One can never prepare enough, I think.

I want to share 3 Preparation Tips with you that I use to organize virtual events for clients.  They are my ‘mise en place’ for virtual events.  Mise En Place is a french term meaning “things in place,” which I borrowed from the culinary industry.   My mise en place consists of two documents (a Timeline and a Workflow) and a practice event.

Preparation Tip #1: Timeline

For ample marketing and organization the Timeline is imperative for your virtual event.   It is a critical path that outlines Pre- and Post-event Marketing efforts, Attendee registration (and payment if yours is a paid event), Attendee messaging (email reminders) and Post-production tasks, and who is responsible for each task.  As a Virtual Events Specialist, my clients rely on me to have each task listed and assigned with a deadline date.  So for instance, while it is my client’s responsibility to decide the title and description of the event, it is my responsibility to determine which tool will work best and get the word out about the event.  For a typical complimentary teleclass or webinar, I find that 2 weeks is ample time to announce and market a virtual event.

Preparation Tip #2:  Checklist

The other document on which I rely heavily is a checklist.  Much like the pre-flight checklist a pilot uses, this document lists step-by-step instruction for me and my client so that no details of the event management are overlooked.  Every detail.  I remind myself to open my email account (so I can provide trouble-shooting assistance to attendees).  I remind myself to have a glass of water available.  I remind myself to make sure that anything with a  noise is quieted during the call.  Every detail is listed on the checklist.

Preparation Tip #3: Practice Event

My last suggestion for Virtual Event success is the practice event.  This is usually done the day before your actual event.  I dial into the conference call line or log into the webinar tool with my client and we have a dress rehearsal of the event.  The Practice Event is a great way for you to test your Checklist and work out any bugs in your plan.  I practice my welcome script, I practice muting phone lines, I practice changing presenters.  Practice makes perfect, after all.

What are your ‘must-have’s when planning a virtual event?  Feel free to comment below…

What do I mean by Multimedia?   Think audio and video.  With audio there are several options like audio recording a blog post, creating a podcast, or creating a teleseminar series.  Add in video with options like video blog posts, webinars, maybe even live-streaming an event.  Sound challenging?  It doesn’t have to be.  I can consult with you to teach you the ropes, or manage the tasks start to finish – you choose.

When you expand your marketing with multimedia, your message reaches more folks.  How?  Syndicating your posts, podcasts, audios and videos via social networks and the many sharing sites on the Internet, you’re touching a wider audience.

Future blog posts will include tips and tricks for producing your own multimedia – some video posts and some audio – to demonstrate the ease with which you can add multimedia to your marketing mix.  If you have a specific question you’d like me to answer in a future blog post, please post a comment below, or email me at carla@wilsonva.com.

Here is a quick audio version of this blog post: (It took just less than 10 minutes start to finish to record, edit, and publish the audio to my site)

Here are some details about the presentation:

Businesses invest millions of dollars each year in sales and marketing personnel. Top sales representatives often earn six figure salaries with business owners thinking nothing of the expense. What if however we told you there was a better way? A better way to reach your customers and prospects and speak to an unlimited number of them at once, all for less than the cost of just one new employee. Too good to be true? This webinar will focus on how to leverage internet technology to prospect better, sell better, and service better than even the most effective sales representative. Who truly is your most important sales representative? If you haven’t answered with “my web site”, then this webinar is something you cannot miss!

Key Takeaways:

• How to leverage various online channels to market your business and generate new customers and prospects
• Turn your web site into a 24/7 salesperson through the implementation of sophisticated marketing strategies
• Outperform your competition by offering intuitive and interactive ways for the public to conduct business with you
• Reduce cost of sales by utilizing new technology and cutting edge marketing techniques to reach customers faster
• Most importantly, learn ways to turn your web site into your most valuable sales representative

Sound like something you’d be interested in?  Please select the link below to register for the event on March 4 at 9am:

Who’s Your Most Important Employee Webinar Registration

Fun Fact: I’ll be emceeing the event!  Hope to see you there!

More and more companies and small businesses are choosing to hold Virtual Events rather than the more expensive offline events and conferences. In fact, “Virtual Meetings and Events [will] replace 2.1 million airline seats by 2012” (Gartner, Feb. 2009). 76% of businesses say they have already begun using or plan to start using Virtual Events in 2009, while 70% of Corporate Event Organizers predict a reduction in live events in 2010 and forecast significant growth in virtual conferences and webinars.

Why my interest in virtual events? Part of the interest stems back to my training in college where I majored in Sound Recording Technology. I’ve always had a love of technology and gadgets – but not everyone shares my views. Even with the myriad of easy-to-use-tools for virtual events available, some entrepreneurs and online professionals would rather concentrate on delivering their content, and not worry about the technology. And that is the gap that our Virtual Event Specialist services fill!

I plan to launch a new division of my business called Virtual Events Team in 2010. Here is an example of my work.

Shortly, I will be able to announce that I have earned my Virtual Event Specialist certification through VAClassroom. I want to help entrepreneurs implement the use of multimedia in their marketing efforts, and felt a live stream video was one method of demonstrating the ease of use.

According to a VAClassroom.com presentation I attended:
“Businesses are adapting to Virtual Events at a record pace! 67% of professionals responsible for physical events report that overall attendance has dropped, and 76% of businesses say have already begun using or plan to start using Virtual Events in 2009. In fact, 70% of Corporate Event Organizers predict a reduction in live events in 2010, and forecast major growth in virtual conferences and webinars.”

Think about how much information you have to share with your target market.  Wouldn’t a virtual event of some kind help you leverage your time and money to share your information?  Of course it would.

In my next posts, I’ll outline some of the virtual events you can consider for your business.