Up until March 12th, 2020 we booked thousands of keynotes for in person events. Webinars and virtual events were very rare and frankly frowned upon by both clients and speakers. They never seemed to provide the impact that live events did.

Now due to the advent of COVID-19, virtual events have become immensely popular and a necessary adaptation in the face of the ban on large gatherings of over 50 people. Furthermore, individuals, teams, and organizations are desperate for inspiration and information that helps them awaken greatness within during these trying times.

The expectations, and standards of, virtual events are increasing rapidly. Previously, a speaker in their office on a laptop was sufficient. Now, as of May 2020, speakers are utilizing virtual reality software to help facilitate interactive presentations, making for a dynamic viewing experience. Other speakers are leveraging studios with multiple cameras, high end microphones and robust lighting. They either travel to studios in the region or convert their offices.

We are also witnessing many production crews who used to facilitate AV for live events now pivoting to managing these virtual events. This is helpful, as these groups already have technical expertise which lends itself well to these virtual events.

An unexpected outcome and general silver lining with these virtual events is that more people can join in and experience special keynote guests. In the past , keynote speakers were  limited to approximately the top 10% of organizations, and now, with virtual events, they are accessible to all employees. Which is a fabulous way for large organizations to engage all their people. We will write additional articles regarding leveraging virtual events to foster culture while people are remote and fragmented due to quaratines. 

At BigSpeak, we have created our recommended technology reference documents for clients and speakers. We hope these documents will be helpful while everyone is accelerating their learning.

Barrett Cordero is the President of BigSpeak, a leading global speakers bureau representing business icons, bestselling authors, thought leaders and celebrities. He is a strategic leader with proven tactical success in challenging entrepreneurial environments.