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  • 1.  Using the Speaker Resource Center to the Fullest

    Posted 07-07-2021 10:33

    Hi community members! For this edition of Tip of the Week, we're covering some need-to-know steps to use your Speaker Resource Center to the fullest.

    You may be familiar with Abstract Management, where you are collecting your call for speakers and proposals, but what happens after those submissions are approved and you're ready to begin coordinating the agenda and working with the speakers? The Speaker Resource Center gives you the space to efficiently manage all speakers, assign tasks and track their progress, check in and send updates through email communications, and report on all of this information.

    • Milestone Steps:
      • Add the speakers first to your Flex registration event. This allows your speaker information to sync between the Speaker Resource Center and your event. If you have more than just a couple speakers, we'd recommend importing them to save you time.
      • Add your tasks that you need the speakers to complete on their own. These can be required or not required, specific to only some speakers or certain sessions, and even include file uploads. Some common tasks we see are fill out the speaker profile (name, bio, headshot, etc.), book your travel, upload your content outline/storyboard, and upload your final presentation. These are completely customizable and open to what you need from your speakers. Remember, this is here to save you time, so think of those tasks that you used to manually email or call your speakers for and have to track them down. These may also differ depending on your event format (virtual, hybrid, in-person), so get creative with these!
        • Tasks will have due dates and the speakers can check them off when complete, allowing the speakers to have their own effective to-do list and schedule, while also allowing you to see who is on track and who may need a nudge.
      • Send the speaker invitation email. This will notify your speakers to log in, see the list of tasks we just mentioned, browse their sessions, and complete their profile and information.

    • Additional Steps:
      • Is there a final date you need all of your speaker information and content? Set a close date for the Resource Center site to prevent anyone from making updates after its past your deadline.
      • Control what your speakers can and cannot edit. Should they have the ability to edit everything? Then you can allow them to update their profile and session – but don't worry, you can require planner approval if needed. Otherwise, you can limit the ability to edit those functions.
      • Use the Home Page to display any general instructions, as this is where they will be directed before they log in or register for the event.
      • Use the Speaker Questionnaire to ask specific questions to your speakers. Similar to your tasks, this is completely customizable and should be used to its fullest. Consider different questions may be needed for a virtual speaker compared to an in-person speaker.
      • Add custom pages as you get closer to the event. If you are hosting your event in a virtual format, add instructions to log in to the platform and helpful troubleshooting tips. If you are hosting your event in-person, add travel/hotel information, dress code, or other onsite necessities.
      • Make sure your speakers feel prepared – send them custom emails with any extra information you think they may need. Or if you just added a custom page, send them an email letting them know to check it out. You can also share virtual session details directly through their session in the Resource Center.
      • Keep your speakers informed, and save you from receiving an extra email – share the Session Attendance and Session Feedback Summary reports through the Resource Center.

    Questions for You:

    • How has using the Speaker Resource Center saved you time while managing your events?
    • How have you used the Speaker Resource Center differently when managing a virtual-format event compared to an in-person format event?
    • If you have hosted a hybrid event with virtual and in-person speakers, share some tips with your peers below!

    Let us know below! #CventTip


    #ManagingOn-site
    #ManagingVirtualEvents
    #ExecutingStrategicMeetingsManagement

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    Danni Czark
    Senior Associate, Online Community Marketing
    Cvent
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  • 2.  RE: Using the Speaker Resource Center to the Fullest

    Posted 07-08-2021 08:04

    HI Danielle 

    Thank you for this post.

    I am currently using the Speaker Resource Center for the first time. While it was easy to set-up, there was a bit of a learning curve to retrain my folks how to use it. 

    I do like that all the info is in one place - but I do have two suggestions to make this better for event planners. 

    1. Better reporting - The current options are a bit cumbersome in my opinion & require a lot of customization to make them fully optional in my case.

    2. Planner Alerts - it would be super nice if I could set it so that Cvent sent me an alert each time a speaker uploaded a file or completed a task. Right now, I have to manually check each day for the updates. 

    Thank you for brining this topic up. I look forward to hearing and learning more about this. 

    Take care.



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    Kathryn Atkinson
    Manager | Meetings & Events
    North Carolina Academy Of Family Physicians
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  • 3.  RE: Using the Speaker Resource Center to the Fullest

    Posted 07-08-2021 11:10
    I'm a big fan of the Speaker Resource Center!
    It's so helpful to have one location for my speakers to go for information and download their templates and other guides. It saved me a lot of time being able to have our speakers access their bios from the system and edit them right in the SRC. Previously I would have to email those out to folks. It was also helpful that they can access their session links (including our rehearsal links) and later their feedback and other reports. 

    My speakers did have some confusion about the SRC and the Hub though, and several commented that they wish they didn't have to access two separate sites with different logins. 

    I agree with Kathryn, that planner alerts would be really helpful. I did notice a few items that I wish I could do in the Hub and added that list to the Ideas forum.

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    Ginger Swart
    Training Program Coordinator
    Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.
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  • 4.  RE: Using the Speaker Resource Center to the Fullest

    Posted 07-08-2021 17:09
    In addition to Kathryn and Ginger's comments, I can confirm that several speakers were confused between the two and assumed that when they had 'registered' in the speaker center, they were automatically registered for the event. Since that's not the case, it caused some confusion (and rambling). 

    It would also be great if the tasked were automatically marked as completed as the speakers perform them. Most failed to go back to their checklist and check the boxes so the coordinator has to go back and check against each speaker check list. 

    Other than that and the learning curve, it is definitely a great addition! Thanks!

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    Sophie Pierronnet
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Using the Speaker Resource Center to the Fullest

    Posted 11-23-2021 08:15
    I started using SRC earlier this year and now I wonder why I waited so long.  Although it does require some customization to improve flow and ease of use for speakers, it saves me time from inputting all of the individual speaker details.  Uploading sessions and speakers is a big time saver, whether it's used for an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event.

    As suggested in previous posts, planner notifications and automatic completion of tasks would be great!

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    Heather A. Darrow
    Conference Coordinator
    Cornell University - Department Of Animal Science
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