When the COVID pandemic hit the country, the events industry suffered massive losses. Hundreds of events and exhibitions had to be canceled, which led to a loss of millions of pounds. As the economy suffered, so did the events industry.
However, as the entire world begins to recover from the repercussions of the pandemic, the events industry is adapting to the new normal of remote events and corporate virtual events. The restrictions and health risks of the pandemic have led to a paradigm shift in the way corporate events and meetings were once carried out.
The rise of Virtual Events
And so, there has been an exponential rise in webinars, virtual conferences, and virtual team-building events. Such events use web-based platforms to connect hundreds of attendees from across the globe who can attend wherever with whichever device they have, such as their phone, computer, or tablet.
But these events are more than just contingency plans for event planners. They hold limitless opportunities and a myriad of benefits for all stakeholders involved. The initial transition may be quite bumpy, but there is no doubt about the fact that corporate virtual events are more advantageous.
This guide takes a thorough look into how the paradigm shift of corporate events from in-person to virtual events took place and what that means for businesses, corporate event planners, and more.
How Corporate Events Transitioned into Virtual Events?
Figuring out how to transition towards virtual events may be quite challenging, to begin with, but once mastered, it has brought about a considerable amount of convenience. Not to mention, amidst the pandemic, these had been the safest way to hold events. Hence, corporate event planners and businesses began working together to strategize ways to arrange and host virtual events.
These strategies involved a great deal of investment in web-based platforms, digital features, and other technological solutions to make virtual event hosting easier and more convenient for everyone involved. Some of the ways corporate events quickly transitioned into the world of virtual events include:
1. Meticulous planning
Virtual events are a new type of event altogether, which is why planning and hosting one requires meticulous planning. Event planners had to consider everything, from attendees to speakers, activities, and sponsors. The planning is the most vital part of successfully transitioning to virtual events.
2. Choosing the most suitable platform
This is a factor that ensures that virtual events run smoothly. With the rise in virtual events, there are multiple streaming platforms being created and optimized. These have helped make the transition of in-person corporate events to virtual much smoother.
3. Using the right virtual experience features
Virtual experiences have been the perfect way to enhance virtual events. They provide features and activities that would otherwise not have been available in an in-person event. These include introducing games and using features like AR and VR to enhance experiences and make these events more interactive and exciting.
4. Organizing a networking space
The great thing about in-person corporate events was the opportunities to network and interact with teams, speakers, and people in the organization. To ensure this does not get lost, virtual corporate events include networking space, such as virtual and breakout rooms, so that attendees can still get a chance to interact with each other.
5. Preparing for potential technical challenges
Technical issues are bound to arise in virtual events, primarily when they are being organized for the first time. Such events are also normally hosted live. This is why one of the things that corporate event planners had to prepare for was potential technical challenges and how to overcome them.
The benefits of virtual events
While the initial transition towards virtual events may have been bumpy and came with its own set of challenges, it is certain that these types of events are here to stay. Even in a post-pandemic world, event planners will continue to incorporate digital platforms and features because of the many advantages they provide. These include:
1. Higher audience reach
They have the potential to bring hundreds of attendees from all over the world. This would otherwise have been too costly, time-consuming, and required tons of effort in a physical event. It is hassle-free and accessible for everyone from the comfort of their home.
2. It saves money and time
With virtual events, you are saving a chunk of your budget since you no longer have to pay for logistics like venue, staff, travel, etc. you also save a lot of time because planning a physical event takes months to prepare for. The savings in money and time also translate to higher profits for organizations and event planners.
3. Real-time feedback
Collecting feedback, especially in real-time, is actually much easier and more convenient in a virtual event. You can have a plethora of engagement features like chat boxes, polls, Q/A sessions, and more. This helps you acquire proper feedback that will help you make virtual events even better.
4. Excellent networking opportunities
Networking opportunities are a vital part of corporate events. A lot of the time, especially in more significant physical events, this gets lost. However, virtual events make networking smoother and more accessible. Virtual platforms give you the chance to network efficiently, such as chat boxes and breakout rooms. They can even stay in touch after the virtual event is over.
Final words
It is clear that the future of corporate events involves a greater integration of virtual features seeing how the transition has led to a plethora of benefits. Now, there will be a rise in virtual team-building events. As the world recovers from the pandemic, there will likely be a move towards hybrid events.
Here, at SevenEvents, we understand that planning virtual corporate events, webinars, and conferences can be challenging. This is why our experienced professional event planners are here to help you carry out a successful virtual event every step of the day. Simply give us a call on +44 (0) 207 659 4430 or drop us an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!
