Hosting a Webinar? Here’s What to Do Before, During, and After the Event

Webinars have become more common in the past few years as more professionals and companies have started working remotely and maintaining flexible work arrangements. As such, it’s safe to say that virtual events are here to stay. After all, these enable businesses and professionals to interact with more people from different regions and easily market new products and services globally. Webinars are also starting to feel more like in-person events thanks to the use of emerging technologies like augmented reality. It’s thus no surprise that the market for virtual events is valued at $78.53 billion (C$104.99 billion), with North America having the highest demand for it in the world.

Though it can benefit your business despite its remote nature, a webinar can only be successful if it’s hosted properly. If you want to host better webinars, here are some things to do before, during, and after the event:

Before The Webinar

Polish your outline

To familiarize yourself with the program’s flow, prepare an outline of the webinar. This should indicate the entire agenda, include bullet points of what you need to discuss during specific segments, and highlight important details you need to remember—such as a speaker’s credentials. For the best effect, be sure to practice your role throughout the outline before hosting the webinar itself. Familiarize yourself with correctly pronouncing names when you speak about a certain topic or activity, and eliminate the “uhms” and “errs” you may say in between sentences. That way, you can improve your tone, liveliness, and speed for a smoother hosting experience.

Set up an efficient hosting environment

An efficient hosting environment will minimize interruptions, especially if you live in a busy household or neighborhood. Move to a quiet area far from people and vehicles to reduce noise. Check if your lighting is sufficient to illuminate your face so webinar attendees can see you clearly. Next, ensure your desk is ready so you don’t have to adjust your space and disrupt the webinar as you host. Keep your headphones, mouse, and keyboard close by. If you need to, use a laptop stand to prop your laptop (and the event’s attendees) to eye level so you can ensure consistent eye contact for engagement and stay comfortable even amid longer webinars. Logitech’s Casa Pop-Up Desk is an excellent choice for this, which comes with everything from a laptop stand and a wireless keyboard to a tracking pad.

Make yourself look professional

According to the LEMP article “Dressing Etiquette for Webinars,” donning the proper attire will establish your credibility and authority as a host. That can help you maintain audience engagement and respect throughout the webinar. When it comes to clothing, wear a plain shirt—preferably with a collar—so you look sharp and polished, and iron it beforehand to get rid of wrinkles. However, avoid wearing distracting patterned fabrics, especially if you’re using a virtual background for the webinar. If you need vision correction, make sure you get prescription glasses with a simple design and color, like rectangular or round shapes with plain black or metal frames, for a more professional look. If you are wearing headphones, ensure you get headset-compatible glasses like the Versace VE3293 or Oakley OX5152 Wire Tap 2.0, which have thin arms that can fit snugly under the earpads. Finally, keep makeup light and ensure it focuses on areas that can appear pale on screen, like your cheeks. Apply blush and lipstick for a lively look that is perfect for a webinar host. However, avoid shimmery makeup that can make unflattering light bounce off your face.

During The Webinar

Bring your personality to your hosting responsibilities

Attendees would enjoy watching and listening to someone engaging and relatable. Otherwise, they may not stay for the whole event if you’re monotonous. After introducing your background, credentials, and expertise, ask the attendees questions, like what they know about the webinar’s topic or things they’re hoping to learn from the event. You can also give your own answers as examples so they’re compelled to share their own. That way, participants will be more interested in the webinar’s topic and potentially remain just as engaged in the event as it goes on.

Boost attendees’ participation and engagement

Some attendees may still hesitate to participate when the main event starts—like when a speaker gives a presentation or hosts an activity. Since it’s a virtual event, they may be less interested in sharing ideas with strangers or communicating with fellow attendees. To address this, make your virtual event more engaging by gamifying participation. Turn interactions into a scorable system, where they can win things like gift certificates or extra entries for raffle prizes at the end of the event. This interactivity can encourage them to answer questions and share their insights throughout the webinar more frequently.

After The Webinar

Distribute post-webinar surveys

There’s always room for improvement, especially when hosting virtual events. After it’s over, release a survey asking the attendees what they liked about the event and if they have any suggestions and tips for upcoming webinars. This gives you an idea of what you should continue doing as the host, what you need to improve, and what practices you should stop doing altogether. You can send a link to the survey in the webinar chat before people leave, post it on your website, or email it to confirmed attendees.

Make the webinar available after the event

Although webinars are live events, many attendees (and non-attendees) will appreciate having access to the program. This can help them review some points, take notes, or use the webinar for future reference. Upload the recorded webinar on your website or platforms like YouTube. You can also send the attendees a link via email so they’re notified that they can access the webinar for personal use.


Hosting a webinar takes a lot of work and professionalism. By following these tips, you can be a better and more engaging host for your next virtual event.

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