How to Organize a Virtual Conference

While not every conference translates well to an online format, there are situations where it's the perfect choice: cheaper, faster, and more accessible. Over the years, we've supported organizers in delivering dozens of such events. What worked? What didn’t? And what turned out to be critical for success? Here's what we’ve learned.

Online doesn’t mean “low-effort”

Online removes many logistical barriers (travel, venue, catering), but it doesn’t relieve the organizer of responsibility for quality. Attendees sitting at home or in the office are just one click away from YouTube—or one glance from real-life distractions. If you don’t capture their attention, they’ll drift off.

That’s why it’s important to ensure:

• a professional broadcast (quality audio and lighting),
• an agenda structure tailored to the online format (shorter sessions, breaks, variety),
• clear messages and reminders (e.g. an SMS with the link 10 minutes before the event).

Not everything can be fixed “live”

One of the biggest traps of online events is assuming everything can be set up an hour before going live. It can’t. The most successful events were rehearsed in advance—with all speakers, on the same equipment, in the same network as the live event.

If a speaker struggles with the tech, it’s often better to pre-record their session and bring them in live just for Q&A. And make sure to record the event—it’s a great benefit for no-shows or premium access after the event.

Good preparation still makes a difference

The best-run events shared these traits:

• technical rehearsals days in advance (including mics, webcams, browsers, internet),
• clear instructions for speakers – what’s in the frame, how to sit, where to look,
• bite-sized knowledge – instead of a 6-hour stream on Saturday, five 1-hour sessions spread across the week.

This approach increases engagement and helps participants absorb the content more effectively.

Attendee registration – still essential

We no longer offer a built-in streaming platform, but we continue to support organizers of online and hybrid events where it matters most:

• attendee registration,
• segmented communication,
• automated reminders and payment system integrations,
• attendance reports and certificate generation.

All of this is still fully supported in CONREGO – whether your event is offline, online, or somewhere in between.

Experience teaches simplicity

You don’t need to have it all to organize a good online event. You just need to focus on what matters. Instead of building a custom platform from scratch, combine tools that already work: your favorite streaming provider + registration with CONREGO + communication via email or SMS.

That combination has worked for hundreds of events—and it still does.

Our experience

The article Case Study: Galderma Webinar tells about one of the first online conferences we helped manage.

Tomasz Chrościechowski