Thinking of organizing a virtual event?
Virtual events have massively grown in popularity in 2020, mostly out of necessity – but turns out, there are a lot of big benefits to running your events online: they’re cheaper, they’re super scalable, they’re considerably eco-friendlier than a regular in-person event and it means that people all over the world can attend.
2026 Update: What Has Changed Since We First Published This Guide
I wrote this post back in 2020 when virtual events were, frankly, a scramble for most of us. Nobody had a proper playbook. We were all just trying to keep the camera on and the Wi-Fi stable. Six years on, the landscape looks completely different, and I would be doing you a disservice if I left the original advice sitting here without flagging what has shifted.
The biggest change is audience expectation. In 2020, people were grateful just to get a Zoom link that worked. Now your attendees have sat through hundreds of virtual events, and they are far more discerning. Production quality matters. Pacing matters. If your first fifteen minutes feel slow or chaotic, people will quietly close the tab and nobody will tell you why your retention numbers dropped. You need to treat your virtual event with the same editorial discipline you would apply to a piece of premium content.
AI has genuinely changed the production side of things in ways I could not have predicted when I first hit publish on this. Tools like Riverside, StreamYard, and a handful of newer platforms now bake in real-time transcription, automated clip creation, and speaker coaching features. I use some of these myself and they save a serious amount of post-event editing time. The automation handles the mechanical stuff so you can focus on the thing that actually drives results, which is the quality of your speakers and the relevance of your topic.
Hybrid is no longer optional for many brands. Even if your primary format is virtual, you need a plan for the small group that will be in a physical room somewhere watching together. Ignoring that segment means ignoring a chunk of your most engaged attendees. Think about how your slides, polls, and Q and A flows work when some people are on a laptop and others are sharing a screen in a boardroom.
Finally, the follow-up window has shrunk. In 2020 you could send a replay link three days later and people would watch it. Now you have roughly 24 hours before the moment is gone and attention has moved on. Build your post-event email sequence and your short-form clip strategy before the event goes live, not after. That one shift alone will improve your conversion from attendee to client more than almost anything else in this guide. The original advice below still holds up in places, but read it through this 2026 lens.
Plus, there are multiple ways to leverage virtual events: online training sessions and courses, online conferences, performances, interviews, and many more. It’s up to you what you want your online event to be, based on your objectives.
And whatever type of virtual event you’re thinking of launching, follow these easy tips to help you run a smooth and successful event:
Start with a plan
Before you start sending out any invitations, you need to put a clear plan in place:
- What is the objective of your virtual event?
- Where will it be held, how long will it last?
- How will people be able to access the event?
- How will people be able to access the content?
- Will the event be live or on-demand?
- When will it be held? Make sure there are no other events that day and that people will be able to attend!
You can use a roadmap template to help with the planning side and ensure that you’re not missing anything.
Promote your event
Promoting your event should be a huge priority: make sure to drive registrations by promoting the event across all of your channels.
This is particularly important right before the actual event (about 1-2 weeks before) – that’s when most people will sign up so focus a lot of your efforts on your event promotion during that time.
Prepare, prepare, prepare!
As anyone who’s ever run an online event will tell you, tech problems are not just common, but almost expected. Especially if you have any guest speakers or interviews.
Because of that, you need to test everything before you start the event and ensure that everything is working OK – from your website speed to your microphone and to your presentation.
Ideally, you should run a simulation/rehearsal of the event so that you can discover any potential issues; if you go through each step of the event, it’s much easier to ensure you’re not missing anything important.
Make it easy for people to engage
Just like regular in-life events, engagement is an important part of it – perhaps even more important in a virtual setting.
It’s important to keep people engaged because that means they’ll stick around or longer and take action. Here are a few tips to help you increase engagement:
- Ask questions!
- Provide a chat or another safe place where people can easily talk
- Use polls and quizzes
- Create a contest or giveaway
- Take requests from your audience
Ready to host your own virtual event?
Use the tips outlined in this article and you’ll be well on your way to running a successful virtual event – remember to plan in advance, promote your event as much as possible and make it as engaging as you can!
The short version: A successful virtual event in 2020 comes down to picking the right platform, promoting relentlessly across email and social, and designing sessions that keep attendees engaged from start to finish. Get those three elements right and a virtual event can match or beat the reach of an in-person one.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I plan a virtual event?
Aim for at least four to six weeks of lead time. This gives you enough runway to line up speakers, build promotional content, and run a proper email and social campaign without rushing attendees into last-minute sign ups.
What platform should I use to host a virtual event?
Choose based on the format and size of your event. Webinar tools work well for single-session presentations, while dedicated virtual event platforms are better suited for multi-track conferences with networking features, exhibitor booths, or breakout rooms.
How do I keep attendees engaged during a virtual event?
Break up long sessions with polls, live Q&A, and short breaks. Mixing formats, such as panels, interviews, and audience discussions, also helps hold attention better than a single speaker talking for an hour straight.
How do I promote a virtual event effectively?
Start with your email list and personal network, then layer in social media teasers, partner shoutouts, and speaker promotion. Encourage speakers and sponsors to share the event with their own audiences to extend your reach.
