I’m proud to be part of Highlands Consulting’s Strategic Communications Team helping California’s child welfare professionals as they transition to a new case management system. Last month, we facilitated a 3-hour live webinar that included project updates and two system demonstrations – with over 480 participants from 50 counties! Organizing and delivering such a large virtual event can feel overwhelming, so I’m sharing my top tips for a successful webinar:
- Set clear expectations and support your speakers. Develop a detailed agenda showing who will speak and when, along with durations for each topic. Share the agenda in advance with both speakers and participants and have a few printed hard copies on hand for quick reference during the session.
- Prioritize real-time collaboration among your team. We had over 40 staff members involved in the webinar. To stay aligned, we reserved a conference room for in-person coordination and also used a Slack channel for real-time collaboration. These efforts ensured we could handle technical hiccups or timing changes quickly and smoothly.
- Keep participants engaged. Intentional engagement goes a long way. After each agenda topic, we encouraged participant questions using the Microsoft Teams Q&A feature. This allowed our team to respond promptly and follow up if needed.
- Embrace continuous improvement. No matter how much you prepare, unexpected issues can arise. When they do, stay calm, take notes, and debrief afterward. Turn those learnings into action steps for the next event.
At Highlands Consulting, we’re committed to helping public agencies communicate effectively — including delivering impactful webinars that bring large and diverse audiences together.