Collaboration in person, whether one-on-one or in a group, is a crucial component of doing business.
For several meetings, activities, and events, successful virtual events—whether it's a webinar, video conference, or live streaming experience—work effectively if in-person participation is not available.
Holding successful virtual events is a completely different situation from hosting physical ones.
There are several advantages to using virtual conference rooms, but only if the gathering is well-organized.
While resources like venue leasing aren't an issue, other issues could occur for which firms aren't ready.
Successful virtual events must be carefully planned and require a great deal of effort just as physical events.
Let’s see how you can host your next successful virtual event!
What Is a Virtual Event?
A virtual event refers to any gathering, conference, meeting, or social gathering that takes place online rather than in a physical location.
It leverages digital platforms and technologies to connect participants from different locations, allowing them to interact, collaborate, and engage in real time.
Virtual events can include webinars, virtual conferences, online trade shows, networking events, workshops, and more.
They provide opportunities for individuals or organizations to connect, share information, showcase products or services, educate, entertain, and foster meaningful connections, all within the virtual space.
Types Of Virtual Events
1. Webinars
Did you know that the conversion rate of a landing page specifically designed for webinars can reach an impressive 51%?
Webinars are online seminars or presentations that allow participants to join remotely and interact with the speaker or panelists.
They are often used for educational purposes, training sessions, product demonstrations, and thought leadership discussions.
A significant majority of marketers, approximately 95%, recognize the importance of webinars in driving their marketing initiatives.
2. Virtual Conferences
Virtual conferences replicate the experience of traditional conferences in a digital format.
They typically feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, exhibitor booths, and interactive elements.
Participants can access content, engage in live chats, and connect with other attendees from anywhere in the world.
3. Online Workshops
Online workshops are interactive sessions where participants learn and acquire specific skills or knowledge in a virtual setting.
They can involve group exercises, practical demonstrations, and hands-on activities facilitated by an instructor or subject matter expert.
4. Virtual Trade Shows
Virtual trade shows bring together exhibitors and attendees in a virtual exhibition hall.
Participants can explore virtual booths, interact with exhibitors, access product information, engage in live chats, and even participate in virtual demonstrations or product launches.
5. Virtual Networking Events
These events aim to facilitate networking and relationship-building in a virtual environment.
They can include virtual speed networking sessions, group discussions, industry-specific meetups, or informal social gatherings that allow participants to connect and interact with each other.
6. Online Panel Discussions
Panel discussions gather a group of experts or industry professionals who share their insights, experiences, and opinions on a specific topic.
Participants can listen to the discussion, ask questions, and engage in dialogue with the panelists.
These are just a few examples of the various types of virtual events that can be hosted online.
The flexibility and accessibility of virtual platforms allow for innovative and customized event experiences tailored to different purposes and audience needs.
Why Virtual Events are Important
Virtual events have grown in popularity, especially after the world was impacted by COVID-19 Pandemic. They’re a great way to reach a wider audience and generate more leads.
Virtual events are highly regarded by organizers for their resilience against pandemics, environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and integral role within the events industry.
In light of this popularity, it is beneficial to understand why virtual events are important and what such events can offer organizations and individuals.
Virtual Events Provide Accessibility to a Wider Audience
A significant majority, accounting for 77.2% of the surveyed individuals, express a preference for virtual events due to their convenient and effortless accessibility.
These events allow you to reach people in your community who might not be able to attend an in-person event.
People with disabilities, parents with young children and those who work during traditional business hours are just some of the groups that would benefit from a virtual event.
Virtual Events Help Stay in Budget
If you have limited funds available for marketing your organization or business, there’s no need for you to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an expensive in-person event when you could host a virtual one for much less!
Having a virtual or hybrid alternative is also advantageous when attendees' travel expenditures are an issue.
Virtual Events Offer Flexibility
Virtual events are flexible because you can schedule them at any time and on any date that works best for you and your audience.
This is especially important if you have an international audience; scheduling your virtual event at a time that works best for everyone ensures that more people will be able to attend without having to take time off work or get permission from their employer.
Increased Attendance Rates
The attendance rates for virtual events are usually higher than those for physical ones because there are fewer limitations regarding who can attend an online event versus a physical one.
The overwhelming majority of respondents, specifically 93.2%, deemed their virtual event successful based on the attendance rate.
How to Hold Successful Virtual Events
Virtual events are a great way to connect with your audience, whether you’re hosting them for your business or for a client.
But virtual events have a reputation for being difficult to put on and even more difficult to get attendees. Here are some tips on how to make your virtual event successful:
Outline Your Clear Goals from the Start
Make sure you understand why you want to host an event before deciding on the finest virtual event platform or arranging the agenda.
A study discovered that individuals who wrote down their goals created a list of actionable steps, and shared weekly progress reports with a friend achieved their goals at a rate of 76%.
This achievement rate is notably 33% higher compared to those who had goals but did not document them.
Make sure the project team as a whole is aware of your objectives by setting SMART targets.
When organizing a virtual event, you should consider the following:
- Will the material be live, on-demand, or a mix?
- Do you have a pre-event guide that covers how to attend sessions, join keynotes, and use communications systems for attendees?
- What are your event's KPIs? Goals may be created around session registration and feedback surveys, even if you might not place as much emphasis on leads generated.
- What happens if there are problems with connectivity?
- Will you charge for admission to your event or grant it for free?
- How long after the event will on-demand sessions be accessible?
- How long will the sessions last?
- What resources will participants have at their disposal to network and make appointments?
Create a Reasonable Timeline
The ideal time frame for an event to launch is 8–10 weeks.
To ensure that you have enough time to plan and advertise your event to your audience, it is strongly advised that you schedule your event far in advance.
Cater to the Time Zones
If your event is going to be held in multiple time zones, make sure that participants will be able to see each other during their allocated times.
For example, if someone from New Zealand is participating in an event held from 9am-5pm EST, then he or she should be able to see everyone else participating in the same event throughout those hours as well.
Aim to Include the Best Speakers
If you want to make your virtual event look professional and well-organized, you need to include the best speakers and presenters possible. They should be experts in their fields and be able to provide valuable insight into the topic at hand. If you can afford it, hiring a celebrity or famous politician for your event can also help attract more attendees.
Invite Your Audience Ahead of Time
You should let people know about your event well in advance so they have time to prepare and plan accordingly. You don't want people showing up at the last minute only to find out that they have no way of participating since they didn't know about it beforehand!
Select the Right Platform
The platform is the foundation of your event. It will dictate how many people can attend, what features are available to attendees and how much it costs.
Here are some factors to consider when selecting a platform:
- Costs: If you're using an online event management tool like Eventbrite, you'll pay a fee for each ticket sold. In addition, event hosts may be charged a fee for using a third-party platform like this one. Whereas Oreed offers a free trial for the basic plan.
- Features: Look for tools that offer live streaming, online registration and other features that will help you run your event smoothly and attract more attendees. Many platforms also offer discounts on increased ticket sales — so make sure to look at those offers before choosing one.
- Security: While most platforms have built-in security features, it's still important to check them out before signing up for an account. If security is a concern for you or your attendees, this step shouldn't be skipped!
- Content delivery options: Can you deliver all or part of your presentation in video format? Does the platform support live video streaming? How about recording video so attendees can watch later? Oreed allows you to share any kind of content you wish to present.
- Participant engagement: Does this platform support polls and surveys? Can participants submit questions or comments during sessions or Q&A periods? Can they participate by sharing photos or videos during breaks? What kind of voting systems are available (e.g., live polling or paper ballots)? Do participants have access to real-time results throughout sessions (e.g., Twitter integration)? Can they interact with each other?
Oreed offers an all-in-one robust online event management platform.It is the only platform that fulfills all of the above requirements.
Sign up for a free trial to try out yourself!
Do Test Runs and Practice Everything
Always plan practise sessions so that the speaker and moderator may get accustomed to the equipment, materials, structure, and procedures of their session.
Too frequently, a lack of planning results in technical problems or scheduling issues with the material.
You and your speaker will feel more confident throughout the session if you have done your test run in advance.
Check your internet connection, speakers, presentation, and graphics before going live.
You should also conduct a run-through with all presenters in the same room where the event will really take place to test lighting and sound.
Plan how you will assist those who encounter technical difficulties.
Design an Immersive Environment for Your Virtual Event
In the case of a physical event, we all know what to anticipate from the moment we enter.
The user interface similarly greatly affects attendance at virtual events. The design must captivate the audience beginning with the landing page, where users make their initial impression and choose whether to continue or not, in order to increase sign-ups.
It is equally important to make sure that your event's atmosphere closely resembles the whole live experience of a real-world event.
Promote Your Event
Virtual gatherings might come across as impersonal, so make sure you take advantage of every chance to showcase and advertise your business.
Promote your event before it happens so people know when and where they can participate in the virtual conference or webinar.
Promote your event before it happens so people know when and where they can participate in the virtual conference or webinar.
Promote your virtual event through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn; as well as through email marketing campaigns; on your website; through Google AdWords ads; on third-party sites like Eventbrite; and in other places where people who could benefit from the information might see it.
According to B2B marketers, their website is the top-performing channel for promoting virtual events, as reported by 80% of respondents. Other commonly utilized channels include email (76%), social media (60%), and partnerships (51%).
Get a Sponsor For Your Event
Getting a sponsor for your event can be a challenge, especially if you're new to the game. But with the right strategy and some help from social media, you can land a great sponsor in no time!
If you need to get a sponsor for your event, there are several ways to do it.
- Find companies that have a presence in your area, such as local banks and retail stores.
- Contact organizations that might be interested in what you're doing. For example, if you're organizing an event to raise money for breast cancer research, try contacting a breast cancer organization or the local chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
- Send out press releases about your event to local newspapers and television stations. Make sure that they include all the details about what your event is all about, who's hosting it and why it will benefit the community.
- Use social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to spread the word about your event and encourage people to attend or donate money to help fund its costs.
Highlight Your Sponsors
Like with a real event, give your sponsors a special space to promote themselves.
To present their company logos, material, or sessions in a virtual setting, you may choose from a variety of possibilities.
This will give off the same effect as if it were an in-person event.
Provide High-Quality Content
Regardless of the kind of event that is being held, content is crucial.
Virtual events were selected by 62% of the respondents primarily for educational or informative purposes.
Your material will serve as the face of your brand throughout a virtual event, whether it takes the form of documents, presentations, or videos.
Make sure that the content of your event is relevant and interesting for the audience. It's important to think about what people want from an event before you start promoting it. If people know what they're going to get from the event, then they'll be more likely to take part.
Participant Engagement at Virtual Events
Participant engagement is a crucial part of any virtual event. The more engaged your participants are, the more effective your event will be. The following are some tips on how to engage your audience:
- Plan ahead
- Keep it simple
- Use visuals and audio
- Interact with your audience
- Offer incentives
Send out a post-event follow up messages
Send out a thank-you message within 24 hours of the event's conclusion. This should include any resources shared during the event and links or instructions on how to access them. You can also ask your audience members if they'd like to be involved in future events.
Send out another thank-you message about a week after the first one went out. Thank people for their feedback and include any new resources that were shared since the first thank-you message went out.
Hold Your Next Virtual Success with Oreed
Choosing the right virtual event platform can be difficult.
Make sure the virtual event provider you choose can meet your needs in order to accomplish the objectives and vision of your company.
Oreed is a single-platform event management system for managing a varied workforce, communicating for event management and marketing, and maintaining event data.
Users may manage many aspects of events using the tool's unified system from a single platform.
Oreed aspires to deliver top-notch virtual events for all audiences with a simple platform that replicates real events through an engaging online experience.
Oreed's array of advanced features and committed support for users worldwide make planning and attending events less difficult.
Oreed is a world leader in virtual events, offering audiences from a variety of industries and places best-in-class virtual event solutions.
With a user-friendly platform that offers an immersive online experience, a number of robust features, and a recognized team of professionals, Oreed is a value-driven substitute for conventional in-person events.
Book a demo today and find out more!
Conclusion:
A substantial proportion, specifically 95.5% of the surveyed individuals, expressed their commitment to include virtual events as an integral part of their events strategy for the next year.
Have you been considering conducting a virtual event? If so, there are a few key things to keep in mind in order to make sure your event is successful.
By following the tips we’ve outlined in this blog post, you can create an engaging and valuable experience for your attendees that will have them coming back for more.
