The recent pandemic sped up humanities technological advances which meant that virtual events which seemed futuristic is now a necessity.
In this article, we are going to talk about virtual events, what it is and how to host one in a painless manner.
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The Shift to Virtual Events
1993 was the year when the first livestream happened. That was almost three decades ago yet when we talk about virtual events we feel as if it was something futuristic. Today, amidst a world in lock down and travel suspended, virtual communication has become vital. While the realities of the current internet world gave us the ability to talk to people in space and do complex troubleshooting on machines half a world away, it also is filled with the latest cat videos and viral dance trends that will not seem to matter, a few minutes after it was uploaded. With all the means at our disposal, there is no reason virtual events should not succeed as part of our personal and professional lives.
It is no secret that companies that offer live events have cashed in on the trend. The decision of a lot of companies, large and small, to move most, if not all, of their communication in an online setting meant that the virtual event business is booming.
Other than the obvious need to shift to virtual events, companies as well as the general public have come to realize its benefits. For one, the carbon footprint would be much less without the daily commute into work places and business travels. This means that people would save time they have to spend travelling from one place to another thus giving them extra time to spend with their families or other personal activities. Virtual events also means that the reach would be wider.
The reason for this is clear, no packed stadium can compare to the reach of millions of people safely and securely at home looking at their mobile devices. This practice is not new but the situation allowed some entertainment industry to experiment on online streaming as far as releasing blockbuster movies on online streaming platforms. The results were incredibly positive thus further strengthening the claim of virtual events as the here and now solution for the future.
Do you think your company is ready to shift to digital? And do you think it is viable for your business to host virtual events more frequently. Stick around to find out.
Understanding Virtual Events
Virtual events are really just events held virtually. Though, there are other means for people to communicate virtually, the phrase has been largely connected to online virtual events or those that take place over the internet. There are many kinds of uses for virtual events and have been practiced for a long time but never as extensively as today. Online questions and answers are one of the more common examples hosted by mostly online personalities. Another category that continues to rise is online gaming events that are often played, hosted, or both, by a famous online gamer. These are informal sorts of virtual events that are very common in today’s virtual world. This just goes to show just how easy it is to host virtual events if even those that do not have professional expertise are able to easily work through one. For other types of events that may be of more interest for you and your business, here they are.
Online Class Virtual Events
One of the industries hit much harder by the pandemic is education. A lot of countries still ban face to face classes and for good reason. This forced universities and colleges to host their classes online. While formal education sectors are the ones that make most use of virtual classes, it does not mean that there is no benefit that can be gained for your company.
Using the same setting, companies can make use of virtual classes to host tutorials and how to help their customers and potential customers on how to make use of the product that they offer. While a pre-recorded video may be more seamless and less of a strain on the bandwidth, it will also miss the value of direct communication. Especially when a product is a bit complex to use, customer’s may find it advantageous to immediately give feedback or supply one to the trainer to quickly get up to speed.
Other than simple how-tos and tutorials, formal training or more lengthy teaching sessions are also perfect for virtual events. Most training courses are geared towards specific groups of people which means a personal touch may be necessary to ensure that both parties are on the same page.
Virtual Event Tours
Another industry hit badly by the pandemic are the tours of museums, galleries and even parks. These types of activities may seem less valuable if the person is not actually there. It can be said, for instance, that it is not the same to look at a painting from a computer screen compared to looking at the real thing. But, thanks to improvements in graphics and rendering the virtual counterparts have become comfortably close to reality. And one more advantage of virtual tours over pre-recorded videos is the presence of a virtual guide. It may not have the same flesh and bone of a live guide right beside you but, thanks to the internet, you can talk to him or her as if he or she is right there.
Virtual Event Interviews
Recruiters have often lamented how they are not able to interview job applicants in a live setting. They feel that they cannot assess the whole of a person if they are not face to face. However, it allows them to get an insight on the applicant, nonetheless. Some of the benefits of having virtual interviews over actual interviews is the reduced number of cancellations. Job seekers often had to go to multiple interviews thus making cancellations a common occurrence. Another benefit is being able to quickly browse through an applicant’s background.
