A few years back, the concept of virtual events was new, and people weren’t taking it seriously. But after the pandemic world drastically shifted, online events and meetings became the latest trend. These aren’t just words of mouth because stats are proving this popularity. According to the stats:
“The popularity of virtual events increased up to 35%, and in-person events decreased in popularity up to 32%.”
However, these stats are only for 2020, and the world realizes the benefits of virtual events with each passing year. So, now it has become a necessity of time to host a stellar virtual event. However, knowing the basics is essential to make it a go-to event type.
What are virtual events? A breakdown of the definition:
Virtual events are contrary to in-person events, which are held online. However, the online events make it easy to attend global conferences, trade shows, product launches, and seminars. You only need a laptop and a steady internet connection to provide the near same experience. Here are the following primary benefits of hosting virtual events:
- You can expand the reach and awareness of your brand
- It helps you to connect with the people and competitors
- It’s the best thing that helps to future-proof your business
To connect with the audience, you can host virtual events using online platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and many others. But if you don’t know how to host one, a market of specialized virtual event platforms that help conduct webinars.
Types of virtual events:
Innovations and gadgets make life easier, and virtual events are the most significant proof. However, here are the major types that are getting popular nowadays:
| Virtual networking events | It allows attendees to come together for networking. |
| Virtual team building | It helps to build the team and allows the audience to engage in various activities. |
| Fundraising events | Virtual fundraising events are becoming most popular if you want to raise money online. |
| Virtual hiring events | Hiring events are famous for shortlisting qualified candidates |
| Shopping events | Mainly these events are designed for people to virtually shop. |
Apart from this, virtual social events are also becoming popular. You can set up small, significant, and virtual events in these events. For instance, you can play online games with friends and family. In short, online technology has eliminated/lessened the need for in-person events.
How to organize a virtual event? A startup guide:
We all know that hosting an in-person event is daunting and requires lots of money. So, it’s a better idea to host a virtual event. We have divided all steps into three main categories. Here are guidelines that will help you to manage everything smoothly.
Before the virtual event:
Before planning a virtual event, it’s essential to fulfill the initial responsibilities. A few things should be settled before planning a virtual event.
Define your goals:
Goal setting is the main thing that you shouldn’t ignore before planning a virtual event. Setting SMART goals and ensuring the whole team is under the same roof. So, the goals should be:
- S: Specific
- M: Measurable
- A: Attainable
- R: Relevant
- T: Timely
Apart from this, don’t forget to align the goals with the mission and vision statement. Here are other main things that should be planned:
| Choose the right platform to host an event | Select the right time for your event |
| Create a virtual event budget, which should be according to the corporate set limits. | Build a constant plan for networking and audience engagement |
| Promote virtual events after understanding the technological needs | Prepare attendees for a virtual experience by providing a guide |
The best event is where production value matters and being aware of the session length. Apart from this, don’t forget to train your speakers before speaking in front of people.
During the virtual event:
If your audience isn’t engaged, then there is no point in conducting an affair. So, include polling, Q&A sessions, and other things to boost engagement. In addition to this, here are other things that you shouldn’t ignore during the event:
- Don’t forget to capture attendee data like attendance, engagement, and interest
- Apart from this, don’t ignore the scope of your event and facilitate people in networking. In this way, people will feel more engaged after looking at the opportunities for interaction.
However, these points will help you to build more robust profiles. This way, you can identify better sales leads, profitability, and brand growth.
After the virtual event:
Executing an event isn’t easy; you need to plan everything in detail. It plays a crucial role in everything, whether HR or any other department. For instance, a check stub generator is of utmost importance if you want to manage payroll. However, it would help if you had better software to host events like a paystub generator. Here are the precautions that you need to take after conducting virtual events:
- Don’t forget to send a feedback survey because, in this way, you can improve things in the next session.
- Additionally, analyze the data from virtual events and take corrective actions for the future.
- Besides, don’t forget to present the data to the stakeholders. No event is complete until you give the data of success.
However, if everything is in place and you have the correct data, it will be easier for you to plan your next virtual event. Once the event is over, connect with your team and discuss things that didn’t work. If you want more brand awareness, then distribute event recordings.
Conclusion:
Hopefully, this post will help you to flaunt your next event. But you don’t need to spend considerable money on planning virtual events. There are many free platforms like Instagram, ClubHouse, GoToWebinar, and Facebook Live for conducting online events. You only need to select an event type, define the purpose of your event, and spread awareness. So, take advantage of this trend and capture more attention by spending less money.