The events industry is one that must respond quickly to unfolding situations. And COVID-19 is no exception. Companies care about their employees and their attendees. For many in the events industry who are rapidly having to switch to virtual events, it’s a tricky time for event producers and marketers. Moving quickly to a virtual event format from an event that was painstakingly planned for the real world is a big challenge, doubly so if it needs to be achieved in a matter of weeks -- or even days.
However, there are some marketing advantages to virtual events that can counter the downside of an event being forced to cancel. The shift to virtual events significantly increases online conversation. Event organisers, exhibitors and attendees have the ability to contribute across much more of conversations happening at the event, from trending topics, engagement and sentiment on keynotes and top-performing panels. All this allows you to tailor your event in much more focused and effective ways from understanding what are the top topics to highlight in your messaging to what speakers are resonating best with audiences.
The ability to track more tangible metrics and KPI’s through a virtual event shows a clearer picture compared to the often harder to track anecdotal outcomes from real-world events. It also allows event organisers to showcase those metrics and KPI’s better to attendees, helping events provide exhibitors with solid metrics about their return on investment much faster and more accurately than the slow and small sample rates that are mostly based on the ground surveys and head-counts.
While shifting your event to virtual won’t be easy, there are tools to help you manage the transition and make the most of it. And our team is here to help.
Nicky Yates Published on March 11, 2020 4:55 pm
Frequently Asked QuestionsFAQs
What are the marketing advantages of virtual events over in-person events?
Virtual events significantly increase online conversation and allow organizers to track more tangible metrics and KPIs compared to traditional events. They also enable real-time monitoring of trending topics, engagement, and sentiment on keynotes and panels, allowing for more focused and effective messaging.
How do virtual events provide better ROI tracking for exhibitors?
Virtual events allow organizers to showcase solid metrics and KPIs to exhibitors much faster and more accurately than traditional events. This is a significant improvement over the slow and small sample rates from ground surveys and head-counts typically used at in-person events.
Why did the events industry shift to virtual events during COVID-19?
Companies prioritized the safety of their employees and attendees during the pandemic. Many event organizers were forced to rapidly transition from carefully planned in-person events to virtual formats, often within weeks or even days.
How can virtual events be tailored based on audience engagement?
Virtual events provide real-time data on trending topics, engagement levels, and sentiment from attendees. This allows organizers to understand which topics to highlight in messaging and identify which speakers resonate best with audiences for more effective event customization.