Agritourism Diversification: Virtual Classes, Events, and Experiences

Virtual events exploded in 2020 during COVID, and while businesses are once again open for in-person visits and events, virtual event offerings have remained due to their convenience and accessibility. Virtual events and experiences such as online tours and tasting events still hold the opportunity to be a valuable feature for agritourism businesses, as operators can reach a wider audience without the limitations of physical space. Despite being virtual, these events still require proper planning to ensure a successful outcome— just like in-person events.

Virtual events offer the benefits of reaching a broader geographic audience, ease of attendance for participants, the ability to mitigate biosecurity or human health concerns (as was the case with COVID-19) and inspire future in-person visitation. 

There are drawbacks to virtual events though. These include a lower level of interpersonal connection between the host and attendees, distractions for the host and/or attendees, and potential technical issues. Additionally, consider the length of time that your virtual experience will take. The length of time that is spent on an in-person activity or experience may not translate well to a virtual experience.

It must be accepted that it is impossible to recreate customers' in-person experiences.  Spend the time necessary to determine business objectives and identify customer expectations for any virtual experiences to decide whether it is possible to accomplish those objectives while meeting expectations. Attending virtual events offered by other agritourism businesses offers the opportunity to learn how to host them, gather ideas on topics or approaches, and generally what works and what doesn't.

Once you’ve decided to move forward with offering a virtual experience, you'll want to match the format of the experience and the platform you use with your objectives. For instance, hosting a virtual tasting event over Facebook Live is not likely to provide the experience customers are looking for compared to using a virtual meeting tool that allows you to limit the number of participants, providing a more intimate and conversational experience. 

Ensure that you set customer expectations appropriately when marketing virtual experiences. Will participants be able to ask questions?  Will they need to purchase anything, or will you be sending items to participants? 

Consider the number of participants you want to host for individual events.  While offering virtual events allows you to reach larger audiences, will you still be able to provide a superb customer experience?  For example, having 50 participants in a virtual cooking class will result in a vastly different experience than having 5 participants.

Always make sure you test the technology platform and equipment that you will be using. While most people understand technical glitches, customers still expect that if you are offering virtual experiences, particularly for a fee, you have a reasonable understanding of how to use your technology.

Be aware of your surroundings and the environment for virtual events.  For instance, you don't want to have distracting activity in the background or inadequate equipment for an experience taking place outdoors, such as a tour of your farm, where the wind could hamper the sound quality.

Pricing

Pricing for a virtual class can be tricky as, by definition, participants miss out on the in-person aspects that many enjoy.  And, while some people may assume that virtual classes should be less expensive to offer than in-person, they may in fact be more expensive due to additional costs that will be incurred.  For instance, you may need to invest in professional, or high-quality equipment, such as video camera, microphone, and/or additional lighting. Online events also require adequate streaming capabilities which might require you to upgrade your internet service. All these factors need to be considered when determining the cost for virtual events.

For food and beverage online tasting classes, you will need to determine economically feasible samples. You’ll need to account for sending enough for the virtual event plus a second eating occasion if you decide to offer this to participants, and the cost of shipping. And while shipping expenses should be included in your budgeting, the requirements when shipping food could see that expense quickly escalate taking the price for the class beyond a reasonable point, so consideration of your target audience is crucial.

You may consider offering different pricing tiers to accommodate different budgets and needs. This can include offering a basic package with access to the event or a VIP package with added benefits such as Q&A sessions or exclusive content.

Technology

Virtual classes will require an investment in technology (hardware and software) to ensure a professional experience. Technology to research includes:

• Webinar platforms. There are numerous webinar platforms available (Zoom, GotoWebinar, Webex, WebinarJam, etc.). Most require a monthly subscription fee. Some platforms have attendee number and webinar length limits (e.g. 60 minutes), which will require you to have considered all of the types of virtual class events that you may wish to offer. Finally, not all platforms have a mobile app so you should consider the device(s) that your attendees may be using when selecting your platform.
• Lighting. Suitable lighting is essential. Consider the space you will be using while hosting virtual classes and supplement as needed. Performing trial runs in the space you’ll use for the virtual event and at the same time of day will help you determine your lighting needs.
• Audio. Audio considerations include not just the use of a microphone, but also the room, or area, that you will use while hosting virtual classes. Think about whether you will be moving around the room, handling supplies that are noisy (some sorts of craft materials, for example), using equipment (mixers, etc.), or even venturing outside where you may have to compete with background noise from animals, farm machinery, or nature (ex. wind).
• Visual. Similar to assessing your audio needs, be sure to assess your video needs.  You'll want to have a high-quality video camera, which may require you to invest in an external camera if your built-in laptop or monitor camera is lacking. Your activities during a class will also determine your video equipment needs. 

An additional technology-related point is to use different links for each event.  Different links will prevent people from joining events that they are not registered for or prevent them from interrupting an event that may be occurring immediately prior to their event.

Additional Tips for a Successful Virtual Event

• Make sure the time zone for the event time is clear. Ensure that the time zone is included with all event marketing and participant communications.
• When hosting a virtual food or beverage-based class, make sure to include or provide a list of any accompanying goods (wine, crackers, jam, etc.) that you would provide during an in-person class.
• If hosting a tasting or food-based class, consume along with the guests. Eating/drinking in a virtual setting may feel strange for participants, and by consuming with them you can help put them at ease.
• Incorporate photos/videos of things you talk about (your farm, processing) to share with attendees. During an in-person class, you may have given a tour of your property/facilities or introduced them to employees or family members. Virtual events may not allow for these so by adding photos/videos to your online class activities you're adding the personal elements and visual aspects to the stories that you'll share.
• Make sure to provide clear instructions and information on how to access the virtual event, including any necessary links or login credentials. This will ensure that participants are able to join the event without any technical difficulties. Remember to send reminders before the event.

Final Words: Best Practices for Agritourism Classes

Classes can be a great addition to an agritourism business. This article covered numerous planning considerations for online class events. The following three best practices, however, are key for planning and providing an enjoyable class for everyone.

• Create a document or checklist for each class that outlines class objectives, schedule/agenda, materials/supplies, staffing requirements, participant instructions, etc.
• Do a 'dry run' of new class offerings.
• Document how each class goes and make notes on areas to be changed for future offerings. In addition, you can ask your participants to fill out a short online survey, to ask about their experiences and what they would like to see in future classes.

Additional Resources

Baker, Lauri M, and Matt Benge. 2021. "Am I Ready? Competencies and Skill Sets Needed for Virtual Conference Hosts". EDIS 2021 (3). 

Cornelisse, S. 2020. Branding Your Farm Business. Penn State Extension.

Moore, E. December 15, 2020. During Pandemic, Agritourism Farms Get Creative. South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Shellhouse, Jarred A., Lauri M. Baker, Anissa Zagonel, Phillip Stokes, and Cheryl R. Boyer. 2021. "Don't Fake It, Make It! Technology and Tools for Virtual Hosts". EDIS 2021 (3).

The Farmer Field Day Toolkit. Hosting Virtual Field Days. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). 

The National Press Club. Live, Virtual or Hybrid Events - Which Approach Is Best?

Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Extension is implied.

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2021‐70027‐34693.
Northeast Extension Risk Management Education
US Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA)