Creating an event schedule can resemble putting together a puzzle. It can be difficult to fit everything in with presentations, discussions, workshops, networking, and more. However, there isn’t only one way to set up an event, unlike a puzzle. These are no unambiguous resolution answers to some questions like
How long should my event last? Or, how should I organize my event?
We’ll go over the questions you should be asking yourself when planning your event agenda, even though there isn’t a set way to arrange virtual events. In order to help you and your attendees get the most out of your event, we’ll discuss recommended practices to keep in mind when creating your agenda. Read on for an overview of event scheduling and planning tips.
Things to consider when creating virtual summit agenda
It’s crucial to carefully prepare a plan when setting up an event like a virtual summit. The planning process will be streamlined by considering these important questions. Consider these scheduling factors:
#1 What is the goal or purpose of the event?
Whether you are organizing an in-person physical event or a virtual summit, deciding the purpose or goal of the event is the starting point. Finding the purpose of your event will help you to improve the outcome of your virtual summit.
#2 What will be the takeaway from your event?
The takeaway could be anything. It could be one or two important pieces of knowledge. It could be a sense or feeling of inspiration, it could be an expanded awareness of a brand, concept, or mission. Whatever it is, understand it early on and sharpen your event around it. It is also an essential thing in planning an immersive experience for your virtual summit.
#3 Who is the target audience?
Practically every choice you make going ahead, from content and event marketing strategies to audience engagement, should be based on the preferences, requirements, and traits of your target audience. To better understand the desires of target audience sub-segments, think about developing personas for them.
#4 How will you address the needs and wants of your target audience?
This is an important point to ask when preparing a virtual summit since the answer to it depends on your understanding of the needs and preferences of your target audience. You can find out if you don’t know them by asking potential guests to fill out an online survey. Even if you are aware of them, you should still perform a survey because you will undoubtedly discover some significant information.
#5 What sessions, activities, and/or entertainment will be included?
Make a detailed list of everything you intend to include in the event before beginning the planning process. You can plan and organize your event with the aid of this list. List out everything you want to have at your event. A keynote speech, sponsor presentations, group discussions, entertainment, happy hour, and other events are possible. You should begin considering how much time each item will take as you create this list.
#6 What is the anticipated size of your audience?
When compared to physical events, virtual events have a significant scaling advantage. However, even if virtual events don’t have the same physical restrictions as in-person events (venue rooms, physical spaces, etc.), you still need to specify your target audience size in order to gauge the extent of your marketing initiatives and video conferencing requirements.
#7 Does your schedule perfect for attendees?
We frequently have an inclination to pack as much as we can into an event. It’s a good practice to check everything from scratch once you’ve established the agenda. Alternatively, you can ask a third party who wasn’t involved in its creation for an unbiased view by sharing the schedule with them. You’ll probably find a few things that need to be set.
- Are there any overlaps in content?
- Are you offering enough breaks or downtime?
- Are 5 minutes of breaks enough for the participant to get from one session to another session?
These questions may pop up in your mind during the evaluation process of your virtual event schedule.
#8 What virtual event platform do you want to utilize in order to broadcast your event?
There is a wide range of virtual summit platforms that can help you to broadcast your virtual summit. It is important to choose reliable and trusted virtual event software or platform in order to run your event smoothly. When considering the platform, don’t forget the application you and your team will need to plan and manage internal communication and event details like group text tool, event management, and planning software and email communications.
#9 What equipment will you require to broadcast the event?
In order to broadcast your event, you need to use the following equipment:
- A web-compatible microphone
- A web-compatible camera for better video quality for example mirrorless camera, high-quality webcam, or DSLR
- High-quality computer system that integrated with the Virtual event software
#10 Will people be in different or the same location?
Now we move on to preparing the logistics of virtual events. You can more simply operate the entire setup (virtual event software, audio/video equipment, etc.) if everyone is broadcasting from the same location. If each participant is streaming from their own location, you must make sure that everyone knows how to utilize your chosen technology platform and their equipment (camera and microphone).
#11 What feature will you require to broadcast your event?
You can use different features such as slideshow presentations, recorded videos, live videos, live chat, polling, surveys, etc. These features can help you to make an interactive session and increase engagement. Before integrating any feature, it is important to determine your technical requirements
Final words on planning virtual summit:-
Before planning your virtual summit, you should ask yourself these questions. Answering these questions will define your path towards your business goals and help you to achieve success.