The technological future of events is clear. Countless in-person, on-site conferences and events are unfortunately cancelled this year due to COVID-19. Because of this, live, in-person events are quickly bring replaced with the virtual event.
According to a Forbes study from way back in April, over 83 million attendees have been forced to change their plans. And that was in APRIL! It is now December, and we all know that number has drastically skyrocketed since.
Since cancellation numbers were indeed so drastically high, countless planned, in-person events were postponed until further notice. However, some companies made light of the current situation by transitioning to virtual events online.
What Is a Virtual Event?
A virtual event is any type of conference, training, or event that is fully online. These can be full-on conferences, trainings, lunch and learns, townhalls, or even light-hearted events like wine tastings or pairings. With virtual or online events, attendees can simply join from anywhere with internet access.
Perks of Virtual Events
Virtual events are great, especially now, when social distancing is necessary due to COVID. Since everything is online when hosting a virtual event or conference, there is no need to assure your staff and attendees are social distancing or wearing masks. Additionally there’s no need to worry about unexpected travel or cancellations. As long as attendees register, are near a computer or mobile device, and have a decent internet connection, they are all set.
With virtual events, space is normally not an issue. One can invite more attendees to fully-online events in comparison to in-person events. This means no capacity issues getting in the way of a large guest list. Oftentimes, when attendees don’t need to worry about travel plans, babysitters, or hotel stays, they are more likely to be a part of an event.
Types of Virtual Events
So, what kind of events can feasibly be turned into fully virtual occasions? Surprisingly, you can essentially turn any in-person event into a virtual gathering, as long as you have the proper tools and planning in place.
Planning out solid, engaging content is extremely important in order to keep attendees attentive and interested. This means ensuring all presentations are suitable when a speaker presents virtually instead of in-person within a large conference room. This means, if you had planned on passing something around the room as an example, you may have to use your imagination to re-think this strategy and make it just as interesting online.
Events That Work Hosted Fully Online:
- Conferences
- Educational Classes / Offerings
- Training Courses
- Internal Updates, Town Halls, and Roundtables
- Lunch and Learn (eating your own lunch, at home, of course)
Virtual Event Offerings:
- Fully Personalized Experience
- Online Ticket Integration
- Automatic RSVP Tracker
- Feedback Gathering Tools
- Social Integration
- Advertisement and Sponsorship Offerings
- Ability to Separate Sessions into Various Tracks
- Event Photo Gallery
- Gamification with Missions and Prizes
In the grand scheme of things, preparing to attend (or host) a virtual event tends to be a lot easier than planning to attend (or hosting) an in-person event. To learn more about the advantages of having a virtual event in lieu of an in-person event, check out our 5 Advantages of Virtual Conferences & Events article.
We have a feeling that due to the continuous spread of COVID, even Spring of 2021 will be tough when it comes to planning in-person events and conferences. For more information about planning a virtual event of your own, feel free to contact us at Steady State Media. We would be happy to chat with you about hosting your next event!
