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Should I take my event virtual? Or host an in-person event? These are common questions that every event organizer considers. We’re here to help you decide by exploring which option will best suit your needs and event goals.
We will discuss why a virtual event suits best for your event goals or why an in-person event could better fulfill your attendees’ needs.
Additionally, this article will delve into lead generation, engagement, networking, and all potential opportunities for virtual events and their physical counterparts.
Let’s get started.
5-second summary
Event solutions come with their pros and cons. Before replacing the virtual event solution with in-person events or vice versa, look at virtual events’ pros and cons and compare them with in-person events.
Let’s begin.
The part that elevates the attendee experience in onsite events compared to virtual ones is the face-to-face interaction. However, this priceless experience comes with hefty billables for event hosts.
From the venue to logistics, every aspect costs organizers more than it would in the case of virtual events. Not only do the event organizers have to set up an additional budget for in-person events, but the attendees also have to bear the travel, food, and accommodation expenses.
On the other hand, virtual venues are relatively affordable when you exclude costs like venue rent, equipment, catering, videographers and travel.
Attendees enjoy an immersive and live event experience from the comfort of their homes especially with 3D virtual event service from vFairs,
Also, the chances of getting high-quality speakers to become part of the virtual event become higher due to the event’s convenience.
Bottom line: Virtual events are the better option when it comes to cost-effectiveness. If you want to host an event that is budget-friendly, it’s better to prioritize virtual events over in-person ones.
An attendee’s reason for attending an event varies. For instance, at a career fair, students can grab insights into the industry and jobs of their interest. Still, an attendee might only focus on capturing a work opportunity in a recruiting event.
On the other hand, at a conference people are more interested in meeting industry experts and attending webinars.
However, networking is a universal benefit of all types of events. Networking has grown into many modes; face-to-face, interface-to-interface, and more.
In today’s world, we spend most of our time on devices where interactions are formal and almost robotic. In such times, having the opportunity to chat with another person face-to-face is most remarkable.
Meeting people in person cultivates genuine networking and provides participants with a profound event experience, especially after enabling virtual networking closely into our lives in the past. It is refreshing to attend more in-person events.
Luckily partnering with event management software providers like vFairs can help you resolve on-site event needs. vFairs provides dynamic event technology, including a comprehensive event mobile app that simplifies and enhances the event experience.
The vFairs mobile app features interactive floor maps for easy navigation of the venue and real-time push notifications so attendees don’t miss any updates, a personalized agenda, advanced reporting tools, and analytics. Along with the app, vFairs also offers badge printing, check-in, and badge scanning, on-site technical support, and a variety of end-to-end services for a smooth in-person event.
For many reasons, in-person events are a better way to network than virtual events. Yet, communicating with people traditionally can be discomforting for some people. Handshakes, eye contact, and uninterrupted banter can be challenging if they prefer virtual networking.
Attendees in a virtual event can chat with people they want to. Especially with networking features like matchmaking, the event-organizing platform chooses the right match for you. It is fun to chat with people with similar interests or backgrounds.
Bottom line: Networking, whether virtually or in person, offers different experiences. Ultimately, it all comes down to the effectiveness of each method and the comfort it provides to spark genuine conversation and connection.
We have an expert backing this up as well.
In conversation with vFairs CEO Younas on Epic Events Podcast on AI’s role in Shaping Brand of the Future, Co-founder and Editor of Events Industry News, Adam Parry says that he believes that regardless of event format, people still value having authentic conversations with real people.
Adam said, “There is something magical about people connecting with people.”
Grabbing freebies is still one of my favorite post-event things. Especially in an in-person event, personalized merchandise is super engaging and fun.
Virtual events organizers have yet to spare this element as well. Virtual swags are popular among virtual events and attendees. Some hosts ship their personalized merchandise to speakers who can record their sessions while wearing them.
Brands like Apple, DoorDash, and even Starbucks offer virtual gift cards as part of the virtual swag events.
Bottom line: Gifts in any form or variety are a great addition to events; however, in-person events elevate the standard with their selection of merchandise. So, when giving away better freebies, choose in-person events.
Hosting an environment-friendly event not only helps contribute to a better world but also helps with increased reach and lower cost. This makes hosting green events a win-win situation.
Virtual events help reduce carbon footprints more quickly in this case. Hosts and attendees do not contribute to emissions produced from traveling, food waste, and one-time-used event products.
If you still want to host an in-person event, you can make it environmentally friendly.
With vFairs, you can reduce carbon footprints by going paperless at an in-person event. You can host content on the mobile app and allow users to save content like presentations and brochures digitally. This can help you avoid unnecessary paper usage at the event and make your in-person event much more eco-friendly.
Bottom line: In-person events can be eco-friendly by collaborating with the appropriate event organizers but they would require additional cost and work. Whereas, the digital nature of virtual events plays a role in reducing carbon footprint. As a result, if you aim to select an event format that supports environmental initiatives, opting for a virtual event over an in-person one is essential.
Having a post-event report is great, but having your eyes on real-time event updates is just amazing.
The data to measure event success can revolve around the number of attendees, the number of times attendees visited a booth and/or attended a webinar, etc.
While these statistics can be taken from physical events, it can be an ordeal as it takes a long time to record this physical information correctly – unless you have an event mobile app.
Organizers can track attendance for sessions through badge scans. Attendance data can be tracked through event check-in. It also makes the evaluation of attendee behavioral data by tracking individual user journeys.
An event mobile app offers real-time event analytics to help you understand how well the event is going and, if necessary, make data-driven decisions for better event performance.
In a virtual event, event reporting becomes easier than ever with advanced virtual reporting and analytics tools. For instance, vFairs reporting tools include tracking event logins, onsite check-ins, and other user activities in real-time. The platform offers a single dashboard to collect and analyze the entire event data pre-, during, and post-event.
The good part is that you do not have to go through piles of complex event data to fetch relevant information. Instead, vFairs have introduced an event AI chatbot to gauge event performance quickly through simple prompts/questions. Chatbot can track and provide information like session attendance, content downloads, meetings booked, and more.
Another good part, your exhibitors or sponsors do not have to wait for the post-event reports to know how well their sessions or booths performed. Instead, the chatbot can easily share numbers with stakeholders like exhibitors and sponsors.
Bottom line: Having hands-on advanced event reporting and analytics tools is necessary regardless of the event type. However, if you want to have a quick turnaround time to assess event performance, then you should host a virtual event.
Events are different, and so are event goals. But one of the most common event goals is to have as many registrations as you can.
Usually, physical events are larger than life. The events have over a thousand attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and a lot more staff involved in making the event fool-proof. While all of this makes the event exciting, it also adds up to logistics, having a lot more workforce, and having to invest a lot of time and effort.
On the other hand, virtual events can also be bigger events with thousands of participants, but they are easier to execute. With a virtual event, you can increase the audience tenfold and still not spend as much as you would have had to at a physical event.
Bottom line: If you’re looking to host a larger event with more attendees within budget, then going virtual can be a great option. A virtual event setup can drive more registration by removing geographic barriers and providing flexibility to attendees.
Having the right content, regardless of the event type, is a necessary aspect of a successful event.
If you are hosting an in-person event, one way to go with event content is by having a lot of paperwork involved.
For instance, you can have large printed banners for sponsors’ advertisements at the event. You can have brochures, documents, and other resources to make your event more informative. However, this approach does not necessarily contribute to useful events; instead, it increases the carbon footprint and paper wastage.
To make your event green and content evergreen, you should try having all the content available digitally. You can do this by having all your resources, such as brochures, documents, etc, uploaded on the event mobile app.
The vFairs event mobile app promotes green events by letting exhibitors and sponsors upload their brochures, flyers, and other documents into their virtual booths, which attendees can download and have in their virtual swag bags.
This approach eliminates the need to carry resources in hand and also makes the content available to access for attendees even after the event.
In a virtual event, there is nothing to worry about. It is easier for you to create and publish content by uploading sessions, content, and everything relevant to the event on the platform, even before the event. The content will be available for later use in the virtual events platform for attendees to review.
Also, with the vFairs mobile app and virtual event software, attendees can review the sessions they have missed or that they want to review with on-demand content.
Additionally, the platform has an AI-powered Webinar Summary and Chapterization tool that summarizes the webinars into simple chapters so that it is easier for consumption.
Event planners and marketers can also repurpose the content with the AI tool. They can use the content later for future events, promotion, research, and more.
Bottom line: There is a lot of effort and time that goes into creating content for events from start to finish. It is better to have content published and available digitally on an event app or platform for a longer life and repurposing.
Another way to have a successful event is to ensure you provide the most personalized event experience to your attendees.
In-person events offer organizers a unique advantage in the form of immediate, firsthand feedback.
When you’re physically present at a conference or gathering, you can observe the ambiance within the conference hall directly. This means you can gauge factors like the comfort of seating, audio-visual quality, and the overall flow of the event. If any aspects of the event require improvement, you’re in a position to address them promptly.
Suppose attendees seem uncomfortable due to seating arrangements or the room temperature, you can take swift action to rectify these issues. This real-time feedback loop allows you to make on-the-spot adjustments, enhancing the event’s overall quality and leaving a positive impression on attendees.
In a virtual event, you can offer a personalized experience as well. For instance, during the event, you can let attendees connect with people having similar interests as them through an AI-powered smart matchmaking tool.
Also, when you partner with a good event management software such as vFairs, they offer a dedicated PM (project manager) and technical support..
If your audience has difficulty accessing any aspect of the event or requires help with navigation, then they can always get in touch with the vFairs team. This instant help increases the comfort of attendees at the time of the event.
Bottom line: Your audience will make or break your event. It is important to take all possible measures to create an event that provides a personalized and amazing experience to your attendees. For both event types, it is only possible to provide the utmost personalized experience to your attendees by partnering with an event management software that has the right tools and professionals that help achieve your goal.
If your goal is to make your event open for all, then there are certain measures that you need to take.
Most often, a number of individuals with disabilities are struck off the list of attendees at a physical event, even before it has taken place. Not only stripping these individuals of global opportunities (such as top job openings being exhibited at a job fair) but also eliminating a portion of leads for exhibiting organizations at any event.
You can make your in-person event inclusive by partnering with an event mobile app that can help you foster accessibility and awareness to the attendees.
The vFairs app offers screen reader compatibility, high contrast mode, keyboard navigation, and screen magnifier. These tools work together to make navigating events easier and more inclusive for users with visual, auditory, and mobility impairments.
Additionally, you can make in-person event venues more accessible by adding ramps for attendees on wheelchairs.
You can take important steps to make your event inclusive. For example, create large signs to show where the restrooms are. Make sure the signs are big and easy to read for people with visual impairments.
Let’s talk about virtual events. One of the most emerging virtual trends is to make events more inclusive. Virtual events have a higher chance of becoming inclusive and accessible when partnered with the right event software.
For instance, vFairs offers extensive accessibility features, such as letting attendees access a personalized event website by enhancing our experience by complying with ADA and WCAG standards.
The platform can also help you invite differently abled attendees and guests with varying needs, which includes all of the above color contrast, screen reader, voice command, etc.
Bottom line: While you can make in-person events accessible with the event mobile app, there still will be some physical limitations that can affect disabled people in an on-site event.
Therefore, virtual events are a better option, in this case, because there is a wider range of accessibility features that can be put in place to make sure everyone has a fair chance to attend and participate in an event.
Deciding the best event mode for your audience should be based on the benefits of virtual events and physical events. The following information will assist you in making a more informed choice.
Let’s explore some elements to determine which event mode best meets your requirements.
When it comes to choosing the right event mode, your budget is a pivotal factor. Whether it’s a physical or virtual event, the costs involved must be carefully considered. This decision will ensure that your event is organized within your financial means, leading to a successful and well-executed event.
When hosting in-person events, you may encounter high costs related to the event’s accommodation and setup.
However, with event partners like vFairs, we can help you create a budgeted event with the necessary features and assistance. For instance, with the vFairs event mobile app, you can save the money required for hiring event check-in staff by adding a self-serve kiosk. You can also add a virtual swag bag and upload documents for your attendees to download, thus completely eradicating the need for printing collateral.
While a handy event app can help save costs in many ways, Virtual events are much more budget-friendly. They reduce expenses for lodging, furniture setup, catering, and other essentials typically associated with in-person events.
Virtual events provide a refreshing opportunity to host a successful event without the logistical challenges of physical events.vFairs virtual events offer engaging features that can compete with the luxury of in-person events, all without the accompanying costs.
When deciding the event format, whether it will be virtual or in-person, you need to consider the power of your event – your audience.
There are a lot of factors that go into finding, reaching, and inviting the right audience to your event. Let’s talk about a few.
For instance, if you want to target a local or regional audience, then it is better to have an in-person event. A close-by in-person event venue has a higher chance for the audience to attend and form a community by networking face-to-face.
On the other hand, if you want a global appeal to your event, then a virtual event will do it for you. Virtual events have a higher chance of reaching a global audience for obvious reasons such as no geographical restriction, the comfort of attending the event from anywhere, etc.
Another factor that you should take into account when deciding the event format is knowing how tech-savvy your audience is. Suppose your target audience can not do simple technology actions such as logging in to a digital event. In that case, you should opt for an in-person event rather than a virtual event.
To choose the right event mode, you should first understand what you want to achieve from the event. In simple words, find out your event goals and align them.
Different events have different goals. For instance, you might want to have a massive reach for your event, so you host a virtual event and market it to a global audience.
Another example is that you might want to launch a new product that your company is offering, maybe a new smart gadget. For this, you would like people to experience the product in real life, in this case, you should host your event in person.
By identifying various event goals, you can determine which event mode best suits your needs to achieve those goals.
Another important thing that you should consider when choosing an event type is what is popular among your industry and peers.
Having an understanding of how your competitors are planning their events in terms of event mode can help you make a better decision for yourself.
This can also assist with whether their chosen event type worked best with their target audience and where they were able to achieve their goals.
Having an understanding of how events in your industry are going can help you make better and more successful decisions and limit failures.
When choosing between a physical and virtual event, it’s crucial to consider event engagement. Regardless of the format, you’ll want your event to be highly engaging for the audience, sparking their interest and involvement.
During an in-person event, you can keep your audience engaged with various fun and interactive sessions, such as Q&A sessions, scavenger hunts, quizzes, trivia, and more. You can also excite participation by rewarding the best performers with prizes.
These in-person activities can be replicated to keep the virtual audience engaged. For example, you can organize a virtual scavenger hunt, brainstorming sessions, trivia, and many other fun and interactive activities throughout the event.
Similar to in-person events, you can use a virtual leaderboard to track points and reward top performers with awards or prizes later in the event.
Whether your event is in-person or virtual, several technical requirements must be considered.
For in-person events, you must ensure you have the proper audio, lighting, and video equipment and essential internet and power distribution services. You may need to engage third-party services to fulfill these technical requirements, and it’s essential to designate a responsible person to handle any technical issues.
When you partner with event management software like vFairs, you not only get the tools to set up your event but also receive dedicated assistance with onsite technical support. This support can be invaluable in ensuring a smooth and successful event.
Technical issues can still occur for virtual events, but partnering with the right virtual event partner can minimize the likelihood. vFairs provides top-notch and user-friendly event tech, such as a simplified event backend, drag-drop event builder features, easily navigable software and mobile app, and more.
While the intuitive backend of the event management software reduces the need for assistance, vFairs provides complimentary dedicated project manager service in case of queries or technical difficulties for all events whether in-person or virtual.
By weighing the factors of live vs. virtual events, you can choose the desired event mode for a successful event.
vFairs published a detailed report on event preferences to uncover the emerging trends in virtual events, as well as the preferences of attendees for event technology and event formats.
The research revealed that upcoming events will depend significantly on technology. More use of AI, VR, and AR technology will be seen in the coming years.
However, this doesn’t replace the human connection and interaction that come with in-person events.
These trends may influence attendees’ event preferences, but the underlying need for more personalized events will remain constant.
Regardless of the event format, attendees will seek out events that offer a more tailored experience aligning with their values and principles. Industry experts believe that this demand will shape advanced analytics and customized content to deliver a more personalized event that meets attendees’ evolving needs.
Here’s what vFairs’ CEO, Younas, had to say at vFairs’ Discover Next event:
“We see that event organizers want to give attendees flexibility on how they want to attend an event: live or virtual. “
Event organizers should consider partnering with top event management partners to keep attendees satisfied and plan events that align with their needs.
Companies like vFairs attend to audience preferences and offer best-in-class features. vFairs ensures that events meet the growing demands and needs of the audience, whether through high-tech event mobile apps, advanced networking features like Spatial Connect, AI-powered event tools, 24/7 customer support, and dedicated event management for all types of events – in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
Contact vFairs to schedule your demo now and gain a better understanding of which event format is best for your upcoming event.
The significant difference between physical and virtual events is the mode of delivery. Physical events are hosted in person at a venue while virtual events happen entirely online. Some other differences include event budget, audience needs, event goal, and the level and type of attendee engagement.
Virtual events offer significant benefits in accessibility, cost-effectiveness mode, networking opportunities, and advanced networking opportunities, but they cannot fully replace in-person events. In-person events offer a human touch and connection, which makes them different from virtual events.
A live event is content that happens in real-time, whether it's in person, virtual, or a mix of both.
A virtual event also called an online virtual event, is when people interact in an online environment.
Virtual events have advantages such as reaching a global audience, saving costs, offering attendee flexibility, and making content consumption easy.
Virtual event disadvantages include limited human interaction, networking opportunities, and technical challenges. These drawbacks can be overcome by partnering with vFairs, the best event management software. vFairs provides lifelike virtual experiences, advanced networking features, an easy-to-use event backend, a dedicated project manager, and customer support.
In-person events have their benefits, such as networking and building strong connections. However, there are also drawbacks, like higher costs, location limitations, and logistical challenges in an in-person event. By using event management software like vFairs, you can get a customized and cost-effective package for your event, along with on-site assistance for a smooth experience.
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