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When the Covid-19 pandemic started in early 2020, people around the world started to practice social distancing to reduce the risk of spreading the virus and in some countries, people were forced to stay at home. Marketers had to reconsider ways to stay engaged with their customers, partners, and colleagues which led to the rise of the popularity of virtual events these last few years.
When planning to host a virtual conference, you need to choose the right virtual conference software that will provide everything you need to accomplish your objectives and to make your virtual event a success!
Before talking about the benefits of a virtual conference platform, let’s start by explaining what it is. An online conference platform is a software that allows you to host a virtual event on the internet and to bring remote teams together to interact in real time in a rich and virtual environment. In the same way a venue such as a hotel or an auditorium would be the meeting point for an in-person conference, a virtual conference platform is an online destination for your virtual event. Generally, the software includes interactive features and integrated tools to keep the audience interested and engaged.
You might be considering hosting a virtual conference but aren’t sure yet if this type of event could help you reach your goals. Let us help you make your decision by enumerating the benefits of virtual conference platforms.
<span class="mid-size-title">1. Scale</span>
Compared to a video conference tool, a virtual conference platform can accommodate more participants at once. Some of the best online conference software can support thousands of participants and up to 6 presenters. So if you are planning to invite a large number of attendees, this is the first reason why you should consider using a virtual conference platform.
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<span class="mid-size-title">2. Save Money and Time</span>
By hosting your conference on an online platform, you don’t have to worry about the high costs related to renting a venue, hiring caterers, and booking hotels, and such. Plus, you are saving yourself and participants’ time by not having to travel to the conference destination. With a virtual conference software, you can participate from the comfort of your home, wherever you are.
<span class="mid-size-title">3. Networking</span>
Virtual conference platforms provide you with the possibility to share valuable content with the audience and to encourage participants to engage in discussions and create relationships. Virtual conferences are a great way to make new connections with people from the same industry and with similar interests. Many virtual conference software offer features that can split the large audience into smaller breakout rooms to facilitate 1-on-1 conversations.
<span class="mid-size-title">4. Customization</span>
Stand out from other virtual events! From the event landing page, to the registration forms, the email invitations, and even the event lobby, with virtual conference platforms, you can customize everything with your company brand and logo.
<span class="mid-size-title">5. Analyze Event Data and Improve</span>
Learn about your audience by sending polls and surveys to receive feedback from your event. All data collected, such as attendance and engagement data, can be analyzed by accessing user analytics. This will help you determine your event ROI and determine what has room for improvement in future events.
We know that it can be overwhelming to choose among all the different options out there, this is why we have listed for you the 20 top online conference software.
<span class="mid-size-title">1. Hubilo</span>
Looking for the best online event platform to host a virtual conference? Don’t look further. Hubilo is THE number one virtual event platform. Trusted by well-known professionals like Coca-Cola, Verizon Media, and MIT, Hubilo’s priority is your success. Its engagement features include live chat, reaction emojis, polls, surveys, contests, gamification, and more! The event platform offers the opportunity to contact their team of Client Experience Managers to help you plan and execute your event. Increase brand awareness and boost attendance by customizing your event using your brand’s name, logo, colors, and theme. Other key features include ticketing, analytics, client experience, and mobile app.
<span class="mid-size-title">2. vFairs</span>
vFairs is an in-person, hybrid, and virtual events platform that offers an immersive and lifelike experience to help you connect and engage with your global audience. With vFairs, you can customize everything, from your event landing page, to the event registration, and even the virtual venue. That’s right! You can mimic in-person events and interact with your guests by welcoming them in a custom animated 3D virtual lobby. Its engagement tools promote networking by connecting with each other guests with matching criterias. The virtual conference platform’s gamification features can keep your audience interested and engaged by hosting games such as scavenger hunts or trivia and by awarding points for each completed task. Other features include real-time translation to multiple languages, tracking and reporting all clicks and interactions from the event, and embedded Zoom modules from group sessions.
<span class="mid-size-title">3. Zoho Meeting</span>
Looking for a low-budget and user-friendly option? Zoho Meeting might be the right virtual conference platform for you. If you are planning an event with 100 participants or less, you can use the online platform for free to connect remote teams using video, audio, screen sharing, and interactive features such as live polls and Q&A’s. Zoho Meeting’s security features, including two-factor authentication and encryption, help you host your conference in a safe environment by preventing any undesirable guests, such as spammers, from joining the virtual conference. Also, you have the ability to accept, decline, or cancel any registration. Other benefits offered by Zoho Meeting is that you can record the virtual conference and download it for offline viewing, and measure your event’s performance through detailed analytics.
<span class="mid-size-title">4. ClickMeeting</span>
ClickMeeting is a great tool to organize a virtual conference for up to 10,000 people at a small cost. Boost participants' interest by sharing content about your event on social media and sending invitations. The platform allows you to personalize your profile and event registration form to encourage attendance, and to sell tickets through PayPal. ClickMeeting’s features include documents, videos, and presentations sharing as well as breakout rooms. You can engage your audience using the whiteboard or live polls and connect with a larger audience by streaming the event on YouTube and Facebook.
<span class="mid-size-title">5. Accelevents</span>
Accelevents is an event management and marketing platform that can be customized to your needs. The easy-to-use online conference software allows you to connect with an audience from around the world to deliver quality content. From registration to ticketing and messaging, you can customize everything using your brand logo, color, and theme. You can keep track of information collected from surveys, polls, and Q&As to gain more insights on your event to maximize revenue. Accelevents can also be integrated with HubSpot and Salesforce.
<span class="mid-size-title">6. Zoom</span>
You’ve probably heard already of this software that gained a lot of popularity during the pandemic. Zoom might not be the best solution for a large-scale event as it can only support up to 1000 participants. Attendees can be splitted into breakout rooms, share their screen, use a whiteboard, and use the chat to communicate. Zoom is user-friendly, affordable, and every meeting can be recorded.
<span class="mid-size-title">7. Cisco Webex</span>
Cisco Webex is a multi-functional conference application that is suited for a large-scale event. Participants can join from any type of device and meet from anywhere and use instant chat and file sharing features to engage with each other and share knowledge. Cisco provides interactive tools to boost audience engagement and to receive instant feedback using features such as polls and Q&A. If you are scared about possible technical difficulties, Cisco offers remote support to its users. Some important features of the platform include broadcasting and screen sharing, access to live and pre-recorded sessions, uninterrupted audio system, and firewall protection to prevent breach of privacy.
<span class="mid-size-title">8. Big Marker</span>
Big Marker is a webinar software designed for marketing events and already approved by big companies like Samsung and Pandora. This virtual conference platform is perfect for hosting virtual events with a large crowd, as it can support up to 50,000 attendees. You can customize your event landing page using templates made available to you to brand registration forms and sign-ups and send event reminders to boost participants' interest. Videos can be pre-recorded if you prefer not to host the conference live. Key features and benefits of Big Marker include screen sharing, Google Form surveys, live polls with real-time results, and payment collection via PayPal.
<span class="mid-size-title">9. Bevy</span>
Bevy is a community event platform that promises the best ROI. This platform is a good option for big corporations that need help to plan, promote, and host virtual conferences. With Bevy, you can host your virtual event for an unlimited number of participants and integrate your favorite tools such as Slack, Google Calendar, and HubSpot. You can design your own event landing page, and promote networking by dividing the audience in breakout rooms. Use the analytics dashboard to collect and measure all the data you need to measure ROI and create strategies to improve future events.
<span class="mid-size-title">10. Brella</span>
Brella gives you all the elements needed for a successful event. The event platform offers customer support including live online chat, guides and resource bank, as well as 1-on-1 training sessions. With Brella, participants can interact in 1:1 chat rooms, exchange with sponsors, have access to event agenda, streams, and more. Easy to use, the platform makes it a no brainer for organizers to plan, manage, and host a virtual conference. If you are planning on having sponsors for your event, you might want to consider this option, as Brella gives them the opportunity to gain exposure using the platform. Also, Brella’s algorithm is designed to keep the audience interested and engaged by matching attendees with topics they are interested in.
As we’ve mentioned, hosting a virtual conference saves you time and money. However, you still need to make sure that the cost of an event platform still fits in your budget. Depending on your needs and the size of the event, virtual conference software comes in a wide range of prices. Some platforms offer free plans with limited tools while others can cost a few hundred dollars with access to robust features. Overall, how much it is going to cost depends on different factors, such as the number of attendees, presenters, and the features you choose. For that reason, before picking the best platform for a virtual conference, determine your objectives and set a budget.
Virtual conference platform comparison can be a daunting task because of the multitude of options available out there. What might seem like the best platform to someone else might not seem like the right one for you. So here are some key elements to consider when looking at conference platforms for your future virtual event.
<span class="mid-size-title">Virtual Features</span>
When you have determined the goals and objectives of the event, you need to choose a platform that provides you with all the tools needed to accomplish them. Some important features you should consider include:
<span class="mid-size-title">Ease of Use</span>
While it is great to have access to a lot of features by using a virtual event platform, you want to avoid yourself and participants headaches by choosing one that is user-friendly. Not only will it make it easier for you to prepare everything ahead of the event such as the event page, registration forms, and such, but it will also optimize participation for better results. Keep in mind that not all participants are comfortable with technology so pick a platform that is easy to use.
<span class="mid-size-title">Number of Attendees</span>
Not all platforms can support the same amount of participants and presenters so keep that in mind, especially if you are expecting a large crowd with thousands of participants.
<span class="mid-size-title">Budget</span>
Determine your budget and stick to it! While some features might sound fun to have, they may not be matching your needs…and wallet. Don’t worry though, when it comes to online conference platforms, the price-range is wide. Some software have free plans, while others might cost you hundreds of dollars a month.
Now you have all the knowledge you need to choose the best online conference hosting platform for your future events.
Virtual events’ popularity has been on the rise these past few years following the start of the pandemic, and will continue to gain in popularity and be part of the future. Don’t wait and start planning your next virtual conference.
Hubilo is the webinar platform built for marketers that helps you 2X your pipeline. Founded in 2015, Hubilo's powerful engagement features, dedicated client experience team, and custom branding tools have helped create over 12K virtual events & webinars, creating hundreds of millions of minutes of high-engagement experiences and counting. Headquartered in Bengaluru and San Francisco, Hubilo's 200+ employees are dedicated to enabling webinars & virtual events that convert.
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