Virtual event platform requirements: what to ask for
Your committee wants a virtual or hybrid element, and the first supplier calls have each described a different set of features.
The short answer
Write requirements as what your event must be able to do, not as a list of features, then ask each supplier to confirm in writing how their platform meets each one. Anything the supplier cannot confirm stays a question, and you should not assume it from a brochure.
The organiser or planner does not supply the platform or the streaming service. The coordination job is to define the need, collect comparable answers and check them against the programme.
Start from the programme, not the product
List what attendees, speakers and the organiser need to do: watch live, ask questions, join a breakout, view slides, rewatch afterwards. Mark which are essential and which are nice to have.
Use the hybrid format pages to decide which experiences belong online and which on-site before you write requirements.
Requirement groups and questions for the supplier
| Group | What your event needs | Question to ask the supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | Expected virtual audience, peak joining time | What audience size does your confirmed plan support, and on what evidence? |
| Roles | Hosts, speakers, moderators, staff, attendees | Which roles exist, and what can each do? See access permissions. |
| Interaction | Questions, polls, chat, breakouts | Which are included, and how are they controlled by a moderator? |
| Content | Slides, video, remote speakers | How are slides and video shared, and what are the file requirements? |
| Access and language | Captions, language needs, assistive use | What accessibility information does the vendor publish, and who confirms it for our use? See caption delivery. |
| Security and privacy | Registered access, link control, data held | Where is attendee data stored, who can see it, and how long is it kept? Ask for the written policy. |
| Recording and replay | Capture, storage, replay window | Who owns the recording, where is it stored and for how long? |
| Support | Pre-event testing, live support | What testing and live support is included in the quoted scope, and in which hours? |
| Reporting | Attendance and engagement data | What data can be exported and in what form? |
Verify against vendor documentation
Platform behaviour changes. Ask the supplier for the current documentation or a written confirmation, and note the date you received it. Do not state in your own materials what a platform does unless you have read the vendor's documentation.
Include a short rehearsal on the actual platform in your acceptance criteria, using your real roles and content, not the supplier's demo.
Compare suppliers fairly
- Send every supplier the same requirements list and programme summary.
- Ask for answers in a table, with "included", "extra cost" or "not supported" for each line.
- Mark every answer that is a promise to confirm later as open.
- Use the RFP completeness checker to see which mandatory items are still missing before comparing prices.
Questions the committee should expect
- What happens if the platform has a problem during the keynote?
- Who is the named contact on the day, and how do we reach them?
- What do attendees need on their side, such as browser or device?
- Who is responsible for testing speakers' connections?
- What is the cut-off date for changes to roles and content?
Worked example · Fictional example
A professional body planning a hybrid annual meeting
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
A fictional institute expects about 120 people on-site and perhaps 200 online for a half-day annual meeting with a members' vote. Their requirements list marks live viewing, moderated questions, a vote and a replay for 30 days as essential; breakout rooms are optional.
Three suppliers answer the same list. One confirms the vote is supported but leaves replay duration "to be confirmed". The secretariat records that as open, asks for the supplier's documentation and a rehearsal date, and does not shortlist until both arrive.
Use this yourself
Virtual platform requirements and supplier questions
Copy this into a table or spreadsheet and send it to each supplier. Add your own rows for your event.
- Expected virtual audience (range) and peak joining time:
- Roles needed (host, speaker, moderator, staff, attendee):
- Interaction needed (questions, polls, chat, breakouts) and which are essential:
- Slides, video and remote speaker needs:
- Caption or language needs and how they will be supplied:
- Registered access needed and how links are controlled:
- Where attendee data is held, who sees it and for how long:
- Recording ownership, storage and replay window:
- Pre-event testing and rehearsal on the actual platform (dates):
- Live support included, hours and named contact:
- Data export after the event:
- Items the supplier has only promised to confirm later (list with dates):
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A single supplier is already contracted and you are checking fit.
- The virtual element is small, such as one livestreamed session.
- You have someone who can read vendor documentation and attend a test.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several suppliers must be compared on the same footing.
- The virtual element carries a vote, payment or confidential content.
- You need a requirements list that finance, IT and the committee will all accept.
Want the requirements written and compared?
A conference project lead can turn your programme into a requirements list, collect comparable written answers from platform suppliers, keep the open questions visible and run the acceptance rehearsal with you. The project lead coordinates the process; the platform and technical service stay with the supplier you choose.
Questions organisers ask
Should we pick the platform before the programme is set?
Choose the experiences first, then the platform. Otherwise the tool shapes the programme without anyone deciding that it should.
Do we need IT involved?
Yes, for security, data and network questions. Bring IT into the review of supplier answers rather than the start of the programme.
Can we rely on a vendor's website for features?
Treat it as a starting point. Ask for written confirmation for your event, and rehearse on the real configuration.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.