8 benefits of virtual conferencing

Meeting virtually is a great alternative when a face to face conference is not possible. Virtual conferencing utilises technology to deliver an immersive and engaging conference experience in an online environment, offering the same learning, knowledge sharing and networking opportunities as a traditional face-to-face conference.

Although meeting virtually cannot exactly replicate the energy and experience of a face to face meeting, there are several benefits to hosting your conference online that you may not have considered:

1. Cost effective

Hosting your conference online removes costs associated with the venue, catering, travel and accommodation, as well as offering a potential reduction in AV costs.

2. No capacity constraints

Not bound by the physical limits of a venue, your virtual conference can accept any number of attendees and create space and opportunities for a larger number of exhibitors and sponsors.

3. Reduced costs for delegates

The ability to access online means no need to travel and less time out of the office for attendees. This, coupled with generally lower ticket prices compared with a traditional conference can result in increased registrations.

4. Inclusivity

Virtual conferencing offers geographically dispersed delegates the opportunity to participate, many of who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend. Digital technologies may enable options such as translation or captioning to increase accessibility and inclusivity.

5. Reduced environmental footprint

Travel for staff, speakers and delegates, food waste, single-use exhibition builds, freight, satchel inserts, hard-copy programs, name badges and lanyards add up quickly to leave a large environmental footprint at a traditional conference, none of which are needed when you meet online.

6. Flexibility and convenience

Virtual conferences are often shorter than a traditional conference with a reduced number of live sessions, and offer attendees the flexibility to access pre-recorded content at their own pace, allowing attendees to more easily balance commitments such as work, study or child care.

7. Networking made easy

The online environment allows delegates to connect with speakers, exhibitor and other attendees with a few mouse clicks. No more running through crowded exhibition halls only to miss the person you most wanted to see.

8. Analytics

Many virtual conference platforms offer sophisticated data collection and reporting, and can easily track the number of attendees in each session, track leads for sponsors and show who engaged with what content and for how long – often in real time.

…and potentially many more depending on your specific conference objectives and delegate cohort.

Considering an online conference this year? Think Business Events are conference specialists in all formats. Contact us for more information.