Virtual events, which refer to events that take place entirely online, have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As health and safety concerns start to ease, and in-person events return to centre stage, event planners will need to consider the benefits of virtual events. 

While hosting a virtual event was the only option available for many in the past 2 years, event organisers discovered some key benefits of virtual events. Is planning a virtual event worth the time and effort? We think so! Especially when we are using it as an engaging component, giving people who are not able to make it in-person the option to tune in remotely.

5 Benefits of Hosting Virtual Events:

1. Increased Accessibility

Virtual events allow attendees to register and participate in online events. It can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making them more accessible to people who may not have been able to attend in-person events due to geographical or physical constraints.

With no travel involved, wider access to your virtual event means more inclusivity, diversity and ideas. You can even make your virtual event sessions and materials available on-demand in the platform which you are hosting your event on. This could help to reach a larger audience during your event.  

2. Cost Savings

As compared to in-person events, virtual events often have lower costs associated with them such as travel expenses, venue rental fees, speakers, and catering costs. For example, speakers no longer have to spend money or their valuable time to travel to and from the event. This can help them to save a lot of their precious time! 

There are several more reasons in addition to the above that make virtual events more financially feasible to both organisers and attendees.

3. Flexibility

Virtual events can be recorded and made available for later viewing, which provides flexibility for attendees who may not be able to attend the event live. You can choose how you want to broadcast your event, what are the different ways you prefer to record your event or pre-event videos. Additionally, virtual events can be tailored to accommodate attendees in different time zones. 

4. Environmental Sustainability

By eliminating the need for travel and reducing the amount of waste generated by in-person events, virtual events can have a lower environmental impact. It decreases carbon footprint, fossil depletion and many more. It reduces food waste, the number and type of meals taken during a conference has been greatly reduced with lesser in-person events. Along with this, electricity saving is also considered the major environmental benefits of virtual events 

5. Better Data Collection and Analysis

Beyond registrations, how can you measure success for your virtual events?  

Virtual events platform can provide more detailed data on attendees’ behaviour and engagement, allowing organisers to make more informed decisions about future events. Some examples of quantifiable data will be, real-time user activity logs, number of participants joining the sessions, who has visited your booth, read your information, engaged in polls and Q&A or completed surveys. 

You can even analyse which of the areas in your virtual events are most visited or what kind of content provided was most consumed.

Final Thoughts

Overall, virtual events offer a range of benefits that can make them a compelling option for both organisers and attendees. With the ever changing event landscape, gone are the days of hosting solely in-person events. Taking another step forward in hosting virtual events can make a significant difference when planning future events. 

Virtual events help event organisers reduce costs, attract more attendees, and deliver a better Return On Investment (ROI).

Interested in running a virtual event that is more than just being in a conference call setting? Click here to find out more!