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Virtual events gained a lot of popularity amid the coronavirus pandemic. But even though the impact of the virus has significantly reduced, the popularity of virtual events is only increasing.
67% of businesses use virtual events complementary to in-person events. Furthermore, most companies allocate 10-20% of their budget to virtual events.
To host successful virtual events, you need a robust virtual event management platform. However, with so many solutions to choose from, finding the one that best suits your requirements can be challenging. Let’s make things easier for you.Here are five essential features to look for in virtual event management software.
Event Management
Hosting a virtual event online has many benefits over live, in-person events. But the requirements for virtual events are different, and companies need to address them accordingly. Life cycle support should be an essential area of focus for companies. The virtual event management platform you choose should come with features that help you manage the basic life cycle of all events. This includes facilitating registrations, cancellations, payments, ticket access, feedback, and more.QR codes have emerged as a helpful tool for event lifecycle management. They can be used during all stages of an event, from registration to feedback. You can create an Event QR Code using a QR code generator and link it to the event information page. On the page, you can include all event-related information, along with a customized CTA that redirects visitors to the booking page where they can buy tickets. People can scan the code to get detailed event information and book a slot.Besides, you can put up event QR codes on print materials like billboard ads and brochures to enable omnichannel event marketing. You can also gather attendee feedback after the event using a Feedback QR code. These applications of QR codes make them an essential feature to look for in a virtual event management platform.
Live Streaming and Content Play
Broadcasting is the cornerstone of all virtual events. Depending on the type of event, you might need to conduct a one-to-one session, live group session, or large-scale live streaming. Playing pre-recorded video and audio during an event can be helpful in filling up any unexpected loopholes.Therefore, a virtual event management solution should integrate with streaming solution providers. Tools like Hubilo help you overcome this hurdle. These tools make the communication part a breeze with seamless streaming capabilities, along with features like recording, sharing, analytics, and more.
Attendee Management
Virtual event management software should allow you to manage all aspects of attendees. The software should allow the attendees to book tickets online. Also, it should provide you with a list of attendees that have registered for the event. With the list of attendees at hand, you can oversee the distribution of important materials, like labels, brochures, badges, etc.Besides managing attendees, a virtual event management system should also have tools that allow you to engage the users. You can achieve that by incentivizing the audience with recognitions and rewards, offering content subscriptions, etc. If you want to build your brand using virtual events, engaging the attendees is a must.
Event Marketing and Campaign Management
Find an event management platform that allows you to seamlessly promote your virtual event.
60% of virtual event owners say they use social media to drive registrations, whereas 76% of event marketers consider email to be the most effective channel.
Therefore, the software should integrate with marketing channels like email, blog sites, and social media. Some event marketing features to look for in a virtual event platform are:
In addition, a virtual event management system should have custom branding options. As an event owner, you spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to organize a conference. Don’t let it get diluted by the logos of the event software or tech vendor.It’s essential to choose an event platform that offers customized branding options. Each element of the event platform needs to be customizable. The attendees – the end-users – of the event shouldn’t be able to tell if you’ve worked with a third-party vendor.
Support for Latest Technologies
Lastly, a virtual event management system should support all the latest technologies needed for the smooth conduct of a virtual event. For starters, the tool should support real-time analytics. It’s essential to monitor your event’s performance. This may include ticket sales and revenue figures. Besides, also follow the actions the users take after attending the event, such as networking stats, conversion rates, etc.Besides, here are some tech capabilities every virtual event management system should have:
Conclusion
Each company is unique and has different event management requirements. Therefore, the one-for-all approach doesn’t work here, and companies need to choose a solution based on their objectives. However, knowing the essential features needed in a virtual event solution can go a long way in helping you make the right choice.
Tanishq Agarwal is a marketing analyst at MobStac. Extremely inquisitive about the contemporary developments in marketing tech, he aspires to bring the most pragmatic ones to the forefront. When he is not exploring the marketing realm, you'll probably find him indulged in bing-fests of The Office and Brooklyn Nine Nine.
