If you’ve had to cancel your organisation’s big live event of the year, virtual events offer a fantastic alternative.
From the opportunity to invite unlimited attendees to comprehensive data gathering and fully-fledged branding to limitless resource sharing and much more – all for a fraction of the cost of a live event – the benefits of hosting a virtual event are manifold; especially if you use the best virtual event platforms available on the market!
Here at Gravit8, we supply and design amazing virtual event spaces that offer all the above and much more, taking away all the usual stress and hassle associated with event organisation so that you can focus on the needs and growth of your business.
To make this process even easier and enable you to get the outcomes you’re after from your virtual event (especially now that virtual events are becoming increasingly taken for granted), we’ve shared some of our expert tips and advice below on things you should do before, during and after the event takes place:
Before the event, ensure that you:
1. Establish your event goals
What are you hoping to achieve by hosting this event? A larger customer/client database? An increase in brand awareness? A successful new product launch? Or do you wish to educate your attendees on the latest updates, developments and research in your industry?
Without establishing your virtual event goals in the first instance, even the best virtual event platform won’t be of any use to you. With them, however, you’ll be able to make decisions around what to include as part of your event to achieve them completely!
2. Set up your registration page
Without a good registration page, you won’t have any attendees at your event!
The best virtual event platforms will be able to integrate registration as part of your event (for example, this is a part of the Gravit8 solution, which is also GDPR compliant and secure), so be sure to make the most of this.
3. Promote your event
Without promoting your event in some way, shape or form, you’ll find yourself with empty virtual halls and stands on the day of your event.
According to Eventbrite, upping your marketing endeavours a week before your event sells 47% more paid tickets than kicking it off a month early, so it’s worth keeping this in mind.
Be sure to consider your audience too, of course; depending on what sector you work in your desired attendees may be exceptionally busy people and need a little more advanced notice. Healthcare and pharmaceutical professionals are a prime example here.
When designing your virtual event, make sure that you:
1. Pick the best virtual event platform for your needs
As outlined in one of our previous blogs, there are three main types of virtual event platform, including:
- Webinar and video room software
- Streaming and stream curation
- 2D/3D Whole Event Platforms
… and pros and cons to each. Here at Gravit8, we can offer and host all three at once, should you wish!
Refer to your event goals here to be absolutely sure that your platform of choice caters for these.
If you’re planning a full-scale replica of your usual live event with talks, private rooms for further discussion and networking, stands/booths and interactive elements, for example, then you’ll probably want to consider a combination of all three virtual event types.
Different event platforms will also vary in price, so be sure to keep this in mind to ensure your event truly works for you and your budget!
2. Make it as interactive as possible
We’ve mentioned this on numerous occasions, but making your event as interactive as possible is the best way to increase attendee engagement and make your event truly exciting and unforgettable, and subsequently increase business leads.
Be sure to check out our top tips on how to make your event as interactive as possible here!
3. Keep it relevant
This may sound obvious, but it’s important that your event remains relevant to your sector and what your attendees are expecting; from your booths and speakers all the way down to the resources you share. A small number of relevant elements to your event is better than lots of irrelevant ones!
Generally, the most popular reasons that people attend events are finding out about new products and solutions, and networking with other professionals in the field, so be sure that your virtual event caters for this as much as possible.
This will ensure that attendees remain engaged and don’t question the relevance of your event for them should you host the same event again in the future.
4. Make it as inclusive and accessible as possible
The beauty of virtual events is that they are accessible across the globe, so there’s no limit to the kinds of people you can invite to speak or attend.
Ensure you invite a diverse range of (relevant) speakers and companies to participate in your event and ensure you promote these prior to the event within your marketing campaigns so that your attendees feel right at home before the event even begins.
Also be sure to take accessibility into account, offering opportunities such as regular breaks, additional time for information processing, captions and subtitles, alternative options to cameras and microphones (such as instant messaging) and so on.
This will give every guest the best possible chance of benefitting from your event.
5. Prioritise guest safety
Virtual event safety is an absolute necessity; from securing your attendee’s personal data to cyber-attack prevention and providing a code of conduct for guests to agree to before attending. This will ensure your event goes smoothly and that there is a low risk of reputational or financial damage.
When the event is over, be sure to:
1. Thank your attendees and event speakers
Showing your gratitude to event attendees and speakers with social media posts and personalised emails is a great way to encourage attendance for future events.
Be sure to ask for their feedback too so that you can use this to shape ideas and plans for those future events. In fact, you should also…
2. Analyse the event’s success
Part of making your virtual event work for you is by analysing its success for future events!
The best virtual event platforms will have data analytics and reporting capabilities available to enable you to review the outcomes of your event against your event goals. From this and any feedback provided by guests and speakers, you’ll be able to create a comprehensive strategy for any events going forward.
As you can see from the above, there is much to take on board to ensure that your event works for you and helps you achieve the outcomes you desire.
This is where Gravit8 stands out as one the best virtual event platforms available, enabling you to achieve all the above and much, much more!
If you’d like to hear more about this or see for yourself how the software can ensure you host the most memorable virtual event possible, be sure to get in touch with our team to arrange your free demonstration.