09 Oct Virtual Keynote Speakers for Virtual Events!!!
Virtual Conferences, Virtual Events, Team Meetings, Awards Events, are all online and at your fingertips! Meeting Planners and Keynote Speakers have pivoted and are tackling the new norm for events head on. As a global speaker bureau CAG has done live-streamed events, pre-recorded virtual keynotes with live Q & A’s, and moderated virtual conversations with global superstars!
Our collective experience with virtual events has born a simple four point check list we talk about with our clients.
1. Pick a good platform and learn its capabilities.
Are you running an education conference with a tradeshow attached, a top performers event, or an industry conference with networking and educational components? There are platforms out there that can handle all these requirements and pretty much any other configuration you can think of.
We recently worked with an association client that partnered with Kajabi. They used highly effective pre-recorded keynotes followed by lively chat sessions with Robin Dreeke, the speaker. This client also had a tradeshow and exhibit hall component that Kajabi was able to handle with ease.
We also took part in a recent speaker showcase in which Beau Lotto, Neuroscientist, Entrepreneur, and Author of Deviate, used ecamm (for Mac), which proved to be an easy to use and versatile platform, great for straight talks with a question and answer sessions.
2. Use a producer/stage manager to make sure everyone is on the same page with the run of show, just like a live event.
In some ways a multi-day virtual event can be more challenging to produce and run than a live event, where everyone is on location and focused on the task-at-hand. Having someone or a team behind the scene takes out the guess work and the hope that the link you sent to the speaker 10 minutes ago works properly.
In recent events that the Collaborative Agency Group has been involved with we have had multiple run throughs of pre-recorded media and tech checks on links, cameras, and chat rooms to ensure a lively uninterrupted Q & A.
3. Use talent, but be a little more strategic in how you use that talent and the type of talent you are using.
1. Many celebrities and “thought Leader” speakers like Simon Sinek or Brené Brown are out of reach because of their steep live speaking fees. With the advent of virtual events and the absence of travel for live events, many speakers are accepting lower rates than normal. Now we do not want to minimize the amount of work that goes into a virtual event or the time commitment with technical checks and video edits, so do not expect 50-75% less fees but discounts are certainly attainable.
2. The very nature of remote virtual events can be disjointed and detaching. A way to create a through-line during a day long or multi-day event is to use a professional Emcee to host your event. Emcee’s like Jeff Civillico and Ross Shafer can guide your virtual program with masterful ease, keeping your attendees engaged and ready for the next session.
4. Consider a pre-recorded keynote followed by a live virtual Q & A with the speaker, instead of a live streaming program.
Live-streaming technology has come a long way in just a few short months. Save the inconsistent internet speeds in different locations across the globe, the technology is great, but not fail-safe. If you are going to run a live-streaming event we highly recommend a back plan. A simple plan like having an email/text ready to go to all your attendees with a back up link/password on an alternative platform to having a production team with a simultaneous feed ready to take the place of the failing fee.
Most of our clients to date have chosen to use a pre-recorded keynote followed up by a live virtual Q & A with the speaker for a pre-determined time. There are many benefits to a pre-recorded talk, above all the ability to edit the speech and the security of knowing you are not going to drop a live feed.
A few contractual things to keep in mind when choosing a pre-recorded talk:
• How far in advance will the video file be delivered to the client
• The video belongs to the speaker as their IP and is being licensed to the client.
What are the licensing terms of the contract? The client will not be able to use the video in perpetuity, most likely a 15-30 day term will be granted with any additional licensing being negotiated in a separate deal.
