Virtual Executive Roundtables… are they dead, or do they still have legs?

5 minute read.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, virtual events became the norm. Executives in unprecedented conditions were hungry for content and sessions were well attended. At the end of the covid pandemic though attendance dropped with Zoom fatigue the hot word of the week.

Since then, companies have continued to try to run virtual events with mixed results. A recent survey by Insider Intelligence showed that 71% of executives believe it isn't possible to get the same ROI from a virtual event as its live counterpart. It leads to the question: are virtual events dead or can they still work?

Two formats bucking the trend

Two virtual events are driving positive results for marketing teams. They are On-Demand Virtual Webinars and Virtual Executive Roundtables. On-Demand webinars work because people are busy but are still hungry for content. They want content they can engage with throughout their day when they want...like a podcast. On-Demand Webinars can scratch this itch.

Virtual Roundtables work as they allow attendees to learn from their network without ever leaving the house. They are great for marketers as they are a low-cost way of building community and connecting with target accounts. They can be a disaster though so I am here to help you. Here is my guide on how to run a great virtual executive roundtable.

Content is key

The majority of event content is cookie-cutter and boring. Companies want to be thought leaders but then do the opposite, creating content the same as their competitors. If you want executives to attend your virtual roundtable, you need to create problem-driven topics that will introduce them to fresh ideas.

Some ways to find these topics include speaking to your customers or using tools such SEMRush, Exploding Topics, and BuzzSumo to see top-performing online content. 

When writing the topic, drop the buzzwords, keep it simple, and try to have a unique angle. Executives are looking for new ideas so putting a unique edge to a topic will pique their interest more than another session on the same old.

Go niche

The demand for personalisation is growing. A recent survey from Adobe shows that 89% of marketers see positive ROI when they use personalisation in their campaigns. Obvious stuff but I still see companies fearing to go niche with their discussion topics.

Roundtable discussions are a deep dive into a topic. It's not meant to be broad so when building your virtual roundtable don’t be afraid to go niche.

For example, if you have several financial institutions on your target list, run a finance industry-focused topic. Dig even deeper to narrow the topic using characteristics such as the number of employees.

We only want 6-8 attendees at the virtual roundtable; it doesn't need to be appealing to the masses. We want your target audience for the virtual roundtable to get excited as they feel it is built personalised for them.

Keep the groups small

A trend at the height of covid pandemic was to get a 10-15 person virtual roundtable event and then wonder why people didn’t engage. People felt like they were part of a crowd with only limited opportunities to contribute so they switched off.

My recommendation is to keep a virtual roundtable of 6 attendees including your moderator. This allows you to go niche with the topic and give all participants plenty of time to talk and engage.

Please don’t cap registration at 6 though!! People will register and not turn up so register 9 knowing you will lose 40% on the day.

Customers are king

Executives want to hear from other executives like them. Your Country Manager might be the most amazing moderator but they aren't going to get executives excited to attend. This is why it's key to ask a customer to co-moderate the session. Sell it to them as an opportunity to dive deep into the topic and connect with other executives. If they agree it's a win as having their name on the event invite will get more registrations. It's as simple as that.

Moderators need to know their role

Your moderator must be confident in running a discussion. The moderator’s role is to keep the discussion engaging and to stop anyone from dominating the conversation. It will make or break your event... make sure your moderator’s number one skill is their ability to manage a virtual room.

Personalize your invitation process

Ok, we have nailed the topic and have a great moderator & customer speaker team. We now get a brilliant EDM ready and send it out to our database of executives. You will get a few registrations from this process don’t get me wrong but is it the best way to do things? I don’t think so.

Executives get plenty of invites to events and the majority of those in EDM format don’t even get read. Instead, run a personalized event invitation campaign. This is made up of personalised emails and phone calls to targeted executives. It is time-consuming I know but it does lead to better results. It is something Clutch can help with if you can’t see yourself being able to motivate your sales team to help run this process.

Two Bonus Tips: Remember to always state that the event will be Chatham House Rules (in other words no one will be quoted). Don’t be afraid to use the other registered event attendees to get their attention. This helps make them feel like this is a virtual event they cannot miss.

Platforms matter

I will keep this nice and simple. Use a platform that the majority of people have access to. I have seen virtual events fail by using a platform with a low market share such as Cisco Webex. All the attendees have to download it or get their IT team to allow them permission to install it leading to high dropout rates. My recommendation is to use Zoom as it owns 55% of the market. It also has great features such as polling which creates an improved virtual experience.

Add a live element

Just because your event is virtual doesn’t mean you cannot add live components. If the virtual roundtable is in the morning, then get breakfast sent to all your attendees. If it is in the late afternoon, send a bottle of wine or cheese board.

Those wanting to take this up a level will also add extra layers of personalisation. A handwritten note with the wine or a coffee mug with their name on it with their breakfast helps create that warm and fuzzy feeling for your brand.

Start engagement pre-event

You have 9 registered for your event but you're worried that 7 will pull out on the day of the event. It does happen and it's hard to stop but it helps to start engagement early to build excitement for your event. Reach out to attendees the week before and ask them if they have specific questions they want to discuss. Create slack channels or email threats for all attendees before the event so they can start the discussion earlier. The Key is to create buzz and ongoing engagement leading into the event.

So is it harder to run virtual events than say 2020?….yes!

Average is no longer good enough. It is much harder to create great virtual events that executives will want to attend. But, they are worth including in your marketing plan. They are a cost-effective way to create direct engagement with your target accounts.

Looking to run a virtual Executive Roundtable discussion, but need help on best-practices for delivery?

Get in touch to see if we can help you!

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