For our team, the success of any event featuring speakers – whether virtual, hybrid, or live – is very much contingent on them being set up for success. They, after all, are what your attendees have come to see and it’s our job to make sure we make them look good!
In terms of virtual events specifically, to support our speakers we ensure that we do the following:
- Create and share a “Communication Overview” to ensure that your speakers know how and when you will connect with them.
- Conduct a training and onboarding session for all speakers to review the event timeline documents and address any questions that they might have. During this session, be sure to check speakers’ camera angles, light sources, and backgrounds should any feedback be needed.
- Ensure that your speakers are signed up for your event so that they receive all event-related communications and are in the loop of what information attendees are receiving about the event.
- Create tutorial videos of how to navigate the virtual event platform so that the experience is barrierless and accessible.
- Set up a time with your AV company and all speakers so that they can do final tech, mic, camera, and presentation checks prior to the event.
With these actions and measures in place, you can ensure that you have done your utmost best to set your speakers up for success. We want to ensure they feel empowered and comfortable with their involvement in the event. For us, if questions or concerns still arise despite our best efforts, it’s always a great reminder that we can do better and that practice makes perfect!