A remote-first world empowered by global connectivity has opened up event planners to adopt strategies that don’t rely solely on in-person events. While we can't deny the impact and value of in-person events, virtual events help event organizers reach a broader audience and engage attendees in innovative ways.
This article provides an overview of some basic questions and considerations for putting on a virtual event.
💡 Keep in mind, Webex Events powers virtual, in-person, and hybrid events! To learn how Webex Events takes in-person and hybrid events to the next level, follow these links:
What is a virtual event?
A virtual event is an online-only, multi-session event that delivers the value of an in-person event in a virtual environment. Attendees interact with each other and join live streams on the web, rather than meeting in a physical location.
Why host a virtual event?
Here are a few key reasons to consider hosting a virtual event:
Widen your audience - Going virtual opens your event to more people! Virtual events let you connect with your audience across the globe and include attendees who otherwise wouldn't have access to that experience.
Save on costs 💰 - Make your budget go further by saving on travel, vendors, and venues. Virtual events are possible anywhere there's a good internet connection.
Personalize the attendee experience - User data lets you seamlessly engage and personalize the event experience. Use Groups to make sure attendees only interact with the content that's most relevant to them, including personalized notifications, discussion boards, and more.
Provide sponsorship Return on Investment (ROI) - That's right, you can absolutely have effective event sponsorship with a virtual event. Read our Virtual Event Sponsorship Guidebook for more details!
Embrace sustainability - Save the environment one virtual event at a time. Virtual events reduce food and material waste and carbon emissions due to travel, and they remove the need for printed paper materials like event signage and paper agendas.
Crisis-proof your event - Life happens in a big way sometimes. Going virtual can protect your event from getting derailed by unforeseen world events.
What are the components of a virtual event?
It's important to think through the participant experience for your virtual event the same way that you would for an in-person or hybrid event — from start to finish. The main components to consider are:
Registration
Content Distribution
Sponsorship
Attendee Engagement & Networking
This probably sounds familiar! It's not all that different from an in-person event. The principal difference is the increased need to manage participants' attention while considering each of these.
What features does Webex Events offer for virtual events?
Nearly all Webex Events features are useful for virtual events! Our feature overview article has details and screenshots for each one. Want some inspiration and a head start building your Webex Event? We offer event templates you can fill in with your own information. Read more about templates in our Event App and Community Setup Basics article.
What are some recommended tactics for going virtual?
Follow our guide to virtual event production.
Hire an emcee — Have a host or emcee like you would for an in-person event. A great emcee keeps the energy up, facilitates smooth communication and transition, and acts as a point of contact.
Embrace virtual sponsorship offerings — Offer your sponsors the opportunity to sponsor sessions, banner ads, splash screens, virtual giveaways, notifications, game challenges, and more. Review our Showcase Sponsors guide for a mountain of other opportunities.
Facilitate sponsor connections — Make it easy for attendees to indicate their interest in a sponsor, exhibitor, or speaker, and to interact with them using the Attendee Calls to Action in Sponsor profiles.
Manage participant distractions — Create a central hub for all event content, removing the need for participants to leave the Event App at all. Embed live streams, recordings, session collateral, and more. We recommend shorter, more targeted sessions than you would typically put on for a live event. Demos, interactive "hands-on" sessions, and case studies are all great options.
Rehearse and test — Have your presenters do a dry-run the day before the event with the same technology they'll use for the event. Test your Event App beforehand to confirm that everything works exactly how you want it to. These actions help minimize tech issues and get everyone on the same page.
Keep them engaged — Engagement also helps manage attendee distractions. ☝️Support engagement with moderated discussion boards, live polling and Q&A, and the event game. Send automated session reminders and announcements to help increase attendance and engagement.
Kick off a community — Virtual events are a great way to jump-start a 365-day Community. If you want your participants to engage with your community all year long, be intentional with your choices to encourage the experience to continue. Sessions-based forums promote long-term conversations around your content, and on-demand playback gives your content longevity.
Encourage networking — Give your attendees multiple networking options with chat features, networking Game challenges, the Wall, and Shake & Connect (Branded Apps only for virtual events). Video Rooms are also a fantastic way to facilitate informal “Birds of a Feather” meetups, where people connect and talk about topics of interest. Use survey and polling features to crowdsource the topics.
This sounds great — can I review an example?
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