How We Launched a Virtual Event in Just 8 Weeks – 500+ Registrants & 12 Speakers (Playbook Inside!)

Virtual events have exploded in B2B marketing, and for good reason. Done right, they drive engagement, build authority, and can actually generate pipeline – not just vanity metrics.

We put this to the test. In just 8 weeks, we pulled together 12 incredible speakers, attracted over 500 highly targeted registrants, and even landed a sponsor to cover the cost. And the best part? This wasn’t some big-budget, enterprise-backed initiative. It was built for small B2B marketing teams that need to punch above their weight.

You’re probably wondering – how did we do it? That’s what this guide is all about. We’re pulling back the curtain on exactly how we:

• Turned the event into evergreen content that continues to generate pipeline today
• Chose the right theme to attract the right audience
• Landed big-name speakers (even with no budget!)
• Drove 500+ registrations without a huge ad spend
• Ran a seamless event with a two-person team

If your boss has ever thrown a virtual event on your plate with zero guidance, or you’ve tried one before and ended up with meh results, this is for you. We’re giving you the exact playbook we used, so you can skip the trial-and-error and execute with confidence.

P.S. we ran this event with Pallavi Dhody (founder of Draftt), events and content expert – she is amazing!

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Part 1: Pre-Event Planning

Set Yourself Up For Success

Before doing anything, Pallavi set us up for success by creating a Notion template that detailed every single action we need to take for this Virtual Event to be a success. It was our hub to keep us accountable and to a timeline so we knew what had to be done and when.

We give this to you and show you how to use it in our virtual events playbook course here.

Choosing the Right Theme and Audience

Picking the right theme is the foundation of a successful virtual event. If your topic doesn’t immediately grab your audience’s attention or solve a real problem they face, good luck getting them to show up.

We knew our event needed to hit home for small B2B marketing teams – the ones who don’t have endless budgets or massive teams.

That meant we had to focus on high-impact strategies that could help them punch above their weight.

We didn’t just guess our theme. We went straight to our community and asked: “what’s the biggest marketing challenge you’re facing right now?” The response was loud and clear – they wanted to know how to generate demand without relying on huge ad budgets or large teams. That insight shaped our entire event.

Probably the biggest mistake that marketers make when putting together their virtual event is going too broad. If you go too broad, you end up with an event that tries to appeal to everyone but resonates with no one. Instead, get specific. A laser-focused theme makes it easier to attract the right speakers, attendees, and sponsors.

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure about your theme, run a quick survey. Ask your existing audience what they’re struggling with most. Find out which pain points get them talking, and build your event around that.

We also made sure that our event filled a gap that existing events hadn’t already.

Finding and Securing Top-Tier Speakers

Once we had our theme locked in, the next challenge was bringing in speakers who actually mattered to our audience. Getting the right people on board can make or break your event – the wrong speakers will bore attendees, while the right ones will drive registrations and engagement.

Our approach was simple: find speakers who had been in the trenches.

We didn’t want just theoretical insights – we wanted real, actionable strategies from people who had faced the same challenges as our audience.

And we didn’t just blast out cold emails or send generic invites. Each speaker got a personalized message explaining why their specific experience would be valuable to our audience. Personalization was key. Speakers need to know why they’re a perfect fit for your event, and what’s in it for them.

Another major unlock was tapping into our existing networks. Leveraging our community helped us build credibility and made outreach much easier. When a potential speaker sees their peers involved, they’re much more likely to say yes.

Pro Tip: Don’t just go for the obvious names. Look for speakers who have a deep connection to your audience’s pain points - their insights will resonate far more than high-profile, surface-level content.

Craft A Winning Promotion Strategy

Having great speakers is one thing, but if nobody knows about your event, it doesn’t matter. You need a promotion strategy that actually gets people to show up. And here’s the secret – you can’t rely on just one channel.

We back-channelled in our Slack groups and had speakers post promotional videos. We didn’t just push the event through our own channels – we tapped into existing communities where our ideal audience was already engaged. Posting in Slack groups, LinkedIn communities, and targeted email lists ensured that we got in front of the right people.

But one of the biggest levers? Our speakers. We had speakers post promotional videos. Their networks were full of people who would benefit from the event, and by equipping them with ready-made promotional content, we made it easy for them to spread the word.

Instead of asking them to create their own posts, we gave them graphics, video clips, and suggested captions, making it a no-brainer to promote the event.

Pro Tip: Don’t assume one announcement is enough. Promote your event across multiple touchpoints - LinkedIn, newsletters, Slack groups, and speaker networks - and make it ridiculously easy for others to share.

Part 2: Executing a Seamless Event

Engaging Attendees in Real-Time

Getting people to show up is just half the battle. The real challenge? Keeping them engaged from start to finish. We didn’t want attendees to just passively watch sessions – we wanted them participating and feeling like they were part of the conversation.

Instead of just throwing out generic sessions, we built clear tracks that aligned with different audience needs. That way, attendees could easily navigate the agenda and find sessions relevant to them.

The key to engagement? Interactivity. We used live Q&A, polls, and breakout rooms to create a two-way experience, rather than just having speakers talk at people. Jess Cook had the most engagement because she was available to interact in chat during her session.

By having speakers actively engaging in chat while their sessions played, we turned what could’ve been a passive experience into a real-time conversation.

Pro Tip: Assign a dedicated moderator to drive engagement. A good moderator keeps the chat alive, prompts discussion, and ensures no question goes unanswered.

Using Pre-Recorded Sessions to Enhance Live Interaction

Pre-recorded sessions can feel like a cop-out if you don’t do them right, but when used strategically, they’re a game-changer for engagement. Instead of a speaker being stuck presenting live with no interaction, pre-recording allowed them to be in the chat, answering questions in real time while their session played.

When attendees know they can ask a question and get an instant response from the speaker, engagement skyrockets. It turns what would normally be a one-way talk into a live discussion.

Another major advantage? No last-minute tech failures.

Nothing kills the momentum of an event faster than a speaker freezing mid-sentence. Pre-recording ensures the content runs smoothly, without glitches or interruptions.

BUT you of course still need live elements. Pre-record the main talk, then go live for a real-time Q&A.

Pro Tip: Have speakers pre-record their core content, then join live for a follow-up discussion. It’s the perfect blend of polished delivery and real-time interaction.

Ensuring Smooth Event Operations

A well-run virtual event looks effortless to attendees, but behind the scenes, there are a lot of moving parts. Without clear roles, backup plans, and solid preparation, things can fall apart quickly.

With such a lean team, everyone needed to know exactly what they were responsible for. Speaker coordination, tech troubleshooting, audience management – every detail had to be assigned in advance to keep things running smoothly.

And let’s be real – tech issues happen, so you need to be prepared for it. There’s always a risk of internet failures, speaker no-shows, or software glitches. Having a backup speaker roster and pre-recorded content ready to go ensured that no session was left hanging.

Rehearsals weren’t just about checking slides – they helped us iron out potential issues before they happened in real-time. From mic tests to Q&A transitions, everything was pressure-tested in advance.

Pro Tip: Assign a tech troubleshooter who’s ready to jump in if something goes wrong. The quicker you fix an issue, the less it impacts the attendee experience.

Part 3: Post-Event Strategies for Maximum ROI

Leveraging Content for Long-Term Value

Your virtual event shouldn’t just be a one-and-done moment. If you’re not repurposing the content, you’re leaving so much value on the table. Every session, every discussion, and every insight is a content goldmine that can keep working for you long after the event ends.

Instead of letting great conversations disappear into the void, we broke them down into bite-sized content that could be shared across multiple platforms. You can see already how we’ve repurposed the session with Adem Manderovic on Segmenting The Market here.

We turned just one webinar turned into five LinkedIn posts, a blog, a YouTube video, a podcast, and a newsletter. The key is to think beyond the live event and maximize the ROI of every piece of content you create.

Another big win? An on-demand content library. We kept the event recordings available so people who missed it live could still get value from the content. This meant that our virtual event wasn’t just a live experience – it became an evergreen pipeline and trust building tool that continued driving sign-ups and brand awareness.

Pro Tip: Build an on-demand content hub and make it easy for new audiences to access your sessions. Whether it’s a gated lead magnet or free content, keep the momentum going by continuously promoting and repurposing your event materials.

Strengthening Relationships with Speakers

Speakers are a huge part of what makes a virtual event successful, and how you treat them after the event can make all the difference. If you want them to sing your praises, come back next time, or even introduce you to other high-profile speakers, you need to invest in the relationship.

We sent our speakers thoughtful gifts with handwritten notes. A simple thank-you email is nice, but it won’t make you memorable. Instead, we sent personalized gifts and handwritten notes that showed we genuinely appreciated their time and effort. These small gestures go a long way in building strong relationships.

Treat your speakers well, and they’ll become ambassadors for your event, helping you attract even more high-quality speakers next time around.

Pro Tip: Want to really impress your speakers? Find out what they personally enjoy and send them a thoughtful, customized gift. Platforms like Etsy are great for finding unique, personalized items that show you put in the extra effort.

Measuring Success and Improving for Next Time

If you don’t measure your event’s performance, you’re flying blind. Data is what tells you what worked, what flopped, and what to double down on next time.

Tracking which promotion channels drove the most registrations gave us clear insight into where we should focus our efforts moving forward. Some platforms worked better than others, and this data allowed us to refine our marketing strategy for future events.

We looked at which speakers drove the most engagement and follow-up conversations. Not every speaker resonates equally. By measuring engagement levels – whether it was chat activity, Q&A participation, or follow-up connections – we could see which speakers really hit home with our audience. That insight will help us curate an even stronger line-up for next time.

We also sent out a post-event survey to get insights on what worked and what didn’t.

Pro Tip: Don’t just collect data - use it. Apply insights from your event metrics and feedback to optimize every aspect of your next event, from promotion to content and engagement strategies.

What We Learned (and What You Can Take Away)

I’m so thankful that Pallavi convinced us to run our first virtual event with her. They’re definitely not just another checkbox in your marketing strategy – they can be a serious driver of brand awareness, pipeline, and trust if done right. By refining each step, from choosing a high-impact theme to repurposing content long after the event, you can make sure your efforts pay off well beyond the live session.

• Plan smart – Nail your theme, audience, and speakers.
• Engage well – Use interactive formats and pre-recorded sessions.
• Maximize impact – Repurpose content and nurture relationships.

The real key? Treat your event like an ongoing campaign, not a one-and-done initiative. If you continuously iterate, gather insights, and improve, each event will be bigger and better than the last.

Next Steps

So what’s next? If you’re thinking about running your own virtual event, don’t overcomplicate it. Start simple, get clear on your why, and take action.

• Use this playbook as a step-by-step guide to plan your next virtual event.
• Start now – Choose a topic, draft an outreach list, and set a launch date.
• Need help? We’ve put together a course with Pallavi Dhody (who has run 150+ events) showing you how to do it, step-by-step.

Check out the course here.