Five Common Issues with Virtual Guest Speakers and How to Avoid Them

Virtual guest speakers can be a valuable addition to any virtual event. They bring:

• Expertise and insights
• Valued credibility
• Fresh perspectives

But you must be selective when choosing who to put on the roster. Why? Think of it this way:

A distasteful speech can taint a beautiful wedding reception.
An inappropriate opening act can ruin a family-friendly concert.
An off-key national anthem singer can set a bad tone for a baseball game.

Giving someone the floor can make or break your event. If you’re not careful, your guest speaker could become a distraction rather than an asset to your event.

What are some commonly seen issues with virtual guest speakers? And how can you avoid them to put on an informative and enjoyable event? Let’s take a look.

A good virtual speaker needs to work toward your event goals. Their knowledge and insight will do you no good if they don’t channel it to meet your needs.

How to Avoid It:

Have frank and clear discussions with guest speakers on your objectives for the event from the very beginning:

• Is the goal for your main event to educate? Generate sales? Or build connections?
• Who is the target audience?
• What are their needs and interests?
• What are the key takeaways you want them to gain from the event?

Make sure your guest speakers not only understand the answers to these questions but are prepared to support them.

Do a rehearsal before the event to hear their presentations.

Share feedback openly. If they cover material or set a tone that doesn’t align with your objectives, let them know.

You’ve hired them to enhance your event. Make sure their presentation does just that.

Bonus Tip: From the beginning, a good virtual guest speaker will show a keen interest in your goals and actively work towards them. If you get the feeling you are there to serve their needs and not the other way around, it might be an indicator they aren’t a good fit.

A great in-person speaker doesn’t necessarily equal a great virtual speaker. Their expertise won’t come through if they can’t handle the virtual side of things.

How to Avoid It:

There are a few basic skills and requirements that a virtual guest speaker must possess if they’re going to be a good fit for your event. When performing a practice run with your speaker make sure they have:

1. Fast Internet and Quality Equipment 

Test their internet for upload and download speeds. You don’t want an amazing presentation to be ruined by a frozen screen. Make sure their internet is strong enough to successfully present on the virtual event platform that you’ve chosen.

Quality equipment includes a camera that produces crisp video and a microphone that eliminates background noise.

2. Confidence with an Event Platform

This shouldn’t be their first time handling a video call. It should be obvious that they’re no stranger to virtual event platforms. Ask yourself:

• How well do they navigate the virtual event platform we are using?
• Can they navigate basic features with ease?
• If tech challenges do happen, how well will they handle them?
• Do you feel at ease watching them on screen or do you feel like they’re not sure what they are doing?

If you sense their lack of confidence on screen you can be sure your audience will sense that as well.

Speakers who have been doing in-person events for years might not be used to the requirements for a professional virtual set-up.

If that’s the case, their home office might not quite be ready for a live stream

How to Avoid It:

A good guest speaker will have a proper set-up designed for virtual events. When doing your practice run, check that their setup includes:

• A tidy, unremarkable background
• Proper lighting
• A well-placed camera for the right angle
• A professional physical appearance (clean clothes, fixed hair, etc.)

Nothing in your virtual speaker’s set-up should distract from what they are saying. If you are thinking about what they look like and not the message they are sharing, it’s a clear sign that something needs to change.

Keeping the audience focused and engaged can be a challenge for virtual guest speakers. If they aren’t prepared in advance, their presentation can quickly become a snoozefest.

How to Avoid It:

A confident, enthusiastic speaker is just the first step to tackling audience engagement. However, more is needed. For example, they could incorporate:

• Q&As
• Polls
• Gamification
• Breakout Rooms
• Quizzes

Ask your guest speaker how they plan to get the audience involved during their presentation. They can’t rely on a charismatic personality alone to keep the audience engaged. They should have a tangible plan for engagement with interactive elements incorporated into their presentation.

You want everyone on your team to be reliable and trustworthy. A guest speaker is no exception. Unfortunately, without proper planning, you could end up with a speaker that doesn’t deliver on their end of the deal.

How to Avoid It: 

The key is in your contract. As with all business ventures, the contract is the lifeblood. So include every detail. Don’t leave anything up to “good faith.”

Two vital pieces of the contract that you shouldn’t overlook are:

1. Cancellation/No-show Penalty

Clearly define in the contract what the penalty is if the speaker cancels or doesn’t show. For cancellations, you can create various penalties based on how far in advance they cancel.

Of course, the best-case scenario is that they show up and do their job, but you want to cover yourself in some way if that doesn’t happen.

Bonus Tip: Develop a list of backup speakers that you could call in case of a last-minute cancellation or no-show.

2. Code of Conduct

No matter how well you know the speaker or trust their character, it’s good practice to put a code of conduct in the contract that includes clear boundaries for

• • Offensive language
  • Plagiarism
  • Promoting products without your consent
  • Critical remarks about colleagues, clients, or organizersSetting boundaries in the contract helps to cover you legally in the event of an issue. Again, be sure to specify any penalties for breaching the code of conduct.

By clearly outlining your expectations in the contract you ensure everyone is on the same page.

Choosing the right guest speaker for your virtual event isn’t a no-brainer. It takes time and effort to find the speaker that’s going to take your event to the next level.

But by planning ahead to avoid common issues you are one step closer to finding the right fit for you. You’ll get a speaker that:

• Works toward your goals
• Can handle the tech side of things
• Presents from a professional virtual set-up
• Has a game plan for audience engagement
• And follows the agreement you’ve put in place

But what about everything else? Are you unsure which event platform to use? Are you worried about handling the logistics of a virtual event? Are you curious how we can help with language interpretation, gamification, and unexpected tech challenges?

Our team at Virtual Velocity knows what it takes to put on a quality event. From defining event goals to sending out post-event resources, we’ve learned the best way to tackle each stage of virtual events. Would you like to hear a few tips and tricks from the experts?

Sit down with us today. We’ll share our insights to help make your event vision a reality.