Virtual Event Success

Once you know the benefits and have put your plans in plans, it’s now time to choose the platform you’ll use to host your virtual event. You can choose to lease a virtual event platform or you can rent a conference bridge line for less than $100 per month. Use the links below to decide with technology will fit your virtual event needs.

• Brent Arslaner on Virtual Event Technology
• Leesa Barnes on Why Using the Phone or Webinar Are Perfect for Hosting Virtual Events
• Heidi Richards Mooney on Instant Teleseminar
• Julius Solaris on 10 Useful and Free Mac Applications to Run Events
• Virtual World News on A Look at 30 Virtual Worlds Platform Providers

Homework: Decide on the virtual event platform you’ll use to host your virtual event.

Did I miss a really great resource that fits the theme of this post? If so, leave the URL in the comments below so others can see it.

To be successful at producing a virtual event, you need to put some plans in place. A plan helps to direct where you’re going and how you’ll get there. The resources below give you a great overview on how to plan your virtual event for optimal success.

• Cece Salomon-Lee on Planning a Successful Virtual Event and Going Virtual Isn’t Necessarily the Answer to Replacing Your Physical Events
• John Failla on Producing Your First Virtual Event and Succeed In Your First Virtual Event

Homework: Write down your goals and objectives for your virtual event.

Did I miss a really great resource that fits the theme of this post? If so, leave the URL in the comments below so others can see it.

To understand why virtual events are valuable, it’s important to know the benefits to hosting one. The links below will provide a mountain of reasons why your business must consider hosting a virtual event.

• Leesa Barnes on Recession Proof Your Business Hosting a Virtual Event, Part 1 & Recession Proof Your Business Hosting a Virtual Event, Part 2
• Rohit Bhargava on 6 Reasons Virtual Events Are Getting So Popular
• Simon U Ford on 10 Reasons Why Every Company Should Host Virtual Events
• Nicole Hammett on Virtual Events – Gaining the Virtual Edge
• Matt Kinsman on A Perfect Storm for Virtual Events: Social Networking and Slashed Travel Budgets Boost the Appeal
• Nancy Pekala and Brent Arslaner on Economy and Globalization Help Drive Success of Virtual Events
• CeCe Salomon-Lee on Industry Stats – Virtual Events Increasing

Homework: Write down 5 reasons it’ll be beneficial for your business to host a virtual event.

Did I miss a really great resource that fits the theme of this post? If so, leave the URL in the comments below so others can see it.

I’ve been digging around the web looking for blog posts and tips on how to host and produce a more profitable virtual event. I know that many of you who are anxious to host your own virtual events could use these tips as well, so over the next 10 business days, I’ll be sharing links to blog posts on how to produce a better virtual event.

I got the inspiration in 2006 from Darren Rowse who blogged about the 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. I was so inspired, I ran my own 31 Days to Producing a Better Podcast on my other blog. Because of how well that went, I decided to run a similar series here for virtual events.

Now, I was only able to come up with 10 days worth of content. The issue is that there’s quite a bit written on virtual worlds, such as Second Life, but not much on virtual events and virtual shows.

Here’s what else I excluded from this line up:

• Resources that required an email and/or mailing address to gain access to the content;
• Articles on websites or blogs that don’t encourage interaction (comments/trackbacks turned off or missing);
• Question and answer articles that outlined many ideas, thus making it hard for me to categorize;
• White papers extolling the wonders of a virtual event software;
• Posts by those employed by companies that lease virtual event platforms. While they were insightful, most contained bias towards their employer’s virtual event platform.

So, once a day over the next 10 business days, I’ll display a virtual event tip that will take you to a wealth of resources on the topic. While reading this, don’t forget to:

1. Add your comments. Whether I missed a really great resource, if you have a question or if you want to share how the tip has helped you in your virtual event journey, please leave your comments.
2. Post your tips on your blog and do a trackback to mine. If you end up writing up your own virtual event tips, do so and make sure you provide a trackback to the tip on my blog.

The 10 Days to Producing a Better Virtual Event begins on July 15th. Enjoy.