Although it hasn’t always been simple, virtual events have done wonders for businesses in keeping in touch with their audiences during the pandemic. The difficulty of involving people to leave a lasting impression is one issue event planners deal with. The change from an offline event to an online event can present a wide range of new and unexpected issues and challenges. But many business owners prefer virtual events because it offers opportunities we need to communicate with the targeted audience.
Fortunately, by selecting a virtual event platform that aids sponsors and organizers in seeing the long-term advantages of going online, the majority of virtual event issues may be overcome. If you are new to virtual event hosting, you may experience different problems and challenges. But don’t worry, in this session, you will find different challenges of virtual events and how to overcome issues in order to run your virtual event smoothly.
Most common virtual event planning issues and solutions
Challenge 1: Lack of attendee engagement
Most business owners consider keeping participants engaged to be the major challenge. In the pandemic-ravaged world, online events are gaining priority. However, the main point remains that these online events do not offer the networking values and sort of exposure that an offline event can provide.
Solution
In order to overcome this issue, business owners should go for a virtual conference platform with social community-building features and a live chat option. In order to improve the engagement, you can use different interactive tools such as surveys, polling, and live Q&As. Another famous strategy is to keep the sessions smaller and allow attendees to other people during the session. In addition, sponsors, exhibitors, and partners should also have the ability to seamlessly connect with the attendees.
Challenge 2: Lack of technical experience
On average, 2 out of every 8 business owners avoid conducting online events because they don’t have the technical experience and knowledge. An online event such as a virtual and hybrid event includes a wide range of components to take care of-right from developing a content flow and creating an effective participant engagement strategy to streaming tools and quick troubleshooting. Business owners who try to organize an online event for the first time ever are likely to experience more issues and challenges. The lack of technical experience and knowledge can create a major problem for organizers.
Solution
Before starting a live event, event organizers should participate in a few virtual events. It will help them to learn new things and understand how things are handled. Recreating the well-known and beloved live event experience requires having access to the appropriate technological know-how and dependable assistance. You can obtain a structured training program that shortens the learning curve and acquaint you with the best practices for virtual events by partnering with the appropriate service provider.
Challenge 3: Lack of personalized networking
Driving genuine connections through virtual events can be much more difficult. There are few opportunities for direct interaction amongst attendees at many events, which amount to little more than live video feeds. lack of a strong social component can affect virtual events.
Solution
Luckily, there are different ways that can help you to solve networking-related challenges in virtual events. For example, the matchmaking feature can bring participants together based on shared priorities and interests. A digital lead capture tool can serve as a virtual booth. It allows participants to connect with experts on a one-to-one basis.
Challenge 4: Lack of security and privacy
In an online event, security means participants’ safety and keeping a close watch on every participant as the event proceeds. In virtual events, there is a ton of individual information and content that will be shared through systems and apps across many global participants. Hackers can utilize different tools and techniques to access user data. So having a robust security setup is essential for virtual space.
Solution
Particularly in situations where people are likely to be transferring sensitive information, event planners have a responsibility to safeguard both themselves and their participants. This is why maintaining the safety and confidentiality of your events requires a single event management platform with security and privacy built-in.
Challenge 5: Integration difficulties
Integration is not just about turning different sources of data into actionable insights, but also about minimizing the error and improving productivity. Many organizers utilize different systems for video conferencing, mailing lists, landing pages, and other routine operations. Integrating different things can also increase the chance of costly errors.
Solution
Well-defined event management can bring all the functions you need to plan, market, and handle your virtual event from its very conception to post-event participant support. With one log-in, one license, and one support and training team, it is possible to maintain the workflow from start to finish.
Challenge 6: Reporting and analytics
One of the main benefits of virtual events is that they offer a large amount of valuable data. Leveraging this data for actionable insights is not easy when you are using a different system to drive engagement.
Solution
In order to make it possible, it is crucial to choose virtual event software that works with your CRM and other systems.
Challenge 7: Sponsorship programs
For many online events, revenue comes from sponsorship. It makes sellers and buyers a top priority. However, due to the lack of exposure and truly immersive participant experience, it is not easy to convince others to sponsor the virtual event.
Solution
Thanks to the virtual event platform, the online event can offer better engagement levels compared to in-person events. Event organizers can offer a higher level of visibility across the website, social media, and other channels by developing immersive virtual showroom experiences.
Final words:
If you are new to virtual event hosting, you may experience different problems and challenges. Organizers may increase their audiences, attract high-value sponsors, and produce interesting and memorable events online by adhering to the best practices for virtual events and developing a complete awareness of event planning issues and solutions.