[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][groups_non_member group=”Registered”]
Please log in to your O’DesignElite membership to view this post.
[/groups_non_member]
[groups_member group="Registered"]
O’Design Productions and Consulting has been helping planners and organizers sift through all the information and help them decide if adding a virtual component to their in-person event (a hybrid event) or if switching to a full virtual event is the right fit for them.
Continuing last week’s 2021 Event Planning Considerations, here are our Pros and Cons to hosting a virtual event.
Pros of Hosting Virtual Events
- Flexibility
- Virtual events are flexible and can be tailored to your business needs. If you can think of an event you can host in-person, the odds are that you can host it virtually. You just need to ensure you have the right platform and tools at your disposal.
- Cost-effective
- Venue costs can be expensive, and that does not even include the cost of F&B, internet, accommodations for speakers, and venue insurance. Those costs are non-existent for virtual events as you’ll only need to pay for the virtual platform and maybe a production team to help build the platform and oversee the event.
- Scalable
- Most physical venues have a capacity, and you must consider the cost of hosting thousands of people. Virtual events make it much easier to scale, meaning you can host more people for a fraction of the cost. Most platforms today host at least 2,500-10,000 attendees easily, with more robust platforms allowing 60,000-100,000 attendees!
- Engaging
- People are more likely to speak to a person in a virtual booth. Maybe that’s because people are scared to approach someone at an event, or they just enjoy anonymity.
- Virtual events offer tools such as polls, Q&A, live chat, and even a downloadable resources section so your attendees can fully engage with your content.
- Some platforms offer the ability to integrate with widgets, such as Slido, to ramp up the interaction.
- Exhibitors/sponsors typically also see a greater ROI than they would for a standard live event due to comprehensive analytical reporting available on most platforms.
- Reliable
- There is no need to cancel a virtual event because of weather or even a global pandemic (looking at you here, coronavirus). Attendees can view the event from anywhere, and this means that factors that would cripple a physical event are not even a consideration.
- Provide Comprehensive analytics and reporting data
- Want to know how many people viewed an entire presentation? Or, want to find out how many questions were asked during a session? These are hard stats to pull from in-person sessions but are at your fingertips with online events.
- Knowing your viewing stats or engagement scores can help you fine-tune your content and determine what is working and what’s not without having to rely on a post-event survey that only 10% of attendees will respond.
Cons of Hosting Virtual Events
- Lack of networking opportunities
- While there are heaps of opportunities for attendees to engage with speakers and content, there are fewer to interact with one another. You can mitigate this with live attendee chat and social networking events, but there aren’t as many ways to interact with other attendees as you would at a networking reception.
- Distractions
- Offices and homes are full of distractions. Attendees at a virtual event will have to contend with distractions that aren’t necessarily there in-person, which is why we always recommend attendees and presenters try to find a quiet place to attend and be present at the online event.
- Can limit audience
- Not necessarily limiting the audience numbers, but rather types of audience.
- Suppose your prospective attendees aren’t internet savvy. In that case, a virtual event may turn them off, so it’s important to provide potential attendees with links to any FAQs or contact details for event support before the event.[/groups_member][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Have questions or would like dedicated one-on-one support?
Contact us:
Call (business hours) or Text 24/7: 303-877-9275
Email: hereforyou@odesignpc.com.
Contact us for any reason, you have our full attention![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]