What you need to build a virtual event

Events have been around for centuries, whether a corporate gathering, industry meeting or roadshow. They provide an opportunity to bring people together with one common goal: sharing showcasing talents, business propositions, products, learning and many more from each other's experiences to make ourselves better as individuals. In addition, attendees can network while making new professional contacts at these gatherings, leading them down valuable paths toward success. Corporations benefit too because they're able to demonstrate their products just enough to create awareness among the attendees who can be their potential customers

Virtual events are not a new thing either. However, with the advent of digital platforms, virtual event organising has become more widespread and popular than ever before in history - with many companies opting to use this form over old school events for their business needs because it's cheaper (and sometimes even better). However, starting early 2020, there were fewer opportunities where people could physically meet up or travel, which means that if you're looking at holding any meetings, then now would probably be a good time as any!

Virtual and live events have been a  hot topic in the past few years, with some organisations turning their attention towards this potential new form of event. However, when people think about virtual events, what comes to mind is it's expensive and whether it can give an in-person/physical event experience? This can be quite different from how they work now, showing that these types often require participants to be just online.

Virtual events have the potential to create die-hard fans of an organisation. Moreover, a well-executed event can be one of your company's best marketing opportunities all year long!

Virtual events have a variety of potential benefits and few challenges when it comes to execution. This is because they can be tailored for the needs or preferences of each attendee, which means no one will feel like their event was inappropriate in any way

‍

Setting the tone

To keep with the changing needs of our audience, we have to shift some timepieces. For example, holding an online event at a standard 9 am - 5 pm local time may not be enough for global audiences who want more from these types of events and can join them anytime during their day or night!

If you plan to expand the audience reach globally for a successful virtual event, few considerations to make

• When it comes to increasing the number of participants, there's no better way than by making your online event content immediately available after each one. This will encourage people to attend live events and come out in droves for pre-recorded shows that they can watch at home or work!
• When going virtual, presenters should consider that their presentation style and length will likely change. In addition, presenting as a picture-in-picture call for attendees' attention, so they're not constantly distracted by what's happening on-screen or off it!
• Sessions may need to be shortened or broken up into several stand-alone sections.
• With the rise of digital marketing, you can now put your brand on every corner of space. You have a conference centre that feels like it's home for when things need to be landing page-ed!
• When an event host does not fully understand their booth design, they might be less engaging. As the organiser of this particular gathering, you should push them for staff members who can chat with attendees and get feedback on how things went during setup to improve next time around!

‍

Different types of events

Virtual events are a great way to bring your business within reach of more people. Not only do they cost less than in-person conferences, but you can also access them from anywhere with an internet connection!

Virtual events are a great way to bring your business or organisation's message into the digital world. In addition, they can be more affordable and accessible than in-person meetings because virtual event attendees do not need travel expenses, making them easier for smaller communities with limited resources!

Hybrid events are a unique blend of the physical and virtual. For example, presented sessions hosted in your local theatre can be broadcasted live to those unable to attend. At the same time, people can participate via chat rooms or submit questions during breaks between speaker's presentations. A hybrid event combines aspects from both worlds - You'll have access not just when speaking but also engaging with other participants on-screen

In-person events were out of the window when the world went into lockdown because of a pandemic. Virtual ones took over, and many organisations will never return to hosting physical events given their greater attendee reach while also being cost-effective for organisations on top of that! We imagine this trend continuing as hybrid or digital-only conference plans continue to dominate after seeing how successful these types can be during times

‍

Paid or not

Virtual free events are more accessible than physical ones that require registration. Though you may see an increase in registrants with this, it's essential to keep in mind their commitment levels when deciding how much effort should go into the event as well- if they're not planning on attending

Free online events are better for registration rates because people who register typically don't plan to attend later.

Whether or not this is a problem depends on the goals of what you're trying to accomplish. For example, if an exhibitor and sponsor fees balance out all costs, then registrants can count as leads even without attending (providing that they'll be relevant people). However, their attendance at events like these helps funnel more contacts towards companies interested in becoming advertisers/promoters.  In that case, charging registration fees might make sense. The cost could result in fewer participants but higher conversion rates. There will already exist familiarity between attendees generated by previous connections and give you a more accurate idea of what to expect upon event opening.

The decision to make an event paid is ultimately one that should be financially motivated. Assess the needs of your particular situation and what compensation you're willing/able to provide for value created at each level: attendee, speaker participant and so on.

‍

Checklist for successful Virtual Event platform

This checklist is a great way to make sure you cover all of the critical features for your event. With it, there's no need to worry about missing anything!.

Collaborative teams are the best for event planning. They create events that involve people from all walks of life, bringing in new ideas and spot issues during the planning stages, so you don't have to worry about anything! To maximise your collaborative team experience, make sure they know what is available when it comes to putting all together with a fantastic event or conference just as much as everyone else does - because these types of projects take teamwork

Depending on the type of event you are building, you may need:

• Copywriters (marketing emails, content for registration etc.)
• Artists (event colour theme, backgrounds, booth designs)
• Video recorders/editors (AV services for hybrid events or recording and editing of on-demand videos to match the event theme)
• Event planners for dealing with many speakers and sponsors, checklists must be prepared. The coordinators will use these lists to ensure everything required in advance gets taken care of before the event begins!

Or use Virtrio's Service 360 team, who does all the above and more

The size and capabilities of your staff will dictate whether you need a self-service or full-service virtual event platform.

‍

Sponsors and Exhibitors

Sponsors and exhibitors are the lifeblood of any event. They can provide service and financial support to your event and add value to the attendee experience at an interactive seminar or trade show with products they showcase or goods they offer—all before it's even over! So an event must attract this critical group

Sponsors

Sponsors do not have booths. Exhibitors do. There are three types of sponsors applicable to virtual events:

• Financial sponsors
• In-kind sponsors
• Promotional partners

If you're wondering how to go about sponsorship, the answer is simple. Offer different levels of financial commitment and rewards in return for your support! If unsure what type of tiering system would work best with an event's size-- err towards simplicity by offering just one flat fee covering everything.

In-kind sponsors offer goods and services rather than money. They can enrich your event's experience for attendees, as well! Prize sponsors may hold a free raffle/giveaway in the event itself or even provide some prizes outside of it if need be - all at no cost to you whatsoever (but with incredible benefits).

You can brand your sponsors through branding in digital conference halls, event documents and promotional materials in exchange for sponsorship.

Exhibitors

Exhibitors are the lifeblood of any event. They're partners with booths within your event, and they have a responsibility to enrich the attendee experience while also promoting themselves!

Exhibitors offer a variety of things to contribute to the attendee experience. For example, they may have helpful documents available for download from the booth or embedded videos that explain what they do and show off products in action!

One of the most important things to make a booth enticing is having staff members present. Booth representatives can answer attendee questions and direct them towards their company website, which will increase brand visibility for both attendees and companies in attendance at events like trade shows or fairs. The more interactive interactions between visitors with representatives from different organisations on-site, the better!

It's essential to know what exhibitors want and need. Define their expectations early on to avoid any surprises. Then, communicate with them constantly throughout production. These details will help keep attendees happy while ensuring that future business partnerships are intact; remember that each partner has different wants/needs, so treat everyone differently according to their deserves.

‍

Type of audience determine event design

The event should be more inclusive, with a friendly tone of voice. To help ensure your event runs smoothly and without any snags, consider building an Advisory Committee. This group will review the schedule before it's ultimately released; they can also serve as outside reviewers during planning stages who spot potential problems with registrations or access points that might not have been identified otherwise!

Content is Queen: Sessions people attend online and physical events based on the focus and content of an event. Although attendee networking with peers may be a strong incentive to come, it's usually what brings people into these types of gatherings, whether they're looking for new connections or want more information about how something works!.

Virtual events are different from physical ones. You can break up your session into multiple parts if you want, or even have some shorter middle-sized blocks that way. It doesn't feel like 90 minutes is gone before you know what's happening in a virtual event.

"Mix up the order of your talks and performances. Vary the pace of your program by mixing standard 18-minute talks with a few shorter talks or counterpoints. Also, make sure to pad each session with an extra 15 minutes, to account for transitions, introductions, and other small delays that inevitably occur." (https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/tedx-organizer-guide/speakers-program)

The team (TED) behind short videos knows that we all have different needs and modes of consumption, so they make sure their content is available in many formats - from podcasts to lengthy videos!

While it may seem like a significant cut to content, shorter modules are necessary. By rearranging your speech into different points and adding crucial information at appropriate times. During the presentation, instead of giving an extended version OR speaking directly over slides that illustrate all examples (which can be boring), the speaker must focus on critical parts of their argument they want others to believe. The output tone needs more enthusiasm!

The short sessions are a great motivator, and the gratification of finishing them means a minor delay before getting to enjoy your reward. This makes for higher rates for engaging attendees who want it all now!

‍

Some of the Outstanding Virtual Events ideas

• Virtual Tradeshows  
• Virtual Summits  
• Virtual Account-Based Marketing (ABM)  
• Virtual Product Launch
• Virtual conferences
• Sales resource centres  
• Virtual partner event  
• Partner training centre
• Virtual meetings
• Virtual recruitment  
• Virtual Job Fairs  
• Virtual Benefits Fair  
• Employee Onboarding  
• Product Certification  
• Continuing Education  
• Learning Management
• Streaming Town Halls  
• Executive Updates  
• Critical Communications  
• Company News

‍