I think it’s safe to say that I’ve always enjoyed planning events. From get-togethers with friends to my kids’ birthday parties and family barbecues, I’ve always felt a bit of a buzz. Many virtual assistants are admin-based and just love the planning stages – I am no exception. There’s something to be said about planning a virtual event: it’s just as fun!
I’ve been lucky enough to help with several virtual events that my clients have hosted and I’ve come up with a checklist (I offer a PDF version at the end of this post) that would be useful to anyone planning to host a virtual event of their own.
Planning Stages
Always choose the date of your virtual event and plan backwards, ensuring you have PLENTY of time for marketing your event (I’d say at LEAST two months, if possible).
How far in advance you need to start planning depends on the type of event you’re looking at hosting. If you are hosting a summit that may require a series of speakers on a particular subject, you will likely need to start at least 6 months prior, earlier if possible. Consider that research will need to be done on the speakers, sending out initial emails, follow-up emails, arranging virtual interviews to allow you to get to know one another beforehand, etc.
If you are including several speakers, you’ll need to write introduction emails and follow-up emails to send to them. Hiring a virtual assistant to assist with this huge task will save you TONS of time.
If you are holding a webinar or challenge, your job is much simpler, but it still requires a lot of moving parts:
- Writing copy for and designing a sign-up/registration page
- How attendees will be separated in your mailing list (tagged or own list?)
- How attendees can report issues with the process
- Writing and scheduling automated emails
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Emails to Consider
We are operating on the assumption that you have an established email list going into this, and there will be several emails to send.
I’m sure at one time or another, you’ve signed up for a webinar or challenge, and you received several reminder emails in the process. Yours will be no different.
You will need an initial thank you/confirmation email (Thanks for signing up!), reminder emails, event details emails and feedback emails. Don’t worry, I list these in the PDF download included at the bottom of this post.
Event Materials
This largely consists of the promotional part of the project, which includes social media images and captions, developing an event-specific hashtag if possible, creating a workbook or free download for attendees to take notes, and creating an event agenda or guide, especially helpful for letting attendees know what’s in store.
The majority of these materials can be created in Canva, which allows for branding and downloading in many formats.
The Main Event
Some folks use StreamYard or Zoom for their events, regardless of where you’re hosting your event from, make sure you are able to record it. There will be several attendees that won’t show (it’s not a reflection of your event, or even you! Sometimes, unexpected things happen, or people expect there to be a recording because they know they can’t particpate live). Sending attendees a recording gives you another opportunity to connect and present your call-to-action – a crucial part.
After the Event
There are some housekeeping tasks, just like any in-person event. You may need to edit the recording before uploading it to a platform you can link to in your follow-up email.
Sending your attendees a survey after the event is a terrific way to gain feedback for future events. It helps to fine-tune your event. If your event was live, fixing any bugs will streamline future events, and allow you to possibly turn your event into a paid, evergreen course later on.
Pay close attention to the feedback you receive, it’s only going to make your next virtual event that much better.
Here’s a handy checklist for you to download, it contains all the steps above in an easy-to-digest format. Enjoy!
Hiring a virtual assistant to help with your virtual event will make it a complete breeze! Book a free consultation call with me!