How to Organize an Impactful Virtual Conference or Summit (Training & Checklist)

Establish Goals – What are your primary and secondary goals for the virtual conference or summit? Which take priority or have dependencies? Examples we see among our client goal sets are revenue generation and/or fundraising; email list growth; social media community growth and engagement; expanding audience reach and authority; nurturing partnerships and sponsor relations; facilitating specific follow-up actions.

Conference vs Summit – A virtual summit often includes a single host/moderator who guides the conversation of panelists, guest speakers and interviewees. The focus is a message and call to action, therefore you tend to see fewer interactive features. A virtual conference usually provides more variety in session formats, interactivity, “main stage” & “break-out room” virtual venues, vendor area(s), networking opportunities and contests, to name a few.

When, Where, How, and Who? – Determine a window on your organization's calendar that works for you and your speakers. Consider differences in time zones, any geography-related logistics and needed speaker tech trainings.

What’s Your Budget? – As you think about logistics and technical overhead, your budget comes into view. Will Zoom plus a few affordable app integrations foster the experience you have in mind, or will you need to invest in a more robust platform? Run a cost benefit analysis on taking things in house vs. outsourcing. Also, don't forget to budget for marketing and promotion!

Free or Paid? – Having goals and (at least) a ballpark budget in place will help you determine if event registration should be free or paid. If your top goal is community growth (on email, social media, etc.) then free might be your best bet. If your event has can’t-miss features like celebrity performances or prize incentives, a ticket fee might seem reasonable to attendees.

How Many Speakers? – This item goes hand-in-hand with Event Duration (see next). The number of speakers and their respective availability helps you understand how the number of required sessions and days. It’s best to prioritize your speaker list before you begin soliciting their participation. There are some you’ll want to make special accommodations for because of their prominence or availability. Also keep a deep enough bench of backup options should someone have to cancel.

Event Duration – Online summits tend to be of shorter duration, often one or two days. When you’re organizing a virtual conference, the possibilities for additional days, sessions and features can seem endless. Fortunately, you’ve covered the checklist items previous to this one. Knowing your budget, goals, speakers, etc. will help you right-size the duration.

Finalize Your Event Agenda – By this point, you’ve probably revised your event agenda a few times. But with speakers and dates firmly in place, it’s easier to make sense of how sessions should be ordered, and whether some should/could occur simultaneously.

Team – You started to consider the roles your staff will have in the budgeting process. Now that your conference or summit is taking shape you can see who goes where and when. It’s worth your time to write out brief descriptions of each person’s role, who they answer to and work with, and what their respective goals are. Typical roles include: director/vision; speaker outreach/management; sponsor outreach/fulfillment; partner/affiliate outreach/support; software research/setup/training/support; marketing, advertising and promotion.

Create a Promotion Calendar! – Based on your target audience(s), conference/summit goals and agenda, define the story and content types that will promote it most effectively. Then determine in which channels (email, social posts, ads, sms, calls) that story will resonate best with your audience and how. Don’t forget that your speakers and partners are part of this arsenal. You’ve put work into getting them so why not put them to work for you.

Make it Fun & Interactive – Virtual conferences and summits have come a long way, so the bar is high to make it stand out. But the options are many: e.g., Music Performances, Games, Interactive Discussions, Host a Talent Show or a Dance Party, Encourage Attendees to Exchange Contact Info.