Virtual Event Success

I should’ve done this weeks ago, but better late than never. I’d like to introduce you to the wonderful women on my virtual event team who help make my clients’ virtual events shine.

These Virtual Event Managers have been trained using my 7 step-by-step process. Here are just some of the duties they’re responsible for:

• Help the client complete and sign off on the Virtual Event Requirements document
• Create an action plan and budget for the client
• Create and/or write all promotional copy for the client, including the sales page, affiliate promo copy, preview calls promo copy
• Facilitate the launch of the Virtual Event Platform
• Facilitate the design of a logo and banner for the client’s virtual event
• Organize weekly status meetings with the client to discuss status
• Facilitate weekly status meetings with the client to review action items
• Guide the client on how to use the promotional copy
• Organize the recordings for playback on the Virtual Event Platform
• Monitor and respond to emails from attendees during the virtual event
• Pursue speakers and collect their bio, photo, picture and signed release forms
• Collect weekly performance report from the client during the promotional stage of the virtual event
• Complete the Virtual Event Lessons Learned document after the virtual event is over
• Use Basecamp to facilitate to-do items, deadlines and tasks

Whew! That’s a long list. Here are the women that make me and my clients look good:

[...]

Inspired by Milana Leshinsky’s blog post called Virtual Team Blueprint for Coaches & Entrepreneurs, I decided to put together my Virtual Event Dream Team.

In Virtual Event Manifesto #7, it states that “Every star needs a supporting team,” so here’s a list of the team members you should consider for your virtual event, especially if you’re featuring many speakers over a variety of days and/or are inviting exhibitors and sponsors to take part.

Virtual Event Manager

This person organizes the entire virtual event from beginning to end. You may not do the tasks, such as setting up the bridge line, launching the virtual event platform or facilitating the sessions, but in this role, you’ll manage the people who’ll do this and ensure that they end on time and under budget.

This person is also the interface between the client and the resources you’re working with. That way, the client has one point of contact for status updates.

You’d be perfect for this role if you’re a project manager (certified or not), an event planner or someone who is really good at organizing things.

Virtual Event Co-ordinator

This person supports the Virtual Event Manager by organizing the administrative tasks. In this role, you’d take minutes at status meetings, circulate the agenda and update the virtual event action plan.

You’d be perfect for this role if you’re an assistant (virtual or not) and love to support others in getting things done.

Virtual Event Specialist

I hadn’t considered this role until my friend Craig Cannings launched a certification by the same name. Virtual Event Specialists would assess the technology needs for the virtual event, recommend which technology platform to use and set it up. Once the technology is set up, your job is done and you can just be on standby should the technology have hiccups.

You’d be perfect for this role if you’re comfortable with technology and feel confident in your recommendations.

Virtual Event Producer

In this role, you would show up during the live virtual event and ensure that the speakers are being prepped in the green room and that the sessions begin and end on time.

You would also monitor social media and other interactive tools to ensure that attendees can hear the sessions and that there are no calls that just dropped. You would also let the tech resources know where to get the recordings to edit and where to publish them for attendees. Often, the Virtual Event Manager can double in this role.

Virtual Event Facilitator

The Virtual Event Manager can perform all the roles above, but it’s better if you can delegate the work has a critical role as she will manage all other roles, tasks and timelines in the virtual event management process.

Virtual Event Liaison

Once a speaker says yes to speaking at your event or once an attendee, exhibitor or sponsor pays you for access to your virtual event, you can’t leave them to figure things out on their own. That’s where a Virtual Event Liaison can help. This person would become the point of contact for your speakers, attendees, exhibitors or sponsors.

Depending on how large your event is, the Virtual Event Liaison can be the point of contact for all 4 groups, or you can assign one Liaison per group, for example:

• The Virtual Event Speaker Liaison would help speakers
• The Virtual Event Attendee Liaison would help attendees
• And for exhibitors and sponsors, you can have one person assigned to them and just simply call that person the Virtual Event Liaison

Here’s how the Virtual Event Dream Team would shape up.

Leesa's Virtual Event Dream Team

Do you see any other roles that could be added to the Virtual Event Dream Team? If so, leave it in the comments area below.

Here are the 7 guiding principles that make up the Virtual Event Manifesto. Click on each link below to review each manifesto in detail.

Virtual Event Manifesto #1 – Ease of Access Trumps Flashy Technology

Virtual Event Manifesto #2 – Quality of Your Relationships Matter More Than Quantity of Your Database

Virtual Event Manifesto #3 – Passion, Not Permission, is Enough to Get You Started

Virtual Event Manifesto #4 – Community First, Commerce Later

Virtual Event Manifesto #5 – Diversity of Needs Calls for a Diversity of Options

Virtual Event Manifesto #6 – A Celebrated Topic is Better than a Celebrity Name

Virtual Event Manifesto #7 – Every Star Needs a Supporting Team

Do you believe in the Virtual Event Manifesto? If so, why not become a member of the Association of Virtual Event Managers, Organizers & Hosts (AOVEM)? Click here to read all the benefits and to become a member today.

You can’t do it alone.

When planning a multi-speaker, multi-series virtual event, the success rests in your team. You need to find the right people to help you produce a virtual event with success. You can still be involved in the planning of the virtual event, however, you need to focus on a specific role and outsource the other tasks.

It’s impossible to make 5, 6 or 7 figures from your virtual event and manage everything on your own. You cannot manage the people, resources, and the tasks involved with planning a virtual event, plus host all the sessions, manage attendee, speaker, exhibitor, and sponsor expectations, and organize all the technology and administrative tasks associated with producing a virtual event. It’s just not possible.

Surround yourself with a capable team of individuals who can help you produce your virtual event in a pain-free way. You can still be the star and choose a role where you shine. Just remember to find the individuals that can fill in the other roles. You just can’t do it all alone.

Recommended Resource: Want to learn how to get started with your virtual event? Click here to join the Association of Virtual Event Managers, Organizers & Hosts (AOVEM) and gain access to resources and benefits to help you on your virtual event journey.

Anyone who uses basketball as an analogy for any business strategy gets a gold star in my book. And that’s what Dennis Shiao did in a recent blog post on how you can draft the right team to help you pull of a successful virtual event or virtual show. His blog post is just so brilliant, I just can’t believe I didn’t write it first.

As I went through Dennis’ post, all his advice applies to virtual event managers, however, what stood out is the following:

The Point Guard – the point guard is often considered the surrogate coach on the floor – s/he dribbles the ball up the court and commands the offense.  In a virtual event, the point guard is the Event Host or Event Planner – the person who’s responsible for coordinating all the various parties involved in the execution of the event.  Rookie point guards rarely excel in the NBA – so make sure you have a veteran player running point in your virtual event.  If you have rookies on board, have them play the understudy role, so that they can grow into a starting role for the next virtual event.  A virtual event is best produced by someone who’s run the show many times before.

In my years of playing basketball, I’ve played with some amazing point guards. I’ve also played with points guards who were awful. The ones that were awful didn’t shout out the right instructions, had a look of fear in their eyes and performed very poorly.

[...]