As more and more companies shift resources to virtual events these past years, we have helped many companies plan and produce better virtual events for their business. We have been directly involved in all aspects of successful virtual events, from planning to marketing, production, and data analytics. We hope this will help you break through the mountain of information out there so that you can connect people with a fantastic virtual experience – an event – and use it as a driving strategy for your business.
BETTER NETWORKING.
Indeed, participants do not chat in the hallway, but in a virtual event, just because they cannot shake hands does not mean there is no opportunity to network. Moderators of virtual events should answer questions from the audience using the chat tool. Virtual events can enable participants to make specific and valuable connections based on their experiences and interests. It’s much easier to forget about participating in a virtual event than in a real one, so keep a big communication loop going with your attendees. If one-on-one networking is essential for your virtual event goals, set up a moderated break room and give participants time slots to interact with other participants and providers. Emphasize to the participants how to network at a virtual event and plan to come back later in the day or even the next day. While it is not possible to perfectly recreate the conversation environment of a personal conference, it is possible to integrate networking opportunities into your existing virtual events.
MORE DATA, MORE ANALYTICS.
Best of all, online registration allows you to gather a wealth of information about your attendees, allowing you to customize their experience at your virtual event. Also, if the event is free, you will be able to know how they learned about the event, what people watched, for how long, and sometimes why they came can be inserted into the conversation.
EASIER DIRECT MARKETING.
Email marketing can increase demand for your event, increase registration, inform attendees about the event. It can eventually be used to talk to attendees who lead to the virtual events through feedback surveys. This integration ensures that important registration and subscriber data are shared. Virtual Details can sign up for popular events that set their virtual details to receive updates on virtual events.
YOUR OWN VENUE.
There are several ways to have a virtual venue online. Most conferences prefer their own custom-built virtual event infrastructure, such as a dedicated microsite to stream the event and collect registration fees. From there, participants can watch a live stream, network, and interact with sponsors. These platforms allow you to focus on making your event more relevant to your audience, not just conference attendees.
If you have never hosted a virtual event before, you can adapt and make the most of your current situation. If you are using a physical event, it is recommended to explain how virtual events work by using channels to announce them, just as you announce physical events. Virtual event planners should also double these attributes and address the “virtual event channel” as an essential part of their event planning process. In addition to the channel you use to announce your virtual event, we recommend that you explain how it works in a blog post or video.
It is a good idea to include virtual events as a central digital strategy in your conference or event program. The event website should consist of the event calendar, a FAQ, forms available to potential attendees to register, and language around the value of the virtual event. Also include messaging platforms that enable participants to network, landing pages that serve as meeting rooms for talks and presentations, and video recordings of lectures. Live Tweet, social media, video conferencing, and live-tweet are all ways you can bring your events online and how you can already integrate virtual events into your strategies.
Sources
- https://www.meetingplay.com/blog/best-virtual-event-advice-from-industry-experts
- https://www.newbreedmarketing.com/blog/virtual-event
- https://eventscase.com/blog/how-to-tax-virtual-events-three-simple-options
- https://www.press.org/live-virtual-or-hybrid-events-which-approach-best
- https://blog.sli.do/best-practices-for-virtual-events/
- https://www.brella.io/blog/how-virtual-events-are-changing-the-event-industry
- https://www.smartbugmedia.com/blog/inbound-strategy-virtual-events
- https://learn.g2.com/virtual-event-engagement
