Guide to Host a Virtual Summit

There is no defined way to know the best practice that can be helpful to host a successful and unique virtual summit. So, make sure that you choose the virtual event platform wisely and make the most of it using all their provided features and elements. Moreover, there is no loss to turning your in-person event into a hybrid event. Hence, it will only benefit you as shared below:

8 Benefits of Hosting a Virtual Summit in 2022!

1. You can reach a global audience with a hybrid summit.
2. A virtual summit can save you a lot of money and time.
3. It will be easy for you to access the entire data and analytics
4. Also, develop a strong relationship with global industry leaders and experts.
5. You can get better networking options.
6. It is a brilliant way of branding.
7. You can analyze a good increase in your ROI.
8. It is a better alternative with environmentally friendly features.

But you require to follow a proper procedure in order to conduct a successful virtual summit in 2022. Below are steps that can be beneficial for you to follow in order to achieve success in your next event.

#A Complete Process Guide to Host a Successful Virtual Summit!

A complete step-by-step process in order to host a unique and successful virtual summit is as follows:

Step 1: Set Your Virtual Summit Goals

You can start your virtual summit preparation with the goals set. Moreover, it refers to aims that you want to accomplish with your virtual event.

1. You can focus on getting more contacts for emailers, draw some sales and leads, brilliant brand and awareness, develop a reputation in the market, establish a relationship with the global audience, experts, and other industry experts, etc.
2. You have to be very particular about all the goals you set for your virtual summit. Find various ways in order to gauge success with definite KPIs.
3. Moreover, finalize a topic for your virtual summit and add all the pointers in your content that can be beneficial to create an engaging and communicative session for your hybrid event.

Step 2: Start to Create Brilliant Strategic Plan

Plans are the most vital aspects to gauge success in every work. So, you should next start to create plans and find creative ways to implement them in your virtual summits. Moreover, some aspects that you must concentrate on are as follows:

1. Know your event budget
2. Date of your virtual summit
3. The virtual summit will be a virtual, physical, or hybrid event.
4. It will be chargeable or not
5. Your virtual event registration process
6. Tools in your virtual summit for attendees connection
7. Features for a better engagement at your virtual event
8. Tools in order to make the event networking easy for all the users
9. Availability of on-demand after the live event
10. Your target audience
11. Guest speakers to be invited
12. Your event KPIs in order to measure the success of your summit

Step 3: Compare & Pick an All-In-One Virtual Event Platform

You can find countless virtual event platforms on the Internet. So, you have to compare and pick the best virtual summit platform for you. Moreover, some must-have features are as follows:

1. Provides 3D Audience Experience
2. Freedom to Design Custom Environment
3. Web-Based Solution
4. External Integrations for Smooth Communication
5. Fun Gamification
6. Brilliant Branding Options
7. Extensive Networking Tools
8. Engagement Tools

Step 4: Create a Checklist to Work Appropriately

A checklist will always be helpful in order to make sure that all the required steps have been taken without skipping any of them. Here are some points to add to your checklist and recheck your work once.

1. Set the Goals
2. Choose the Topic
3. Decide the Summit Date
4. List, Interview, and Finalize the Potential Speakers
5. Create Social Media Content Such As Graphics and Banners
6. Create a Striking Branded Landing Page
7. Provide Proper Summit Name, Agenda And Dates, Speakers’ Details, Informative Videos, FAQs, And Registration Link
8. Implement Best Practices in Order to Promote your event
9. Run a Test Before and Then Launch the Event
10. Send Thank-You Notes to the Speakers
11. Take Audience Feedback Through the Virtual Event Platform or Emails

Step 5: Identify, Shortlist, & Include Incredible Speakers

You can start your research for an industry expert that you would like to invite to your virtual summits.

1. Create a list of potential speakers highlighting all the benefits of collaborating with them.
2. Know their strengths and weaknesses in order to choose the best for your session.
3. Shortlist the speakers that provide you with more exposure, higher authority, and more email list subscribers.
4. Interview them and finalize the expert you want. Moreover, record the session if you need a pre-recorded session or anything else to discuss the entire live streaming process with them.

Step 6: Add More Engaging and Networking Tools to Summit

You can get various engagement tools from the virtual event platform in order to make the summit successful and unique.

1. Dynamic Lobby
2. DIY Booth Builder
3. Networking Tables and Chat Rooms
4. B2B Meetings Scheduler
5. AI Matchmaking
6. Gamification
7. Business Card Exchange
8. Social Wall, Branded Photo Booths, and Signature Wall
9. Live Polls, Surveys, and Q&A Sessions

Step 7: Use Best Practices to Promote Your Virtual Summit

It is necessary to market your virtual summit and let the global audience know about it. So, you should implement best practices to promote, reach and get maximum sign-ups for your event. Moreover, 9 Ways that can be helpful in the promotion are as follows:

1. Use Email Marketing
2. Start #Hashtag for You Event
3. Create a Facebook group for your event
4. Enlist co-hosts & other FB groups
5. Promote on Pinterest
6. Use Visual Promotion Ideas
7. Create social media posts and contests
8. Use Content Marketing Strategies
9. Opt for Paid Search

Step 8: Perform a Test-Run Before the Virtual Summit

It is essential to test and check the technology before going live. So, take a test run of the event and look for various aspects in advance. Moreover, some pointers to check are as follows:

1. Ensure it is easy to log in to your virtual event.
2. Make all the presenters wear a mic, then check the audio level and quality.
3. Recheck the display via everyone’s webcams and presentation decks.
4. Also, have a backup speaker ready if the main experts face any Wi-Fi, audio, or camera troubles.

So, these are the various steps that can be helpful to host a successful virtual summit. Hope, you will find this guide beneficial to organize your next hybrid event.