The world is shrinking to your bedroom or dining room. Over the past years, the world has witnessed a spectacular shift. As a result, you are engaging with conferences from your bedrooms, discussing company strategies and goals through an online meeting. Virtual events are obvious in modern times, and it is a cost-effective way to connect with professionals.

You often engage in virtual events. In this article, we will discuss what a virtual event is, how you could host a virtual event, what should be poured into the event, and how to engage people with fruitful discussions.

What is a virtual event?

A few years ago, you couldn’t imagine discussing with a person without physical space. Nowadays, virtual events take place online instead of at a physical or tangible venue. Depending on the purpose, it will come in different forms, such as open available live streams, invite-only webinars, live tweeting, online conferences that need to pay passes, informal social media events, etc.

There are new mediums for conducting virtual events online. Instagram, Clubhouse, and Twitter connect people with video chat or voice calls. Some specialized virtual event platforms like Zoom, Google meet, and Google Teams are designed for professional meetings online. Without a physical presence, you can meet other people through digital devices and with the help of the internet can be called a virtual event.

10 Tips for hosting virtual events

Hosting a virtual event is not that much of easy; it could be a daunting task. However, you can make it possible when following best practices and tips for hosting virtual events. Ensure your virtual event is successful and get out of the discussions with an amazing experience.

1. Determine clear goals from the start

Before you start, set clear goals that you aim to achieve through the virtual event. First, define objectives before planning the agenda. Then choose a smart virtual event platform and let the whole team in charge of the project know what you want to attain.

2. Select the right platform for your virtual event

When selecting a virtual platform, make sure they support your requirements to host a company executive meeting. You can ask details to the event provider whether all the amenities are supported or not. These might be included:

• What type of sessions are you looking for
• What are the facilities they provide for virtual hosting
• Whether reporting metrics are available at the end of the event or in between the event
• Use PowerPoint templates to make it more productive engaging
• Any thirty-party plugins or other connections

3. Choose a realistic timeline

It would be best if you had a precise idea about the number of people participating in the event, whether they come from different time zones, and the time you need for Q&A, etc.

4. Create a memorable experience

Like physical events, the success of virtual events also depends on the user interface. Visitors form their first impressions from your landing page; at this time, they will decide whether to proceed; the design needs to fascinate the viewers to maximize signups. If you incorporate PowerPoint data-driven charts and tables, no doubt the audience can easily get your point.

5. Use social media

You might have social media accounts. It’s time to use YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms to market your event and increase registration. The audience won’t come to you; make sure you are an early bird to catch the prey.

6. Use engagement tools

Obviously, the success of an event relies on its engagement rates. So, use interactive event planner template to create the event elegant. For instance, survey and poll methods ensure visitors can smoothly interact with the event. And use live chat tools for discussions.

7. Use moderators

You need the moderator’s help when things get out of your control. Moderators can combine documents, reports, and videos that will be your brand’s voice during an online event.

8. Include breakout session

The audience may look for a breakout session if you plan a long-duration virtual event for more than one hour. So, plan when to add breakouts in the session.

9. Device a substitute virtual platform

It is better to have more than one platform when hosting virtual events. There may be troubleshooting or technical difficulties with your video or audio, so switching to a different service is essential to continue the event as planned.

10. Send communication for follow up

Set a feedback session and send out a post-event follow-up to get access to the participants. This will help you get them next time as well. Like offline events, it is essential to know how the audience experiences when most of the participants are new to the virtual event.

There are many types of virtual events. Virtual networking events, virtual team building events, virtual fundraising events, virtual hiring events, and virtual shopping events are the most popular virtual events hosted by professionals. As these names suggest, it has the business aim to meet. For example, virtual hiring events are career fairs that offer a way to narrow down the applicant pool and identify skilled candidates.

You can use different platform services now to host a virtual event. Use which platform or service provider has more followers in your list and start live-streaming on this platform. For example, if you have a big following on Instagram, it is better to use Instagram as your live streaming platform. It allows Live Rooms to stream with up to 3 more speakers. Additionally, your viewers can make comments on the stream and ask questions.

Conclusion

Today, most traditional organizations are getting out of their conventional meeting platforms and preparing to host successful virtual events. In the coming years, sometimes offline events might disappear from the business world. So, you should be ready to host virtual events because the Z generation doesn’t like to leave the bedroom. You can achieve exceptional results with fixed objectives in mind. Learn more about virtual events and try to host the next event online.