Many of us were forced to move our jobs, social interactions, and events into the virtual world during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since it allowed us more flexibility in the workplace, this trend has persisted until this day. Digital technology has made it possible for people, companies, and organizations to connect with people all over the world in a variety of ways.
A virtual event, however, has drawn more attention than any other type of virtual gathering. It enables events to be held entirely online rather than in person. We have created a guide to virtual events and how they operate that you can use to arrange or attend one to better grasp the concept behind it.
Let’s talk about types of virtual events
Let’s mention the types of virtual events.
- One of the most famous ones is a webinar. This is an online seminar where one or more professors present their material to a live audience. The audience is encouraged to engage by using emoticons, chat, inquiry tab, and other elements that are offered to educate them. If they paid for participation or were asked to attend, participants may join from any country in the world.
A web conferencing tool or web browser is used to share the visual portion of a webinar. Typically, the computers in the audience are used to broadcast the audio portion of a webinar.
A webinar also enables the hosting business or group to communicate with viewers. Real-time questions from the crowd can be directed at the speaker or moderator.
- Virtual conferences- This kind of virtual event is broken up into sessions across one or more days and features keynote speakers. Sadly, although attendees can communicate digitally, it lacks networking, which is a strength of the physical conference.
- Live streaming – even if it’s possible to classify all virtual events as live broadcasts, this category deserves special attention. An event that is being live-streamed can be as massive as sending a rocket to the Moon or as tiny as an influencer promoting a new product. The audience is welcome to engage in conversation among themselves and with the event host.
- Events that are simultaneously live broadcast and taking place in person are referred to as hybrid events. This is standard practice for live performances like performances, concerts, sporting events, and other live audience activities.
The best reasons to host a virtual event
We will mention now the most important reasons to host a virtual event.
- By holding the event online, people from all over the world may participate, interact, and form connections, increasing the geographic and cultural diversity of attendees, the caliber of presenters, and the reach of sponsors.
- A virtual event doesn’t have to fit everything into one full day as an actual event does. Spreading out the learning, networking, and other advantages of an event over several days or interactions can give attendees greater value.
- Lower costs: An in-person gathering requires reserving a location, planning refreshments, creating printed materials, renting audio and visual equipment, and employing support for the organization and decorating, among other costs. For smaller gatherings, you can plan online events while saving money for larger ones that need to be held in person.
How to create captivating content for virtual events?
One thing might be more difficult with online communication. It’s making people engaged. Since there is no face-to-face contact, people are more prone to lose focus. This is why you need some captivating content to make all of them focused on your presentation.
Consider employing presentations, graphics, movies, and other interactive tools to produce interesting information that viewers can download before the occasion and use in the sessions.
Speakers that can keep your audience engaged and entertained are required for captivating material. You need to make sure they are not tempted to leave because your audience is probably at home or in another setting where they are at ease and comfortable.
Think of screen fatigue and timing
The most significant distinction between virtual and real-world events is certainly this. According to studies, we need to take a break around every 90 minutes to avoid losing attention and concentration. This means that as the event planner, it’s crucial to plan for enough breaks as well as short, sharp sessions.
Event management companies know very well all these rules, so if you can’t manage everything on your own, professionals can think it through for you.
To prevent screen fatigue, it’s vital to take into account the length of the event, the length of sessions, and the timings selected. It’s important to understand that you’re probably not going to meet anyone during a virtual event, and this realization should guide your choices on these factors. Avoid scheduling meetings during important meal periods since attendees may need to check their emails, pack the kids’ lunches, or take care of other errands that will cause them to miss your meeting. Making things as simple as possible for people to interact with is key.
Consider hosting a multi-day virtual event
Both have advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to consider your goals and what you’re attempting to accomplish before determining which option is ideal for you. Whether you choose a multi-day event or an event series, it’s critical to ensure that the content is of the same quality throughout. If Part 2 doesn’t seem as helpful or fascinating as Part 1, you risk seeing significant drop-off rates.
This article gives you fundamental knowledge about virtual events and their operation so you can design the most effective version for your audience. Virtual gatherings provide several difficulties despite being more tempting to plan because they are more affordable. To keep your audience interested, you might need to be more interesting and engaging.
Additionally, you must ensure that the technology and tools you are employing are flawless and error-free. Hosting a virtual event, however, is ultimately more inclusive and a better choice if you want to reach more individuals from other countries.
An effective speaker will encourage audience participation and interaction and will have questions ready for the Q&A session. Furthermore, if the speaker and content were engaging and inspiring, attendees are more likely to sign up for the next virtual event you hold and provide great evaluations.