The world is rapidly changing in many different ways, and a great majority of this is as a result of new technology and how Covid-19 is implementing new restrictions everywhere. What started out as wearing masks and restaurants being closed down, turned to millions of people working from home, and businesses being shut down for months if they didn’t make the move and adapt to having their business online.
This is especially true for in-person networking and conferences throughout the world. With such restrictions in place, this industry was basically shut down for more than a year and is yet to come back in full force.
However, all was not lose for conferences and networking events… it just had to approach the industry in a different — which was through the use of virtual events and conferences.
Just like how people are working from home and tele-communicating with each other in virtual rooms, the same is being done with conferences that can handle anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand members.
With all of that being said… this is the future of networking in the world we live in. And in this resource guide, we will be covering some of the most important things to consider, should you be looking to bring your offline event online, or even starting one just for the sake of having a virtual event.
How to Choose the Right Virtual Events Platform
One of the very first things a conference or event organizer is going to need to focus on, is how they are going to bring their event online. The good news is, there are now more options for successfully getting this done than ever before. And with more organizations jumping to get their online events up and running, it’s actually becoming more cost effective and easier than you might think.
Once your organization is ready to move forward with an online or virtual event, it’s then time to consider your options on the virtual events platform that you are going to choose. When this takes place, you will have plenty of options to choose from, however, you will also want to consider the following.
- Networking opportunities – What are the best ways for your audience to engage with each other?
- Who is your audience? – Is a virtual platform right for your audience and will they attend?
- Customization – Can you make your virtual conference fully branded to look like it’s all yours?
- Guest feedback and analytics – Understand the wants and needs of your audience, to make your next event even better.
- Product support – It’s one thing to run a virtual conference, and it’s another to understand how to set it up.
- Pricing and user volume – Make sure you have the right pricing and volume plan in place for the size of your event.
You can learn more about each of these of these finer points, by reviewing the tech specs and features of any platform that you might be consider. After all, the last thing you want to do, is go with a solution that is perfect for your organization or event, but is limited in how many attendees can actually be logged in at one time, or not having a system that is compatible with the majority of your audience.
The Many Benefits of Virtual Events
While the concept of networking in person and being able to travel the world has it’s many benefits, there are also some advantages to virtual events as well. Of the most obvious, costs will be lower for both the conference organizer and often for those who attend, and it also means that people don’t have to spend a lot of time and money on travel, hotel accommodations and new clothing.
The good news is, existing conferences and events that used to take place in some of the most populated locations in the world, are now fully up and running with their own virtual events. And this wave of offline-to-online is happening at massive speeds, and we will likely even see some events stick with online only. With less complications in finding a huge location and putting out the upfront costs, this can ultimately help in the overall planning for your event.
It’s also important to note that the registration, attending and viewing process for virtual events is quite seamless as well. With everything often taking place on one platform, it’s much easier for organizers to make sure everything is booked and running accordingly, and it’s also just as easy for users to navigate through content and jump from room to room.
The Future of Virtual Events is Here!
As with all changes that are taking place as a result of this new Covid world we live in, not every is ready to make such drastic and speedy changes. However, as we continue to see more conferences and events moving online, we will likely see it become a more seamless and acceptable process as well.
At the end of the day, networking is all about making a connection with other people — and whether it’s in person or online, it’s all about the time and effort you put into it. If you are currently an event organizer and are considering your options with bringing an event online, be sure to read through all of the resources listed and start implementing them today.
If you enjoyed the content found in this article today, we recommend you also take a look at our latest article on top thought leaders in the industry, as you will want to have speakers like them at your event.
