The abrupt transition to virtual events poses many challenges for planners, especially when managing remote work speakers. Virtual event environments have made the entire speaker presentation and management process difficult, both in providing value to attendees and meeting speaker expectations. But how difficult is speaker engagement when it comes to virtual events? And what can you do to work effectively with your speakers?
Our goal is to help you in four ways. Here are some ideas.
1- Time is of vital importance
For face-to-face events, Remote work speakers can extend the timing. However, this does not apply to virtual worlds. Remember that your virtual audience will coordinate to see what you need as outlined in the schedule and wait for it to arrive on time.
Wasting time is a big mistake. You have to manage time, not to be dominated by it. After all, you are making a piece. Think about TV shows, and you’ll see why timing matters. The 8 pm news starts at 8 pm and ends on time every time. You should pay the same attention to details.
If the speaker wishes to include questions and voting as part of the session, please let us know the appropriate time. You might want to read the questions, have the participants answer them, and let the results in. It’s a pity because voting is usually very fast. You will get more benefits in remote work culture if you give enough time to do the survey.
Make it clear to the speaker that the session will end on schedule and not after 1 second.
2- Describe the technology
The speaker should ask you about the technology you use in the remote work culture. If not, it may indicate that you may not understand what is happening in the virtual event. The fact that you need so many virtual “handsets” in itself is a red flag.
If they can see your attendees, let them know. Some companies want speakers to see their attendees, while others don’t. In some cases, this eligibility can be determined by the protocol. That is, you can only use specific technology platforms.
All event technology platforms are different in remote work culture. Some are more advanced than others, others have better data security than others, and others are more user-friendly. The remote work speaker needs to understand the platform. Is it easy to upload content?
You may be using a unified event technology stack. As long as you know what you’re doing and there are spaces, it’s fine. Without a clear understanding of the technology you are using, you cannot explain to the speaker what they can do with that technology. Some virtual event technology providers, such as Events force, offer additional support through partnerships with companies, from briefing and presentation preparation to testing and rehearsals, transmission management, studio recruitment, speaker green rooms, and more. Provides all technical support that remote speakers need.
3- Brief your speakers in advance
Some remote work speakers are used to the complexity of speaking in a virtual environment. Therefore, providing useful event speaker information is good enough.
The main thing for this is to repeat what you previously accepted. Try to cover all the basics as you would at a face-to-face event. Also, be very clear about whether it is possible or impossible to engage the audience.
Let participants know what the discussion means. Do they talk and listen, or do they talk by posting questions and comments online?
To help you get used to it, we recommend providing some screenshots of the platform your speakers are using. It tells you what to do if your connection drops because your connection is lost. Who do they call, and what number do they call? Note that the event will be live, so you should be back on track with no problems.
How many briefings you give is up to you? But the golden rule for virtual events in the remote work culture is that you need to provide as much detail as possible. You can be sure that your speakers are more complex than face-to-face events.
4- Maximize Your Chances
Working with remote work speakers is mutual. They want to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences. You want it all because it’s excellent content for your attendees. In any case, there are other strategies to maximize your chances, not just by giving your speakers a session to leave. After all, a lot of effort has gone into getting everything in place and working correctly, so don’t let it go just yet.
For example, their session is over, but you can do a Q&A with them right away and use it as optional content later in the program or months after the event.
Please make the most of your speakers while you have them. It benefits both of you. This means you can continue to provide relevant and valuable content to your community all year long.
Conclusion
Working effectively with remote work speakers means attendees will likely have a higher level of engagement. This should mean a more substantial ROI with good results.
It’s a delicate balance you need to strike, where good design skills can help. That’s why your speakers must deliver precisely what they need. Pointing at the speaker may be uncomfortable at first, but it is necessary.
After all, instead of managing the event, you are creating a virtual production. So, you have to control it as a producer, not as a planner. Many remote work speakers will be happy to guide you. If they communicate openly, they may be well on their way to creating a highly successful virtual event in remote work culture.
