The virtual events train has been running non-stop since its inception. Many people have hopped onto its carriages after seeing the benefits of the virtual events. Still, virtual events are relatively new to many people. The myths surrounding virtual events make people decide against hosting virtual events because they think it won't be worth it. But, the truth is, if you approach the virtual and hybrid events on Almond Virtex in the right way, no one or nothing can stop you from hosting it being incredibly successful. If you still doubt virtual events because of their myths, we are here to bust them for you and change your perception of them.
1. People hate attending online events.
On-site events have been a mainstay for decades now, and even the virtual events existed, they hit their stride in 2020 when on-site events were forced to stop because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But surprisingly, the virtual events rubbed people off with their ease of handling and cost-effective ways. The attendance of virtual events registered was staggering, with 50% of event organizers reporting an all-time high attendance for their events.
The virtual events helped to break the demographic and geographic barrier and are enjoyed attending by all. Attendees know that they have access to immense knowledge from the comfort of their smart devices. People who previously avoided virtual events on purpose or were forced to avoid them are now enjoying them.
1. Virtual events involve a lot more work.
Planning a virtual event indeed comes with hard work, and some of that work isn't required for a physical event, but vice versa: there is work you do for a physical possibility that isn't needed for the virtual event. For example, you need to hire a venue, vendors and organize accommodation and transportation partners for a physical event. None of this is necessary for a virtual event because people won't be heading anywhere outside their homes.
It can be said that the amount of work required is similar but only focused on different areas with an online event. Instead of deciding the venue and all of that, you'll be working with a virtual event platform hosting the event for you. The work will be simplified if you opt for an all-in-one excellent virtual platform.
2. Virtual events are complicated.
Some people think planning and setting up an entire event virtually is too complicated because everything revolves around technology, and one small mistake can pull curtains occasionally. But again, hosting a virtual event instead of a physical one means shifting the focus. Virtual events are not complicated at all; they are just different. When you organize a physical event, you don't do everything yourself but have a team of people with experience in various fields. At a virtual event, you do the same thing, only your team is now tech-savvy too. As long as you have the right people on board and do the prep work, you can solve any problems that arise quickly because most of the common issues will be eradicated during the trial runs.
3. The engagement factor is limited in virtual events.
It's easy to tell whether attendees are engaging enough or not at major live events, where the most prominent firms try to outdo one another with stunning exhibits. However, you can't observe what your participants are doing during an online event. It can be challenging to encourage engagement at virtual events but not impossible.
There are many ways in which attendees can be engaged, like Q&A sessions, polls or quizzes, chat windows, 1-1 video conferencing, breakout rooms, and gamification of sessions to chill. Tracking engagement is relatively more straightforward at virtual events than at on-site events.
5. Virtual events can't be monetized.
It isn't easy to believe if you have been working in the on-site events field for a long time to think of how virtual events can be monetized. We agree that when virtual events began, investing in them felt challenging by sponsors and promoters. The exposure and awareness a brand could generate were unknown to sponsors and partners.
There are plenty of ways to monetize a virtual event and generate revenue for the stakeholders. The organizers are creative and thorough in providing impressive returns to their stakeholders by implementing an immersive experience for the attendees in their virtual events. The monetization mediums can be online advertising, creative sponsorships, meaningful partnerships, networking spaces like breakout rooms & virtual lobbies, event-related emails, virtual booths for sponsors and exhibitors.
Virtual/ hybrid events are the future, and the train will not slow down anytime soon. The comfort of attendees, attracting revenue returns for stakeholders, and valuable data metrics are some of the benefits of virtual events over on-site events. The virtual events provide a seamless experience for everyone. 2020 was a blessing in disguise for the virtual events, which has skyrocketed its popularity beyond words. We hope you have cleared your doubts with our myth-busting abilities to help you to host your perfect and successful virtual event.
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