In events management, remote speaker sessions are assumed to have smaller attendance than physical face-to-face sessions; often, people cite lack of interactivity or not being ‘in the room’ with the speaker as reasons that attendees prefer them less.
However, GoRemote has seen that when the remote sessions are with a high-profile speaker, attendees will flock to the event regardless of whether it’s virtual. In fact, if your speaker is very well-known in their field, a remote talk presented on-screen during a hybrid event may very well end up being the highlight of your conference or congress.
Recently, we managed remote speakers at the ChangeNOW environmental event in France. Two of the speakers that drew the biggest crowds were Dr Jane Goodall, an eminent ecologist and Adam McKay – director of Don’t Look Up. Both of these speakers appeared remotely, yet that in no way took away from the prestige and pull of them being at this event.
Why choose remote speakers?
From an event management perspective, it would appear that inviting globally recognised faces and ‘celebrities’ in their field along to an event would make good business sense. It helps the conference stand out from others in that area, increasing attendee ticket sales and enticing large sponsors.
However, many internationally renowned speakers don’t have the time to commit to appearing in person at an event. Remote speaking solves this problem as it allows you to book bigger and better speakers without them having to take a day or more out of the office to attend. It also opens up opportunities to have surprise guest speakers make an appearance, which can considerably push up your audience attendance.
We have also found that even though event managers may have set up high-profile speakers to come to an in-person event, circumstances such as travel issues may mean that they suddenly have to pivot to appearing online or not at all. Your events team should be able to switch any speakers including your stars, over to an online platform so they can still present.
Developing a remote VIP plan
Choosing to host a hybrid or virtual event with speakers of a very high calibre can often be difficult if you haven’t the resources or experience within your team to ensure that they receive a full VIP experience. We suggest that you develop a clearly designed remote attendance option that ensures for each high-profile speaker that there is a dedicated management process in place for communication, checks and support right from when they agree to present to when they take to the stage.
GoRemote offers a bespoke speaker management service that fits your VIP’s schedules. We have helped thousands of incredible speakers get to their stages looking and feeling good. Our team of international virtual stage managers have onboarded all types of important people, including Nobel Prize winners ( at the Paris Peace Forum), top professors at important medical congresses held by organisations such as EASL and ESOT and entrepreneurs and Presidents and CEOs at several high-value business conferences and internal meetings. Our unique blend of tools, processes and people will ensure that your event runs smoothly, no matter who is presenting. To learn more and have a chat with us about managing high-profile speakers at your next event, click the link below.
