Robbie Samuels LLC (Multi-Passionate Entrepreneur)

It is a gift to give people a well-designed online event experience. People give you their time (often, also, their money) to attend your online session–and the quality of the event you give in return matters. Back in the spring of 2020, when we were all thrust into a world where Zoom meetings went from occasional to every day, simply remembering to put yourself on mute or having breakout rooms enabled could go a long way. But that’s basic–less than basic–now. We’re deep into this new reality, and the expectation is that folks entering an online session will be presented with an experience designed with intention. Anything else, frankly, makes you look like a rookie (and could make your participants feel like they wasted their time). As a virtual event design consultant and executive Zoom producer, I help my clients reimagine their in-person events by utilizing all the opportunities available through digital and analog tools. Rather than trying to replicate the in-person event, we create a powerful virtual experience. My clients include the California WIC Association, Feeding America, Notary Symposium, Association of Talent & Development, The National At-Home Dad Network, and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. Since March 13, 2020, I've been hosting #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hour. In May 2020, I launched The 5% Advantage Program, a certification program that teaches Zoom techniques, online facilitation, and virtual event design. I am recognized as an industry expert in the field of digital event design. Published a Harvard Business Review article, "How to Host Your Own Virtual Happy Hour" and I was quoted in a Forbes article "The History of the Webinar and Why the Webinar Should Be History." My third book, "Break Out of Boredom: Low-Tech Solutions for Highly Engaging Zoom Events" has received a gold award. I've created best practices for everything from how to make breakout rooms more useful, to moderating online panels, to how to run Q&A effectively.