The potential of the virtual events

Professionals from the sector know that virtual events will not substitute to face-to-face meetings, and there are still increasingly conferences, trade shows and networking events that are being organised on the virtual platform. Here are some tips if you decide to organise one.

Why virtual events?
You can save on travel, time and money. You can reach a wider market and over a larger geographic span; eliminating temporary barriers, take advantage of the online media such as videos, or still have conversations and information exchange in real time and instantaneous access to information (and without consuming paper). The whole department of a company needs not stop functioning because they need to attend a real tradeshow.

Platforms
A virtual event must be easy to access. Make sure that you provide the password and the username to the visitors as well as the exhibitors to include and update their information. The attendees must be able to enter, with a simple click, and once inside the virtual event, be able to move freely with the navigation via the mouse and not just the direction keys of the keyboard.

The platform must be complete to allow both the organisers and visitors to update and access the information. Ensure that they have the right configuration in their computer, softwares and application (make sure that they can easily download them on your platform) for a smooth experience: in navigating the event, download files,… and make it easy and attractive to create avatars for each user.
It should also be easy to modify and change any element: furniture, files, and for the visitors, as there are no real hostesses on virtual platform to help them, create avatars that serve to inform and help them along in the platform, in searching for information and in different languages.

Get an online solution company who can give you the best practices to create content, get audience, manage the event and evaluate and do follow-up actions after the event.

Training and networking events
Besides the number and variety of persons who can attend these conferences or seminars, the information and the methods that support the virtual event can have various formats (videos, podcast, online presentations, polls). Virtual events are especially great for internal events and training, for example, sales training with a sale force which is located over a wide geographical spread.

Take advantage of the 24-hour online media to promote networking opportunities among the attendees. In addition to online business cards, you can also add audio files, images, CVs, etc. Think about Web 2.0 applications for social networking and apply it to the business world.

Tradeshows
Just like in a real trade show, it has to have stands that visitors can see and interact with the exhibitors. Include virtual product and service demonstrations, downloadable files. To attract high attendance, try giving away gifts. Ensure that the stands are attractive and get a good number of visitors, for example, drawing gifts. And as in the real ones, you must make your stand attractive with graphics, images and other audiovisual solutions.

Create a common area, a conference centre for training sessions, a speaker’s corner, a cafe for networking, etc.

And bear in mind that you do not have to organise an event only virtually, but you can combine it with a real event, promoting the advantages of both platforms and increasing the added value for your visitors.