A welcome speech for an international webinar welcomes all audiences, wherever they are in the world, to an engaging and informative online session.
Giving a speech for an international webinar can be exciting and nerve-wracking. Of course, you want to make a great first impression. But you also don’t want to overwhelm your audience with too much information.
So, what can you do to ensure the incredible success of your welcoming speech?
Quick Answer: How to Write a Welcome Speech
Follow this structure when writing a welcome speech:
- Begin with a warm greeting.
- Introduce yourself and your role in the webinar.
- State the webinar’s purpose.
- Acknowledge guests and key speakers.
- Provide a short overview of the session.
- End with a heartfelt closing statement.
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1. Open with a Warm and Engaging Greeting
When giving a welcome speech, it’s always essential to start with a few pleasantries. Saying your greetings shows respect to your audience and sets the tone for the rest of the speech.
In some Asian countries, for example, it’s customary to bow when greeting someone. At the United Nations, delegates from all over the world shake hands when they meet.
No matter the culture, taking a moment to say hello goes a long way toward making everyone feel at ease. And by greeting your participants in a culturally appropriate way, you show that you value their traditions.
With that, here are some ways to say “hello” in various countries around the world.
| Countries | Greetings |
| United States | Hello or Hi |
| France | Bonjour |
| Spain | Hola |
| Germany | Hallo |
| Italy | Ciao |
| Japan | Konnichiwa |
| China | Ni hao |
| Russia | Zdravstvuite |
| India | Namaste |
| Philippines | Kumusta |
So whether you’re giving a speech to your classmates or business people, start with a warm hello. It’ll go a long way towards making your audience feel welcome.
2. Introduce Yourself and Key Participants
As for the opening remarks, introducing yourself, and any seminar delegates is vital, although it may seem like a minor detail.
By taking the time to do this, you help create a sense of community and belonging among the participants. Plus, it helps set the tone for the rest of the seminar.
For example, you’re giving a talk at educational institutions. Introducing yourself as one of the respected teachers helps establish credibility. You can say, “My name is [your name], and I’ll be your host for today.”
But if it’s an informal event, you could say, “Dear colleagues, it’s a great pleasure to attend today’s seminar!” Doing so helps create a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Also, introducing yourself and your co-speaker—
- Sets the tone for the rest of the speeches
- Helps the audience understand your credentials
- Allows you to establish rapport with the audience
- Allows you to make an excellent first impression and get the audience on your side from the start
3. State the Purpose of the Event
Introducing the objectives of the webinar at the start is an integral part of a welcome speech. It orients participants to the webinar coverage and why each one is crucial and relevant.
Likewise, it builds credibility by providing an overview of the topics. It also reinforces the purpose of attending the webinar.
All these factors combined create a more engaged and attentive audience, leading to a more successful webinar.
Here’s an example for this part.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our webinar on “Sustainable Development Goals!” My name is Lara, and I will be your speaker today.
Our objectives for this webinar are threefold:
- To provide an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals
- To discuss how you can implement the Sustainable Development Goals in the workplace
- To answer any questions you may have about the Sustainable Development Goals
So, without further ado, let’s begin this webinar.
4. Acknowledge and Thank Key People
Just like in a church fundraising event or a wedding welcome speech, you should also acknowledge your distinguished guests and give them a warm welcome as part of your opening remarks. Say their names and titles, if applicable, and thank them for the hard work and dedication they poured into the event.
5. Outline the Key Points
Outlining the key points of the upcoming discussion is part of writing a welcome speech. Doing so ensures everyone in the audience understands the webinar’s coverage clearly.
Besides that, you can keep the discussion on track in your respective fields. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your outline:
- Introduce the topic of the discussion. Give a quick overview of what you will cover.
- Identify the key points you’ll be covering in more detail. You’ll want to focus on these points during your speech.
- Provide a summary of each key point. Doing so will orient everyone and give a better understanding of the discussion.
- End with a call-to-action or a question for further discussion. This step will engage the audience and ensure everyone takes something away from the experience.
6. State the Date, Time, and Duration of the Webinar
Date, time, and duration let your attendees know when they need to be available. It also ensures that everyone is on the same page and knows how long the webinar will be.
By providing this information upfront, you can avoid confusion or frustration later. Additionally, stating these details in your welcome speech shows you’re an organized person.
More than that, it can instill confidence in your attendees. And it can encourage them to participate actively in the webinar.
Ultimately, including this crucial information sets the tone for an informative webinar.
To better understand it, here’s an example.
Hi everyone! Thanks for joining us today for our webinar on personal development.
Before we start, I want to let you know we’ll record this webinar. That said, it will be available on our website to watch later if you can’t make it today.
Also, I wanted to remind everyone that we will take questions at the presentation’s end. You can type your queries into the chat box, and we’ll answer as many as possible at the end.
Finally, I want to let you know that this webinar will last about 45 minutes, and we’ll be starting right on time at 2:00 pm EST.
7. Provide a Brief Overview of the Topics
There are various issues to cover in your webinar. And it can be helpful to provide a brief overview of these topics in your welcome speech.
This way, your audience will better understand what you will discuss. Likewise, it sets the stage for the rest of your speech and ensures your audience can follow along and understand the main points of your talk.
What’s more, is that it—
- Helps to ensure that everyone in the audience is on the same page
- Provides a roadmap for the rest of the speech and can help keep the speaker on track
- Gives the audience a hint of what they can expect to learn from the speech
Here’s an example.
Hello everyone!
Thank you for joining us here today. We gather to celebrate the importance of health, natural resources, and free expression. These are all essential components of a happy and productive life.
The importance of good health is something that we can all appreciate. A healthy body allows us to do the things we love and enjoy life to the fullest.
Of course, our natural resources are another vital part of a happy life. We need clean air and water to breathe and drink. Likewise, we need healthy plants and animals to provide us with sustenance.
Then, our freedom of expression is essential for a thriving democracy. And it’s something that we should all work hard to protect.
Thank you for joining us today. I hope you will take away some valuable insights as we go through our webinar to help you live a happier life.
8. Highlight How Participants Can Benefit from Attending the Webinar
It’s always a good idea to remind participants what they will get from the webinar. Doing so creates anticipation and excitement among the audience. It also helps increase attendance rates.
Highlighting webinar benefits also ensures attendees get the most out of the experience.
There are many different ways in which participants can benefit from a webinar. For example, they may learn new skills or gain accent improvement in new areas of their industry. They may also have the opportunity to talk with other professionals. Or they can discuss important topics related to their field.
Of course, you can also provide other materials, such as handouts and slides. Participants can use these materials to follow along during the webinar.
9. Thank Participants for Their Time
Thanking participants for their time is a critical element of any welcome speech. It’s a way to show your appreciation for their attendance. And it also sets the tone for the rest of the event.
By thanking participants, you’re signaling that you value their input. Plus, it shows that you want to create a positive, constructive environment.
To thank participants effectively, you need to speak in a conversational tone. Avoid sounding too formal or scripted. Just be polite and sincere, and take a moment to address each person in the room.
Here are some examples of things you might say:
- “Thank you all for coming today. I appreciate your time and your participation.”
- “Thank you for being here. I know this is an important issue, and I’m glad we have such a passionate group of people working on it.”
- “Thanks again for coming. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas.”
10. Remind Participants to Use the Webinar Hashtag During the Event
Using a designated hashtag will put all the discussions from your webinar in one place. This way, it will be easy for participants to reference later.
In the same way, it can be great for marketing purposes. For example, you can include Twitter handles for all the speakers. Then, your followers who couldn’t attend the live event can still see what they missed. It will also create a buzz within the industry.
11. Conclude with a Strong Closing Statement
Wrap up the webinar welcome address with a short, emotional ending. You can say, “Let’s make this event memorable!” or any other similar phrase to begin the event formally.
Webinar Speech Example
Read this example of a good welcome speech below:
Hello everyone!
Thank you for joining us here today. We gather to celebrate the importance of health, natural resources, and free expression. These are all essential components of a happy and productive life.
The importance of good health is something that we can all appreciate. A healthy body allows us to do the things we love and enjoy life to the fullest.
Of course, our natural resources are another vital part of a happy life. We need clean air and water to breathe and drink. Likewise, we need healthy plants and animals to provide us with sustenance.
Then, our freedom of expression is essential for a thriving democracy. And it’s something that we should all work hard to protect.
Thank you for joining us today. I hope you will take away some valuable insights as we go through our webinar to help you live a happier life.
Access all the resources you need for your webinar here.
Tips for Success When Delivering Your Speech
Delivering a welcome message in a virtual event sets the tone for the entire session. Whether you’re introducing special guests or you’re the first speaker, capturing the audience’s attention from the first words of your speech keeps them with you throughout the event.
Make your speech engaging with these tips:
- Keep it short: Don’t burden the audience with too many details or long anecdotes in the introduction. Aim to finish the speech in one to two minutes to create a connection with the audience before the event begins.
- Know your audience: Adjust your use of formal language and tone based on your audience. A casual webinar needs a friendly tone, while corporate events are more structured.
- Smile and maintain eye contact: Even if it’s a virtual event, your body language and expressions matter a lot. Looking at the camera makes your audience think and feel like you’re talking to them.
Example Welcome Speech Opening:
“Good morning, everyone! On behalf of the entire company, I welcome you all to today’s webinar.”
Example Closing Statement:
“We thank you for your time and effort for coming to today’s webinar. Let’s get this exciting session started!”
Keeping your opening remarks confident and concise helps you deliver a memorable speech that brings life to the whole webinar event.
Conclusion
Writing a well-structured welcome speech for an international webinar keeps your audience engaged and ensures the smooth flow of the event. Starting with a warm greeting and outlining the benefits participants will gain from attending sets the stage for a successful webinar.
Even for a virtual event, the first few minutes and words have a significant impact on how engaged your audience will be. After delivering the speech, you can now move on to holding the webinar event.
