Do you know what the most common activity format is on event schedules? It’s the talk!
Even3 data shows that:
- It’s the most common activity type at online events;
- Talks, workshops, and courses are the event formats attendees search for most;
- 79% of these hands-on events issue certificates.
In short, this is a super popular and appealing type of event. And it gets even better, since it’s relatively simple to organize.
Did you know you can do it all in just 8 steps? Keep reading to find out how.
What Is a Talk?
A talk is a form of oral communication meant to pass information from a speaker to an audience.
In other words, it works like a class! But not always in that traditional teaching format.
That’s because there are different types of talks depending on the event’s goal, such as:
- Educational;
- Sales or product presentations;
- Motivational;
- Informational.
Generally, they tend to last 1 to 2 hours and include time for questions. But some can be more dynamic, with activities added in to boost interaction between the audience and the speaker.
Since they’re very interactive and simple to put together, talks are usually featured at large events, like conferences.
They’re also quite common in live-streamed formats and tend to attract large audiences that way.
However, don’t confuse talks with courses and workshops! A talk is more theoretical than those other activities. That’s why it’s shorter and isn’t meant to train or teach in a hands-on way.
How to Put Together a Talk in 8 Steps
1. Know Your Audience
First of all, this is the first step for organizing any event.
Building a profile of your audience is essential so you know:
- What their biggest pain points are and how your event can help;
- Which topics interest them the most;
- What the best time, format, and location are for your audience to attend the event;
- Who they’d like to hear from, and what type of speaker connects with them most easily.
There are endless questions that all come down to knowing your audience!
To gather this information, you can interview professionals and students in the field, or even run satisfaction surveys at recurring events.
2. Define the Theme and Goals
Another essential step is defining the theme and goals — in other words, the foundations of your event.
These points are set during strategic planning.
This is when you’ll decide whether your talks will be motivational, educational, informational, and so on.
Keep in mind: if the talks are part of a larger event’s schedule, they should relate to the event’s central theme.
3. Think About the Equipment
Finally, it’s time to get to work! So, how will your talk actually happen?
To start, it’s a good idea to set the date and time. Avoid bad time slots for your audience, including holidays.
Today, events can offer 3 participation formats:
- In-person;
- Online;
- Hybrid.
So, each event type will influence the equipment you’ll need.
For example, if your event is in-person, you’ll need to think about the venue, coffee breaks, presentation equipment, and so on.
On the other hand, for online and hybrid events, it’s important to have streaming equipment, a platform, and a reliable internet connection to ensure a good broadcast.
So, the ideal approach is to make this choice with your audience and the talk’s goals in mind. That way, it’ll be more effective!
And, of course, make use of available tools so you don’t forget any important item while organizing the event.
4. Choose a Good Speaker
Now that you already have the main information about your event, it’s time to choose who will lead the talk.
After all, this person will represent the talk, deliver the content, and create a connection with the audience.
That’s why it’s essential to choose someone your audience wants to hear from.
In this case, they don’t need to be famous, but they should show they have the knowledge to speak on the subject.
Also, be careful! Choosing the wrong professional can put your event’s credibility at risk.
So, remember to follow these tips:
- Study your target audience, the topics they’d like to hear about, and what the ideal speaker profile would be for them;
- Look up the speaker’s résumé on platforms like LinkedIn and share it with attendees;
- Review other presentations or classes given by the speaker. The ability to speak in public is essential!
- Prioritize credibility and subject-matter expertise over social media follower counts. It’s far more important to create accurate content than to chase fame at any cost;
- Make sure the speaker is prepared for the activity. Fill them in on the schedule, the Q&A format, and the technology used during the talk.
- Don’t rely on just one speaker’s availability. Build a list of options for the slot, and consider up-and-coming experts alongside more well-known names.
5. Set Your Budget
Keep in mind: even though a talk is simple to organize, it can still involve expenses, such as:
- Structure;
- Speaker;
- Promotion.
So, figure out your essential expenses for the event and stay within budget.
For free events, try to minimize costs as much as possible. For example, look for speakers who don’t charge a fee, or rely on sponsors for support.
The most important thing is knowing exactly where every dollar will go. That’s why it helps to have a finance spreadsheet on hand.
6. Offer Certificates
As mentioned at the start of this article, most talks issue certificates!
That’s because attendees look for events that offer this option to build their résumé and prove their experience.
That said, you need to keep a few things in mind. Here’s what shouldn’t be missing from the certificates you issue:
- Location and date;
- Attendee’s name;
- Event and partner logos;
- Hours of participation;
- Signature;
- Type of activity.
To avoid mistakes and keep things secure, it’s best to use technology that can help you generate certificates automatically, like an event platform.
For example, with Even3, you can create and send personalized certificates to all your attendees in just a few seconds.
They also come with a digital token, ensuring security and cloud storage so attendees can download them anytime.
7. Start Promoting Your Talk
Now that your talk is all set, it’s time to attract more registrations.
For this, you can rely on a digital marketing strategy for events.
In other words, apply a set of actions to promote your event across digital channels.
For example:
- Create an appealing event website to sell tickets online;
- Use email marketing to attract registrants by email;
- Promote your event on social media, like Instagram;
- Advertise your event on Google.
But pay attention: some actions cost more than others!
So, keep your target audience in mind and choose the option that connects best with them and fits your budget.
8. Rely on an Event Platform
Finally, you’ll probably also need to handle a few smaller things throughout the talk, like tracking ticket sales, the event page, registrant data, and so on.
So, why not use a free event platform to automate most of that work?
With Even3, you get everything mentioned above, plus:
- An interactive online broadcast area;
- Speaker invitations sent by email;
- Acceptance confirmation and registrations;
- Downloadable support materials;
- Certificate issuance in just a few clicks;
- Post-event tracking with satisfaction surveys;
- And much more!
Discover it now, in just a few clicks and for free.
