The formats of hosting events have taken a drastic turn ever since the outbreak of the global pandemic. All live physical events starting from day-to-day meetings, product launches, conferences, concerts, or any other event have been shifted to the digital medium. This was the only option left with event organisers and planners to keep sailing smoothly. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an upheaval of our day-to-day lifestyles. And event industry has not been left untouched by this halt. But, was the quickest one to adopt the change in event formats and went virtual.
Whether you are planning to go virtual for your corporate event or launch a product, you need to leverage virtual event technology. Today, the market has several options available for virtual event platforms that offer exciting features. Selecting the one that best suits your event requirements is the key to ensure a successful event.
Looking for a platform that meets your requirements and helps in replicating physical event experiences should be your pick. As there are so many options available, sometimes it becomes difficult for organisers to select the best one.
In this blog, we have enlisted some of the most important questions you need to ask before selecting a virtual event platform. The following questions will help you figure out everything about the online event platforms. According to it, you can then pick the platform suiting your requirements.
Some of the most important questions you need to ask
Before selecting any virtual event platform you must know everything about it. Figuring out whether the virtual event platform you are planning to hire for your event fulfills your needs or not. The list of questions mentioned below will help you out to identify is the virtual platform apt for you or not. Additionally, it will help you to gain an understanding of the features it serves. So, without any further ado, let’s get started!
- What networking features are available within the virtual event platform?
Having a clear understanding of what networking features are available with the virtual event platform is a must. Some people just attend an event to connect and network with other attendees present during the event. So, looking for a platform that offers a wide range of networking features is a must. Ask the service provider what networking options are available within a platform that allows attendees to connect and network with other attendees globally. Look for a platform that offers networking features such as live audio/video chats, 2-way interactions, business card exchange, virtual networking tables, AI-matchmaking, and much more. It will allow attendees to have 1:1 as well as group interactions in real-time just like physical events.
- What are the options for engagement?
Looking for engagement features in a virtual event platform is a must. Engagement is the major criterion that makes or breaks the event. To ensure a successful virtual event leveraging a platform that offers ample engagement features is the key. Before making a final choice, know everything about engagement options. Attendees will attend a virtual event right from remote locations and are not surrounded by other attendees. Therefore, the chances of falling apart or getting distracted are high. This makes it extremely important to leverage a virtual event platform that offers exciting opportunities for engagements. Ask service providers whether options to organise Live polls, photo booths, Q&A sessions, quizzes, contests, and so on are available or not. Do not forget to look for gamification features and social media walls.
- Look for custom branding features, whether the platform offers that or not?
Enquire beforehand, whether the platform you are planning to go with offers custom solutions and branding capabilities or not. A platform that offers custom solutions and allow you to brand virtual event as per your company branding results in delivering immersive experiences. Additionally, it even helps in replicating live physical event experiences in the virtual world.
- Do virtual event platforms have data tracking and offering on-demand content capabilities?
Knowing whether the virtual event platform you selected offers data tracking and on-demand content or not. It is a must to track your digital attendee and measure event performance. Additionally, it helps in generating accurate real-time event analytics reports. Apart from it, if the platform is capable of offering on-demand content to attendees who missed Live sessions may prove beneficial. It results in increasing the chances of generating more leads at your virtual events. As attendees who will access the content on-demand are most likely your potential customers or leads.
- Know, whether the platform offers monetization features or not?
Ask your service provider whether the platform offer options for monetizing the event or not. It will allow organisers to charge a small ticket fee to attend an event. Thus, resulting in boosting revenues.
- Whether the virtual event platform can host an end number of attendees or not?
Enquiring about this is a must before making the final choice. You must be aware of the platform’s limit to host a number of attendees at a time. See whether the platform offers any limit or has no audience capping feature that allows you to host the end number of attendees at a time. It is a must to look for as it helps you in extending your event reach.
- Can you embed social media links to your virtual events?
Make sure to enquire whether the virtual event platform you are selecting offers the option of social media integration. Additionally, even enquire about whether you can integrate apps such as Whatsapp, zoom meeting to your virtual events. It will help in enhancing event reach and allow you to have 1:1 meaningful interactions even after the event gets over.
- Can you upload a pre-recorded content on the virtual event platform you selected?
Make sure to know whether the virtual event platform gives you an option to upload a pre-recorded content or not. If yes, it will offer more flexibility and allow you to have a plan B in your hand if any technical glitch arises at the last moment.
Final Word
Enquiring about the features and solutions offered by virtual event platforms is a must before making a final choice. We have enlisted some of the top questions you need to ask to service providers before picking up a platform to host your virtual event. On the basis of that select the platform that best suits your event requirements.
