Time for Timelines? Planning for a Successful Webinar or Web Event
November 29th, 2010 by James KenlyIf you’re in charge of planning webinars for your organization, you know the challenge of finding topics and identifying speakers. You also know the challenge of trying to determine what to do and when to do it? Scheduling webinars – especially if they are a series or occur on a regular basis – can be a daunting task. You have to determine the individual pieces necessary to put each webinar together and your speaker(s) need to know when you need them.
Flash back to a few years ago, before I became an official ReadyTalker, I was in your shoes as the employee who scheduled the webinars for my company. I quickly learned that I needed to organize the flow of information I was gathering from, and providing to, the speakers, or something was going to slip through the cracks. What I did was put together a generic timeline, similar to the one shown below, that I could then tailor for each event and each speaker.
If you consider doing something like this, be sure you allow enough time for the various tasks. Ideally, the scheduling should begin at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to the live webinar date.
In addition to the example I’ve provided below, you may also consider providing the speaker(s) with a detailed agenda of how the live webinar will flow. This may include the order of speakers (moderator, operator – if used, order of multiple speakers – if used) and even time constraints for each portion of the webinar (introduction, presentation, Q&A, closing).
As you well know by now – similar to an in-person event – a LOT of work and planning occurs “behind the scenes” long before the live webinar date. Feel free to use the idea of a timeline and tailor it to your specific needs.
What steps do you take to schedule your webinars and organize the information you need to complete the process? We would love to hear from you!
In addition, if you have any questions please let us know. The ReadyTalk Events Team can be reached at <A HREF=”mailto:events@readytalk.com” eveents2readytalk.com /a>.
As an event manager, Anthony works with clients on all aspects of their audio and web conferencing needs. Prior to working at ReadyTalk, he was a ReadyTalk customer, so he brings a great understanding of developing and running webinar programs. He enjoys spending time with his family and two dogs, watching movies, reading and exploring Denver’s top restaurants.
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