Although event planners might have considered the rise in virtual conferences as a quick answer to the COVID-19 epidemic, hybrid and virtual affairs have profoundly impacted the business of organizing events. Particularly there are benefits of hosting an online conference, which has established this concept as a long-term alternative for event professionals.
If you opt for the solely virtual or hybrid one, let’s consider the benefits of a virtual conference that provides a convenient, affordable, safe, and cost-effective component to your attendees and participants.
The purpose of a virtual conference is to provide an opportunity for people to connect and share information without having to travel. This can be a great option for businesses or organizations that have members in different parts of the world, or for those who want to save on travel costs.
Additionally, virtual conferences can be a convenient way to connect with others who might not be able to attend a traditional in-person conference.
Here are 6 great benefits of hosting a virtual conference:
Now let’s go into detail for each benefit
Attending an in-person convention can be stimulating and advantageous, but it’s not always the most convenient model, particularly for out-of-town guests. Over the past year and a half, the digital landscape has illustrated the ease and efficiency of online connections, and the same rings true for hybrid and virtual conferences.
As businesses reopen, employees and managers may need to prioritize specific responsibilities, leaving them less time to attend in-person affairs. However, by hosting a virtual conference, guests can still reap the benefits of professional and educational presentations without the demands of travel or lost workdays.
If there’s something that people admire is an organization with employees who are able to demonstrate a sense of resilience and ingenuity. Being able to take on a new challenge with this level of agility can make your brand appear in a favourable light for your customers.
Besides being an example to follow within your field and promoting your brand, hosting a virtual event can help you develop your strategy for branding since people are attracted to innovative and exciting experiences such as this.
Virtual events are a good way to keep the whole process moving quicker due to every event happening online. You could also be innovative and conduct pre-event branding activities online, which can help generate excitement about the event and carry on even after.
By comparison, hybrid and virtual conferences can be significantly less expensive than in-person events and conventions. In addition, the introduction of virtual venues as an alternative to videoconferencing software can provide attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors a highly intuitive and sophisticated experience with less overhead to planners and their clients.
In choosing a virtual conference, you can avoid expenses such as accommodations, venue insurance, and meals. You can also curb costs with hybrid models by including pre-recorded presentations and digital, on-screen décor instead of traditional signage that can be costly and time-consuming.
In 2020, the industry pivot towards virtual meetings and events was necessary to keep everyone safe from the infectious COVID-19 disease. However, in 2021 and beyond, even as the world begins to remove certain restrictions, your guests and key stakeholders may not be so quick to return to in-person socialization.
Aside from addressing health concerns and assuring a certain amount of physical protection, virtual conferences and hybrid event models provide a certain familiarity that we have grown to accept and incorporate into our lives. And with the future still somewhat uncertain, virtual conferences will remain a viable and comforting alternative.
Particularly for those who are immunocompromised, the decision to attend a virtual event provides a satisfying option. As a professional planner, it’s important to remain empathic towards your attendees by providing an element of choice.
While in-person events offer the opportunity to network face-to-face, partnerships are limited to who is actually in attendance. With hybrid and virtual conferences, you can include virtual elements to expand alliances and increase dynamic forms of engagement.
Collaboration is particularly evident in hybrid models, where planners can incorporate virtual features into an in-person event or conference. In addition to partnering with exhibitors and other key stakeholders, you can also offer prerecorded video content and features like digital gamification and interactive surveys that will help you obtain essential data, leading to an effective barometer of ROI and the success of future hybrid events.
To be a successful researcher within the academic conference world, It is essential that you’re well-funded and situated in an area with great connectivity to travel (and Visa options that aren’t restrictive) and are physically mobile, or not being trapped by the burden of caring for your family.
This excludes huge amounts of potential contributors to the academic community. However, they are easily incorporated with extensive software which can be used provided you have an internet connection. By using virtual conferences, people living in remote areas of the world and full-time caregivers – particularly parents – and people with limited mobility can attend research conferences at their homes.
The advantages of this are many. Inclusion and accessibility bring more diverse, richer contributions to research. This can help advance all fields of study and, on an individual level, improve the professional and career development of individuals.
Virtual and hybrid models are not just a passing phase; they are the new frontier of the event industry. And in understanding the endless benefits of hosting hybrid and virtual conferences, partnering with a virtual events platform will add cutting-edge technology and design for your upcoming production.
Ineventors will provide services for your next virtual conference or hybrid event with their comprehensive, virtual venue platform. For a free quote or to request a demo, contact Ineventors for more information on how we can assist with your next event.
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