Whether you are organizing an event or just planning one, this article is for you.
Here is something that will help you understand the need for a Virtual Event Management Platform for events. Let’s see!
An event is not just a day where people gather, spend some time, and part their ways. An event has its aftereffect on the mind of people who attend them. They bring back memories.
The most critical thing about an event is it brings people together, interacts with each other, and creates business opportunities or connections that last for days to come until they meet again!
It could be anything from seminars to workshops to training sessions, expos to fairs – everything counts as an event. What matters here is what your event does for people who attend it.
These events are planned to keep particular objectives in mind while keeping the budget, time, and staff required.
While planning a virtual event, one of the most important things is to make sure that all the different departments working on its success should be well aware of what they have to do and when they need to deliver their part of work for a successful event. And this is where a Virtual Event Management Platform comes into play!
What is a Virtual Event Management Platform?
A virtual event management platform is a software that helps you plan, organize, and host virtual events online.
You can then use it to:
- Streamline registration for your events.
- Sell tickets.
- Market the event directly to attendees before they register.
- Take payments online via credit card or PayPal.
- Send out invitations and reminders before the event starts.
- Manage speakers and vendors on the day of the event.
- Share live video feeds during your presentations with participants who cannot attend in person (e.g., people at other locations), etc.
The list of features these platforms offer goes on, but I touch on some of them below.
A virtual event management platform has many features which make it easier for an organization to conduct its business over remote access vs. in-person.
Some of the most popular features include:
- Virtual event management software helps simplify coordination between presenters, speakers, vendors, attendees, and organizers before, during, and after events.
- It’s also a great way to make sure you don’t forget anything by keeping all your organization’s digital materials organized in one place.
- During pre-session marketing and live presentations, you can convey supplemental information that wouldn’t otherwise fit into the presentation time slot but is still essential for audiences to know before or after a given session.
- You can use it as a resource for moderating Q&A sessions with speakers during the event by posting the questions via a moderator panel and letting your audience see all submitted questions.
Virtual event management platforms have been around for over a decade, but the landscape has changed a lot since then. The first virtual events that used these platforms were mainly limited to webinars which let companies reach an international audience without traveling.
But today’s virtual events are much more advanced and include conferences, summits, awards shows, concerts. Basically, any live event you might want to stream to an online audience around the world. I think this trend will continue as more people choose to connect and interact with others over the internet rather than in person.
Why Do You Need a Virtual Event Management Platform?
There are many reasons why a VEMP can benefit businesses big and small:
Scalable
Whether you’re hosting a 100 person invitational or a 10,000 person convention – the time it takes to set up an event never changes because the VEMP has fully automated all processes. For example, if there’s an issue with badge printing, you can rest assured that your personnel will still be able to attend the event.
Simultaneous
A virtual event requires no physical space or presence. This means anyone can participate from any location, at any time. We all know how competitive the events industry is. A VEMP allows for easy collaboration with team members, speakers, exhibitors, and attendees who might not share the same geographical location of your company.
Networking
For business owners, being able to network with their customers is an invaluable asset that directly drives sales revenue.
Due to host restrictions on conventional networking platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, it’s difficult for companies to connect with potential clients reliably. Most messaging apps have outdated functionality which limits their effectiveness as a virtual event management platform.
Control and Customization
A VEMP allows you to completely customize every aspect of the event, from branding to messaging, invitations, registration forms, and more. It also allows you to create a customized digital attendee list, which is invaluable when implementing specific strategies for lead generation, sales, and growth.
Event planners who have been forced to use conventional static websites due to price or availability can now utilize a powerful, customizable virtual event management tool with far less difficulty at any scale they require.
What Can You Do with a Virtual Event Management Platform?
Host multiple kinds of content: Multiple virtual event platforms allow for many different content and media to be displayed and delivered during the conference/event, including audio, video, documents (PDFs), presentations, assessments, and more!
The power of this is that participants in the online conference will:
- Get a chance to hear and see you present your materials.
- They can download your reports.
- Participate in live Q & A sessions.
You’ll have more effective engagement rates than ever before by reaching out to all attendees at once with every type of information possible.
Facilitate networking: Virtual events are designed to help you network with other attendees from around the world – from colleagues, you work alongside industry thought leaders and experts! With the ever-increasing number of platforms and built-in communication tools, you can easily connect with your peers to ask questions or collaborate on projects.
Engage Attendees: The engagement rates for virtual events are through the roof!
Virtual event management platforms feature:
- Real-time response polls.
- Q & A sessions.
- Increased networking capabilities.
All of which will make it feel like attendees are physically attending a live event in the same room because they’re engaged and having fun throughout their experience!
Learn about your audience: Virtual events allow you to learn more about your audience than any other method out there by asking them questions and showing off pre-event surveys. You’ll get feedback on what’s working, what needs to be changed, and how you’re doing, which will make your events even more successful.
Customize your event: Virtual event management platforms are completely customizable, which means that you can change their look with ease to keep things fresh! These platforms feature customization capabilities and have templates, so your presentations, content, and messaging will always be on point.
Build your business: By hosting multiple virtual events over time, you’ll build your brand new network of contacts, sources for new business opportunities and put yourself out there as a leader in the industry who is setting trends and staying ahead of others.
The Bottom Line
A Virtual Event Management Platform takes care of everything. These tools make life much easier for planners and organizers because it makes communication much easier, saves valuable time, and has the potential to save money, too.
One of the essential benefits of event management software is that it saves costs that otherwise would have organized a physical event. It cuts travel costs because people are not required to fly for events or attend them physically.
Thus, it reduces the carbon footprint on this planet! This happens by using a Virtual Event Management Platform that helps you efficiently conduct your event online!
