The past two years have witnessed a rapid surge in the popularity of virtual events. While the pandemic has acted as a trigger point, this surge is also a result of its numerous advantages over physical events. This article discusses the various reasons you must select virtual events over physical events.
Virtual Events vs Physical Events
Let us look at the reasons to choose virtual events over physical events.
Reach a Global Audience
While physical events are limited by location and space, virtual events are not limited in any respect. Virtual events can let you reach out to even the remotest of people and expand your customer base. With virtual events, you can target an entirely new and different customer segment that you had never thought of. It provides you with an opportunity to promote your brands internationally and increase your overall sales. Moreover, it is also a great way to widen your reach and develop a loyal customer base. It is understood that your target audience would not travel across nations to attend an event. Therefore, hosting a virtual event is the best idea.
Highly Cost-effective
When you compare the cost of a physical event with that of a virtual event, you will realize that the cost of hosting a virtual event is much less. Hosting a physical event requires renting a venue, expenses on travelling, catering, lodging and decoration. Not only this, but you also need to hire expert staff to host a physical event. Physical events are also heavy on the pocket of your attendees as they have to travel to shell out heavy amounts for travelling to the event venue. However, you only need an all-in-one virtual event technology provider to take care of all your virtual event needs. Therefore, it is important to conduct thorough research on the various platforms available to find a virtual event production company that provides all services including customization, support and data analytics.
Leads to Time-Saving
If you don’t have enough time and want to conduct an event, it is better to opt for a virtual event over a physical event. Time-saving is one of the crucial benefits of virtual events. While a physical event requires planning and finalizing a lot of elements like venue, decoration, catering, travel tickets, and speakers. Virtual events are much easier and quicker to plan and execute. The major part of planning a virtual event is selecting the right virtual event platform. Therefore, it is one of the most important virtual event advantages.
Real-time Data Trackability
While physical events are known to provide better engagement, they don’t allow you to gather data during the event. Moreover, physical events can track the data about the number of registrations and the people who attended the event. Whereas virtual events can track every move of the attendee thereby, providing more valuable data to take action upon. It tracks the number of registrations, sign-ins, views, shares, comments, likes, downloads and even the path followed. Not only this, but virtual event platforms also furnish properly curated reports. This feature of virtual events makes it easier to measure the success of your online event and follow up with the leads. It also helps take actions for improving your upcoming events.
Accessibility
When compared to physical events, virtual events are far more accessible in terms of the flexibility they provide. It is very easy to enter and exit a virtual event. Moreover, it offers you the flexibility to reach out to remote audiences. It also brings all the employees under a single roof at a time. Virtual events can accommodate employees and customers from different countries and different time zones to come together to achieve a common goal. Virtual events can be attended anytime, from anywhere from any device like a laptop, a mobile or a tablet. Furthermore, virtual event platforms that provide browser-based solutions don’t require the attendees to attend multiple software and apps to conduct the event.
Reduces Environmental Costs
While physical events lead to a lot of damage to the environment in terms of carbon emissions, virtual events reduce environmental costs. They eliminate the need to travel to the event venue leading to a reduction in the carbon footprint. Moreover, it reduces the need for using paper thereby, resulting in a reduction in environmental waste.
A Boon for Introverts
Sometimes, introverts could have a hard time communicating in public and asking their doubts in a physical event setting. Virtual events are a boon for such introverts. They provide the attendees with multiple channels for communicating with the organizers. The attendees can either interact with the organizers through live chat or audio/video calls. They can further ask their doubts and even share their opinions and insights on different subject matters. Therefore, virtual events are a boon for introverts as they can make them feel included in the event and provide them with an opportunity to participate.
Provides On-demand Access
While virtual events can be recorded and made accessible at a later date even after the event has ended, it is not possible with physical events. Therefore, virtual events provide greater flexibility and let the attendees access the event on-demand. This further improves the ROI of the event, increases its reach and brand visibility. Therefore, you must always opt for a virtual event over a physical event as it is more accessible than virtual events.
Better Networking Opportunities
Having said that, virtual events can attract people from across the globe to attend the event, it is also easier to onboard industry experts without any geographical limitations. Therefore, virtual events provide better opportunities to connect and network with eminent personalities and gain valuable insights from them.
360-Degree Product Experience
If you are hosting a virtual exhibition, fair, trade show or product launch, you would want your customers to get a closer and more realistic product experience. The 360-degree product viewing feature of the virtual event makes this possible virtually. It allows the attendees to have a better and closer look at the product and get a realistic experience.
Final Words
While physical events will never go out of fashion, many organizations have started opting for virtual events as they are much more economical and have many other advantages over physical ones.
