Why are Virtual Events Important During and After the Pandemic?

The world has been a lot different since the outbreak of Covid-19. For many of us, the way we work, study, socialize, etc. is not the same as it used to be. However, with the vaccine rollout, there seems to be a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. 

The pandemic has had a disastrous effect on the world’s economy. Many people have found themselves unemployed, while others have been forced to work remotely to help reduce the spread of the virus. 

Before the Coronavirus, it was common for businesses to hold events. Often, people would fly from around the globe to attend some major events. However, nowadays going to an event is not an option for most of us. With travel being restricted and experts advising us to avoid large gatherings, most people have decided to hold virtual events instead. 

Virtual events are not just popular in the business world, as there are companies dedicated to organizing party events too, such as OZ Party Events, and some people like to have a school or university event. 

Although the pandemic has been a terrible situation for many of the world’s population, without the technology that we have available today would have made it much more difficult. These online events have allowed businesses to thrive and help others communicate with others. 

Organizing an Event Online is a lot Easier than Organizing a Normal Event

If you have ever organized an event, even for a small number of people, you probably found there were more than a few stressful moments. Trying to find an ideal venue to hold the event, making sure that the food will be served on time and that it tastes good, praying that the weather will suit the occasion and that everybody is able to arrive on time are just a few of the many things that can make you feel anxious while organizing an event. 

If you want to avoid losing all your hair, a virtual event is a lot less stressful. Those attending the event can join from the comfort of their own home. You don’t have to worry about transport, parking, flights, etc. All each individual needs to do is make sure they have access to the internet and they are logged onto the site that is holding the event. The most common reason before the pandemic for people unable to attend an event was managing to get to it. Flying to an event often caused a lot of issues, so there has been a significant increase in the number of people attending online events since early 2020. 

Save a lot of Money

Normally, events can cost a small fortune. Many businesses end up spending a lot more money than they had planned when hosting an event. However, a virtual event is far more cost-effective a few things can avoid spending money on with a virtual event:

• Providing food for each person attending: Whether you use the restaurant at the venue or you hire a private catering company to feed those attending, expect a hefty bill. Plus, not everybody shows up to these events so there is often a lot of wasted food once the event is over.
• The cost of the venue: If you really want to impress others, a top-class venue is important. However, these venues don’t come cheap. Although you may have to pay some fees to host your virtual event, the price will more than likely be minuscule in comparison to using a venue.
• Promoting the event: Things like banners, brochures, buntings, etc. are unnecessary items when planning a virtual event.  Everything will be digital, so you can spend a lot of the budget on advertising the event online. Things like social networking, website updates, email advertising, etc. will be the ideal way of attracting people to your virtual event. One of the other advantages of going digital is that you won’t need a lot of paper to advertise. This makes these online events far more environmentally friendly.

Even though a virtual event costs a lot less than a physical one, you might still find it is more effective. Sometimes, people at a physical event tend to get distracted easily and find it difficult to focus on the event. If they have their earphones on and watching the event from home, they are more likely to take in what is being said.

Easy to Manage

If you have ever managed a physical event before, you already know how stressful the day is. Trying to make sure all the equipment needed is working properly, make sure all the staff is there and they know what they are doing, and praying that most of the people attending will show up and arrive on time! 

To organize a virtual meeting, the only thing that you have to worry about is the digital tools are working properly and that others joining the event are aware of what to do so they can listen and speak. There are plenty of platforms available that allow you to organize group meetings that are ideal for virtual events such as:

• Vimeo
• Cisco
• Zoom
• Livestream

In the early stages of the pandemic, many people, especially those who were not very tech-savvy struggled with these platforms. However, over a year later it seems like everyone has mastered communicating with others online. Also, having a strong internet connection is vital in making the event move smoothly. Making sure that the people who are speaking during the event have fast internet connections is critical in allowing the event to run smoothly. 

Virtual Meetings can Help Businesses make Quick Decisions

Data is extremely important for any business to plan its future. There are platforms available that help you to collect data from each event such as: 

• How many questions did the attendees ask during the event
• How many people engaged through the entire session
• Exactly how many people were at the event
• Email address and other contact details

The more you engage with the people at the event, the better understanding you will get which is very important when a business is strategizing. 

Summary

With so much concern about global warming nowadays, a virtual event is one of the most eco-friendly ways you can have a large gathering of people together. If you provide food at the event, there is bound to be a lot of waste at the end of the day, plus, you can expect a lot of rubbish that needs to be thrown away too. 

Businesses all over the world have told their employees to work from home, and it appears that even after the pandemic, many people will continue to do so. Although the spread of Covid-19 has been a disaster for many businesses, some have benefitted. Plenty of businesses have saved a lot of money on renting or purchasing offices. Instead of employees coming to the office each day, they can work from home instead. Although there are plenty of downsides to this, a lot of employees have been just as productive, and some even more productive than they were in before the pandemic. With the world going digital, it seems that virtual events are not just something during the pandemic, but down the line too.