Experienced event organisers may be surprised about the complexity that is involved in delivering a webinar or virtual event. While there are often fewer logistics involved than in a physical event, there is a greater reliance on technology and any production problems can have a significant impact on the success of your event.
For this reason, a virtual event can become more stressful for organisers than an in-person event. Below are a few ideas how to make the production process easier for organisers of webinars and virtual events alike.
Be clear on your objectives
This may seem more of a strategy consideration but being clear what you need to achieve will help you stay focussed and think through what is necessary. For organisers this knowledge will guide decisions about the functionality that is essential, and which features are a “nice to have”. This helps reduce complexity.
Armed with specific objectives, organisers can easily assess if the platform they are planning to use is suitable for the job, or if a different solution may be required. This is best found out at the start of the project, before contracts are signed and clients contacted. Benefits from early decisions can be felt throughout the entire process.
Plan ahead
Virtual events or webinars can of course be arranged at short notice, but that should be the exception, rather than the norm – and, the success of any short-notice event will be dependent on having the right processes and resources in place to deal with such situations ahead of time.
In any case, plan ahead. As with any event or marketing project, there are multiple stages to the planning and production process. The sooner you are able to start preparing for your webinar, the better. Have a fully developed plan and prepare a project timeline, so that you are clear about all the stages of the project. This will allow you to have time buffers and give suppliers or other stakeholders ample time to contribute their part.
Follow a routine
Repetition will make the process easier. If you have a preferred webinar platform, a standard approach will allow you to become completely familiar with the features but also potential issues. The more you follow a routine for production and style, the faster and more natural the production process becomes.
Audiences also like routine. They will become used to the way you communicate with them and will provide feedback if they need something different. Don’t try to introduce new features and formats at every event. Only introduce new features when it makes sense, because you need a different solution to achieve your objectives for the event.
Pre-record content
Pre-recording presentations or other content can give you a breather when you are running a live webinar. Most platforms even allow you to upload the entire event ahead of time. While there are often good reasons to be “live”, it is recommended to pre-record whatever content is not time sensitive or when presentations are not dependent on direct audience interaction. “Live” content always has an added element of risk.
From a participant’s perspective, the user experience may even be better when you pre-record. Presenters will be more at ease, and that will come across to the audience as a sense of confidence in the message. From a technical perspective, once you have scheduled a pre-recorded event, the project will have left your network and will be safely on the network of your webinar provider by the time our clients connect.
Do a dry run with the presenters
It is easy to bow to pressure from senior presenters to skip rehearsals; often this is because they have more urgent issues to deal with. But, rehearsals can make the difference between a smooth and troublesome event. And this impacts on your brand perception.
Ideally your senior speakers will be part of that process, so that they can become familiar with the technical aspects of the platform, adjust their video, audio and lighting feed to present a professional image, and understand exactly what is needed from them. If the speakers are not able to attend a rehearsal at all, provide them with a brief, so they know the most important details.
Rehearsals with speakers also provide you and the production team with an opportunity to hear from the presenters. Sometimes presenters have a specific activity or a surprise visual they want to show during their presentation. Often timing will be key to creating impact. Any such content will only work if you as organiser, and your production team are aware and ready of these additions. Consider a briefing document for your presenters to fill out to prepare your team. Eliminating surprises will make your event run smoother, and your presenters will be grateful for it.
Practice with the technology
Separate from the rehearsal with presenters, you should also practice the technical layout and functions of the platform. Get to know your platform’s capabilities inside out, so that you know what you need to do, and understand any potential issues and notifications. If you are new to the platform, ensure you do this multiple times before going “live”.
Have enough support
Most people have at least a small team supporting a webinar, and some larger virtual events could have as many as 25-30 event staff supporting the production. Depending on where you are recording and how complex your event is, you may require dedicated lighting, sound and camera technicians, a producer, an editor, a network technician, someone to monitor the live stream, someone to collect and filter incoming questions from the audience, someone to pass instructions to the moderators and presenters … Don’t skimp. Make sure you have enough support and that everyone understands what they need to deliver.
Follow a checklist
I am a great believer in checklists. Even when you have delivered webinars a hundred times or more, it is easy to overlook a detail. While you will likely remember every detail at some point, a checklist will free up mental space for you to stay focussed on the production of your event, and lead your team throughout the event.
You may also be interested in our other post in this series, on how to engage audiences. Check back in the coming weeks as we discuss ideas for getting your audiences to return to your webinars.