What are the benefits of hosting a virtual event?

The coronavirus was an unprecedented global event, with unprecedented effects on business during the worst of its ravages. But it has undeniably reshaped the future of business, in some cases for the better – hybrid working has become a new normal, and larger companies are re-evaluating their relationship with intensive business travel. But how can you reach a diverse base of colleagues and clients alike, if in-person events are going to decline in popularity? The answer may lie in the digital realm – and here are five reasons why.

Remote Access

In-person events incur costly travel for many participants, especially if the event gather participants from across the country and even abroad. A virtual event, however, saves your attendees valuable time and money by allowing them to attend remotely. This also increases your overall event attendance, as invitees who may previously have been unable to attend are more likely to find the event accessible.

Accessible Networking

As well as increasing the potential attendance of your event, virtual events offer unparalleled opportunities for networking. Where events networking in person can involve a fair amount of inefficient milling about, hoping to catch the right people at the right time, virtual networking enables you to immediately invite the right people to chat with you – whether one on one, or as a group.

Easy to Host

In person events require a lot of organisation, from booking a venue and staff to figuring out food, drinks, arrival times, and the set-up of a PA or sound system to boot. Virtual events have practically no overheads, and can be easily co-ordinated using a virtual event platform. This removes crucial pressure from you in the organisation of the event, and allows your business to receive maximum benefits from it at the same time.

Cheaper to Fund

An added benefit of utilising virtual technology for your event is the decreased cost of organisation; PA set-ups, sound engineers, bar and waiting staff, comperes and key note speakers can all cost a premium, let alone the fees involved in hiring space for the event to go ahead in. Virtual events do away with many of the overhead costs, allowing you to focus more on the event’s contents and attendee expectations.

Useful Data

Virtual events enable you to gather data in a much more involved and efficient way that at in person events, where you may previously have relied on surveys and questionnaires to be filled in at the attendees’ discretion. These surveys can often lead to patchy information, and not be as helpful as they could be in shaping future events of the direction of your business. Virtual events allow you to harvest much more useful information in a much more robust manner, as attendees will be less taken-up by in person networking and more likely to fill out surveys. Virtual event platforms can also require contact information, enabling you to build an up-to-date address book of new contacts and potential clients.