things to remember: 

• Yeah, it can be awkward at first, but stick with it and push through. Remain calm and engage people.
• Be yourself and act the way you would at any other event. Greet people by name, introduce yourself and others, etc.
• The biggest thing is that if you, the host, have confidence and engage with people the way you would in any other class, people will follow suit. The key thing will be making sure you still are intentional about engaging with each person, starting off asking questions, seeing if people know one another etc. 
• Make sure you’re logging in 15 minutes prior to class the way you would show up early to an event. 
• Coach people throughout the workout, these are your people, so say their name, give them cues, all the way you would in a normal class.
• If people do not have their camera turned on, make sure you ask them to turn it on so you can see their form and their lovely face.

Why we recommend Zoom for Online FAITH + FITNESS Events

There’s a lot of great tools out there like Google Meet, Skype, etc, but in our experience with hosting online meetings for our leaders, Zoom performs the best. But if there’s a better tool, we’d always love to explore it! Shoot Lindsey a message at li*****@fa******.org

Equipment Needed

• The Basics– You really just need your computer. The hang ups can be that the mic doesn’t pick you up if you’re far away demonstrating a movement, and you’ll need to make sure that the environment around you is quiet. 
• A Small Investment– For $120, You can get a mic and a gorilla stand that will allow you to move around and capture your voice better when you’re demoing movements. ← Not necessary, Just nice. Amazon is currently only prioritizing delivery of essential goods like food and medicine, so they won’t be sending out these items soon. Best Buy is the best bet for who will have these available to you now. 
  

How to Set Up Zoom

• Go to zoom.us
• Create a free account. This will allow you to have up to 100 participants and 40 minutes per event. Or, if you would prefer to have unlimited time, you can upgrade to the next level for $14.99 a month.
• Download the Desktop App: https://zoom.us/client/latest/Zoom.pkg

Setting Up Your Event Times

1. From your main profile page, click “Meetings” in the left menu bar, and then “Schedule a New Meeting.”

2. Fill in all your event details. 

3. The link highlighted and circled is the link you will share with people to join.

Starting Your Events Through Zoom

To start it from a browser, you’ll log in, click “Meetings” then find the one you want to start. Best thing would be to hop in 15 minutes prior and start engaging with people as they show up.

If you want to start from the app, you’ll select the event, then click start.

Viola! You’re in and ready for people to join.

How Members Participate

If you have the link posted on your social pages, members will be able to click the link and join via an app on their phone, an app on their computer, or through their computer’s browser. We’d recommend asking them to join through their computer, as it will allow them to see everyone more easily. They don’t necessarily need the app on their computer, although it helps.

How to Communicate with Members

This is counter to what people are used to, so we’ll want to make sure we’re nudging people to show up.

Pre-Event

• Create your normal Event Page on Facebook and add instructions for joining Zoom
• Make sure the follows this name: “Online FAITH RXD City Name FAITH + FITNESS Event”
• Post about the event like normal on social, but make sure your image includes the word “Online”
• Go live on IG and FB Groups the day before the event to remind everyone where to go to join and how they get to do it from the comfort of their home. If they need anything, make sure they know.
• Go live again the morning of to remind everyone. Again, this is super short and to the point, show excitement, be genuine.
• Linktr.ee
• Add the Facebook Event link to your Linktr.ee
• Add the actual Zoom link to your Linktr.ee

During the Event

• While the event is hosted on Zoom, since you’ll be using your computer, that means your phone will be free. So have different leaders at different times hop on IG Live and FB Group Live to share what’s going on. This will create notifications to nudge people to join.