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While the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic may have temporarily halted in-person industry events and conferences, it gave the virtual events industry a hefty boost.
But, will this new virtual events option be a long-term solution for companies once the pandemic begins to subside?
Absolutely! Virtual events are here to stay.
Here’s what businesses can expect from the virtual events industry in the near future:
Virtual and In-Person Events Working In Tandem
Although the events industry is built on the foundation of in-person experiences, virtual events technology opened a new door for businesses in the industry.
Through webcasts, live-streaming videos, and so much more, the events industry can now bring the in-person experience to a virtual audience. With this in mind, expect to see more events accommodating both in-person and virtual opportunities for a single event.
From live-streaming expert panel discussions to using video conferencing software to facilitate discussions between attendees and vendors, there are endless opportunities for virtual experiences to be woven into the traditional in-person events structure.
New Virtual Conferences
With most major conferences and events canceled until 2022, we can expect to see several new virtual industry conferences arise in the coming months. There is a massive opportunity for companies to embrace the virtual events space and develop a successful online event that becomes an industry staple.
Interactive Event Opportunities through Augmented and Virtual Reality
Virtual events software already offers attendees a myriad of interactive experiences, including:
- Question and answer features
- Polling
- Chatrooms
- Breakout sessions
- Screen sharing
And that only scratches the surface of the possibilities for virtual event participants.
As the virtual events industry grows, more and more conferences and businesses will begin to integrate virtual and augmented reality technology into their online conferences. Using this technology, attendees will be able to digitally manipulate their environment to feel as though they are attending the event in-person.
Such a feature bridges the gap between the human need for social interaction and safely interacting with events during a global pandemic. And, since businesses have saved money by not investing in in-person events during the pandemic, they’ll have plenty of resources to begin experimenting with and launching these digital experiences in the near future.
Of course, these three developments cannot happen if companies don’t utilize the proper online events platform. GlobalMeet from PGi is the perfect online event solution for everything from small regional events to global industry conferences. Try it out!
