Virtual Event Planning

Know what the event is for. You will match an event type to a numeric goal and one desired follow-up action, so the whole programme is built around a result you can check afterwards.

• Webinar, workshop, panel, launch, training.
• Goal: learn, sell, connect, celebrate.
• Audience size and level.
• Success measure.
• Choose the event type that matches the goal, such as a one-hour webinar for teaching or a half-day summit for networking, and write the goal as a number like 150 attendees.
• Decide the one action you want after the event, such as signing up for a trial or joining a community, and design the whole programme to lead to it.
• Draw a one-page picture of the event day with roles and times.
• List three questions the audience will probably ask and prepare answers.

Activity. Write goal and measure.

Standard to meet. Measure is numeric.

Common mistake. No measurable goal.

Check yourself. What is your measure?

Short, active sessions. You will schedule short sessions with breaks and brief speakers in writing, which keeps attention high and gives every presenter the same clear expectations.

• Open, teach, interact, close.
• Speaker brief and rehearsal.
• Time per part.
• Questions plan.
• Keep sessions to 30 to 45 minutes with a five-minute break between them, and place your strongest speaker in the first hour when attention is highest.
• Brief each speaker in writing with the time limit, the audience level, the slide format and a deadline one week before the event for materials.
• Choose a title that tells people the benefit.
• Set up a registration form that asks only for what you need.

Activity. Draft programme and speaker brief.

Standard to meet. Check that times add to the total.

Common mistake. Long talks.

Check yourself. How do you keep interaction?

Count the real costs. You will build a budget with a buffer and compare tool limits side by side, avoiding surprise costs and choosing a platform that fits your audience size.

• Tool costs, speaker fees, design, promotion.
• Free options.
• Contingency 10%.
• Break-even if paid.
• Build the budget with a 10 percent buffer, listing platform, design, speaker costs, captioning and promotion, and compare at least three tools on what they include.
• Check in advance what the free and paid tiers of each tool allow, such as participant limits and recording time, so no limit surprises you on the day of the event.
• Send speakers a technical guide with a test link.
• Check time zones for the main audience.

Activity. Create a budget.

Standard to meet. Total and currency shown.

Common mistake. Forgetting contingency.

Check yourself. What is your reserve?

People must hear and sign up. You will create a short registration form and a three-step reminder plan, helping more registered people actually join at the start time.

• Landing page with date, time zone, benefit.
• Consent for contact.
• Reminders at 7 days, 1 day, 1 hour.
• Partners help share.
• Create a simple registration form asking only name, email and one useful question, and send a confirmation immediately with the date, time zone and joining link.
• Send reminders one week, one day and one hour before the event, as many registrants forget, and track which reminder brings the most people to join.
• Decide when and how recording will be announced.
• Keep a printed run sheet in case of power or tool failure.

Activity. Build the form and reminders.

Standard to meet. Form tested.

Common mistake. Single reminder.

Check yourself. When are yours?

Rehearse every piece. You will run a full rehearsal with every speaker and prepare backups for failures, so a dropped connection becomes a minor delay instead of a cancelled session.

• Test audio, slides, polls, breakouts.
• Roles: host, producer, moderator.
• Backup plan: phone number, extra link.
• Recording rules.
• Hold a full technical rehearsal at least two days before, with every speaker, testing audio, screen sharing, slides and the chat, and keep a written checklist of fixes.
• Prepare a backup plan: a second host who can take over, a phone number for speakers, and a recording that can be played if a live feed fails.
• Have a second person ready to take over as host.
• Prepare a closing slide with next steps.

Activity. Rehearse with all.

Standard to meet. Sign the checklist.

Common mistake. Testing the day itself.

Check yourself. What did rehearsal find?

Everyone can join. You will add captions, advance slides, recordings and sensible start times, so people with different needs, devices and time zones can take part fully.

• Captions and slides ahead.
• Time zones.
• Plain language.
• Low-data options.
• Add live captions or a transcript, share slides in advance, and state clearly how attendees can ask for adjustments such as extra time or a different format.
• Offer a recording for those in other time zones, and choose a start time that works for the largest group of registrants.
• Send thanks and a feedback form within a day.
• Collect questions you did not answer and reply later.

Activity. Run the access checklist.

Standard to meet. Complete all items.

Common mistake. No captions.

Check yourself. What did you provide?

Smooth and warm. You will assign host, technical, chat and timing roles with a run sheet, allowing the live event to stay on schedule and feel welcoming throughout.

• Open early; greet.
• Keep time.
• Handle chat and issues.
• Thank and share next steps.
• Assign clear roles on the day: a host, a technical lead, a chat moderator and a timekeeper, and share a minute-by-minute run sheet with all of them.
• Use a short poll or question in the first five minutes to get people active, and keep a running list of questions to answer if time runs out.
• Count what worked and what did not in a short table.
• Keep all attendee data safe and delete it when the purpose ends.

Activity. Run the event.

Standard to meet. Run to time within 5 minutes.

Common mistake. Overrunning.

Check yourself. Did you finish on time?

Close the loop. You will send a prompt thank-you and survey, then compare results with your original goal, which gives you three specific changes for the next event.

• Attendance rate = attendees / registered.
• Feedback form.
• Follow-up email within a day.
• Lessons and next plan.
• Send a thank-you email with the recording within 24 hours, and a short survey with three questions on usefulness, timing and what to improve next.
• Compare registrations, live attendance and survey scores with your original numbers, and write down three changes to make before the next event.
• Share the lessons with your peer circle.
• Plan your next event date before the lessons fade.

Activity. Write the report.

Standard to meet. Report names three changes.

Common mistake. Skipping follow-up.

Check yourself. What did you send?

A key speaker does not appear.

Question: What do you do?

Model answer: Run the backup activity, try the contact number and reschedule the talk.

Only 30% of registrants attend.

Question: Fix?

Model answer: Send reminders, offer a recording, check time zones.

On the slide: L1 Basic · Basics of meetings

Notes: Describe what makes an online event different from a meeting. Notes: attend a free webinar and note what held your attention. Standard: three things that worked and two that did not.

On the slide: L2 Awareness · Awareness

Notes: Describe the parts of an event: aim, audience, run of show, host, technology and follow-up. Notes: dissect one public event. Standard: each part found.

On the slide: L3 Foundation · Foundation

Notes: Write a run of show for a 45-minute event with times, speakers and a back-up plan. Notes: paper exercise. Standard: times add up to 45 minutes and each cue has an owner.

On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Practitioner

Notes: Run a 20-minute rehearsal with three people, test sound, slides and chat, and fix two faults. Notes: record the faults. Standard: fixes retested before the event.

On the slide: L5 Specialist · Specialist

Notes: Plan, promote and deliver an online event of 45 to 90 minutes for at least 30 registrants, with run of show and a results report. Notes: report registrations, attendance and feedback. Standard: attendance rate worked out and one change proposed from feedback.

On the slide: L6 Advanced · Advanced

Notes: Run a series of events with a producer team, sponsor terms and an accessibility plan. Notes: add captions and a drop-out review. Standard: accessibility checked before each event and drop-out causes reported.

On the slide: L7 Super expert · Super expert

Notes: Set the run-sheet, rehearsal and accessibility method for virtual events and teach the producers who use it. Notes: review each event's attendance, drop-out and feedback figures and update the run sheet yearly.