100 best questions to ask guest speakers at a virtual event

Discover the best questions to ask guest speakers at a virtual event so you can lead better conversations and create more valuable content.

Navid Moazzezpar Navid Moazzez·Mis à jour 27 sept. 2026·19 min de lecture·
100 best questions to ask guest speakers at a virtual event

The right questions to ask guest speakers can transform an ordinary online event into an extraordinary one.

I’ve conducted 100’s of impactful interviews with thought leaders at my virtual events over the past decade.

Through this experience, I’ve discovered that thoughtful, strategic questions make all the difference in content quality.

In this guide, I’ll share my proven system for crafting powerful questions that bring out the best from your expert speakers.

Why questions to ask guest speakers matter more than you think

Most virtual event hosts focus on booking impressive speakers. They assume great experts automatically deliver great content.

The truth? Even the most knowledgeable experts need the right questions to truly shine.

After tracking audience engagement across hundreds of online summit sessions, I’ve found that questions determine content quality. Great questions:

  1. Extract unique insights your audience can’t find elsewhere
  2. Create authentic moments that build genuine connection
  3. Deliver practical advice attendees can implement immediately

Pro tip The difference between mediocre and memorable interviews isn’t the guest’s expertise, it’s the host’s questions.

Questions to ask guest speakers: The 4 key elements of exceptional interviews

An attendee once wrote me after watching several of my virtual event interviews:

“I’ve been watching videos from the summit this past week, and you are a skillful interviewer! Here’s what I notice that makes your interviewing so great…”

These four principles will elevate your questions to ask guest speakers:

1. Adopt a humble learner’s mindset

Show genuine interest in what your guest speakers share. This creates an environment where they naturally open up more.

Your role isn’t to showcase your knowledge but to extract valuable insights from your guest. As one attendee noted:

“When the speakers are talking, you show such interest in them that they really get to shine.”

2. Let your guest speakers be the expert

The biggest mistake many hosts make is competing with their guests. They get excited, add their own stories, and inadvertently upstage their interviewee.

Maintain focus on showcasing your guest speaker’s expertise. Ask thoughtful questions, then step back and give them the spotlight.

3. Balance knowledge with curiosity

Research thoroughly, but don’t feel compelled to demonstrate everything you know.

One viewer observed:

You get right to the topic and are knowledgeable about the speaker. At the same time, you don’t draw attention to yourself. It’s like a quiet knowing.

4. Create natural conversational flow

Great interviews feel less like formal Q&A sessions and more like engaging conversations with purpose.

Prepare thoroughly but remain flexible, knowing when to follow an interesting tangent and when to guide the discussion back on track.

Navid Moazzez
@thenavidm

Your job as an event host isn’t to impress the guest with your knowledge. It’s to impress the audience with the value you extract from your guest.

Types of questions to ask guest speakers based on interview format

The questions you ask your guest speakers should align with your interview format.

Here are the main types of virtual event interviews:

1. Teaching / how-to interviews

These interviews focus on practical knowledge transfer where the guest speaker shares specific strategies and tactics. Your questions should guide them through their methodology in a structured way.

Example questions for teaching interviews:

  • “What’s your step-by-step process for [specific outcome]?”
  • “How do you approach [common challenge] differently from others?”
  • “What specific tools make your approach to [task] more effective?”

2. Case study/behind-the-scenes interviews

These interviews reveal real-world implementation of concepts, where the guest speaker walks through actual examples. Your questions should help unpack their process and results.

  • “Can you walk us through how you implemented [approach] for [specific project]?”
  • “What unexpected challenges did you face during this process?”
  • “What results did you achieve, and how did you measure success?”

3. Perspective / insight interviews

These interviews explore deeper thinking on industry trends, where the guest speaker shares unique viewpoints. Your questions should prompt thoughtful analysis.

Example questions for perspective interviews:

  • “How do you see [industry] evolving over the next few years?”
  • “What counterintuitive insight have you gained about [topic]?”
  • “What widely accepted practice in [field] do you believe is ineffective?”