The first step to engaging an online audience is to learn the delivery platform inside and out, backwards and forwards, and upside down. In fact, by not knowing the features of the online technology, facilitators and trainers have likely already lost their audience because they probably have participants on hold while they figure out how to upload the slides, share the desktop, or get the mic to work. 

Here are some important tips to help you “master the tech so you can ignore the tech” and focus on your event’s ultimate purpose, such as sharing information, teaching new skills, and so forth. 

What Is the Goal and Who Is the Audience? 

Always begin with the end in mind: What is the goal of the live online event? Whether a meeting, webinar, or virtual training session, when designing the overall event and its activities, think about what goal you are trying to achieve and any objectives that support it. Is the event meant to be informative, experiential, or fun—or all of the above? 

In addition, consider carefully the audience and the context for the event. 

• Do participants know each other or are they complete strangers?

• Are participants experienced leaders, peers, new hires, or the general public?

• Are participants advanced in their understanding of the subject matter for the event, or are they relative novices?

• How experienced are participants with the live online platform?

• How much time is allotted for the event: 45 minutes to an hour, two hours, or three hours with multiple breaks? 

With answers to these questions, you will be well positioned to consider which features of the live online platform can be used for each part of the program. Without answers to these questions, it is easy to make mistakes such as using a feature just for the sake of it or providing a false sense of interactivity for the participants. Take the event seriously; it will be obvious which technical features to use. 

The Importance of the Producer 

A producer who helps with delivery is critical to ensuring that the live online event is seamless. The technology requires too much attention to expect the presenter to engage the participants and present the content—and manage all the technical details and inevitable problems at the same time. If the technical details are most important, leaving the content and participant engagement as secondary concerns, the participants will log off and ask for a copy of the slides. 

The producer provides a second set of hands, focusing primarily on the technology to ensure that all the features of the online platform work smoothly and as planned. Focusing on how to open the poll, highlight a point on a slide, or set up the breakout groups means the facilitator is not focusing on the participant experience intended by using each of those features. Let the producer worry about the technical details. 

See What the Participants See 

Even the most experienced in running and supporting live online events might struggle to see the event from the participant’s point of view. That is, unless they can actually see it from the participant’s point of view by being simultaneously logged in as a participant on a second (or even third) computer. A savvy facilitator or producer will use this technique to: 

• check for lag between the facilitator’s actions (advancing a slide and rearranging screen real estate) and what participants are seeing

• help participants troubleshoot an issue they are having with the interface

• improve the program for the next time based on the live experience seen from the participant’s point of view

• accurately provide directions on where participants should look, what they should see, and how the program should operate

• present confidently and under control with the knowledge of exactly what presenting looks like to the participants. 

At a minimum, a second monitor is needed to give another point of view. But to truly see and interact with a different system, use a second laptop. It could also serve as a back­up if anything goes awry with the main computer. If some participants are attending the live online event using a smartphone or tablet, consider also using one of these devices to gauge their experience. 

Audio: Using Phone or Using Computer 

Whether using Adobe, WebEx, or another online meeting tool, make it a priority to learn the exact setup of the audio choices. Additionally, make sure to always present from a clear connection or line, eliminate all background noise, and use a hands-free headset in order to easily interact with all the features of the online event. One of the quickest ways to lose the audience is to have poor audio quality. Don’t let that happen. 

Here is an audio checklist to ensure that the event’s audio is engaging: 

• Does the platform use teleconference, VoIP (computer audio), or both?

• If using a teleconference, is it an integrated teleconference provided by the platform?

• If using a teleconference, is it an integrated teleconference provided by a third-party teleconference provider? Does this third-party integrated teleconference also work with the breakouts?

• If using a teleconference, is it a third-party, nonintegrated teleconference? What are all the telephone controls that can be pressed using the telephone buttons? Does this teleconference also include subconferencing for manual audio breakouts? What are the controls to initiate subconferencing?

• What are the muting and unmuting controls? Is “mute on entry” available? How can individual connections be muted and unmuted? Can all connections be muted and unmuted? Does this also mute the facilitator?

• What are the backup plans? What teleconference lines could serve as an alternate if the one that’s going to be used stops working? What is the plan if the VoIP stops working? 

Before declaring the audio ready, don’t forget one last important detail: participants almost always need help understanding how to connect to the audio. Be prepared with a slide or send them the information in advance. Have the producer ready 30 minutes early to help participants connect to the engaging sound of the event.

**Editor’s Note:** This post is adapted from the new book by Kassy LaBorie and Tom Stone, Interact and Engage! 50+ Activities for Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars. Check it out for a detailed checklist of producer competencies, platform feature checklists and descriptions, and a wealth of virtual training, meeting, and webinar activities that drive interaction and engagement. In this book you will:

• explore the popular delivery platforms (Adobe Connect and WebEx Training Center) inside and out, backwards and forwards, and upside down

• discover how to start events off right and bring them to a fitting end, while achieving the event’s goals in the middle

• delve into what facilitators and producers need to do before, during, and after an activity.