8 Facts About Virtual Events That you Need to Know

/in /by

Planning and Preparation

Although you don’t need to worry about logistics, you still need a minimum of four to six weeks to plan a professional virtual event. Time needs to be allowed for creating and perfecting the content and schedule of the virtual event and there should be ample time for rehearsals and testing.

Virtual Events are Flexible

With virtual events taking place online, you have a lot of flexibility in how you organise your event. You can choose to make sessions interactive, pre-recorded and include different language options. A wider pool of speakers may also be available because there is no requirement to travel.

You can Scale the Event as Required

Without the need to travel, delegates can simply log in from all over the world to attend your virtual event. If you have employees or clients around the world this is a huge benefit for global companies. If more attendees register than you expected it’s not a problem! You no longer have to worry about venue capacities, food and beverage, accommodation or transfers. You can scale your virtual event to fit every delegate who wishes to attend.

Networking is Possible… and Sometimes Better

For the majority of delegates, the opportunity to network is a high motivator for attending events. At live events, delegates can mingle at coffee and lunch breaks, in ques or during a welcome reception and while virtual events eliminate the face-to-face interactions, thoughtful planning can go a long way to ensure efficient networking at virtual events. Virtual events also make it easier to keep track of who you’ve spoken to and you can connect with them on LinkedIn more easily than you would at a live event. To network successfully virtually, you need a platform with simple to use networking features. Keeping your delegates engaged is a task in itself, so including team building activities and ice breakers is essential. An event management company will bring their creativity and expertise in this area to your virtual event.

Team-Building Can Be Even More Creative

Audience engagement is the largest challenge when it comes to virtual events. The next biggest challenge is interaction. It can be difficult to plan unique team-building activities for seasoned conference-goers that engage and encourage interaction. With virtual events being so new, you can almost guarantee they haven’t tried all the virtual team building options.

You Need Good Quality Connection and Equipment

If you want your virtual event to run seamlessly, you need to have good quality audio and visual equipment. Speakers need professional standard microphones and a strong, stable internet connection to ensure they can be seen and heard by delegates at all times. Their personal laptop camera and microphone may not suffice.

You Need to Schedule Breaks

Virtual event fatigue is real.  In addition to immersive video experiences, engaging speakers and amazing content, you need to schedule breaks. Your delegates will need bathroom breaks, coffee breaks and lunch breaks – just as they would at a live event.

Data & Insights

Virtual events can provide you with much better data than live events. After your virtual event you can track:

  • The number of stream views
  • The length of stream views
  • Most popular exhibitor stands
  • Most visited speaker profiles
  • Engagement rates of live polls and Q&A sessions.

This data is invaluable to many departments within your business to discover your audience’s interests and for developing your next virtual event strategy.

If you’ve been tasked with planning a virtual event for the first time, don’t panic! With your company’s goals in mind and the right virtual events provider, achieving exceptional results is within arms reach. You can learn more about choosing a virtual event supplier here. 

Interested in learning more about our Virtual Event Solutions?