Live events offer the chance to learn about important industry trends and topics from experts in the field, while making valuable connections with prospects, vendors, and potential business partners. In today’s world, many corporate events have gone digital — and when they’re done right, virtual events can be even more powerful and beneficial than an in-person conference.
The benefits of virtual events
In many ways, a live broadcast or webinar is easier and more cost-effective to plan than an event at a physical location, and you can reach a much wider audience. Here are a few key reasons why virtual is the way to go:
1. Faster with less overhead
There’s a lot of logistical work that goes into planning an in-person conference. You need to book a venue, a caterer, equipment rentals, and AV specialists, and those vendor costs can add up quickly.
With a virtual event, the only vendor you need is an AV or media company that can help you set up and run your broadcast. Working with a single company streamlines the planning process so you can execute your event faster.
2. Connect and interact
At an in-person event, you can only get “face time” with so many people in attendance. With a virtual event, real-time chat and social media posts during the presentations can give you and your team the opportunity to interact directly with a much greater number of people. You’ll also have a record of the public chat logs so you can have meaningful, productive follow-up conversations after the event.
3. Reduce stage fright
Even the most experienced public speakers can still get nervous before talking in front of a live crowd, especially in an unfamiliar venue. When you’re broadcasting from the comfort of your own home or office, you have the advantage of being able to practice your presentation as many times as you want, in the exact place you’re going to present live. You may find that your “stage fright” and performance anxiety diminishes when you’re not looking out into a sea of faces.
4. Extend your market
The best thing about live virtual events is that anyone with an internet connection can attend, from anywhere in the world. Instead of limiting your audience to people who live near or can travel to your event location, you can invite professionals from other regional markets to connect with your business, thus expanding your pool of potential clients and partners.
5. Record, reuse, repost
Shareable content is the cornerstone of modern marketing, and with a professional recording of your live event, you’ll walk away with tons of content assets for future marketing initiatives. Upload the entire recording to your website to showcase your thought leadership. Share it in an email blast for your contacts who couldn’t attend live. Create a blog post based on your presentation and link to the video. Use screenshots from your event as engaging social media graphics. The possibilities for incorporating your live event into future campaigns are endless.
Need help planning your virtual event? We’re live event experts.
MediaCutlet and our sister brand Hurricane Productions are experts in live events. Over the years, we’ve produced B2B panel discussions, large-scale trade shows, building groundbreakings, sporting events, and grand openings, to name a few.
Our extensive background in AV and video production has allowed us to make a natural pivot and execute engaging, interactive online events for a B2B audience. Recently, we’ve worked with clients to convert their events into a seamless digital format that includes a private livestream link, live simulcasting, real-time chat and social media integration, a professional event recording with titling and graphics, and more.
If you’re looking for help planning, marketing, and running a live virtual event, get in touch with MediaCutlet today for a custom quote.
