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Choosing virtual event speakers and preparing them for success
Selecting and preparing the right speakers is crucial for the success of your virtual event. Engaging and knowledgeable speakers can captivate your audience and deliver valuable insights. This guide will provide best practices for selecting and preparing speakers to ensure a smooth and impactful event.
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How to find speakers for your event
Select speakers with deep expertise and proven authority
Choose speakers who bring specialized knowledge and practical experience in the subject matter. Look for individuals recognized as thought leaders in their fields—those with a track record of success, whether through academic achievements, industry recognition, or leadership positions. Their credibility shapes the perception of your event, offering attendees trusted insights that are rooted in real-world applications. Select those whose expertise can enrich discussions and provide nuanced perspectives that attendees can apply directly to their own work.
Align event speaker topics with audience challenges and goals
Focus on speakers who can tailor their content to address the specific challenges, interests, and goals of your audience. Delve into what attendees need to know to overcome obstacles in their industries or careers. The speaker’s topics should resonate with the immediate concerns of your audience, offering timely solutions, actionable advice, or strategies that attendees can implement right away. Understanding the audience's unique circumstances will help shape content that feels highly relevant and provides real value to attendees.
Choose event speakers who can maintain engagement through dynamic delivery
Seek speakers who excel at making complex topics digestible and engaging. Their ability to present information with energy and clarity, supported by confident body language, should keep the audience interested and motivated. Look for those who can adapt their delivery to the tone and pace of the event, ensuring they communicate key points effectively while avoiding overly technical or abstract language. Strong speakers also know how to involve the audience by asking questions, telling stories, and creating a conversational atmosphere that encourages active listening and participation.
Build a diverse lineup with varied perspectives and expertise
Include speakers with a range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity could mean inviting speakers from different geographical regions, industries, or professional backgrounds. Diversity brings a richness to the event, offering different viewpoints and expanding the scope of ideas. A speaker lineup that reflects various lived experiences and expertise creates an event that appeals to a broader audience, helping attendees see the subject matter from multiple angles and gain insights they might not have considered otherwise.
Confirm speaker availability and commitment well in advance
Start the process of confirming speakers' participation early in the planning phase. Check that their schedules align with the event dates and that they are fully committed to participating in pre-event activities such as rehearsals and promotional efforts. Engaging speakers in pre-event marketing—like sharing promotional content on their networks or appearing in teaser videos—can build excitement and drive audience interest. Asking for early confirmation helps avoid last-minute surprises and ensures that each speaker can meet all the time requirements of the event. By securing their commitment ahead of time, you can avoid potential scheduling conflicts or shifts that could disrupt the flow of the event.
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How to prepare your speakers for the event
Equipping speakers to connect and inspire requires strong preparation, which is a critical aspect of effective event management. Follow these steps to do it right:
Provide comprehensive guidelines
Equip your speakers with detailed instructions that outline what to expect from the event, including the event format, timing, and technological requirements. Share specifics about the platform being used, key session times, and any interactive components that will be incorporated. These guidelines should cover everything from technical setups, such as microphone and camera arrangements, to how speakers can engage with the audience throughout their session. Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and prepares speakers to make the most of their participation.
Schedule rehearsals to perfect delivery and technical setup
Arrange rehearsal sessions where speakers can walk through their presentations in a controlled environment. This allows them to become familiar with the platform’s tools, check audio-visual components, and adjust their pacing. Use rehearsals to identify any glitches, such as issues with sound quality or presentation slides, and resolve them well in advance. Speakers can also use this time to refine their speaking style, practice transitions, and rehearse interactions with the audience. Feedback during rehearsals helps fine-tune their performance, improving both delivery and technical readiness.
Provide direct assistance with technical setup
Offer hands-on support for speakers to help them troubleshoot any technical issues with their setup. This includes walking them through the setup of microphones, cameras, and the event platform itself. The goal is to make sure that speakers feel confident in their technical abilities and can focus on their message, without worrying about connectivity issues or malfunctioning equipment. Whether it's helping them find optimal lighting or ensuring a stable internet connection, technical assistance minimizes distractions during their session.
Encourage interactive presentation techniques
Guide speakers on how to engage with their audience using interactive features. Suggest incorporating live polls, Q&A segments, and interactive chat to keep the audience involved throughout the session. For more innovative ideas, explore ways to increase virtual event engagement with gamification, which can add an element of fun and competition to your sessions. Encourage speakers to prompt the audience with questions or invite them to share their thoughts and experiences. Speakers should also make use of visuals, such as slides or videos, to break up the presentation and highlight key points. These techniques increase the likelihood of keeping attendees engaged and actively participating, making the session feel more like a collaborative discussion rather than a one-way lecture.
Offer constructive feedback to refine presentations
Provide feedback that focuses on improving both the content and delivery of the speaker's presentation. Offer insights into how the content could be clarified or structured for better understanding, and suggest areas where the speaker could improve their pacing or vocal delivery. Highlight strong aspects of the presentation, like engaging storytelling or effective use of visuals, while pointing out areas for improvement, such as simplifying technical language or adding more audience interaction. Constructive feedback during rehearsal helps speakers refine their presentation, making it more impactful and memorable when it reaches the audience.
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Conclusion
Selecting and preparing the right speakers is essential for creating a successful and engaging virtual event. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your speakers are knowledgeable, relevant, and well-prepared to deliver impactful presentations. For a seamless speaker management experience, consider utilizing RingCentral’s advanced event management tools, which offer support for rehearsals, technical assistance, and interactive features to enhance your virtual events.
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