Benefits of Virtual Guest Speakers at Your Next Event

Ensure your guest speaker feels comfortable and confident with the virtual conference software they’ll use to deliver their presentation. This may involve a quick rehearsal or getting them to log in early before their session starts.

Look for speakers willing to tailor their presentations to your audience’s needs. This can distinguish between a one size fits all presentation and an engaging one.

Increased Engagement

With virtual events, there is less room for error than with in-person presentations. If your event’s content is boring, attendees can check their email or turn on Netflix. Still, they can stay focused throughout the session with a high-quality presentation platform and engaging speakers.

Guest speakers can help elevate online events from interesting to a valuable experiences for your attendees, clients, and industry colleagues. They can provide energy and encourage participation through audience reaction tools like the “applause” button. And data insights from these reactions can be used to identify moments of interest for future sessions.

Virtual guest speakers can also increase engagement with organizational meetings by providing a new, unbiased perspective of established company culture and goals. For example, a business speaker can teach your team how to effectively listen to customer needs and concerns by using an active listening practice. This can help reduce the omission of critical information from customer service and sales teams. It can also jumpstart career alignment discussions to help employees find the right department for their skills and talents.

Increased Knowledge

When attendees attend virtual events, they often hear from a wide range of speakers. The right speaker can add value to an event by increasing knowledge, introducing new ideas, or providing a fresh perspective.

Looking for guest speakers familiar with the industry and audience is important. They should have the confidence to navigate technical difficulties and the charisma to keep an audience engaged through a screen.

They can bring a fun and positive atmosphere to meetings that might otherwise be dull or ineffective. Guests can enjoy light-hearted conversations and be engaged in presentations packed with information. This boosts engagement and information retention, especially if you combine these sessions with fun team-building activities.

Guest speakers are also a great way to teach your team about active listening, which is essential for any organization. This skill can be hard to learn and develop, but it can improve communication between teams and lead to better results in the workplace.

Increased Attendance

The right virtual guest speaker can bring in an entire crowd and keep your attendees returning for more. When searching for potential speakers, align their style with the vision and goals of your event. An idea of the presentation length, format, and visual aids you require will help narrow down your options quickly.

Many guest speakers have inspiring personal stories that can motivate your audience. 

Other guest speakers can inspire your management team to improve performance by bringing a new perspective on company department competencies and processes. 

Increased Revenue

A virtual summit can be a lot cheaper than an in-person event. In-person events come with a price tag of hiring a full-time and onsite team to manage the event, renting a venue, and asking speakers to be available onsite at their scheduled presentations.

Inviting guest speakers for virtual summits can reduce the overall budget and make a bigger impact on the attendee’s experience. Allowing attendees to engage in virtual sessions via their mobile devices and tablets also increases the value of each attendee’s experience and the presentation’s reach.

A key consideration when selecting a speaker is their expertise and industry knowledge. Whether you are looking to hire a keynote speaker for a digital conference, remote retreat, or all-hands meeting, the right speaker can help drive attendance and participation at your event. When evaluating potential speakers, look for an eagerness to adapt their presentations and research your event and audience to tailor their talk. This will demonstrate their interest in the role and how they can add value to your attendees’ experience.

Reduced Travel Costs

Aside from the fact that virtual speakers are usually more available and easier to locate, they also come without the travel expenses that would be required for a keynote or session presenter. Depending on the nature of your event and who you’re looking for as a guest speaker, this can be an important consideration, especially in today’s economy.

When selecting a virtual guest speaker, ensure they align with your vision for the event and overall goals. They should be comfortable in a video conference and able to keep an audience engaged with their charisma. Ask them to complete a short call with the virtual event organizers a few days before the event to answer any questions and familiarize themselves with how the event will run.

It’s a great idea to also provide your guest speaker with a detailed “run of the show,” letting them know when they should log on to their video platform, whether they need a virtual green room, and how you will handle any unexpected hiccups during their presentation. This will help them feel prepared and ready to shine.