The Ultimate Guide To Virtual Event Planning

In 2019, 42% of surveyed organizations chose to plan virtual events . Now, in 2020, that number has doubled to a whopping 84% . The majority of marketing professionals (51% of them) believe virtual events are here to stay long term, even if that means adding a virtual component to in-person gatherings. That’s exactly why we’ve created this guide to virtual event planning .

Whether you’re prepping your first virtual event or want to find creative ways to engage audiences at your next one, this guide has you covered. Learn more about the benefits of virtual event planning and what types of events you should consider hosting.

Read our step-by-step instructions and check out our virtual event planning checklist that breaks it all down for you. After, explore answers to your most important virtual event technology questions and check out how UDN Task Manager can help you maximize your next digital get-together.

What is a virtual event?

A virtual event is an event that is hosted online through live streams, recorded videos, audio calls, or any other form of digital communication. Virtual events do not take place in person and are accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

Some virtual events require little planning (like impromptu live streams on Facebook or TikTok) while others need quite a bit of time to plan and execute (like a multi-day conference with live speakers and breakout sessions).

Different types of virtual events:

Why host a virtual event?

You should host a virtual event because it will reach people who normally wouldn’t be able to attend because of physical disabilities, busy schedules, or financial restraints. They’re cost effective because they don’t require a physical event space and they give hosts lots of great opportunities to capture meaningful data about their audience.

Additionally, many companies across industries have turned to virtual event planning, following the cancellation of in-person conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Going fully digital has allowed these organizations to continue brand awareness activities and create new strategies for reaching critical audiences.

Why virtual events are the events of the future

Virtual events are the future — according to the tech venture capitalists whose job it is to invest billions of dollars into the most promising tools available. Not only is this event type more sustainable, it’s also easier for speakers and attendees alike to join in without the usual barriers that physical/in-person events present. Plus, there are many perks of being able to easily measure engagement as it pertains to future event planning.

Does a virtual event need a presenter?

A presenter at a virtual event is a single host or group of speakers who offer their knowledge on a given subject matter. And no, a virtual event does not need one. Not all virtual events need to revolve around learning. Some do better as social or networking opportunities. And not all virtual events need to rely on a singular source for leadership. Instead, they can function more as group-driven experiences like accountability workshops or topic masterminds.

How do you plan a virtual event?

To plan a virtual event, you have to do a lot of the same things you would if the event were entirely in-person. But what makes virtual event planning different is how you research your audience, which virtual event type you choose, where you choose to host it, and what virtual event technology you partner with to run it all from start to finish.

Step 1: Research your virtual audience

Your virtual event audience might not look the same as your in-person event audience now that it can be accessed by nearly everyone on the planet, so create target attendee profiles with this in mind. Choose one main problem you’d like to solve for them. Then, consider hosting speakers that couldn’t normally attend physical events. Be sure to offer digital tools and resources (like workbooks and templates) that add even more value for your target attendees.

Step 2: Choose a virtual event type

Choose between livestreams, pre-recorded sessions, or a combination of both. Livestreams are best for conferences or workshops that involve a Q&A section between the presenter and the audience. Pre-recorded sessions give virtual attendees the freedom to view when they have time or download and save the content for later.

Step 3: Decide where to host it

If your event will be live streamed, consider sharing it on social media sites like Facebook or TikTok if you want to build or engage with target audiences there. If it’s pre-recorded, try hosting the session videos on a dedicated website with a unique URL. Grow your email list by requiring virtual attendees to share their address at the virtual door.

Step 4: Grab virtual event technology

You need virtual event technology to help you plan, execute, and measure the success of your efforts. Once you have your goals nailed down, organize your action plan with virtual event planning software . The rest of your tools will be determined by what kind of virtual event you’d like to host and your chosen KPIs.

The virtual event planning checklist

What virtual event technology do you need?

There are five main types of virtual event technology you need to smoothly run a high quality gathering online. They include:

How to choose the best event planning software for your virtual event

Check out reviews on sites like G2 to read unbiased testimonials from real users and get ideas for what event planning software is right for you. Look at other virtual events that are popular with your audience then ask around to find out what tools and software they used to run it. And consider using your project management tool to create your roadmap for everything.

What features to look for in a virtual event planner?

A virtual event planner should help you organize your entire team, log every task no matter how small, and provide a visual representation of your plan so you can see whether you’re on or off track at any point.

Introducing UDN Task Manager as your event planning software

Many event professionals and marketers are using UDN Task Manager as an event planning tool .

To build an event planning template in UDN Task Manager , just create a folder, start a new project , and add a list of tasks. Then, assign deadlines, expected efforts, and team members to each task. Add task dependencies to relevant items so that team members are automatically notified when it’s time to start their portion of it. Plot tasks out on a visual timeline so you can spot issues before they come up and monitor progress as you go.

To build an event marketing plan , you’ll need to list out:

Once you have all of that information neatly stored in UDN Task Manager , where all of your team has access to it, you can add your tasks to a timeline. Discover conflicting items, look at employee workload, and view progress side-by-side with any other existing marketing projects you have on your plate.

Plan to use UDN Task Manager for your next virtual event

Whether you need help getting your team on the same page or capturing the many event management details you need for promotion and execution, UDN Task Manager offers highly collaborative solutions for virtual event planners. Check out our two-week free trial and see firsthand why we’re a highly rated tool among virtual event planners.