How to Design and Scale a Live Virtual Training Program

The Virtual Training Program Blueprint

When the decision to implement a virtual, large-scale training program is made, the project can take on a life of it's own, and wrangling all the moving parts can be daunting. We've seen time and again there are several key components to a well-designed online training program, including:

1. Program Design - End-to-end, customized program design collaboration.
2. Event Production - Process, materials, organization, staffing.
3. Support - Technical and production, resources, tutorials.
4. Standardized Protocols - Established procedures and documentation for every event stage.
5. Scaling the Program - Infrastructure, services, automation.
6. Continuous Improvement - Feedback and analytics.

Let's break these down!

Program Design

The foundation of any successful virtual training program lies in the program's design. Before anything else, the goals, needs, and scope of the training program should be fleshed out and put in place. Define your training objectives, identify your target audience, develop your content to meet their needs, then initiate the event program's design and delivery.   

EventBuilder's approach: The goal for us is to create efficient, high-value event programs, designed to be repeatable without losing quality, and to craft a responsive, friendly, organized attendee experience and set a high standard of service for our customer's training clients. To accomplish this, we assign a dedicated EventBuilder Program Manager to serve as a primary point of contact and trusted advisor. To begin, the Program Manager schedules a "kick-off" call to assess needs, scope, and goals for the program. Our experienced EventBuilder Program Manager meets with our customer one-on-one, digging deep with them to determine goals, strategy, budget, and other aspects of the program's design, including technology, branding, security and compliance requirements, the attendee and presenter experiences, support and training needs, platform integrations, and an implementation timeline.

Event Production

Here's where the program development really makes or breaks your implementation and on-going event success. Constructing the event production process and materials needed lays the groundwork for standardized processes tailored to your program needs, goals, brand, and audience.

EventBuilder's approach: Your dedicated Program Manager guides and sets expectations for the process and implementation. Together, they create and design event and registration page templates, checklists, decide on the security settings, ensure compliance with data and privacy regulations, design attendee and presenter experiences end-to-end, decide on attendee engagement tools, and gather needed materials and assets. Next, they determine staffing, support, and training needs, and decide on an implementation timeline. To meet the goal of efficiency, EventBuilder organizes the program by functions, for example, Production Team, Communications, Event Producers, etc.  

Support

Well-trained moderators, technical support for both presenters and attendees, event staff, and self-serve resources such as a searchable knowledge base and FAQ's are essential elements to your program's support foundation. The initial onboarding and on-going training are equally important for creating and sustaining the framework for meeting the needs of the program's attendees and event organizers. 

EventBuilder's approach - The Program Manager determines staffing needs for both EventBuilder and the customer based on what provides the most value, then determines our capacity and the customer's expected volume. At this stage, support resources are developed, and may include in-call Event Producers for moderation and technical support, extended Customer Care Team hours for live support in multiple time zones, FAQ and Knowledge Base resources for self-service troubleshooting, and establishing an escalation process. Additionally, developing on-going, personalized Presenter Training sessions, performing technical walkthroughs, and event rehearsals ensure consistent, seamless delivery and establishes a clear path for the customer to get their needs met.

Standardized Protocols and Clear Documentation

To achieve efficiency and transparency, standard processes and documentation for each stage of the program is an absolute must. Standard, repeatable protocols ensure streamlined event creation, clearly defined instructions and best practices documentation for interested parties to ensure accuracy and structure are the keys to a stable, reliable program.

EventBuilder's approach: Every step of the way, tasks are documented and a standardized processes for each is put in place. Processes and documentation include: standardized event order forms, turnover time disclosure, disaster recovery and escalation steps, written communications and standard scripts for consistent messaging, and customer reporting requirements, including data and report formats.

Implementing and Scaling Your Program

Implementation time! When rolling out a big program, starting on a smaller scale with a pilot program or progressive roll out provides the opportunity to fix and refine any roadblocks or issues that arise before going global. This is the step for careful attention to details, and the opportunity to catch errors or adjust the program's details.

EventBuilder's approach: It's go time! EventBuilder sets up onboarding, conducts tests for every step of the event lifecycle, and manages technical walk-throughs and event rehearsals to refine the details and implement enhancements. Next, we put all the pieces in place, and follow our customer's lead on how they want to debut the program. Whether they prefer a slower, methodical approach, rolling out the program in segments or launch a short-term pilot plan to test the waters, the implementation is 100% tailored, just like the rest of the program, to our customer's specifications.

Continuous Improvement

Programs like this naturally evolve over time, and the true test of a well-designed online training program is how all the essential elements can adapt to meet growth, changing needs, and technology demands.

EventBuilder's approach: The Program Manager maintains the relationship by checking with the customer regularly, performing on-going needs assessments, and adjusts the program accordingly. We view the documentation as a "living" entity, with the goal of expediting and implementing continual improvements, subsequently communicating and training staff on any changes taking place. The goal is to be nimble, responsive, and adjust as demands, corporate changes, and operational shifts occur.

Let Us Do the Heavy Lifting

EventBuilder's Professional Services team has decades of combined experience in this space. The programs we create and manage are designed to provide value with a strong, steady presence, reliable and responsive support, and withstand corporate shifts without compromising the program's quality. Let's create an amazing, cost-effective and successful virtual training program together. Schedule a strategy session today!