7 Benefits of Virtual Conferencing

7 Benefits of Virtual Conferencing

 

Virtual conferences took off during the COVID pandemic lockdowns. Forced with no other option, everything from medical conferences to job fairs found their way online. Some of those early online conferences left much to be desired—they were mostly held on inferior video conferencing software instead of a full-blown online events platform—but the online conference bug took hold, and now many people will have it no other way. 

 

In this article, we will look at the benefits of virtual conferences and show why people are now actively looking for virtual meeting tools to hold their events. 

 

The benefits of virtual conferences

 

1. More attendees

 

One of the primary benefits of virtual conferences is that more people can attend. Freed from the need to pay for expensive travel and accommodation, more people have the opportunity to benefit from the online conference. This is both a financial and time factor. 

A virtual conference also allows for attendees from all over the world to attend more easily, thereby opening the conference to much greater diversity. 

 

2. Better for the environment

 

The negative environmental impact of in-person events can be immense. Travel by plane, train, and automobile produces unnecessary carbon emissions. And wastage at the event from plastic bottles ends up in landfills. 

 

Large events make extensive use of electricity, which is provided mostly by fossil fuels. And some events will also use fuel-based generators. 

 

This is in stark contrast to the virtual conference where the person attends from the comfort of their home and carbon emissions and plastic waste are enormously reduced. 

 

3. Easier to organize

 

Virtual conferences are much easier to organize. This is because the technology to create fully-fledged and completely immersive virtual events has come a long way from the early days of virtual conferencing. 

 

Using a sophisticated online conference software platform, you can organize the entire event from the comfort of your chair, configuring the reception, stages, sessions, speakers, etc., all from within the event management platform’s interface. 

 

The best events management platforms additionally provide features for marketing the event. 

 

4. Analytics show you what worked

 

Another awesome benefit of virtual conferences is that it is possible to track almost everything that occurs and then run an analysis at the end. Whereas “ticket sales” is a simple metric that even in-person events get right, a virtual conference can provide immediate feedback on which sessions are most popular, which pieces of content are getting the most engagement, and so on. 

 

Additionally, conversational AI can evaluate sessions, presentations, and chats to determine what the most talked-about topic at the event is. 

 

After the event, you can analyze the detailed analytics reports and do more of what worked for future events. 

 

5. Easier to engage audiences

 

It is possible to engage audiences in various ways at a virtual conference. Gamification features of all sorts can be added, such as learning games, or a leaderboard displaying, for example, how many events and chat rooms the person participated in. Other ways to engage users include polls, quizzes, surveys, and even taking selfies on the virtual stage. 

 

6. AI-powered matchmaking and networking

 

Probably the most powerful benefit of virtual conferences is the AI-powered matchmaking and networking functionality. This simply isn’t possible at an in-person event. 

 

By using profile information from the attendees, sophisticated AI algorithms can match up those attendees with others according to who has the highest potential of forming a mutually beneficial connection. Attendees receive a notification on their browser or mobile phone, depending on where they are attending the event from, and can see who they’ve been matched with, then decide if they want to interact with that person. 

 

The fact that the conference is virtual also means that people can connect easily with attendees all over the world. The networking opportunities alone make virtual conferences an excellent bet. 

 

The same technology can be used to pair attendees up with the expo booths most likely to assist them, which is great for both exhibitors and attendees. 

 

7. Safer during outbreaks

 

Betting on a virtual conference means that attendees can be kept safe during outbreaks, particularly those who are immunocompromised. One option that is becoming popular is to combine a virtual event with an in-person one, creating a so-called hybrid event. This gives attendees the best of both worlds, and those who are immunocompromised can still enjoy the event from the safety of their homes. 

 

Investing in a virtual event can also prevent enormous losses in the case of lockdowns. As we saw in 2020, lockdowns can bring businesses, and the event industry, to a grinding halt. But if you have invested in a virtual conference, the show can go on. 

 

Takeaway

 

The enormous benefits of virtual conferences mean that they are here to stay. They are cheaper, allow for more diversity in attendance, can be analyzed more deeply, make use of advanced AI breakthroughs, and are safer during outbreaks. For those companies who still want in-person conferences, they can also offer a virtual version of it, creating a hybrid conference, so that they can reap the benefits of both worlds.