How to Host a Virtual Conference

November 12, 2021

Hosting a virtual conference can be challenging. It involves planning and executing a strategy within a specific timeframe. The planning phase is important in hosting a successful virtual conference – especially for first-timers.

However, taking time to plan can help make your virtual conferences much better and easier to host. It also encourages more people to attend your conference. If you’re known for hosting the best virtual conferences, there’s a higher chance more people are likely to attend.

With this in mind, in this article, we’ll go over six steps for successfully hosting a virtual conference.

Hosting a virtual conference

Here, we’ll cover six different steps that will help you host a virtual conference for your business.

1. Create a solid plan

Create a solid plan

The first thing you should focus on is coming up with a solid plan. Your plan should decide what you want to achieve with your virtual conference and how you’re going to do that with your content. It’s important to consider the main goal and purpose of your virtual conference before you start brainstorming content ideas for it.

You want to ask yourself questions such as: Do you want to host a virtual conference to promote your product? Or do you want to educate people on a specific topic? This helps decide the primary goal of your virtual conference.

Having a solid plan before you start is also a great way to ensure you and your team are on track with the main goal of your virtual conference. It also makes it much easier to manage and host your virtual conference if you already have everything planned out.

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On the flip side, if you’re making plans and goals as you go, hosting a virtual conference can get much harder and frustrating. A solid strategy gives you and your team members a sense of direction and helps ensure everyone is doing their job properly. You might even consider putting together a checklist of tasks for each person on the team.

2. Choose the right platform

Choose the right platform

A big part of hosting a virtual conference is choosing the right platform according to your requirements and branding. Since everything is virtual and online, you need to put your faith and trust in a virtual conference hosting platform.

However, it can be very difficult with so many different options available. The first thing you need to decide is if the platform you choose will let you host your virtual conference the way you want to. A robust virtual conference platform lets you showcase content the way you want. This helps you deliver a personalized virtual conference experience to your audience.

It’s also important to choose the right virtual conference platform according to your budget and use case. For instance, you don’t want to choose an expensive virtual conference platform and end up not using the additional “premium” features you paid for. If you’re planning to host a simple virtual conference, you should also choose a simple virtual conference platform to host it on.

Check out our article on The Best Virtual Conference Platforms For Membership Website Entrepreneurs for our top picks.

3. Engage your audience

Engage your audience

It’s important to encourage your audience to engage with your content before and after your virtual conference. This keeps them interested in your content and builds hype for the virtual conference event.

A great way to engage your audience before your virtual event is to offer them previews of the main event. By showcasing small previews of your content, you encourage customers to attend the virtual conference and it gives them an idea of what to expect from your virtual conference. You can also let your audience interact with your business website and content before the virtual conference starts. This gives them a place to interact and view your content. As a result, the audience gets a better sense of your brand’s values and standards.

For example, you can share previews of presentations, an agenda of the virtual conference, or blog posts or interviews of speakers.

During the event, you can interact with your audience to keep them engaged and interested in your virtual conference. You can offer free content by asking them questions, or answering theirs, and letting them participate in fun activities. This also helps make them feel special knowing the host of the virtual conference is interested in interacting with them.

4. Decide on a budget

Decide on a budget

Deciding on an accurate budget is also important for hosting a successful virtual conference. You don’t want to promise your audience big things only to later not fulfill them due to a shortage in budget.

You need to know how much should be spent on various parts of your virtual conference to host it successfully. You need to factor in costs such as platform costs, the fees you will pay to the event speakers, and hiring additional staff members for assisting with the virtual event. In addition to this, it’s also important to consider the costs involved with using premium plugins to create and deliver content for your virtual conference.

Managing your budget beforehand is a great way to make sure you don’t have to worry about running out of budget when hosting your virtual conference. This leaves a bad impression, especially for new attendees that just got to know about your brand.

5. Host your virtual conference

Host your virtual conference

When hosting your virtual conference, it’s your responsibility to make sure everything is going according to your main goals and plans. This way, you can ensure every event activity is on track with your timelines and all your staff members are following your plan. You can also use this opportunity to ensure all team members are doing their job properly and on time. As a result, this makes sure your virtual conference goes smoothly and exactly according to your expectations.

You want to keep a check on all operations and ensure they are running smoothly. This way, you make sure your audience is fully engaged with your content. It is also a great way to take care of issues and solve them quickly. If you’re keeping a check on everything, it will be much easier for you to spot any bugs or issues with the virtual conference. As a result, it helps enhance the user experience and reduces any distractions during your virtual conference.

Step #6. Follow up on attendees

Follow up on attendees

Once the virtual conference ends, you can check up with attendees and ask about their experiences. This is a great way to get honest feedback about your virtual conference and helps know if attendees are interested in viewing more of your content.

You can use attendee feedback to improve your content based on your audience’s likes and dislikes. As a result, this helps you host a more successful virtual conference event next time and encourages more people to join. Customer feedback is a great way to improve and take your virtual events to the next level.

Additionally, following up on attendees after the live event helps make them feel unique and exclusive. This way, customers are more likely to join your next event, too, and helps boost attendee loyalty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a virtual conference?

A: A virtual conference is an event that occurs entirely online, where attendees can participate remotely from anywhere in the world using their computers or mobile devices.

Q: What are some best practices for hosting a virtual conference?

A: Some best practices for hosting a virtual conference include choosing the right virtual event platform, planning engaging content and sessions, encouraging attendee engagement, providing networking opportunities, and leveraging event technology to enhance the overall experience.

Q: Which virtual event platform is the best?

A: The best virtual event platform depends on your needs and requirements. Some popular virtual event platforms include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Hopin, and Cisco Webex.

Q: What is a sponsor in the context of virtual conferences?

A: A sponsor in virtual conferences is a company or organization that provides financial support or resources for the event in exchange for brand visibility and exposure to the event attendees.

Q: How can I host a virtual event?

A: To host a virtual event, you need to choose a virtual event platform, plan the event program, promote the event to your target audience, provide the necessary technology and resources, and ensure a seamless experience for the attendees.

Q: What are some examples of virtual events?

A: Some examples of virtual events include webinars, online conferences, virtual trade shows, virtual workshops, virtual networking events, and online product launches.

Q: How can I promote my virtual conference?

A: You can promote your virtual conference through various channels such as social media, email marketing, website banners, online advertisements, influencer partnerships, and by leveraging your existing network.

Q: What are some tips and best practices for hosting a successful virtual event in 2023?

A: Some tips and best practices for hosting a successful virtual event in 2023 include investing in event technology, providing engaging and interactive content, incorporating breakout sessions and networking opportunities, offering a virtual environment that mimics an in-person event, and leveraging event data to make data-driven decisions.

Q: Is it better to host an in-person event or a virtual event?

A: The decision to host an in-person or a virtual event depends on various factors, such as the nature of the event, target audience, budget, and current circumstances. Both types of events have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Q: What is attendee engagement in the context of virtual conferences?

A: Attendee engagement in virtual conferences refers to the active participation and interaction of attendees throughout the event. It can include live polling, Q&A sessions, breakout group discussions, and virtual networking.

Q: What are some recommended platforms to host a virtual conference?

A: Some recommended platforms to host a virtual conference include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Hopin, Cisco Webex, and Eventbrite. It is important to choose a platform that aligns with your event goals and provides the necessary features and capabilities.

Conclusion

Hosting a successful virtual conference can be intimidating, especially if this is your first time. A great way to start is by planning your virtual conference and executing your plan correctly.

Let’s go over some essential tips to remember when hosting your next virtual conference event:

  • The first thing you want to do is create a solid plan for your virtual conference. This includes brainstorming all the content ideas and how you will present the content in your virtual conference. You also need to consider setting proper timelines for all activities for your virtual event. This helps ensure everyone, including your staff members are on track with the proper timeline.
  • It’s also important to ensure you use the right virtual conference hosting platform according to your content and use case.
  • A great way to engage your audience before your virtual event starts is by offering previews of the main event. This keeps them excited and interested in your content leading up to the event start time.
  • It’s crucial for you to keep in mind a set budget to spend for your virtual. You don’t want to overspend because it can prevent you from going through with all event activities. For instance, if you overspend on a virtual hosting platform, it can be hard for you to hire quality event speakers. This affects the overall experience of your virtual conference.
  • Finally, when it’s time to host your virtual conference, it’s essential for you to ensure all operations are being run smoothly. This includes ensuring all team members are doing their job properly and meeting all timelines.

Do you know of any other crucial steps needed for hosting a successful virtual conference? Let us know in the comments box below.

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