After the challenges to conventional event planning, brought on by the situation of the last two years, many people have chosen to host virtual events online to great effect. Organisers have made huge successes of entirely virtual events and hybrid ones in the face of unprecedented obstacles. Both virtual and hybrid events utilise innovative technology to bring large audiences together online rather than in person.
How Do Virtual And Hybrid Events Differ?
Virtual Events:
These take place entirely remotely over the internet. They can be in the form of recorded content and livestreaming to engage the online audience. For example, online meetings, webcasts, webinars and web conferences, to name a few. Different virtual event platforms offer various features to enable attendees to network and interact with one another or the presenters.
Hybrid Events:
If there was a spectrum with virtual events and in-person events at opposite ends, hybrid events fall somewhere in between. The term ‘hybrid event’ describes events which feature both in-person and online elements, with an audience congregating at a physical venue as well as an online audience tuning in. The goal is to provide a similar experience for both physical and virtual attendees with positive audience engagement at the forefront. By using the right virtual event platform, you can create a seamless experience for your audiences no matter how they attend.
Our fully customisable events platform allows you to host both virtual and hybrid events. Whether your event is for a small gathering or for a larger scale audience such as global trade show or concert, our platform is suitable for all.
What Is Great About Virtual Events?
There are various benefits to hosting virtual events as opposed to in-person ones. These include:
- An enormous online reach – an in-person event limits guest numbers to the size of the physical venue. With a virtual event, you can target vast markets from all over the world, meaning many thousands of people can attend remotely.
- Data collection – thanks to metrics not available at physical events, you can get a detailed assessment of how successful your virtual event was. Things like audience engagement, feedback, most popular moments and areas for improvement are all available with detailed data.
- Improved accessibility – attendees who may not have been able to travel can now access your event from the comfort of their own home.
How To Promote Your Next Virtual Event!
The first indicator of an event’s success is its attendance rate, and this is almost entirely generated through promotion. Virtual, in-person and hybrid events must all be promoted extensively in order to reap the benefits of brand awareness and generate interest in your products or services. You can get a vast reach with a virtual or hybrid event as attendees can join from anywhere in the world, but you need to know how to promote your event online so that potential attendees know it exists and are intrigued by what’s on offer.
What Is Great About Hybrid Events?
Hybrid events offer the best of both worlds:
- The feel and engagement of a physical event.
- Reach and accessibility – combine the engagement of the in-person factor with the enormous reach of virtual events for maximum attendance.
- Improved return on investment, due to attraction of attendees and potential sponsors.
Bear in mind that organising hybrid and virtual events can be complex. You will need a strong, reliable platform for hosting it, and that is what we offer at Connect My Event. You can learn more here and explore the website to learn more about how this superb platform could help you to organise your next online event.
Try our free demo today as our platform gives you the chance to promote your event across customised branded emails and so much more! Find out more today.
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