Although there will always be a place for in-person events, there are instances when your event program requires becoming virtual.
Some of the most effective marketing strategies can be used during virtual events.
In terms of brand exposure, lead generation, and community building, companies are achieving great outcomes.
But there are many types of virtual events and the different types of virtual events all have varied success and benefits depending on who is hosting them and who the audience is.
In this blog post we will be going over the types of virtual events as well as how these types of virtual events can benefit your specific goal.
What is a Virtual Event?
Before we talk about the types of online events it is important to understand what a virtual event is.
The simplest definition of a virtual event is that it is an event that takes place online.
Virtual events are events that may be viewed or attended from any location in the world and are entirely hosted and managed online.
An agenda for virtual events often includes presentation sessions with one or more segments as well as collaborative sessions. All of these sessions are broadcast online.
Virtual Event Types
Virtual events differ in format, audience size, program length and objectives. These factors affect the overall planning and execution of the event.
Below is a rundown of some of the most common types of virtual events that have proven to yield great results for businesses.
Understanding each of the virtual event types is important so that you know which of the types of online events will work best for what your organization is trying to achieve and the specifics of that particular event.
Virtual Conferences
A virtual conference is more than just a basic virtual gathering because it helps organisations develop relationships, generate leads, and raise brand recognition.
Virtual conferences typically last a few days and might feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, instructional sessions, and much more.
A virtual conference is the best option if you want to bring together individuals from various regions who have similar interests and want to learn more about your industry.
Attendees of virtual conferences have the option of participating in events remotely. A virtual conference's keynotes, breakout sessions, panels, and networking activities all take place entirely online.
The conference can have any different components and formats. Such as a breakout video conference room where all attendees can see each other and communicate 1:1 or the ability to passively view a live keynote with a chat window in the sidebar.
Just like an in-person event, virtual conferences do involve extensive coordination. This entails arranging for speakers, scheduling, setting up sessions, and in some other way promoting participant contact.
For multi-day, multi-track annual events that draw a sizable audience and have networking possibilities as well as recorded or live talks, virtual conferences are ideal.
Webinars
Among the most popular virtual events is the webinar (from “web seminar”), which often has one or two speakers from a single firm imparting knowledge and advice on a particular subject with little involvement from the audience.
Because attendees may simply tune in whenever they want to without having to participate, this form of virtual event can reach larger audiences.
They are among the more straightforward virtual events. Webinars are ideal for single-track educational content streaming with little to no participant-host interaction (as opposed to meetings or training sessions). In most webinars, interaction is limited to chatting, taking polls, and submitting questions for a Q&A at the end.
There are several excellent reasons to release a webinar, including product demonstrations, tutorials, lectures, and panel discussions.
The webinar host may also include presentations made with PowerPoint (or a comparable program), websites, and other multimedia.
Additionally, webinars can be delivered live or on-demand, but the latter is much more passive.
Online Workshop and Training
For a business wishing to provide skill-based training without needing to meet in person, online trainings or seminars are perfect.
One of the essential components of these types of virtual events is keeping participants interested by soliciting audience engagement to assess their newly acquired information.
Online workshops function best when there are fewer participants so that everyone has a chance to interact and ask questions.
Virtual training can cover a wide range of topics, including traditional schooling or credential programs, one-time workshops, and orienting new employees to interactive tools.
Learning is always the main focus here. The ability of the instructor to clearly and fully communicate material, the students' ability to interact with the instructor and work together with one another, and the capability of assessing the students' grasp of the issue are the most crucial elements of these types of virtual events.
Access to group resources and sharing of content and screens for presentation are further aspects that are common in online training.
Town Halls and Live Webcasts
Town halls and live webcasts are geared toward fostering corporate culture, coordinating and informing personnel about processes or new developments, fostering professional contacts, or organising get-togethers of people with shared interests.
To improve the feeling of urgency and belonging among attendees, they broadcast live streaming or on-demand video in real-time. By only allowing only those who have been invited, privacy is secured.
Town Halls and live webcasts are ideal for company-wide events, international conferences, client or partner events, and departmental meetings.
Town halls and live webcasts have proven to be quite effective in the past two years. This is especially true when you consider having to communicate with remote employees or preserving relationships with clients or stakeholders, which the Pandemic brought rise to.
Online Entertainment
Virtual events are used for more than just business purposes. Why not offer your participants something to look forward to at the conclusion of your conference or webinar by including a little virtual entertainment?
One of the types of virtual events that can be planned online are music concerts. It enables the audience to take their time and enjoy the music from the comfort of their own home.
Even better, the performer can stream live from a studio or even from the comfort of their own home.
Hybrid Events
The benefits of both live events and online conferences are combined in hybrid events. Live in-person events combined with virtual elements (that are either live or recorded) make up hybrid events.
This might be as basic as a panel discussion or live lecture that is aired online for anyone to view and comment on. Another option is to create a complicated event that combines live and remote participation for a rich and interactive experience.
Hybrid events are ideal for occasions where attendees must physically be there but the organisers also want to reach a larger audience or a group of people who are unable to physically attend the event.
Hybrid events can also refer to a digital element, such as an app, that is meant to enhance the in-person visitor's experience.
Advantages of Virtual Events?
We have spoken about what the types of virtual events can offer your organization and who they are ideal for. But why should you even consider hosting a virtual event in the first place?
The key appeal for planners is how simple and affordable it is to set up virtual events on a large scale.
They also provide a tonne of intriguing digital tools for data collection, performance analytics, and audience engagement.
Both the hosts and the attendees tremendously benefit from the ability to prerecord keynote addresses, reuse content after the event, and provide participants with a hyper-personalized experience.
Virtual events provide attendees a very practical opportunity to interact with others and learn more about a common interest.
They can participate in the event from the convenience of their home or from any location with a reliable internet connection.
Hosting Different Types of Virtual Events with Oreed
Oreed is a world leader in virtual events, offering audiences from a variety of industries and places best-in-class virtual event solutions.
A single-platform event management solution, Oreed, aids in the consolidation of event data, marketing and management communications, and other event management duties.
Oreed aspires to deliver top-notch virtual events for all audiences with a simple platform that replicates real events through an engaging online experience.
Make sure to schedule a demo with us if you want to simplify your event procedures using cutting-edge technologies. We can assist you in successfully upgrading your event plans.
Types of Virtual Events: Concluding Remarks
Even though organising an event online takes a lot of time and work, a well-planned one may yield priceless benefits for your business.
There are many various types of virtual events, from webcasts and webinars to recreational activities like concerts.
You should be prepared to choose the best form of virtual event for your circumstances the next time you think about holding one.
Virtual events may provide you and your company a great deal of value when used properly.
