Creating the Run of Show for your Virtual Event

Posted by Ella Jacques on 11 April 2021

Our recommendation for your Virtual Run of Show is as follows:

•    Start by welcoming your guests and providing information on how the event will work. Be sure to mention the fundraising website and encourage them to register if they have not already done so.
•    Next, show content to demonstrate the importance of your organization and mission. This is your opportunity to set the tone before fundraising begins.
•    Remind your guests they can bid on auction items throughout the event and mention the auction close time. You could have a dedicated moment to celebrate some ‘star items’ within the silent auction to give these a little push. 
•    Include your most emotive piece prior to your biggest fundraising moment. 
•    Host a pledge moment / fund a need, this is a key element of any successful fundraising event.
•    Don’t be afraid to have a little fun! While your mission is serious, your guests want to have a good time. Inject humour where you can and provide entertainment. 
•    Save entertainment towards the end! It is important to focus on fundraising while your audience is most engaged.
•    And then end with your outro video, this is often a video with scrolling credits. 

Two very important elements to consider it the time to host your event and the length of your event. We have found the best time is between 7-8pm. It’s not like a live event where people have childcare etc and they are unlikely to stay up very late. Some people will watch this on their TV for all their family to enjoy, so this is the perfect after dinner time for all the family to watch. 

Keep it short! Think of your event as a Netflix show, 45 minutes is the sweet spot to keep guests engaged from start to finish. Anything much later than that, we find a drop of guests as they begin to get fatigued. I have been on many virtual events and 45 mins in and they still haven’t asked to give a single £ so I really encourage you to introduce your fundraising from the start.

Your Client Service Manager (CSM) will share a working project plan once booked with us. At the end of this you will see our example Run of Show. Take a look at our tips for creating this below:



Layouts for content

Your content will all be displayed in the large box on your website. Within this box, we can be flexible on the layout. The main content will fill this area and we can then overlay secondary content over this, ie. the live as the main content and a totaliser overlaid in the bottom left, or the leaderboard as the main content and the live host bottom right. The Production Specialist will overlay the content in the most suitable place. See screenshots below: 

Ella Jacques

Global Client Services Manager at Givergy

Ella heads up the global Fundraising & Events team. A key part of Givergy’s growth for four years, Ella has a passion for event planning and ensuring her and her teams’ clients exceed their fundraising targets. Furthermore, Ella’s exposure to some of the highest-profile fundraising events gives her a unique insight into the newest and most innovative way in which charities are engaging with their audiences.