Virtual Events

Four Virtual Event Scripting Tips That Will Rank Your Event #1

Eventually Learning Team

“Scriptwriting is the toughest part of the whole racket…the least understood and the least noticed.” – Frank Capra.


We've all attended virtual events, webinars, summits, and conferences. Some conferences left a lasting impact on us because of their content, networking, engagement activities and so on, while some events wore us out!

It takes mere seconds for attendees to feel disengaged at a virtual event, resulting in event dropouts. In this case, organizers feel dismayed, and the loss of revenue hits them like a blaring alarm!

What can you do to make attendees feel like they aren't wasting their time at your event? The answer is simple – virtual event ideas that lead to an effective event script and a confident emcee! For example, if your welcome speech starts on the lines of, "According to Merriam Webster, events mean…", the audience will lose interest as soon as the curtains are lifted. Likewise, don't make attendees feel like they are listening to a lecture or a report. Instead, try writing a script in the way you usually speak.

Let’s further understand how you can perfect your virtual event script for the audience to stick around till the end credits start rolling!

Embed the "Most Talked About" Event in Your Speech

As a show presenter, it's your responsibility to understand the event entirely. So, if your event's theme is diversity and inclusivity, you can include a short opening ceremony that invites successful entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds!

Also, did you observe how the Ukraine-Russia conflict and even the 'Black Lives Matter' (BLM) movement impacted events? Event Tech companies like Splash even offered their platform to companies helping Ukraine for free. As a host, you should embed integral information that the audience will relate to and empathize with.

54% of global employees believe that their CEOs should publicly address important political and social issues they care about. (Edelman Trust Barometer)

You can even theme the entire event script based on recent trends, international events, geopolitical incidents, sustainability, climate change, etc. As a B2B virtual event organizer in 2022, you shouldn't opt for neutrality! Addressing social issues that don't impact your business directly can make your event enjoyable. For example, O8, a digital marketing solutions agency, co-hosted a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion in their business, showing solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Sprinkle Ample Interesting Bits in Your Narration

Since your event is virtual, you will have to keep a schedule that helps attendees relax from the conference's main themes. Here is where your event emcee can come in! With your show's host, you can establish your event as a platform where attendees can spark exciting conversations or participate in activities of common interest.

For instance, Broadwayplus is a virtual platform that offers exclusive group experiences with famous Broadway personalities. In addition, it offers dance lessons, Q&A sessions and even virtual concerts! Even conglomerates like Microsoft, J.P. Morgan, Google and Morgan Stanley have used Broadwayplus to provide their employees with an entertaining experience. Similarly, you can host a virtual event segment with a surprise celebrity appearance to host fun breakout sessions to engage off-site audiences.

Invite Your Stakeholders for Some 'Stage Time'

Various stakeholders, including speakers, sponsors, and vendors, are present in a virtual event. Usually, an event host welcomes and introduces all sponsors, speakers and keynote addresses based on the event schedule. It goes like, "We would like to thank XYZ company for sponsoring...." But if this is how you are doing it, you've already lost the attention of your attendees! So why not make announcements engrossing? The best way to spice up your virtual event script would be to let your attendees see the face behind the brand!

Weave in bits about your sponsors and other clients to invite them on stage and say a word or two. You can allow your sponsors to build their own event personas or avatars before taking the virtual stage to make it more engaging.

Consider this, if the energy drink company Monster Energy were to sponsor an event, as a host, you can organize a contest that lets a representative from the company take the stage to host the game and send customized product goodie bags to the winners or even virtual merchandise!

Fun Fact: At the AT&T awards dinner, the show's host ran commercial breaks to showcase retro advertisements created by the company in the 1970s to 1990s era. This kept the attendees amused and immediately captured their attention. It's time for you to try something similar at your next virtual event!

Excite Attendees by Providing an Opportunity to Shine in the Spotlight

Even your event attendees have stories to tell! You can conduct fun 'Coffee' or 'Cocktail' interview sessions virtually with your audience. This way, attendees can interact with you one-on-one and share their experiences. Activities like this will help attendees network better at your events. In addition, they can have their 'Wow' moment by sharing the Spotlight with you!

For example, in 2012, at the AT&T event, Andy Saks conducted offbeat sideline interviews with the resellers present at the program. He asked them about their sales techniques and prowess, which gave attendees a golden chance to share their experiences.

We know it's hard to measure the impact of your speech at a virtual event. However, experimenting with imaginative ideas like the ones mentioned above will surely boost registrations for your future events.

Frequently Asked Questions


How to craft an introduction for your event speech?

Here are a few tips for writing a good introduction for an event speech:
  • Greet the attendees with enthusiasm
  • Try being straightforward instead of beating around the bush and using unnecessary suspense elements
  • Introduce yourself with a fun backstory
  • Share background details to establish credibility
  • Explain the agenda and objective of the event
  • Address common audience concerns or questions right from the beginning


How do you format your event script before the big day?

Tips for formatting your event emcee speech before the big day are:
  • Highlight cues even for the unspoken details like sponsor presentations, virtual breaks and so on
  • Write production cues that tell you when background music will go live or when a logo is going to be displayed
  • Make sure to write the names of all media files to deliver impromptu punch lines after a presentation
  • Try color-coding important anecdotes to remember where you have to modulate your voice or introduce a delegate
  • Write phonetic spellings of difficult words to avoid fumbling on the final day of the event


What are some communicational aspects virtual event presenters should steer away from?

A strict no-no list for virtual event show hosts is:
  • Don’t use regional slang as the global audience tuning in for the event won’t be able to understand it
  • Don’t use acronyms while explaining critical terms
  • Don’t use a lot of numbers, data or statistics that will be difficult for the audience to comprehend in one go

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