Live vs Virtual Events: Host Events like a pro with Gizmott Events.

Live vs Virtual Events: Host Events like a pro with Gizmott Events.

The expectations of both event planners and attendees concerning the entire event experience are changing along with the evolvement of an event. Remote events have become increasingly commonplace over the past few years. They are being used by businesses and organizations to create communities and exchange information with people all over the world. Recent events have demonstrated the benefits of virtual event streaming. The capacity to live stream conferences, meetings, webinars, and even recreational events has been helpful during the implementation of “social distance” orders due to the coronavirus.

These days, you have to decide which kind of event is best for you based on a number of considerations. We’d like to provide some suggestions if you’re seeking to decide which type of event is preferable for you—live or virtual. Everything you need to know about streaming events will be covered today, along with a comparison of virtual event streaming versus traditional live streaming and which one is better for you.

Let’s examine how to organize a live or virtual event

  • Understanding the concept between Virtual and Live Event Streaming
  • Factors to consider for a Live or Virtual Event
  • Pros and Cons of Live and Virtual events
  • How virtual events has changed the event industry
  • how to host your own virtual event with Gizmott
  • Conclusion

Understanding the concept between Virtual and Live Event Streaming

The face of events has changed as the pandemic’s fog begins to shift. Live events abruptly and without warning went virtual while the world was under lockdown. Organizations have slowly started to arrange in-person events again in recent months, but many of them were postponed or cancelled due to the omicron variant outbreak, leaving many event planners looking into backup plans for upcoming events.

Even while many business people missed the experience of attending live events, technology has rapidly advanced in recent years, offering an appealing alternative to the conventional conference format. Many event organizers intend to include virtual events in their programming even if they intend to return to in-person events, despite the fact that many event professionals were compelled to make the transition to virtual events.

One of the main benefits of live events was the chance to network, acquire knowledge, and have an immersive experience. The thought of poor video feeds, technical difficulties, and a panel of talking heads left a lot to be desired for many people who were reliant on video conferencing services during the pandemic.

Event planners may enjoy the benefits of virtual events and eliminate their pain points by selecting a reputable virtual event provider like Gizmott. Virtual events are sophisticated, available, and significantly less expensive than traditional conferences because to their completely customised virtual settings and abundance of engagement options.

Factors to consider before hosting a Live or Virtual Event

Step 1: Review your event and goals

Review your event concept first. Query yourself on things like:

  • How is it set up? Which types of content did you intend to use?
  • Whom are you trying to reach?
  • What is the primary objective of the event? Lead generating, direct sales, etc. are a few examples.

The objective is to comprehend the foundations of your event and the true motivations behind attendees. It can be challenging to include every programme in your virtual event, especially if you’re undertaking this shift for the first time. So, concentrate on the programmes that your participants respond to the most. Focusing on one excellent content type is considerably preferable to five programmes that are badly executed.

On the other hand, your audience might adore panel discussions. It would be ideal if people could access their favourite content via a livestream and interact in a virtual environment. Also crucial is your target market, as this is what sponsors are most interested in. You should now consider your sponsors because getting them on board is one of the hardest things to do.

Step 2: Keep your viewers updated

Although a virtual event won’t surprise viewers, effective and regular communication is still essential for maximizing engagement. With announcements, push notifications, and multitrack agendas, virtual event platforms may help keep attendees informed. But in order to stay current, people must first sign up.

A strong communications strategy is therefore crucial. Maintaining excellent communication with your viewers is essential because it’s far simpler to forget to attend a virtual event than a physical one. Your viewers experience should be your top focus, and you can start by letting them know about all the great content your event has in store for them.

Step 3: Select the right format

Events that emphasise on networking and connections, such as performances, charity auctions, and other in-person gatherings, really benefit from the immediate interaction. Yet virtual event platforms have been able to incorporate a wide range of features, including breakout rooms, live polls, Q&A, chat rooms, and other interaction tools. Even though it can’t replace face-to-face communication, the entire experience has come a long way.

Step 4: Production Costs

Hosting live events often costs more than hosting virtual events since there are rental costs, travel costs, on-site expenses like food and/or housing, and higher speaker and performer fees. Remember that the majority of your investments in virtual events will go into technology when comparing them to live events. This may be the better choice when you’re on a budget.

Pros and Cons of Live and Virtual Events

Hosting a Live Event.
Pros :
  • Hosting a live event builds memorable connections. There is no denying at all that personal touch cannot be replaced. Face-to-face encounters give professional relationships a unique quality and leave a lasting impression.
  • Face-to-face gatherings also give organizers a chance to get relevant participant feedback in a more personal setting. For example, you may observe the atmosphere in the conference room and immediately make the necessary adjustments to enhance the experience.
  • In terms of immediateness, live events are thought to be the opposite of virtual ones. A one-time-only event may be simpler to promote and the real-life experience can have a stronger impact.
Cons :
  • Running a physical event has far higher expenses because you need to reserve a place and provide resources to meet your needs.
  • Your potential audience is constrained by geographical factors like travel and accommodation.
  • Physical events are more challenging to evaluate because it is very challenging to get measurable information such as booth visits, conversations had, sessions attended, and so on.
Hosting a Virtual Event.

Pros :

  • Virtual events are accessible on any device and from any location. They eliminate the need for any physical logistics, such as travel and accommodation, enabling you to reach every part of the globe and maximize your audience.
  • Connect with hundreds or even thousands of individuals at once and engage in text, voice, or video conversations with them. Virtual events maximise the amount of those contacts and multiply the value obtained from them, offering participants a successful alternative while physical events can win the argument over interpersonal interactions.
  • In contrast to in-person events, virtual events don’t need a physical location or any other necessities for running a successful event. This gives you more opportunity for profits while allowing you to allocate a lower budget to your expenses.

Cons :

  • A virtual event’s nature makes it simple for participants to sign up before tuning out, either literally or symbolically.
  • Online gatherings tend to move quickly, which may help you meet more people, but it could come off as missing if there are no opportunities for spontaneous physical interaction.
  • Although networking and participation at virtual events have increased, there can still be a “sit-back learning” component where viewers feel more like viewers than participants.

How virtual events has changed the event industry

The branding, personalisation, networking opportunities, development of cutting-edge virtual event locations, and overall user experience of virtual events platforms have all advanced significantly. We’ll introduce you to our event platform and describe what makes it cutting edge a little bit farther down.

Let’s be clear: while virtual events were evolving at a regular rate, lockdowns during the Covid pandemic caused a rapid growth in these technological advancements.

Returning to the list of benefits and drawbacks, it should be noted that virtual gatherings were still feasible throughout a pandemic and can be far more inclusive for participants who are physically unable or who live distant from the event place. Additionally, it is much more practical to drop by if the distance from your bed to the event location is only six feet.

During a period of lockdowns and curfews, organizers found a method to successfully drive commerce and deliver a fantastic experience to those who needed it by utilizing the potential of online events to reach and connect with an audience.

Gizmott for Virtual Event Streaming

Gizmott provides all the capabilities any event planner would require to stage their event, all at an affordable price. Gizmott offers world-class streaming support as well as access to a wide range of potent broadcasting tools.

We’ve been assisting event professionals in successfully making the switch to virtual for over a year now. Our virtual event platform is complete with all the features you need for a successful virtual event, whether it’s a temporary solution or a new mainstay in your event arsenal.

Unlike some of our competitors, we provide one hundred percent customizable solutions to our clients, which is affordable as well as convenient to them.

Being a versatile video engagement platform for hosting virtual events from employee onboarding to large-scale Virtual events like webinars and web conferences, we offer strong engagement features and provide an optimized report on engagement metrics using detailed data analytics dashboards.

Get started now!

Looking for a virtual event streaming platform to host your next webinar, conference, or training session? Gizmott can help you with a cutting-edge solution. Get started with Gizmott’s video engagement platform. You’re just minutes away from selling virtually.

Feel free to get in touch with our staff with particular inquiries for special discounts and ongoing live streaming advice; we’re here to help!

Related Posts
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.Required fields are marked *