- Contest Factory
- July 7, 2020
As the post-pandemic dust starts to settle, one thing is very clear; at present, and for the unforeseeable future, large-scale, live events are becoming a thing of the past.
But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, going virtual might be the very thing that puts you at the top of your game.
Learn the top 5 benefits of taking your live conferences and events virtual from successful industry leaders who are paving the way to the new era of “networking in place.”
Go Global
Location, cost, conflicting schedules, and unanticipated circumstances can make in-person conferences impossible for many conference-goers. But with virtual events, the potential in terms of reach and participation is unlimited.
Thomson Reuters, for example, saw a 73% increase in global attendees when it took its live event digital. And Salesforce’s World Tour Sydney virtual event was viewed by a staggering 1.2 million people!
Virtual events also have a better chance of attracting high-demand speakers who might not have the time to travel to a live conference but are happy to record a quick video or participate in a live virtual discussion.
Money travels further in Place
Think of all the costs involved in planning a major public event- renting the venue, catering, security, speaker fees, just to name a few. And for attendees, travel costs alone can prevent many smaller businesses from participating.
Taking your event online eliminates almost all of the major expenses and makes your event accessible to a vastly larger audience that could literally span across the globe.
Connecting for Real
Many business owners and marketers attend conferences and summits as part of their growth strategy and pipeline goals, utilizing impromptu gatherings and happy hours to network. But virtual events or webinars can be just as effective for networking.
Gong used their virtual conference, #Celebrate Online to bring together professionals from name-brand companies to teach attendees top sales tactics and techniques. The event featured live networking sessions and a virtual expo area where sponsors set up virtual booths that attendees could “visit” and interact with a real company representative and talk with them about their offerings via video conferencing. The end result was a virtual expo that was as beneficial and effective as its previous live events.
Benefits that Last
Unlike one-off live events, virtual conferences allow you to record packaged content for future sales and lead generation — something that can also be used to generate passive income.
Webinar expert, Jon Schumacher, launched a Webinar Mastery Summit virtual conference, offering an All-Access Pass for lifetime access to 17 expert video sessions, full recordings of all sessions, three months subscription to software, and access to a private networking community. He also generated 7,000 new email subscribers and over $55,000 in revenue from All-Access Pass sales.
Virtual Show & Tell
Featuring sponsors, partners, and product demos through creative games and contests is a fun way to engage your audience and keep them coming back for more.
Salesforce’s World Tour Sydney event created an AppExchange competition between exhibitors. Competitors were given three minutes to present their apps that participants could vote for using a dedicated link. Salesforce used their social media platforms to announce the winners on the days following the event.
Instant access to best practices
Because all hands on deck are online, event organizers and attendees are more likely to post about their experiences, both good and bad, providing free, easily accessible education and resources for those planning their first online event or looking to improve their next one.
The COVID pandemic did away with business as usual, but that doesn’t mean businesses have to do away with their annual events. We have only scratched the surface of how technology can be used to build our brands, expand our reach, and elevate our products and services. Now is the time to watch and learn, so when the dust finally settles, your company will still be standing…whether it be 6 feet or 10,000 miles apart.
