Imagine your company has plans to virtual conference platform. No one has confirmed a venue, booked travel or rooms for guest speakers, arranged for catering – and the conference is tomorrow. Yet no one’s sweating any of it because none of that stuff matters when your conference is virtual.
This isn’t a fantasy dreamed up by a stressed-out event planner or conference organiser working with a modest budget and a mile-long wish list. Virtual conferences (virtual conference software) have been a thing for years, and the concept has inspired more than a few forward-thinking businesses. More recently, in April 2018, Drip hosted its second automated organizing virtual conference, which featured a slate of 14 eCommerce experts and attracted more than 20,000 registrants.
Those are some impressive numbers – and none of the organisers had to lock down a venue big enough for all those people. Not one of the attendees had to travel anywhere.
Why are you organizing a virtual conference? Should your company think about launching virtual conference software or a virtual conference app of its own? We think so. Here are the five reasons why:
Organizing a Virtual Conference You Need To Know
1. Save costs & Less Budget
The costs for organizing virtual conferences through a virtual conference platform or virtual conference software or virtual conference app is much less than in-person ones. That’s because going virtual does away with a lot of the expenses associated with traditional conferences. Venue rental fees alone run anywhere from $500 to $20,000. Add in fees for permits and licenses, catered meals, Wi-Fi access, travel and accommodations, signage and other physical collateral, and you’re looking at an enormous spend – and high ticket prices to make up for it.
None of that’s to say hosting a conference through a virtual conference platform is without expenses. Upfront, your company will probably have to invest in (or rent) new technology [virtual conference software], tools, and services to make it possible. But all that would still likely cost less than bringing everyone together under one roof. You’re also then set up to host more virtual conferences later. Plus, any gear you buy might come in handy for webinars and other live video work.
2. Reach way more people, go international
When your conference is virtual, attendance isn’t limited by the size of a venue or who can afford to make it out. With a virtual conference software or a virtual conference app, people can tune in from anywhere in the world – at home, in the office, or on the go – and at any time, if the event is recorded and made available on demand.
You can charge people to download the video-on-demand (VOD) version or make it free to watch. Both options have their advantages. The free route can get even more eyes on your content because then viewers can spread it around online.
It’s also worth noting that going virtual won’t rule out one of the biggest selling points for a lot of virtual conference platform attendees: networking. It is possible to set up virtual networking and breakout rooms for participants to use throughout the event. Some virtual conference software solutions even support virtual exhibit halls, where attendees can learn about products and services and chat with vendors.
3. Bring in experts from anywhere, Travel & Time is not a worry anymore!
It’s much easier to pitch your conference to potential guest speakers when they can contribute content conveniently from their homes or office. Otherwise, speaking at a conference can be a tall order since it means making time to get there and be there.
There are a couple of ways you can treat the speeches at your virtual conference software or the virtual conference app. You can live to stream them. This may make sense for speakers who are part of your company or live nearby. But what a virtual conference platform does is, have each speaker pre-record their talk with a tool like Windows Camera or QuickTime. Then it’s just a matter of reviewing and editing the content and casting it during the conference through a virtual conference software or a virtual conference app.
While speakers who can’t attend your virtual conference won’t be able to answer any questions after their presentations, your event still benefits from their perspective and expertise. Had they needed to physically be there, that same expertise might have been unavailable.
4. Make money
A virtual conference platform offers many of the same opportunities to earn revenue as in-person ones – attendance fees, sponsorships, and so on. When it comes to a virtual conference software or a virtual conference app, you can charge people to access the live stream, sponsor banners or download the VOD version afterwards. Alternatively, you can make it free to potentially draw a bigger crowd for upselling and lead generation.
5. Gather data and leads
The virtual conference platform can often tell you a lot about conference-goers: which sessions they attended and for how long, which booths they interacted with within the virtual exhibition hall, and more. This kind of insight is invaluable for developing targeted content and for making your next virtual conference (Virtual Summit) even more successful. Asking registrants to opt-in to email blasts or requiring an email to access the VOD version can also be effective for lead generation.
What you’ll need to do it
Say you’re sold on the concept of a virtual conference platform or the virtual conference app. What would your event need to pull one-off?
An attractive agenda
Decide on an overall theme for your virtual conference that will resonate with your audience. If you don’t know enough about your audience to come up with one, launching a virtual conference might be premature. Once you’ve landed on a compelling theme, start hunting for guest speakers who are authorities on some aspect of it. Your business networks and social platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn are good places to start.
Above all, you want your virtual conference platform content to be dynamic and engaging enough to grab your audience and hold their interest. The same principles for planning a webinar apply here.
The right marketing tools
You could have the most captivating conference agenda on the planet, but no one will show if you don’t get the word out. Use what tools you do have to your advantage – the company website, mailing lists, social media pages, etc. – and consider adding new ones to your arsenal. Craft targeted ads for Facebook or Google. Build a website or microsite that presents the theme, conference agenda, speaker bios, and other information to generate interest. Shoot and share a short video that gives people an idea of what they’re in for if they attend.
A capable streaming virtual conference platform
There are a lot of different tools that can organize a virtual conference software or virtual conference app– whether it’s a webinar application, video conferencing software like Zoom, or a private content delivery network (CDN) such as LivestreamLive stream. Take your pick based on what will support your overall conference plan. For example, if you’d like to charge a fee for access, make sure whatever virtual conference platform you use includes a paywall or monetization system.
Robust email automation
Virtual conference platform registrants often like to be reminded that the date is coming up. It’s also a good marketing move to communicate with registrants afterwards – to share a link to the VOD version (free or otherwise), to remind of a product or service showcased during the virtual conference, etc. You’ll want a service like Active Campaign, Mail Chimp, or Campaign Monitor to automate these communications.
Quality gear
A virtual conference with high production value will reflect well on your company and keep people engaged. Viewers aren’t likely to stick around if your video and audio quality are poor. Ensure you have the right tech to give your virtual summit (conference) a professional feel. That means a high-quality camera, a good microphone, proper lighting, and a great looking set. You can buy or rent this gear and set it up yourself, or call in an AV production company to do it all for you.
If you really want to wow virtual conference-goers, you can take it even further with a multi-camera shoot along with custom, picture-in-picture layouts, and other advanced features. This kind of virtual conference software setup would require additional gear such as a video switcher, streamer, and scalar.
Make your virtual conference app something to behold
Learn more about organizing a virtual conference app video encoders and other products that can support your virtual conferencing ambitions. If you have any questions, contact our product specialists. They’ll be happy to help!