A lot of people have known that event industry has insanely evolved recently, but not all of them are aware of why virtual events will be big in 2022. From online-based conference, to joint panel discussion, all the way to yoga session, the popularity explosion of virtual events is truly undeniable. To answer the burning question of the reason behind its predicted rapid growth this year (and probably many more years in the future), this article will try to break them down in the simplest way possible.
What is Virtual Event?
Before you get into the explanation behind its rapid growth of popularity, it is better to know about what virtual-based event is first. It is the online or digital version of in-person or physical events, which the form can range from virtual conference, webinars, live chat, networking, and more.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world in March of 2020, all of major conferences and events were forced to turn to virtual solution. As the result, there were a lot of virtual event companies established and plenty of existing physical-based event companies launch new online conference platform.
What Are The Reasons to Host Virtual Event?
Even though virtual and physical events are clearly different in so many aspects, especially the lack of physical interaction for the earlier, their marketing fundamentals pretty much is the same. The primary goals of both are to generate leads, promote customer loyalty, and establishing brand awareness.
Beyond that, read several key reasons why live virtual events are going to be the go-to for event organizers this year:
- Better accessibility
People who want to attend digital event only require two things: a supporting device and internet connection. Regardless of their location, they can immediately join. This leads to broader audience reach and wider connection with others.
- More affordability
The utilization of online event platform eliminates the need of pricey venue, and other coming costs with it, like catering, travel, and staffing. The estimation of how much cost can be reduced by opting for virtual-based events is 75%.
- Less time-consuming
Digital events require you to think less about things. There are two key priorities in conducting it: the quality of content and the type of right technology or which conference platform to convey it in order to offer smooth experiences to the attendees.
- Easily measurable data
The data regarding the events is easier to be measured and collected via the virtual event app, such as the length of time attendees stayed at each session, the most attended sessions, or the most engaging sessions.
- More sustainability
As digital event doesn’t require one to travel and there won’t be wastage from printing and catering, the amount of carbon footprint it puts out is reasonably lower compared to physical events.
Despite the fact that in-person events are going to make comeback soon, virtual-based events won’t go anywhere anytime soon. Considering the way virtual meeting platforms exist and are utilized these days, they are only beginning to create their own mark within the events industry. In fact, there’s a significant possibility that they will continue to become more relevant in the upcoming future.