How to Host a Virtual Event

How to host a virtual event in 10 steps

Work through these in order. Each step depends on the decisions made in the one before it.

1. 1

   Set the goal and the audience

   Write one sentence: who the event is for and what they should leave with. Leads for sales, member education and customer onboarding each lead to a different event.

2. 2

   Choose the format

   A one-hour webinar, a half-day summit, a multi-day conference or a networking session. Pick the smallest format that meets the goal; online, shorter is usually better.

3. 3

   Set the date and time zone

   Choose a time that works for the time zones most of your audience lives in, and avoid clashing with major events in your industry. Put the time zone in every message.

4. 4

   Pick the platform

   Match the platform to the format. A webinar needs a stage, Q&A and polls; a conference also needs several rooms, exhibitor booths, networking and registration that feeds attendance data.

5. 5

   Build the program

   Plan sessions of 20 to 45 minutes with breaks between them, and put something interactive in every session: a poll, Q&A or a breakout discussion.

6. 6

   Book speakers and brief them

   Confirm speakers early, collect titles, bios and photos, and send them the tech check and the rehearsal date at the same time.

7. 7

   Open registration

   Ask only for what you will use: name, email, company and one or two questions that help you segment attendees or match them for networking.

8. 8

   Promote the event

   Email your list, ask speakers and sponsors to share, and send reminders a week before, the day before and an hour before. Online events lose people between sign-up and start time, so reminders matter.

9. 9

   Rehearse and run it live

   Hold a full run-through with every speaker on the platform they will present on. On the day, give each room a producer who starts the session, watches the chat and handles problems.

10. 10

    Follow up

    Within a few days, send recordings and slides, a short survey and the next step: a meeting, a trial or the next event. Then review attendance and engagement against your goal.

Choose the right virtual event format

The format decides the platform, the program and the staff you need. Most organizations run more than one of these over a year.

Virtual event planning timeline

A virtual conference needs around three months; a single webinar can be planned in three or four weeks. Scale this timeline to your event.

The speaker tech check

Most live problems are audio, video or connection problems that a ten-minute check would have caught. Send this to every speaker with their confirmation, and repeat it at the rehearsal.

Subject: Your session at [Event name]: tech check before [date]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for speaking at [Event name] on [date] at [time and time zone]. To make sure your session runs smoothly, please check the following before our rehearsal on [rehearsal date]:

1. Connection: use a wired connection or sit close to your router. Close other video apps and unused browser tabs.
2. Browser: join from an up-to-date desktop browser. [Name the browser your platform recommends.]
3. Camera: place it at eye level with light in front of you, not behind.
4. Microphone: use a headset or external microphone if you have one. Test it before you join.
5. Permissions: allow your browser to use your camera and microphone when it asks.
6. Slides: send your final slides by [date] and have a copy open on your computer as a backup.
7. Backup: keep your phone nearby. If you lose connection, call [producer name] on [phone number].

Please join 15 minutes before your session on the day. Your producer will be in the room to start the session, run polls and pass you questions.

Thanks,
[Your name]

How to keep virtual attendees engaged

Online audiences leave quietly. Plan participation into every part of the program:

• Ask something in the first five minutes

  Open with a poll or a question in the chat, so people start taking part before they start checking email.

• Take live questions

  Let attendees post and upvote questions, and leave time for the most popular ones.

• Make networking structured

  Matched one-to-one meetings, speed networking and topic roundtables work better online than an open lobby where nobody knows who to approach.

• Reward taking part

  Points and a leaderboard for attending sessions, visiting booths and answering trivia give people a reason to stay.

• Keep sessions short

  Shorter sessions with breaks hold attention better than long blocks. Put the recording online for anyone who misses part of it.

• Talk to people during the event

  Use notifications to point attendees to the next session, a sponsor activity or a networking round.

How Eventdex helps you host a virtual event

Eventdex runs virtual, hybrid and in-person events on one platform. You create the event with the Virtual category, attendees sign up or log in with the email they registered with, and they arrive in a virtual lobby with a reception desk for support and an exhibit hall of booths.

• Registration and ticketing

  Branded registration pages, ticket types and payments, with zero-commission ticketing available.

  Event registration software

• Sessions, booths and roundtables

  Workshops, panels and seminars online, virtual exhibitor booths with chat, video calls and business card exchange, and virtual roundtables.

  Virtual event platform

• AI-matched video meetings

  AI matchmaking suggests who each attendee should meet and schedules one-to-one video meetings, with a test call to check audio and video first.

  Single video room

• Live Q&A and polls

  Session questions with upvoting and moderation, plus live polls.

  Live Q&A widget

• Gamification

  Points, challenges and leaderboards that keep online attendees active between sessions.

  Virtual event gamification

• Notifications

  Push notifications to the virtual platform, the mobile app or both, sent now or scheduled for later.

  Event mobile app