810 From Vegas to Virtual: Transforming a Sales Conference

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810 From Vegas to Virtual Transforming a Sales
Conference

• Jill Guardia and Sharon Smith, Global Sales
  Readiness
• Symantec Corporation
• November 10, 2009

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810 From Vegas to Virtual

• 810 From Vegas to Virtual Transforming a Sales
  Conference
• Jill Guardia, Symantec
• Sharon Smith, Symantec

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Case Study

• How we got to Virtual
• Event Summary
• What we learned
• Questions

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Getting to Virtual

• Annual Global Face-to-Face Sales and Marketing
  Kickoff
• Approx 5000 participants
• 3 full days plus side meetings
• Corporate Messages / GEO BU component /
  Training / Networking
• 2008-9 Economic Climate / Evaluation of spend
  priorities
• Willingness to consider alternatives
• Basic criteria
• Global delivery
• Feel of a unified event
• Video-based Corporate and GEO / BU sessions with
  QA
• Training sessions (Live and on-demand) with QA
• Translation
• Opportunity for networking

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The Event
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The Event

• Global Sales and Marketing Team participation
• 2 Days
• Live and on-demand replay options
• Enterprise Keynotes Live Video Broadcast from
  studio
• Broadcast 1.75 hr CEO and Sales Leader Kickoff
  Address (Live QA w/replay) x3
• Broadcast 1.75 hr GEO All-hands Address (Live QA
  w/replay)
• Consumer Keynotes Live Video Broadcast from
  studio
• Broadcast 1.5 hr CEO and Consumer Leader Kickoff
  Opening Session
• Broadcast 1.5 hr Sales and Mktg Global Leader
  All-hands Session
• Live and On-demand training offerings (studio and
  remote)
• 3 unique training sessions repeated live for GEO
  convenience
• 6 Scheduled live Group chats/Ask the Experts
• Audio translation in Japanese, Mandarin and
  Korean

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What we learned

• Utilize virtual medium again
• Worthwhile technology investment for
  communicating and delivering strategic alignment
  to an extended team significant value for price
  point
• Industry and technology evolving. Need to
  network with colleagues and vendors to stay
  current.
• One size will likely not fit all organizational
  requirements.
• Support both virtual and face-to-face event
  strategy
• Virtual does not replace live face-to-face event
• Infrastructure improvements could benefit
  multiple event efforts
• Biggest lesson learned - more time and resources
  needed for planning and executing
• More time for planning, customization, content
  development, and testing
• Strong planning partnerships with internal and
  vendor technical teams required

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Recommended Timeline 7 months
Assumes event specifications determined and
vendor research has been completed.
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Questions / Comments / Feedback ?