Yes, we’re all relieved to finally be returning to in-person events. The chance to see peers from years past, make new connections, and be part of the action once again is truly priceless. But don’t brush off the value of virtual events, just yet! Even post-pandemic, virtual events can be valuable for staying connected to your membership and sharing ongoing messaging. Here are a few more reasons why you should keep virtual as part of your event mix.
1. A Supplement to In-Person Offerings
Virtual experiences provide a fantastic supplemental option to your in-person events. If your main event takes place in fall, consider a smaller virtual option in spring as an attendee check-in, a place to present up-to-date industry information, and an opportunity to forecast what's next.
Now that there’s a sea of in-person events to choose from, your potential attendees are left to decide which event(s) will offer them the most value for their time and money. By providing a virtual option, you’re giving them an affordable, less time-restrictive option to keep you at the top of their wish list. And by packaging an virtual option with in-person registration, you can widen the pool of potential attendees and better plan for the appropriate number of participants.
2. Flexible Formats
Another upside to virtual events is that they are ideal for a variety of event formats. For example:
- A 1-hour speaker showcase followed by a Q&A session for clients, employees, or other audiences, can easily become a monthly must-see event.
- Education sessions can be made available on-demand and allow attendees to watch and respond at a time that is most convenient for them. Be sure to build your event on a platform that tracks attendance so you can validate their participation for CE credits.
- Poster & paper showcases can benefit from an online platform. This allows for in-depth information to be shared and offers participants the opportunity to take their time reviewing the information, instead of just quickly perusing past a set-up in an exhibit space. Consider adding a scheduled time for Q&A with the authors behind each of the papers for an even richer learning experience.
3. Countless Other Benefits
Additional benefits to consider include the ability for an attendee to multi-task during an event so they’re able to attend and not miss important work functions. Timing can be fluid as flights, hotels, and space don’t need to be locked in years in advance.
Additionally, using a virtual platform to accompany your event can make speaker and sponsor profiles easily accessible with links for more information (and more traffic!). Your virtual platform can also become a regularly accessed portal for presentation documents, videos, and other content that’s vital for your attendees to have.
LAI Live Can Help You Plan Your Next Event
The LAI Live team can help you plan events in any format. Contact us to get started.
- Give us a call at 202-783-0300
- Shoot us an email at Contact@LAIEvents.com
- Chat with a member of our team right now
And, if you're interested in booking a speaker for your meeting, check out the Leading Authorities website to find a speaker that's the best fit for your event.