The Essential Guide to Virtual Events and How to Host One

Virtual events have become an integral part of many organizations' communication strategies. But to engage your audience and drive conversions, you have to host exceptional events.

So, how can you organize an online event that attracts and inspires virtual attendees? Get ideas for formats and promotions and learn how to host a virtual event that meets your marketing goals.

What is a virtual event?

Virtual event definition:

A virtual event is a happening that takes place online rather than in person. If you’ve ever live-streamed an online concert, completed an online training course for work, or tuned in to a remote conference, you’ve attended a virtual event.

What’s the difference between a virtual event and an in-person event?

In-person events and virtual events happen in distinct spaces, but that's only the beginning of their differences. Here's what sets these event types apart.

In-person events

Also known as on-site or physical events, in-person events occur when people gather in the same geographic location. There, attendees can experience something together, such as a wedding or a live sporting event.

Since all attendees are physically present, on-site happenings are synchronous events. In other words, attendees experience them in real-time instead of on their own schedules.

Virtual events

In contrast, virtual events happen online. Event marketers typically host them on a video conferencing platform, using the internet to stream or record audio and video.

Audience members attend live-streamed events synchronously (at the same time). However, they can also experience recorded events asynchronously (at their own convenience).

Some virtual events happen live, but they're also available on demand. In either case, virtual attendees can participate from anywhere with an internet connection, regardless of their geographic location.

Compared to in-person events, virtual events tend to be more cost-effective. They don't require renting a physical venue or paying for speakers to travel to the event.

What's the difference between a virtual event and a hybrid event?

Thinking about planning a hybrid event for your audience? Here's what you should know about these event types.

Hybrid events

Hybrid events include elements from virtual and in-person events. Think of them as a blend of the two event formats.

For example, a hybrid event may feature an in-person conference in a physical venue. There, in-person attendees can watch the presentations, visit booths, and network with speakers and audience members.

The same hybrid event may live stream the conference sessions so attendees can watch online from the comfort of their home, office, or anywhere else. The event may also include virtual exhibitions and breakout rooms to keep virtual attendees engaged.

Virtual events

In contrast, virtual events don't include any in-person elements. They take place completely online.

Like hybrid events, online events often include live streaming so attendees can join at the same time. However, many virtual conferences also include on-demand replays that let attendees view recordings after the fact.

Compared to hybrid events, virtual events tend to be less complex to plan and easier to host. After all, online events don't require juggling in-person and virtual elements. That means event planners can focus on hosting virtual events that offer plenty of value.

Why are virtual events important?

Can virtual conferences and webinars positively impact your organization's bottom line? Take a look at these numbers:

• 93.2% of event organizers consider their virtual event attendance rate a success (source: Vfairs - Virtual Event Stats). Do you need to attract a certain number of attendees to achieve related marketing goals like leads or conversions? You can feel confident you'll reach your goals with an online event.
• When you host webinars with Livestorm, you can expect a 46% attendance rate on average. We track registrant-to-attendee ratios across industries. The pharmaceutical industry has the highest average attendance rate (63%), while the advertising industry has the lowest.
• 77.2% of attendees prefer virtual events over in-person events because attending online events is easier, according to vFairs. Do you want to reach the widest audience possible? An online webinar, conference, or expo gives more attendees an easy way to participate asynchronously.
• 88.1% of marketers hosted at least one virtual event in 2023, according to vFairs. If you aren't planning online events in 2024 and beyond, you may not be able to compete with other organizations in your industry.
• 93% of marketers have plans to shift in-person events to a virtual format (source: Kaltura - State of Events). After countless canceled events and conferences throughout 2020, many marketers have learned from experience and now opt to use a format that's less likely to require cancelation or rescheduling.

In this video, we make 5 predictions for the future of video. Spoiler: virtual events are here to stay.

What are virtual events going to do for your engagement funnel? Here's a quick overview of how online events can help you reach goals at every funnel stage:

• Awareness: Improve brand awareness for your business by planning a virtual event on a trending topic in your industry. With this approach, you can spark conversations and provide real value for attendees.
• Consideration: Drive consideration of your solutions by hosting a virtual conference or webinar series. These event formats give your team a way to connect with potential customers and generate leads.
• Conversion: Get more signups, demos, purchases, and other conversions by hosting video conferences for decision-makers. This format lets you make one-on-one connections with customers, establish trust, and answer questions.

What are the types of virtual events?

If you can imagine an event, it probably exists in virtual form. There are many types of virtual events.

Hybrid events

These events include in-person audience members and attendees who tune in remotely via a live stream. Performances like comedy shows and concerts are well suited to a hybrid format, as these events rely on the energy of a live audience.

Webinars

Like a seminar but online, a webinar educates an audience on a particular topic. Audience members don't necessarily have to participate—but they can do so via built-in chat, emoji reactions, question tabs, and other engaging features.

Virtual expos

Exhibitions and expositions can easily translate to an online format. Virtual expos take place on an online platform with multiple rooms or “booths” where attendees can move around independently to watch various presentations.

Video conferences

When a group of people uses live video and audio streaming to communicate, this is known as video conferencing. This category can include a range of online events, including large online meetings, 1:1s, client onboarding, and interviews.

Live streams

A live-streamed virtual event can be large and structured like a conference. Or it can feature a single person using social media to go live and have an informal chat with their connections or followers.

What are the benefits of a virtual event?

Before your team invests in online events, you need to know how they can benefit your organization. Here are some of the biggest perks of this event type:

• Cost-effective. In-person events require venue rentals, cleaning and catering staff, decorations, lighting, and sound equipment. Altogether, these elements can be much more expensive compared to the cost of running a virtual event.
• Scalable. Virtual events don't have the space and cost constraints that physical events do. As a result, you can scale online events for bigger audiences from a much wider range of locations.
• Accessible. Attendees can join virtual events instantly from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. These events are easier for attendees to factor into their day, even for people with restricted mobility, caring responsibilities, and limited budgets.
• Easy to record and repurpose. When you set your event to record automatically, you also gain a shareable resource. This will make it easy for you to repurpose your virtual event. You can use recordings as training materials or as incentives for customers to sign up for your mailing list.
• Easy to track and analyze data. Virtual event software automatically collects registration and attendance records. Some software, like Livestorm, will even track attendee engagement across events to provide detailed insights into audience demographics.

In this video, we're breaking down how to host a successful virtual event in 7 easy steps. From planning to promotion and following up with your event registrants, you'll learn what steps to take before, during, and after your virtual event.

How do you host a virtual event?

To plan an exceptional virtual event, you need the right audience, content, software, and marketing strategy. Don’t worry. Even if you have no virtual event experience, you can follow this guide to digital event planning.

Set intentions

The first step to virtual event management is to set clear goals. When you know what you want the event to achieve, you’ll be a step closer to working out what type of event you should host, how large your audience will be, and whether or not to charge entry.

When defining goals, be as specific as possible. For example:

• What do you want attendees to gain from the event (i.e., education, ideas, new connections)? Use this objective to guide how you structure the event.
• What does your business aim to gain from the event (i.e., awareness, leads, or customers)? Use this goal to inform your event promotion strategy.
• How many audience members do you need to attend the event? Based on average attendance rates, how many people do you need to sign up for the event?

Understand your audience

Before you can plan event content, you’ll need to do some market research. Who is your target audience? Knowing this will help you create an agenda to satisfy attendees and meet your goals.

For example, if you’re hosting a virtual recruiting event, you could survey LinkedIn users to find out how they would benefit from an online career fair in your industry. You could also ask email subscribers which event format or topic they would find most valuable.

Choose the right software

Now you know your desired outcomes and have a better understanding of your audience, you can choose an event platform that meets your needs. If you’re not sure what virtual events technology is right for you, try Livestorm.

With Livestorm, you can organize, promote, and analyze your event with:

• Customizable registration pages
• Engagement features
• Insightful reporting options

Plan content

Book an engaging keynote speaker with relevant expertise. Look for someone who can capture the interest of your audience and attract more attendees.

Then, consider how you might segment your event with interactive elements like breakout rooms for collaboration and networking. Don’t forget to create a knowledge base where you can host resources, or use Livestorm's Handouts plugin.

Create an event promotion strategy

You should start promotion for your online event at least two weeks in advance. First, develop a drip campaign to invite your mailing list and incentivize registration. Send email reminders that link to the event website to increase the attendance rate.

Then, plan some social media posts to build anticipation. Don’t forget to leverage your speakers' networks as well as your own. Encourage speakers to share social media posts and registration pages on their social accounts.

Looking to promote your virtual event across all marketing channels? Check out this video for 11 tips to promote your online event via your website, email, social media, and through collaborative marketing.

How do you measure the success of your virtual event?

To gauge success, you need to know what it is you’re trying to achieve. Use the intentions you set to measure what you accomplished. If you met or exceeded those goals, congratulations! Your event was successful.

Back up your findings with data reporting from the event. Most virtual event platforms track metrics like:

• Total registrations, which reflect all the interest in the event
• Attendance rates, which indicate the percentage of people who watched
• Drop-off rates, which reflect the percentage of people who registered but didn't attend
• Average duration, which reveals how long the average viewer watched the event
• Number of replay viewers, which shows how many people watched the on-demand event

Measuring engagement at your virtual event

Whether you’re hosting online mental health workshops or virtual quiz nights, engagement should be a top priority. After all, if you’re not successfully capturing the attention of your audience and inspiring them to action, your event may not truly be successful.

If you’re unsure about how to measure engagement, check the reporting tools and event data provided by your virtual event platform. For example, Livestorm’s analytics dashboard shows you key engagement metrics for audience members across multiple events, including the number of poll responses, messages, and duration of attendance.

Concerned your engagement metrics aren't hitting the mark? Use the 5 tips in this video to host more engaging virtual events.

12 ideas for great virtual events

Do you need fun virtual event ideas for your in-house team or your customer base? Use these ideas to develop your event strategy.

External virtual event ideas

Host these events to attract leads and create a community of happy customers:

• Panel discussions with thought leaders: Why host a single thought leader when you could invite several to speak at a panel discussion? Because this type of event focuses on conversations among experts, they can spark fascinating discussions on timely topics.
• Q&A sessions with key industry figures: Invite your audience to do more than just listen. Instead, encourage them to interact with industry figures during a Q&A session. These sessions can take place during panel discussions, online conferences, or webinars.
• Virtual fundraisers: Raise money for an important cause with a virtual fundraising event. These corporate events often work particularly well for mission-driven companies or local businesses with strong ties to a community. They can include auctions, raffles, or games.
• Breakout rooms: Are you planning a virtual conference with multiple speakers and sessions? Give attendees opportunities to network and interact with one another. When you provide breakout rooms for networking, you can provide more value for attendees.
• Workshops: Similar to breakout rooms, workshops give audience members a chance to interact with each other. During workshops, they can also learn skills, test their newfound knowledge, and ask questions of the facilitator. Workshops often work well as part of virtual conferences.
• Webinars featuring industry experts: When you want to educate your audience and bring them up to speed on industry trends, a webinar series can be a smart choice. Because webinars work well as live or on-demand events, they can support your long-term lead generation strategy.

Curious how webinars work—and how you can make them work for your business? Learn how to create a presentation, how to run a webinar, and how webinar software can help.

Virtual event ideas for your team

Plan your next virtual event around connecting with employees and colleagues.

• Team challenges: Use virtual team-building activities like challenges to encourage colleagues to work together. Host scavenger hunts or online games that require collaboration and teamwork to ignite that competitive streak in your audience. Create an interactive leaderboard to encourage participation.
• Quizzes: Test team members' knowledge with quizzes. These informal events allow employees to recall details about relevant but low-pressure topics—such as the history of the company or facts about the executive team. Include a variety of media, and offer rewards to the winning team.
• Virtual photo booths: Whether you're celebrating a seasonal holiday, a corporate date, or a regular day, virtual photo booths can make any event more fun. Create a custom background and share it with employees, Then compile their screenshots into a photo wall. Costumes or themed outfits are optional.
• Annual awards: Do you want to reward team members for their hard work throughout the year? Host an annual awards ceremony and make it a company-wide event. Identify areas where each team member has excelled, and ensure that everyone receives appreciation for their contributions.
• Dinner parties: Meeting for dinner may not be realistic for remote teams, but virtual dinner parties certainly can be. Encourage team members to make the same recipe or invite a chef and have them learn to prepare the recipe in real time. Then dine together (virtually) and enjoy casual conversation.
• Coffee breaks or happy hours: When your team works remotely, they may miss out on typical in-office socialization opportunities like coffee breaks or happy hours. Instead, host these events virtually to encourage employees to connect. Include icebreakers to help colleagues get to know each other.

Looking for ideas to break the ice during virtual meetings, coffee breaks, or happy hours? Use the ideas in this video to get your team talking.

How do you keep virtual event attendees engaged?

After the 2020 Zoom fatigue phenomenon, you may think virtual events are at risk of dying out. But virtual events technology keeps improving and hosts are finding more innovative ways to engage audiences.

In fact, audience engagement and conversion rates during digital experiences are going up. But you still need to know how to host an engaging virtual event if you want to avoid giving your audience digital fatigue.

Follow these virtual event best practices to keep your audience engaged:

Bring the energy

Energy levels are bound to drop over time, so start with high energy right off the bat. Play a dynamic video clip while your audience arrives, or gamify your event by introducing a leaderboard that rewards the audience for interacting with the Q&A, chat, and polls. You can also tease later segments to build anticipation.

Expert speakers

Your speakers’ credentials should add prestige to your event and inspire curiosity in your audience. Be sure to book strong communicators with expert knowledge. If they come from a well-known organization or if they're influencers in their own right, even better. You can even use the chat tool in your virtual event room to ask the guest speakers questions.

Icebreakers

How much audience participation do you want to encourage? If you want to engage your audience, include some icebreaker activities to get them comfortable speaking on camera. Even if your panel is doing all the speaking, informal elements like a fireside chat or quickfire personal Q&A can help break the ice for them, too.

Interactive elements

If you don’t expect your audience to turn their mics or cameras on at any point, it’s still important to utilize interactive elements like the chat box, polls, calls to action (CTAs), and digital whiteboards during your event. This helps keep interest levels high and gives you a way to gauge the audience’s mood. When planning your event, find out which features and integrations your virtual event platform has to offer so you can make the most of them.

Looking for more tips? Check out these 10 ideas to boost engagement during virtual events, from live polls to rapid-fire questions.

Key features of virtual event software

The best online event platform have the following features:

• Registration pages. Your event software should allow you to add your own branding and copy to custom registration forms. Then you can embed these forms into your website to drive attendance.
• Custom forms. Not every business type needs to collect the same attendee information. Custom form fields give you a clear picture of your audience, including what their role is, where they work, or how big their company is.
• Email cadences. One email announcement may not be enough to achieve your desired attendance numbers. You can send email reminders and follow-ups automatically to encourage signups and participation.
• Event automation. When you automate parts of your event, you can avoid having to do everything manually in real-time. You can start and stop your event, redirect to a landing page, or add media to run events on autopilot.
• Custom room design. Going virtual doesn't mean your events have to look identical. Revamp the look and feel of the event room by changing the color scheme, adding a background image, or customizing your company logo.
• Analytics dashboard. There's no need to guess how well your event performed. Use the analytics dashboard to get to know your audience, track engagement, and measure attendance and other performance metrics across events.
• Contact records. The more you know about your audience, the better your next event can be. Contact records show granular detail for each participant so you know audience demographics and engagement levels.
• CRM synchronization. Are virtual events part of your lead generation strategy? Integrate your virtual event software with your customer relationship management (CRM) tool and existing apps to make follow-ups easier.

What platform do you need to run a virtual event?

The key to excellent digital event planning is choosing a platform that meets the specific requirements of your event. Look out for a virtual event solution that will simplify your workflows and enhance your events with customization, automation, and in-platform video engagement tools.

To help you choose the best virtual event software, we’ve compiled reviews for platforms that suit different types of virtual events. Here are our top five:

Benefits include:

• Strong engagement features like Q&A, question upvoting, polls, chat, emoji reactions, and breakout rooms
• Hundreds of integrations with collaboration tools like Visme, Miro, and Slack
• Workflow automation tools like custom registration pages, email invitations, and automatic reminders
• Detailed data analytics dashboards with engagement metrics reports to measure the success of your event

Are there any drawbacks to using Livestorm?

• Attendees aren’t free to roam multiple booths or stages. However, breakout rooms can offer collaboration and networking opportunities

Benefits include:

• Low learning curve due to widespread familiarity with YouTube
• Large user base means wide-reaching events
• Free with a YouTube account

Are there any drawbacks to using Youtube?

• You might be tempted to monetize events by overlaying ads, but users may find this annoying
• There are limited engagement features aside from the chat box
• There’s no tech support team
• Youtube is not ideal for a B2B use case as there’s no easy way to gather and track leads

Benefits include:

• Free for Gmail users
• Host events for up to 24hrs
• Low learning curve with a simple user interface

Are there any drawbacks to using Google Meet?

• You can’t set a password for events
• Even basic engagement features like polling require a paid subscription
• It requires high processing power, meaning that some users will experience lags in other browsers and apps
• Lacks a detailed analytics dashboard

Benefits include:

• Unlimited attendees
• Multiple concurrent stages
• Audience free roaming

Are there any drawbacks to using Orbits?

• There’s no option to blur backgrounds during video calls
• You can’t browse pricing options without communicating directly with the Orbits team
• Orbits is new to the virtual events scene so you won’t find a wealth of user reviews or case studies out there

Benefits include:

• Integrations with engagement apps like Miro and Kahoot
• Browser-based virtual experience that doesn't require a download
• AI-powered tools to help marketers write better event copy and share clips on social media

Are there any drawbacks to using RingCentral?

• Compared to other platforms, it's far more complex, which may lead to a higher learning curve
• Has far fewer integrations than many other tools, which may lead to more manual work
• Doesn't have a free version, so you can't try it before purchasing an annual license

Hosting a virtual event: next steps

Now you know about all the different types of virtual events and how to keep your audience interested. It’s time to start planning your own digital event.

Promoting your events on social media and keeping your audience engaged is key to hosting exceptional virtual events. No matter what format you choose, you need a good marketing strategy and reliable software.

Your virtual event software should make hosting simple, with built-in promotional tools like custom registration pages and automated email reminders. Try a browser-based platform like Livestorm, which will allow your audience to join instantly, without creating an account or downloading an app.

When it’s over, remember to keep interacting with your audience online. Collect their feedback so you can organize even more powerful events in the future.