A conference is a formal gathering of individuals with shared interests, expertise, or goals. Typically, the purpose of organizing a conference is to promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experiences on a specific topic or field of interest. 

Conferences include presentations, discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and sometimes exhibitions. All activities are planned to foster collaboration, facilitate learning, and drive progress within their respective subject matters. Whether the goal is revenue growth, lead generation, sales expansion, or employee training, conferences offer invaluable opportunities to reach and influence the right audience. 

Conference Formats

While 10 years back, conferences were only held in person, event organizers today enjoy the flexibility of choosing a conference format of their choice. With the use of the right technology and vendors, you can organize conferences in three distinct formats: in-person, virtual, and hybrid. 

In-person Conferences

In-person events require physical attendance at a specific venue, where attendees, speakers, and organizers come together in person to participate in various activities, such as presentations, workshops, and networking.

Virtual Conferences

Virtual conferences are entirely online, with attendees and speakers participating remotely from their respective locations. These events utilize virtual event platforms to host presentations, discussions, and interactive sessions, providing a virtual experience for all participants.

Hybrid Conferences

Hybrid conferences blend both in-person and virtual elements. They take place at a physical venue, allowing some attendees and speakers to be present on-site, while others join remotely through virtual platforms. This format accommodates diverse participation preferences and extends the reach of the event beyond geographical boundaries.

Types of Conferences

In recent times, conferences have become more diverse to cater to various preferences and needs. Organizers now have the flexibility to pick from different conference types, each offering a distinct experience. Let’s delve deeper into various types of conferences.

1. Workshop 

A workshop is an interactive and hands-on session that focuses on skill-building, problem-solving, or practical learning. Participants engage in activities, exercises, or discussions led by experts to gain practical knowledge or expertise in a specific area.

2. Seminar

A seminar is a structured educational event where experts or speakers present in-depth information, research, or insights on a particular subject. Seminars are often followed by discussions or Q&A sessions to encourage audience engagement and the exchange of ideas.

3. Round-table

A round-table discussion is an informal and participatory conference where a small group of participants gather to discuss a specific topic. It promotes open dialogue, encourages diverse viewpoints, and often involves brainstorming or problem-solving.

4. Symposium

A symposium is a formal gathering that features multiple speakers or presentations on related research or academic topics. Conference organizers often structure symposia around a central theme with the intention of promoting a comprehensive exploration and discussion of that subject.

5. Summit

A summit is a high-level conference, often featuring influential leaders, policymakers, and experts, that addresses critical issues, challenges, or opportunities within a specific industry, field, or global context. Summits are designed to facilitate strategic discussions, decision-making, and collaborations to address pressing matters.

Conferences can also be differentiated based on their requirements such as: 

6. Corporate Conferences

These are organized by businesses for their employees, clients, or partners. They may include annual meetings, product launches, training sessions, or sales conferences.

7. Academic Conferences

These conferences are organized by educational institutions, research organizations, or professional associations. They focus on presenting and discussing academic research and scholarly work in various fields.

8. Medical and Healthcare Conferences

These conferences are dedicated to discussions and presentations on medical research, healthcare practices, and innovations. They often target healthcare professionals and researchers.

9. Technology and IT Conferences

Technology conferences cover emerging trends, innovations, and developments in the tech industry. They may focus on areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software development, or hardware advancements.

10. Nonprofit Conferences

Nonprofit organizations or NGOs organize conferences to address social, environmental, or humanitarian issues. These conferences aim to raise awareness, share best practices, and foster collaboration.

11. Government Conferences

Government agencies host conferences to discuss policy matters, share information, and engage with stakeholders. These events can range from local government meetings to international summits.

12. Destination Conferences

Some conferences are designed to take advantage of unique locations, such as conferences held at resorts, cruise ships, or tourist destinations. These events often blend work with leisure activities.

13. Startup and Entrepreneurial Conferences

These conferences target startup founders, entrepreneurs, and investors. They provide a platform for networking, pitching ideas, and gaining insights into the startup ecosystem.

14. Cultural and Arts Conferences

Cultural and arts conferences focus on topics related to literature, music, visual arts, and cultural heritage. They may include performances, exhibitions, and discussions on artistic trends.

15. Environmental and Sustainability Conferences

These conferences address environmental issues, sustainability practices, and climate change. They aim to promote eco-friendly solutions and awareness.

16. Sports Conferences

Sports-related conferences cover various aspects of the sports industry, including athlete management, sports medicine, sports marketing, and event management.

Chapter 2: What is Conference Management?

Think of a conference as a dynamic theater production, complete with various actors, scenes, and props. Conference managers play the role of the director, orchestrating rehearsals, coordinating backstage activities, and ensuring the show goes on without a hitch.

Conference management involves the comprehensive coordination and supervision of an event’s execution. This includes monitoring team members’ progress in their assigned responsibilities and effectively addressing any on-site situations or challenges. Conference management can be done internally within an organization or outsourced to a third party. 

Types of Conference Management

Conference management includes various approaches, each tailored to meet the unique needs and resources of an organization or event. Here are some common types of conference management:

1. In-house Management

In-house management involves an organization’s internal team taking full responsibility for planning, organizing, and executing a conference. This approach offers complete control over the event’s direction and execution but can be resource-intensive, requiring dedicated staff and expertise within the organization.

2. Joint Management

Joint management involves collaboration between an organization and an external event management entity, often a professional conference organizer (PCO) or an event management company. In this model, conference management services and responsibilities are shared, with the external partner typically handling specific aspects like logistics, registration, or marketing. Joint management leverages external expertise while allowing the organization to maintain some control.

3. Third-party Organizers

Some event hosts choose conference event management platforms or event planning software to assume full responsibility for conference management. Organizations entrust these experts with planning, executing, and overseeing all aspects of the event. This approach provides convenience and professional expertise, making it suitable for conferences where the host organization prefers to focus on content and leave the logistics to specialists.

4. Volunteer-driven Management

For community-based or nonprofit conferences, volunteer-driven management is a cost-effective approach. Volunteers handle various tasks, from planning to on-site coordination, with minimal or no professional event management involvement. While this approach can be budget-friendly, it may require significant time and effort from volunteers.

5. Sponsorship-driven Management

In some cases, conferences are primarily funded and managed by sponsors or exhibitors. These organizations play a central role in shaping the event’s content, direction, and management. While the conference host may retain some control, sponsors often have a substantial influence on various aspects of the event, including the choice of speakers and themes.

Chapter 3: Conference Management Process

The conference management process is like the roadmap for putting together a successful conference. It’s a step-by-step plan that covers everything from the beginning to the end of the event. Each step listed below is carefully thought out and essential for making sure the conference goes off without a hitch.

1. Define Objectives and Goals

At the core of every successful conference lies a clear sense of purpose. Begin by defining your objectives and goals. Ask yourself: what do you aim to achieve with your conference? These objectives will serve as your guiding stars throughout the planning journey. By establishing these aims, you not only set the course for your event but also ensure that every decision aligns with your vision, thus safeguarding your conference’s trajectory.

2. Plan Your Budget 

Mapping out a realistic budget is essential for a conference’s success. It’s not just about financial planning; it’s about strategic resource allocation. Make sure you distribute your funds carefully across all facets of your event, encompassing critical areas such as venue selection, securing speakers, marketing efforts, and logistics coordination. The ideal way to do this is by creating an event budgeting sheet. 

Meticulously planning the budgeting for events does more than just keep your finances in check; it also unlocks potential revenue streams through avenues like sponsorships and ticket sales. By carefully managing your finances, you not only secure your event’s financial stability but also strengthen the overall foundation of your event.

3. Create a Conference Planning Committee

Conference organizers thrive on collaboration. Build a team of talented and enthusiastic individuals who will stand beside you. This committee will distribute responsibilities, combine their expertise, and offer invaluable insights, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of excellence. Embrace this collaborative approach to ensure that every detail is meticulously handled and nothing is left to chance.

4. Choose a Date and Venue

When it comes to selecting the ideal date and venue for your conference, it’s like carefully choosing the perfect stage for a performance. This decision plays a pivotal role in the overall success of your event. Here are a few things to keep in mind while deciding conference date and venue:

Seasonality

Take into account the time of year when your conference will take place. Different seasons have distinct advantages and drawbacks. For instance, a summer conference in North America offers pleasant weather, but many professionals choose to take time off during summer. On the other hand, a winter event might attract a different crowd but there’s a risk of weather-related disruptions. Carefully evaluate which season aligns best with your conference’s goals and target audience. Check out this resource if you are looking to plan outdoor events. 

Accessibility

Accessibility is paramount for both local and out-of-town attendees. When choosing a venue, ensure that it is easily reachable by various modes of transportation, such as air travel, train, or car. Proximity to airports and major highways can significantly impact attendance. Additionally, consider the availability of nearby hotels and accommodation options, making it convenient for attendees to stay close to the venue.

Venue Capacity

Assess the venue’s capacity in relation to your expected number of attendees. It’s essential to strike a balance between accommodating your audience comfortably and avoiding overcapacity. A venue that is too small can lead to overcrowding, discomfort, and a poor attendee experience. Conversely, an excessively large venue can create an atmosphere of emptiness and detachment. Match the venue’s size to your projected attendance to maintain an ideal atmosphere.

Amenities and Facilities

Evaluate the amenities and facilities that the venue offers. Consider factors such as meeting rooms, AV equipment, breakout spaces, and dining options. These aspects can greatly influence the overall experience and convenience for both attendees and organizers. Choose a venue that aligns with your conference’s technical and logistical requirements.

Ambiance and Atmosphere

Beyond practical considerations, the ambiance and atmosphere of the venue play a crucial role in setting the tone for your conference. A venue with a conducive and inspiring atmosphere can enhance the overall attendee experience and contribute to the success of your event. Consider the aesthetics, layout, and overall vibe of the location in your decision-making process.

Therefore, selecting the right date and venue is not just about logistical convenience; it’s about creating an environment that complements your conference’s objectives and enhances the overall experience for your attendees. 

5. Decide on a Virtual Conference Management Platform

Whether you are considering a hybrid event that combines in-person and virtual components or an entirely virtual gathering, the choice of the platform to host your event is crucial. Opting for the correct platform is not just a matter of convenience but a crucial element in the success of your virtual conference.

When navigating the myriad of options available, focus on certain key criteria. Firstly, prioritize platforms that boast user-friendly interfaces, ensuring that both organizers and attendees can easily navigate and utilize the platform’s features without unnecessary complications

Secondly, seek feature-rich platforms that offer a comprehensive suite of tools and capabilities. These features should encompass not only the basics, such as live streaming and video conferencing, but also advanced functionalities like interactive breakout sessions, virtual networking lounges, and audience engagement tools. The ability to create immersive and interactive experiences is essential in holding the attention and engagement of your virtual attendees.

6. Develop a Conference Agenda

Craft a conference agenda that is both engaging and tailored to resonate with your specific audience. Achieve balance by incorporating a mix of sessions, workshops, and keynote speakers, ensuring a diverse and enriching experience for attendees. A meticulously curated program not only keeps participants excited but also maintains their active engagement throughout the entire event. This thoughtful arrangement of content contributes to a memorable and valuable conference experience.

7. Secure Speakers and Presenters

Speakers are the lifeblood of any successful conference, shaping the event’s content and influencing attendee engagement. Here’s how to ensure you have a stellar lineup:

Identify Your Ideal Speakers

Start by identifying experts, thought leaders, and industry influencers who align seamlessly with your conference’s objectives and themes. These individuals should possess the knowledge and charisma to captivate your audience and add value to your event.

Outreach and Invitation

Once you’ve identified potential speakers, reach out to them with personalized invitations that highlight the unique value they can bring to your conference. Clearly articulate the conference’s goals and why their expertise is a perfect fit. Make it easy for them to see the benefits of participating.

Early Securement

Aim to secure your speakers well in advance of your conference date. Early confirmation not only ensures their availability but also allows you to promote their involvement as a reason for attendees to register.

Clear Agreements

Establish clear agreements that outline expectations, including the scope of their presentations, any compensation or travel arrangements, and deadlines for content submissions. Transparency and effective communication are key to a successful partnership.

Promote Speaker Involvement

Leverage your speakers’ participation as a promotional tool. Highlight their credentials and contributions in your marketing materials, on your conference website, and in social media campaigns. Their presence can serve as a powerful draw for prospective attendees.

Speaker Support

Provide speakers with the necessary support and resources to ensure they deliver engaging and impactful presentations. This may include access to presentation coaching, technical support for virtual presentations, and assistance with travel and accommodations for in-person events.

Continuous Communication

Maintain open and regular communication with your speakers throughout the planning process. Keep them informed about conference updates, session formats, and any changes to the agenda. A collaborative partnership ensures a seamless conference experience for both speakers and attendees.

The content you dispense at your conference can depend greatly on the speakers you choose. You can read our quick guide for speaker selection for more tips on how to pick the right people for the job.

8. Promote and Market the Event

Marketing your event is a pivotal step in ensuring its success. It’s not just about spreading the word; it’s about creating a narrative that resonates with your target audience. Leveraging a multi-channel marketing approach is essential, as it allows you to reach potential attendees through various touchpoints.

Social Media

Start by harnessing the power of social media platforms to create a buzz around your event. Create engaging posts and content that not only inform but also excite your audience. Encourage participants to share their anticipation and expectations, fostering a sense of community even before the event begins.

Email Campaigns

Email campaigns are another effective tool that allows you to tailor your messages to different segments of your audience, highlighting the unique value proposition of your conference. Personalization and clear calls to action can significantly boost registration rates.

Partnerships

Partnerships can be game-changers in expanding your event’s reach. Collaborate with organizations, influencers, or industry leaders who align with your event’s objectives. Their endorsement and support can lend credibility and widen your event’s visibility.

Ultimately, your marketing efforts should showcase the value of participation, making attendees feel that they simply can’t afford to miss your conference. Generate excitement, anticipation, and a sense of belonging, and you’ll be well on your way to a successful event.

9. Manage Registration and Ticketing

Effective management of conference registration and ticketing is vital for ensuring a smooth attendee experience. To achieve this, organizers should implement a user-friendly system that streamlines the sign-up process, minimizing friction for attendees. This entails using an intuitive online platform where participants can easily access registration forms, select their desired packages, and submit their information. 

Keep user convenience in mind, incorporating features like auto-fill options, real-time validation, and clear step-by-step instructions to ensure a hassle-free registration process. Additionally, providing transparent and detailed information about pricing, packages, and associated benefits is crucial for encouraging early registration. 

Attendees are more likely to commit when they have a clear understanding of what they will receive in return for their investment. Organizers should clearly outline the cost structure, any available discounts or early bird offers, and the advantages that come with each registration package. 

10. Coordinate Logistics and Operations

Detail-oriented planning is essential to the smooth execution of your conference. Pay attention to logistics as a well-organized event ensures that attendees have an enjoyable experience.

Transportation

Provide attendees with clear transportation information, including details on shuttle services, parking, and public transport options. For destination conferences, plan travel arrangements and airport transfers if needed.

Catering

Carefully plan menus, consider dietary restrictions, and ensure food safety. Smooth meal scheduling enhances the attendee experience.

AV Equipment

Verify the functionality of AV equipment well in advance, including microphones, projectors, screens, and sound systems. Have technical support on standby to address any issues.

Signage

Use clear and strategically placed signage both inside and outside the venue to guide attendees to various areas, sessions, and facilities. This minimizes confusion and helps attendees navigate effortlessly.

Layout and Flow

Design the event space layout with attendee flow in mind. Ensure logical placement of session rooms, exhibitor spaces, registration desks, and networking areas for an efficient experience.

Emergency Plans

Establish emergency plans, communicate evacuation routes and assembly points, and ensure readiness to address medical emergencies or unforeseen situations.

Timing and Scheduling

Create a well-structured schedule that allows for smooth transitions between sessions, breaks, and activities. Ensure speakers adhere to allotted time slots.

Staff Coordination

Clearly communicate roles and responsibilities to your event staff and volunteers. Keep them informed about changes or developments to maintain a cohesive team effort.

11. Oversee Sponsorship and Exhibitors

When it comes to overseeing sponsorship and exhibitors for your conference, early engagement is the key to success. Begin this process during the planning phase by reaching out to potential sponsors and exhibitors who may have an interest in aligning with your event. To entice their participation, it’s crucial to craft attractive sponsorship packages that closely align with their unique marketing objectives and strategies. These packages should clearly outline the benefits and opportunities they’ll gain by partnering with your conference.

For exhibitors, offer a platform that allows them to effectively showcase their products or services to your event’s targeted audience. Providing exhibitors with prominent spaces, access to engaged attendees, and opportunities for interaction can be highly appealing. By fostering a collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship with sponsors and exhibitors from the outset, you enhance their commitment and participation, contributing to the overall success of your conference.

12. Manage On-Site Operations

On the day of your event, the spotlight turns to the critical domain of on-site operations. This pivotal phase demands seamless execution, beginning with a streamlined check-in process that minimizes wait times and maximizes attendee convenience. It entails careful session management, guaranteeing that presentations and activities run smoothly and on schedule. 

Additionally, dedicated attendee support services should be readily available to address inquiries, resolve issues, and provide assistance. All of this contributes to a well-coordinated on-site experience that not only meets but exceeds attendee expectations, leaving a lasting and positive impression.

13. Facilitate Networking and Engagement

One of the cornerstones of a successful conference is the facilitation of networking and engagement among attendees. This critical element not only enhances the overall experience but also creates lasting connections that extend well beyond the confines of the conference itself. 

Incorporate interactive sessions into your conference program. These can include Q&A sessions, panel discussions, workshops, and roundtable conversations. Encourage speakers to engage directly with the audience, allowing for real-time interaction, questions, and discussions. Interactive elements like live polls and trivia can also make sessions more engaging and participatory.

Utilize dedicated virtual event platforms that offer features like one-on-one video chats, attendee matchmaking, and spatial networking. These tools empower attendees to initiate conversations and build relationships in a virtual environment.

14. Evaluate and Gather Feedback

The process of post-conference evaluation holds a pivotal role in the ongoing enhancement of your event and conference management skills and the overall success of future events. It is an essential step that involves collecting feedback from key stakeholders, namely attendees, speakers, and sponsors. Through this comprehensive assessment, you gain valuable insights into both the strengths that deserve recognition and the areas that demand improvement.

15. Execute Post-Conference Activities

After the conference wraps up, it’s crucial to promptly carry out a series of post-conference activities to tie up loose ends and leave a positive lasting impression. Here’s how you can effectively execute these activities:

Share Presentations, Recordings, and Resources with Attendees

Your attendees have invested time and often money to participate in your conference. Demonstrate your commitment to their ongoing learning by promptly sharing conference materials.

Express Appreciation to Sponsors and Exhibitors

Express your gratitude by sending personalized thank-you notes or emails to sponsors and exhibitors. Highlight the impact of their support and how it contributed to the overall event. Consider sharing post-conference reports showcasing the reach and exposure their sponsorship generated, demonstrating the tangible benefits of their partnership.

16. Generate Reports and Analyze Data

One of the critical post-conference activities is generating comprehensive reports and analyzing data. This step provides a profound opportunity to understand and interpret various aspects of your conference’s performance, attendee behavior, levels of engagement, and overall event success metrics. By leveraging data and analytics effectively, you can unlock valuable insights that can significantly influence the future direction of your conference strategies.

Chapter 4: Top 10 Conference Management Tools

1. vFairs

vFairs is an all-in-one event management platform that proves to be the ultimate solution for all your in-person, virtual, and hybrid conferences. It offers a highly customizable event platform and a suite of tech solutions designed to elevate your conference experience. From seamless event registration to comprehensive analytics, and from a visually captivating virtual platform to robust onsite solutions, vFairs has every aspect of your conference management covered.

Virtual attendees can enjoy an immersive virtual environment complete with exhibit halls, webinars featuring multi-track agendas, networking and matchmaking tools, gamification elements, and other audience engagement features. 

For your in-person attendees, vFairs goes the extra mile to enhance their conference experience. A customized event mobile app carries your branding, making it easy for attendees to access event information, schedules, and updates right at their fingertips. Additionally, the efficient badge printing and check-in software streamline the registration process, ensuring that your attendees get to their sessions quickly and smoothly. To top it off, the dedicated onsite support team is always ready to assist, guaranteeing that your attendees derive maximum value from your conference with ease and confidence. 

For webinars, vFairs provides complete control with live, semi-live, or pre-recorded options, and the flexibility to make content available on demand. You can broadcast presentations on numerous social media channels, including Facebook Live, YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram, directly from the virtual platform. Immersive video webinar features, like breakout sessions for discussions and team-building, keep audiences engaged. Organizers can enhance the experience with automatic transitions, and session hosts can remove distractions, ensuring a focused and engaging audience experience.

With vFairs, integration with your existing tech stack is effortless, delivering unparalleled value across the board. You can use AI-driven event marketing tools to effortlessly create promotional content for email campaigns, event landing pages, social media posts, and press releases in mere seconds. This not only saves you time but also ensures your event gets the attention it deserves, driving engagement and success like never before. 

Attendees can engage in one-on-one and group audio, video, and text chats. Cutting-edge features like Spatial Connect, roundtables, and smart matchmaking, all enhance networking at your conference. Through interactive chat rooms, virtual Q&A sessions, and live polls, attendees can actively engage with speakers, fellow participants, and exhibitors, fostering meaningful connections and knowledge-sharing. Furthermore, the gamification elements add a layer of fun and competition to the experience, making learning and networking more exciting and memorable.

The platform’s user-friendly setup, comprehensive demo videos, and up-to-date knowledge base make conference event planning a breeze and empower you to unlock the full potential of this powerful platform.

2. Zoom

Zoom, a prominent communications platform, is a vital asset in conference management. It effortlessly facilitates connections through video, audio, phone, and chat, ensuring uninterrupted communication. Whether for small or large teams, Zoom’s versatility proves invaluable, allowing for seamless workflow continuity and connectivity, particularly when in-person meetings are not an option.

• With Zoom, you can enjoy unlimited one-on-one meetings, making it easy to connect with colleagues, clients, or friends on a personal level.
• Even in larger groups, Zoom doesn’t disappoint, offering the capability to host video conferences for up to 100 participants (with the free plan providing up to 40 minutes per session).
• Screen sharing is a game-changer for collaboration, allowing participants to work together seamlessly, whether it’s for a team project or a client presentation.
• Zoom’s recording feature ensures that no valuable insights or discussions get lost in the shuffle. 
• Zoom’s virtual meeting rooms serve as hubs for interactive engagement, where screen and file sharing, along with text chat capabilities, further enrich the collaborative experience, making it a versatile and user-friendly tool for all your virtual meeting needs.

Overall, Zoom simplifies event and conference management by breaking down geographical barriers and promoting efficient, connected, and collaborative event experiences.

3. Zapier

Zapier is a powerful automation tool that simplifies and streamlines your daily tasks.

• With its extensive library of over 6,000 integrations and services, Zapier empowers businesses to create efficient processes by allowing different web apps to seamlessly share data, automating workflows through customized Zaps, and optimizing productivity without the need for coding expertise.
• For conference management, Zapier can play a crucial role in integrating various event-related apps and services, including vFairs’ all-in-one event management platform.
• By setting up Zaps, you can link different applications together to create a smarter workflow, saving time and ensuring seamless coordination. For instance, Zapier can automate the process of sending out custom tweets to promote conference updates, immediately after you’ve published a post.
• Zapier eliminates the need for manual posting and ensures that your conference information reaches a wider audience effortlessly.
• Zapier’s extensive connectivity means you can automate various tasks across multiple platforms and destinations, enhancing the efficiency of conference management.

4. Trello

In conference management, where tasks like catering, selecting online platforms, and structuring programs can be overwhelming, Trello comes to the rescue. Its intuitive Kanban board interface simplifies task tracking and project management, ensuring that no detail goes overlooked.

• You can easily keep tabs on your conference budget, compare venue or virtual platform quotes, and make informed decisions. 
• With Trello, you have the flexibility to create multiple boards for efficient task management across various conferences, streamlining the organization process.
• Its user tagging and checklist features are valuable in reducing the need for lengthy email communication, making it an ideal tool for your conference organizing team.
• Trello enables real-time updates, allowing you to swiftly adapt to changes or delegate tasks on the go.
• Whether it’s coordinating last-minute adjustments to the schedule, managing on-site logistics, or addressing attendee inquiries, Trello’s flexibility and user-friendly interface keep your conference running smoothly from start to finish, helping you navigate the complexities of conference management with ease.

5. HootSuite

Hootsuite simplifies social media management during conferences with its powerful features. Whether you’re handling multiple conference accounts or promoting various events from a single profile, Hootsuite is a versatile and efficient solution for enhancing your social media presence during conferences.

• You can schedule posts in advance, monitor conference-related hashtags, and track event mentions.
• It consolidates social conversations, making it easy to engage with attendees across various platforms.
• You can manage major social networks like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest all from one place, saving you time and streamlining your efforts.
• Hootsuite’s analytics feature offers in-depth social media performance reporting, making it especially valuable for agencies seeking to showcase ROI.

6. Rentman

Rentman is a tailored event staffing solution uniquely crafted for the AV and event industry, making it a game-changer in conference management.

• This specialized software serves as a centralized hub for all communication related to your event crew.
• With Rentman, you gain the ability to effortlessly oversee planned jobs on a comprehensive timeline, ensuring efficient scheduling. 
• Crew member availability is at your fingertips, and the software enables proactive communication of their availability.
• You can easily request and filter crew members based on job-specific skills, expertise, and certifications, ensuring the right personnel are assigned to specific job functions.
• Rentman extends its utility to crew members who can conveniently manage their personal schedules, appointments, and availability through free user accounts. 

7. Kahoot!

Trivia is one of the most engaging remote team-building activities that can be played over a virtual conference. Kahoot offers trivia games for organizations and educational institutes.

• With the Kahoot app extension, it becomes easier to play trivia games by integrating it with an app you’re already using. For example, you can integrate Kahoot with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, vFairs, and other video conferencing and event apps.
• Kahoot can help attendees interact and compete with others at the event through quizzes, contests, and other engaging activities.
• With Kahoot, you can create a quiz and set up rewards for winners.
• You can also play 1:1 virtual games or just decide to go on a team mode.

8. Monday.com

Monday.com is a cloud-based platform that offers customizable workflow templates for conference project management. Whether it’s tracking time to ensure crucial deadlines are met or automating repetitive tasks, Monday.com streamlines the project management process. 

• Users can tailor their project management software to meet the unique needs of their conference planning.
• Its intuitive dashboards provide at-a-glance insights into project progress, enabling conference organizers to stay informed and make informed decisions.
• Monday.com integrates with popular tools and apps, further enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of conference planning processes.
• Whether you’re coordinating session schedules, managing registrations, or overseeing vendor interactions, Monday.com provides a versatile and user-friendly platform for conference project management, ensuring that your event runs smoothly and successfully.

9. CamScanner

CamScanner proves to be an invaluable tool for conference organizers and attendees alike. Its multifaceted features, including PDF file conversion and annotation capabilities, empower businesses to streamline document-related tasks easily within a unified platform.

• Attendees can merge important conference documents, add signatures, create watermarks, and make text edits directly from their mobile devices, ensuring that essential materials are readily available and tailored to their needs.
• CamScanner’s high-definition scanning module enhances document quality, providing a crisp and clear view of vital information.
• It offers the convenience of sharing files across various social media platforms, facilitating efficient communication and collaboration among conference participants. 
• The Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology supports multiple languages, making it accessible to a diverse international audience.
• With the ability to convert images into text and PDF files into various formats like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and JPG, CamScanner empowers conference attendees to effortlessly manage and exchange crucial documents while on the move. 

10. IFTTT

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a powerful automation tool that facilitates seamless communication between your favorite apps and devices. With this free and user-friendly tool, you can create automation processes known as Applets, which connect two or more of your preferred services to create new and efficient experiences.

• Each service within IFTTT offers unique triggers, queries, and actions, enabling you to design a wide array of Applets tailored to your specific needs.
• With IFTTT, the automation possibilities are virtually endless, allowing you to optimize your conference experience and minimize the hassle of repetitive tasks.
• You could set up an Applet to receive instant notifications whenever someone tweets your conference hashtag, ensuring you stay in the loop about event-related conversations in real-time.
• Alternatively, you could create an Applet to automatically send your committee meeting notes to a shared Google Drive folder, ensuring everyone has access to essential documents without manual intervention.

Chapter 5: Conference Management Software

Conference management software has revolutionized the way events are planned, organized, and executed. From streamlining registration processes to enhancing attendee engagement, these software solutions have become indispensable tools for event organizers. Let’s have a look at some of the top features of conference management software.

Features of an Ideal Conference Management Software

1. Conference Registration and Ticketing

With a robust software solution, you can offer attendees a streamlined registration experience. Customizable registration forms allow you to gather essential information tailored to your event such as session preferences. The ability to create various ticket types and pricing options ensures flexibility, accommodating different attendee categories or early-bird discounts. Moreover, automated confirmation emails and payment processing simplify the registration process, leaving attendees with a positive first impression.

2. On-site Technology

On-site technology features are designed to enhance the on-site experience for both organizers and attendees. Seamless badge printing eliminates long queues and confusion, allowing attendees to check in swiftly. Real-time updates to session schedules via mobile apps or digital signage keep attendees informed about any last-minute changes. Attendees can confidently navigate the event space with floor maps, knowing they have access to up-to-date information. As a conference organizer, this technology empowers you to adapt to unexpected circumstances and ensures the event runs smoothly.

3. Exhibition and Booth Management

For conferences with exhibitions or booths, a comprehensive booth management system simplifies the administrative process. Organizers can create a custom-branded booth and showcase their branding easily. They can also manage booth assignments, reservations, and payments, streamlining exhibitor interactions. 

The software’s floor plan management tools provide a visual representation of the exhibition layout, making it easy to assign and adjust booth spaces. Exhibitors benefit from a user-friendly system for selecting and purchasing booth spaces, ultimately enhancing their experience and satisfaction.

4. Speaker Management

Efficient speaker management ensures that your event’s content is delivered flawlessly. The software allows organizers to create and manage speaker profiles, making it easy to communicate with presenters and gather necessary information. 

Assigning speakers to specific sessions or workshops becomes a straightforward task, reducing the risk of scheduling conflicts. Presenters can conveniently upload their presentation materials, ensuring a smooth transition between sessions. By streamlining speaker management, you ensure that your conference sessions run seamlessly, leaving attendees with valuable insights.

5. Lead Management

Lead capture and retrieval are essential for exhibitors looking to maximize their return on investment. The software should provide lead retrieval tools, allowing exhibitors to collect attendee information effortlessly. 

As an organizer, you can facilitate the distribution of leads to exhibitors post-conference, fostering valuable connections. This feature not only benefits exhibitors by providing them with potential leads but also enhances the overall networking experience, creating a win-win situation for all stakeholders.

A lead capture app is specifically built for this purpose and helps you collect and manage leads efficiently. The vFairs event lead capture app lets exhibitors gain direct access to capture and retrieve attendee information themselves. It enables them to scan attendee badges, business cards, or QR codes, add notes & sync leads with CRM & Martech solutions.

6. Session and Attendance Tracking

Session and attendance tracking features are vital for optimizing the conference experience. Attendees benefit from streamlined check-in processes, reducing wait times and ensuring that they can access sessions promptly. 

Real-time data on session attendance empowers organizers to make informed decisions during the event, such as adjusting room sizes or reallocating resources. These features contribute to a more efficient event flow, enabling attendees to make the most of their conference experience while organizers can adapt to attendee preferences in real-time.

7. Attendee Engagement and Gamification

Engaging attendees is vital for creating a memorable conference experience. Event management software offers features like live polling, which allows real-time audience feedback and interaction during sessions. Q&A sessions enable attendees to ask questions directly to speakers, fostering engagement. Gamification elements, such as scavenger hunts and leaderboards, incentivize active participation. Attendees earn badges for attending sessions, completing challenges, or interacting with others, and leaderboards display top participants, creating a friendly competition that motivates engagement.

8. Attendee Networking

Networking at conferences is a primary motivator for attendees, and it’s greatly facilitated by high-quality networking tools. These tools enable participants to find and connect with others who share their interests, skills, and objectives. Attendees can engage in one-on-one interactions using audio, video, or chat functions, as well as join group discussions in breakout rooms and roundtable sessions. Furthermore, advanced features like Spatial Connect cater to virtual attendees, allowing them to network freely within the virtual environment.

In the ever-evolving events industry driven by AI and technology, networking features have taken center stage. AI-powered smart matchmaking algorithms now empower conference attendees to connect with like-minded individuals, fostering valuable connections. These robust networking capabilities significantly enhance the overall value of the conference by promoting meaningful interactions and facilitating knowledge exchange.

9. Accessibility Features

Ensuring that your conference is accessible to all attendees, including those with disabilities, is not just a matter of inclusivity but also a legal requirement in many regions.  Virtual accessibility features include screen readers and inclusive visuals for visually impaired attendees, captioning for the hearing-impaired, and adaptable content formats, such as accessible PDFs and structured content that accommodates assistive technologies. A robust accessibility framework ensures that every attendee can fully participate and benefit from your conference.

10. Integrations

Integration capabilities are the backbone of efficient conference event management. Conference management software should integrate with other essential tools, such as CRM systems, marketing platforms, and analytics tools. This integration streamlines data flow, automates tasks, and enhances communication. 

For example, integration with a CRM system enables easy tracking of attendee interactions, while integration with marketing platforms allows for personalized and automated email campaigns. A well-integrated system simplifies event management and enhances overall efficiency.

11. Sponsorship Management

Sponsors play a critical role in funding and enhancing conferences. Effective sponsorship management features allow you to create and manage sponsorship packages, track sponsor commitments and benefits, and automate sponsor communications. They also offer visibility options for sponsors, such as logo placements and dedicated exhibition spaces. By efficiently managing sponsor relationships and delivering sponsor benefits, you can maximize your event’s revenue potential.

12. Mobile Event Apps

In today’s mobile-centric world, dedicated event apps are indispensable. A mobile event app provides attendees with a user-friendly interface to access event information, schedules, and interactive features while on the go. Attendees can customize their agendas, receive real-time updates, access session materials, and participate in live polls or surveys. Such apps enhance attendee engagement, convenience, and overall satisfaction.

13. Event Marketing

Event marketing features within a comprehensive software package provide a robust toolkit to increase your event’s visibility and drive attendance. These features include tools for crafting and distributing marketing emails, tracking the performance of your email campaigns, segmenting your audience for targeted messaging, and offering promotional incentives like discount codes and referral programs. 

Additionally, advanced event management software incorporates AI-powered event marketing assistants that streamline the creation of marketing materials, such as landing pages, email campaigns, and social media promotions, thereby saving time and ensuring a more effective marketing strategy. By leveraging these features, event organizers can maximize their event’s reach, attract a broader audience, and ultimately achieve higher attendance and engagement levels.

14. Event Reporting

Data is invaluable for making informed decisions and improving future events. Event reporting and analytics features provide insights into attendee behavior, engagement, and event success metrics. These insights help you gauge event success, measure return on investment (ROI), and identify areas for improvement. You can track attendee participation, session popularity, booth engagement, and sponsorship ROI, enabling you to refine your strategies and enhance your future conferences.

Key Takeaways

Effective conference management is a multifaceted task that necessitates thorough planning, the use of advanced technology, and a steadfast commitment to delivering an exceptional attendee experience. Whether it’s an in-person, virtual, or hybrid conference, the fundamental principles of effective conference management remain consistent, guaranteeing the smooth execution of these significant gatherings.

Contact us today and learn more about how vFairs can elevate your conference management efforts with its cutting-edge technology!

FAQs

Chapter 1: What is Event Planning Software?

Event planning software manages the logistics of running an event and simplifies the process for you. Event planners use these in conjunction with other event management tools, such as registration & ticketing or mobile event apps. You can take all your event planning tasks online such as developing a schedule, allocating employee resources, tracking payments, or developing an exhibit layout. 

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of event management systems, exploring how they  can simplify your life as an event planner by streamlining your event management process. Stop worrying about manual coordination and introduce yourself to the efficiency and organization that event planning software can bring to your events. Let’s get started on your path to stress-free event planning.

Benefits of Using Event Planning Software

Planning a big event can be a lot like juggling balls because you have to stay organized and work together with others. The challenges can be overwhelming, but choosing the best event planning software for your needs will make the process smoother, more efficient, and ultimately more successful. Here are the key advantages of using event planning software:

Efficiency and Time-saving

Traditional event planning methods involve a multitude of manual tasks, from creating spreadsheets to managing email chains and phone calls. Event planning software automates many of these processes, saving you valuable time. You can quickly generate schedules, send invitations, and manage RSVPs, all in one centralized platform. This efficiency allows you to focus on strategic planning and creative aspects of your event.

Improved Collaboration and Communication

Successful event planning relies on effective teamwork and communication among various stakeholders. The best event planning software provides a collaborative workspace where team members can easily share information, updates, and documents. Real-time collaboration and access to a centralized repository of event details ensure that everyone is on the same page. This reduces the risk of miscommunication and minimizes the chances of critical details falling through the cracks.

Enhanced Attendee Experience

Your attendees’ experience is crucial, and event planning software can significantly enhance it by creating personalized experiences for each attendee. These tools offer features like an event organizer app, personalized schedules, and engagement tools. Attendees can access event information and updates in real time, improving their overall satisfaction. Additionally, the software helps you manage attendee data, making it easier to tailor future events to their preferences.

Data-Driven Decision Making

One of the most valuable aspects of event planning software is its ability to collect and analyze data. By tracking attendee engagement, registrations, and other metrics, you gain insights into what works best and what needs improvement. This data-driven approach also allows you to make informed decisions to optimize your future events, from adjusting marketing strategies to refining event schedules. Over time, this leads to more successful and profitable events.

Scalability for Events of All Sizes

Whether you’re planning a small business meeting or a large-scale conference, the best event planning software can scale to meet your needs. These versatile tools can adapt to the size and complexity of your event. You can easily customize registration forms, ticketing options, and event layouts to accommodate events of varying sizes. 

Chapter 2: Essential Features to Look For in Event Planning Software

Selecting the right event planning software can make or break your event’s success. To ensure you’re equipped with the best tools for the job, consider these essential features when evaluating your options:

Registration and Ticketing

This feature allows you to create and manage event registrations and ticket sales. It should offer customizable registration forms, various ticket types, and secure payment processing. Look for software that also provides attendee data management, allowing you to track registrations and check-ins efficiently.

Onsite Event Technology

In-person event technology includes tools for managing check-ins, badge printing, and other essential functions during the in-person event. It ensures a smooth and efficient registration process, reduces wait times, and enhances the overall attendee experience.

Attendee Engagement Tools

These tools are designed to keep attendees actively involved and interested in the event. Engagement features include live polling, Q&A sessions, and real-time feedback mechanisms. They foster interaction and create a dynamic atmosphere.

Networking and Gamification 

Networking features enable attendees to connect, fostering valuable professional relationships. Gamification adds an element of fun and competition to the event, increasing engagement and participation.

Sponsorship and Exhibitor Management

An ideal software for event planning should offer features for managing sponsorships and exhibitors. This includes custom branding opportunities and lead retrieval systems, which help sponsors and exhibitors make the most of their participation.

Event Management Mobile App

An event mobile app provides attendees, whether in-person or virtual, with easy access to event information, including schedules, speaker bios, maps, and more. It enhances the attendee experience by making all essential details easily accessible and on-the-go.

Customizable Branding

Customization features allow you to tailor event materials and branding to align with your organization’s identity. This ensures a consistent and professional look for your event. You can create custom designs for lobbies, exhibit halls, and change the entire look and feel of your event to create a lasting impression on attendees. 

Lead Capture and Retrieval Tools

These tools are especially valuable for trade shows and expos. Lead capture apps enable exhibitors to capture attendee information and manage leads effectively, helping to maximize the return on investment for exhibitors.

Marketing and Promotion

Built-in event marketing and promotional tools enable you to reach a wider audience. This includes features for creating and sending email campaigns, integrating with social media platforms, and tracking the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

Analytics and Reporting

Analytics and reporting tools provide insights into attendee behavior and event performance. You can track attendance rates, booth visits, session popularity, and engagement metrics. These insights inform your decisions for future event planning and marketing strategies.

Accessibility Features

Your event planning app should be accessible and comply with international accessibility standards to accommodate attendees with disabilities. This includes features like screen reader compatibility, captioning, color contrasts, varying font sizes, and accessible event materials.

Data Privacy and Security

Data privacy and security features protect sensitive attendee information from unauthorized access or data breaches. Look for software that complies with data protection regulations and offers encryption, access controls, and regular security updates.

Chapter 3: Choosing the Right Event Planning Software

With a number of options at your disposal, the task of selecting the perfect event management tool might seem daunting. However, making the right choice is essential. Your chosen software should not only streamline processes and consolidate planning tasks onto a single platform but also save you valuable time and elevate the overall experience for your attendees. The choice also hinges on the nature and specific needs of your event. So, don’t fret; consider the following factors as your guiding compass when making your selection.

1. Assessing Your Event Needs and Goals

Before diving into the world of event planning platforms, take time to assess your specific needs and goals. Here are a few important things to consider:

Event Type and Format

Determine the type of events you’ll be organizing. Are they conferences, weddings, trade shows, or any other event type? Are you hosting virtually, in-person, or with a hybrid audience? Different software may cater to specific event types, so match your needs with the software’s strengths.

Budget and Resources

Consider your budget and the resources at your disposal. Some software options are more budget-friendly, while others offer advanced features at a higher cost. Ensure your choice aligns with your financial capabilities.

Integration Requirements

Think about the tools you already use, such as registration systems or CRM software. Your chosen event planning software should seamlessly integrate with these tools to avoid data silos and streamline your workflow.

2. Scalability and Flexibility

An event planning software should be dynamic and adaptable, expanding alongside your events’ increasing size and complexity. Make sure that the software can scale seamlessly, accommodating the evolving needs of your growing organization. 

Additionally, look for software with a high degree of flexibility in customization, recognizing that each event is distinct. Rather than imposing rigid constraints, the software should empower you to tailor it to your specific requirements, thus enhancing its versatility and relevance as your event portfolio expands.

3. User-Friendly Interface 

A user-friendly interface is paramount for enabling smooth software navigation by both you and your team. This comprises two crucial aspects: an intuitively designed layout and a short learning curve.

Intuitive Design

An intuitive design ensures that the software is well-structured, features are readily accessible, and the workflow follows a logical sequence. It should reduce confusion and enhance task efficiency. 

Minimal Learning Curve

A minimal learning curve signifies that the software is easy to understand and requires little to no extensive training. This not only saves time but also empowers your team to become proficient rapidly, leading to increased overall productivity.

4. Cost and Pricing Models

When selecting event planning software, it’s crucial to evaluate the total cost of ownership and understand the pricing models. This involves assessing not only upfront costs but also recurring expenses such as subscription fees and potential additional charges for extra features or users. 

Transparency in pricing is key; seek software providers who clearly outline all costs associated with their service. Additionally, consider which pricing model best fits your budgeting preferences, whether that be a flexible monthly subscription or a cost-saving annual contract. This comprehensive assessment ensures you can make an informed decision that aligns with your financial planning and long-term goals.

5. User Reviews and Recommendations

Gaining insights from others who have firsthand experience with event planning software is invaluable. By reading user reviews and testimonials, you can get a comprehensive understanding of the software’s strengths and weaknesses, as these insights often reveal practical, real-world perspectives. 

Moreover, seeking recommendations from industry peers or colleagues who have effectively utilized event planner software can provide personalized insights and guidance tailored to your specific needs and goals. This can help you make a more informed decision when choosing the right software for your events.

6. Customer Support and Training

It’s essential to confirm that the software provider offers dependable customer support channels like phone, email, or chat to promptly address any issues that may arise during your event planning process. Assess whether they provide comprehensive training resources such as tutorials and documentation. These resources empower users to fully harness the software’s capabilities, ensuring a smoother and more efficient event planning experience.

Chapter 4: Building an Event Tech Stack

A tech stack comprises a set of software solutions, each designed for a specific purpose, but working cohesively to accomplish shared objectives. For example instance, if you’re hosting a paid virtual conference, your tech stack would include essential components such as a video conferencing platform, streaming software, and a ticketing solution with payment integrations.

Your unique event tech stack will consist of a blend of tools that facilitate everything from registration and presentations to comprehensive event reporting.

Explore our carefully selected 24 best event management software that will make your event a success and drive you closer to your goals.

Event Management Software

1. vFairs for All-in-one Event Management

vFairs, rated as the top Event Management Software on G2, stands out for its dedication to facilitating outstanding in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. The adaptable event technology platform has assisted numerous organizations in crafting, organizing, and boosting tailored conferences, trade shows, recruitment events, and various other event types. vFairs uniquely combines the versatility of separate product offerings with the convenience of an all-in-one platform, allowing you to tailor your event management precisely to your preferences and requirements.

What sets vFairs apart is its adaptability, allowing organizations to customize their event solutions. This flexibility ensures that vFairs caters to specific needs, from basic requirements like creating a landing page and ticketing options to comprehensive, all-in-one event management.

The all-in-one event management platform integrates your virtual, hybrid, and in-person tools, providing comprehensive support from registration, ticketing and badge printing to virtual experiences and post-event analytics, ensuring full compatibility with your tech stack and delivering exceptional value for all your event management requirements.

vFairs In-person Events

Whether you’re hosting a conference, trade show, seminar, or any in-person gathering, vFairs offers a suite of tools and services to simplify onsite event management. The goal is to make your on-site events seamless, engaging, and efficient.

With vFairs in-person event solution, you gain access to a dynamic event tech stack that covers all aspects of event management, from registration to check-in to on-site support. The platform not only enhances attendee experiences but also eases the burden of event organizers, providing a holistic solution for a successful in-person event.

Here are some of the features of vFairs in-person event platform:

• Streamline the registration process with user-friendly tools to efficiently manage attendee sign-ups.
• Create and print customized event badges, enhancing branding opportunities and streamlining check-ins.
• Utilize on-site event tech to reduce wait times and ensure a smooth entry process with quick check-in scans.
• Engage attendees and provide essential event information through a mobile app, enhancing their experience.
• Foster conversations and connections with an on-site social media wall, QR-based scavenger hunts, on-site leaderboard station, and more.
• Access on-site assistance and support to tackle any unforeseen challenges, making your event run smoothly.

vFairs Virtual Events

A visually pleasing virtual environment instantly hooks your attendees in and encourages them to participate and spend more time on the platform. The best part is that it’s visually immersive and makes you feel like you’re in an event hall. With vFairs virtual event platform, you can:

• Captivate your audience with immersive 2D and 3D virtual environments.
• Customize venues that strengthen branding by emulating your physical venues.
• Boost interactivity by offering a diverse selection of male and female avatars in various attires for exhibitors to choose from.
• Encourage connections through chats, embedded live chat, breakout rooms, video matchmaking, and QR code contact sharing.
• Elevate your event’s excitement with features like event leaderboards, virtual scavenger hunts, trivia games, live Q&A sessions, polls, quizzes, and a virtual photo booth for attendees to capture and share their memorable moments.
• Enhance your event’s impact by utilizing a custom-designed landing page, streamlined payment processing via PayPal and Stripe and integrated top CRMs. 
• Empower your exhibitors to share resources such as brochures, presentations, and videos within their booths, providing valuable content that booth visitors can easily access and download.
• Maximize attendee experience with a real-time metrics dashboard, individual user journey tracking, exhibitors’ statistics, and comprehensive post-event reports for in-depth event analysis.
• Enjoy a hassle-free experience with the central help desk that answers queries throughout the virtual event.

vFairs Hybrid Events

vFairs offers a powerful and versatile hybrid event solution that allows event organizers to seamlessly integrate both in-person and virtual audiences into a single, feature-rich platform. Whether you’re hosting a conference, trade show, or any other event format, vFairs has the tools and capabilities to cater to both in-person and virtual attendees. This approach not only enhances event accessibility but also opens up opportunities for broader audience engagement and participation. 

Moreover, vFairs facilitates post-event analysis by consolidating data and insights from both segments of the audience, enabling organizers to make data-driven decisions for future events.

Here are some of the features of the vFairs hybrid event platform:

• Create a consistent and similar experience for both onsite and remote participants using our integrated virtual event and on-site tech.
• Improve access to event sessions with real-time interpretation and live closed captions that automatically appear during webinars, conferences, and meetings, enhancing inclusivity.
• Connect and engage your in-person and virtual attendees seamlessly with an event management mobile app and virtual event platform.
• Connect in-person and online attendees, speakers, and sponsors via text chat, audio/video meetings, and a myriad of powerful networking tools.
• Easily report on your event and maximize your ROI.

vFairs Event Mobile App

The vFairs mobile app instantly creates a rich, and unique experience for both virtual and in-person audiences, making it one of the best event planning apps. The mobile app offers a contact list, digital check-in, and an easy way to exchange personal information and user profiles via QR codes. Attendees also have access to exhibit booths within the app to make sure both types of audiences have a similar experience.

Here are some of the key features of the vFairs mobile app:

• Offer on-site and virtual attendees the opportunity to network with functions like meeting scheduler, chat and a search filter to find relevant attendees. 
• Customize user profiles and share contact information via QR code.
• Personalize virtual exhibit booths and share digital documents, videos, and more.
• Conduct webinars to stream live presentations, share pre-recorded presentations, and add sessions to your personal calendars while on the go.
• Provide downloadable resources such as marketing collaterals and product information, letting attendees save them to view later.
• Allow attendees to self check-in to online sessions.
• Get post-event reports to track virtual webinar attendance, booth visits, attendee registrations, and chats.

2. Accelevents for Event Ticketing

Accelevents Event Ticketing is an easy-to-use and cost-effective event ticketing platform. Whether you’re organizing a small local gathering or a large-scale conference, Accelevents offers a user-friendly platform that allows you to create custom-branded event pages and sell tickets effortlessly. You can have your event page up and running in a short time, providing a seamless experience for your attendees.

Top Features:

• Easily create personalized event pages that align with your branding, providing a cohesive and professional look for your event.
• Streamline the check-in process with reliable ticket scanning tools, ensuring a smooth entry experience for attendees.
• Accommodate last-minute attendees and boost event revenue by offering on-site ticket sales.
• Monitor your event’s performance in real time, view ticket orders, and analyze purchase data without the hassle of complex spreadsheets.

3. Wix for Event Website Creation

Wix is one of the most versatile website builder apps for event planners that empowers them to create stunning and functional event websites with ease. In just a few clicks, Wix enables you to craft a professional online presence for your event, helping you attract attendees, share information, and build excitement. 

With its user-friendly interface and a rich array of features, Wix simplifies the process of event website creation, making it accessible to both tech-savvy event planners and beginners alike. Wix offers a wide range of customizable templates specifically tailored for various types of events, from weddings and conferences to music festivals and charity fundraisers. 

Top Features

• Customize layouts, add content, and design with ease using Wix’s drag-and-drop editor.
• Easily set up registration forms, collect attendee information, and manage RSVPs directly through your website.
• Choose from a wide selection of professionally designed templates, all of which are customizable to match your event’s branding and style.
• Reach attendees on all devices, ensuring your event website looks and functions well on smartphones and tablets.

4. Wild Apricot for Event Registration

WildApricot’s online event registration software offers a streamlined solution for event organizers, making the process of planning and managing events significantly easier. Within minutes, users can create detailed event listings complete with descriptions and images, along with customizable online registration forms. 

What sets WildApricot apart is its seamless integration with your organization’s website. Events are automatically listed in a calendar on your WildApricot site or your existing website, eliminating the need for redundant data entry. This ensures that your members can conveniently view and register for events from their mobile devices or computers. 

Top Features:

• Quickly create event listings with detailed descriptions and images to attract attendees.
• Ensure a consistent online presence by automatically adding events to your organization’s website calendar.
• Easily tailor online registration forms to suit your event’s specific needs and capture essential attendee information.
• Offer discounts and additional items as part of the registration process, streamlining attendee selection and payment.
• Let attendees conveniently view and register for events from their mobile devices or computers, enhancing accessibility and convenience.

5. Evite for Online Invitations

Evite is a versatile and user-friendly online invitation platform that simplifies the process of designing, sending, and managing invitations for various events. Whether you’re organizing a birthday party, wedding, corporate gathering, or any other event, Evite offers an array of features to streamline your invitation management. 

With the ability to create and send invitations via email, text message, or social media, Evite empowers hosts to effortlessly reach out to their guest list. Moreover, it ensures that you stay on top of your event planning with real-time RSVP tracking, event reminders, and guest messaging capabilities.

Top Features:

• Access a wide range of professionally designed, on-trend invitation templates that you can tailor to suit your event’s style.
• Send invitations to your contacts via text message, providing a convenient and efficient way to notify guests.
• Keep track of guest responses in real-time, ensuring you have an accurate headcount for your event.
• Send out reminders to your guests to help them stay on top of the event details.
• Easily communicate with your guests through the platform, allowing for seamless event-related conversations.

6. AllSeated for Event Floor Planning

AllSeated is a cutting-edge event planning tool designed to revolutionize the way you plan and visualize in-person events. AllSeated aims to save time and enhance the client experience by virtually transporting them to your venue, regardless of their location.

With features like 360 Venue Scanning, you can virtually explore event spaces, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how the event will look like. The quick setup time ensures you can get started promptly, and the ability to access AllSeated across multiple devices promotes flexibility in your planning process.

Top Features: 

• Virtually walk through and explore the event venue before the actual event to understand the layout.
• Start planning promptly with an efficient setup to save time and effort.
• Plan and collaborate with your team and clients using various devices.
• Save event layouts to reuse them for future events, saving time and ensuring consistency in event planning and execution.

7. Eventee for Building Event Apps

Eventee is a practical tool for efficiently building apps for event planners. It offers a straightforward and visually appealing interface, accessible on both mobile and web platforms, designed to simplify event management. 

Moreover, Eventee takes care of the technical side by automatically generating a modern event homepage that you can personalize without any coding skills. This allows you to concentrate on curating an exceptional event rather than dealing with complex app development.

Top Features

• Eventee event design software is easy to navigate for both organizers and attendees, prioritizing simplicity.
• Access event details on various devices, from smartphones to desktops.
• Get access to an automatically generated, modern event homepage that you can tailor to match your event’s branding and content.
• Easily oversee event schedules, sessions, and speaker details within the app.

8. TicketTailor for Selling Tickets

TicketTailor is a specialized event management app that excels in one crucial area: ticket selling. Billing itself as the go-to solution for event ticketing, TicketTailor offers a comprehensive platform for managing ticket sales, making it an ideal choice for both free and paid events. Whether you’re organizing a fundraising campaign, an academic conference, or a lively party, TicketTailor empowers you to efficiently sell tickets and manage attendees.

While TicketTailor stands out in the ticketing domain, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t offer the full spectrum of event planning and management features that some other software does. You won’t find event planning tools or workflow design capabilities here. However, if your primary need is to handle ticket-related tasks effectively, TicketTailor is a top-notch choice.

Top Features: 

• Create both public and private event listings tailored to your event’s privacy requirements.
• Organize tickets into various categories, making it easy for attendees to choose the right option.
• Design custom checkout forms to gather specific attendee information as needed.
• Manage waiting lists for events with limited ticket availability, ensuring no potential attendees are left out.
• Utilize tools for seamless sharing of event details across your social media platforms.

9. ScheduleOnce for Online Event Scheduling

Event scheduling can be a complex task, especially when it involves coordinating meetings between hosts and attendees at conferences, trade shows, or other events. This is where ScheduleOnce comes into play as a valuable solution. This robust event planning platform simplifies the scheduling process, making it easy and efficient for event organizers and attendees alike.

With ScheduleOnce, event organizers have the power to create scheduling pages that attendees can use to book their meetings. This eliminates the need for hosts or attendees to get directly involved in the scheduling process. Once attendees have scheduled their meetings, the organizer can distribute the schedules to all participants, ensuring everyone knows when and with whom they will be meeting.

Top Features:

• Create scheduling pages that attendees use to book meetings, reducing the need for manual coordination.
• Connect to your calendar, preventing double bookings and automatically syncing scheduled meetings.
• Sends invitations and scheduling confirmations to all attendees, ensuring everyone is informed about their meetings.
• Allow event organizers to tailor scheduling pages to match their branding and specific event requirements, enhancing the overall user experience.

10. Planning Pod for Venue Management

Planning Pod is a comprehensive event planning app that excels in venue management and floor planning. With a robust feature set tailored for both event organizers and venues, it simplifies a majority of complex tasks. 

One of Planning Pod’s standout features is its venue management capabilities, making it an ideal choice for venues like wedding venues, restaurants, golf clubs, and more. It offers an event webpage builder that allows venues to showcase their facilities and services effectively. Additionally, Planning Pod provides productivity reports and dashboards, enabling venues to track their performance and make data-driven decisions.

Top Features: 

• Create visually appealing event pages to showcase your venue’s services, helping you attract potential clients.
• Efficiently manage bookings, event layouts, and resources using personalized tools.
• Access detailed reports and dashboards to gain insights into your venue’s performance and make data-driven decisions.
• Enhance your marketing efforts by promoting your venue on social media platforms, reaching a broader audience.
• Simplify the booking process for clients by offering online registration and RSVP forms.

11. Hootsuite for Social Media Management

When it comes to managing the social media aspect of your event, Hootsuite stands out as a comprehensive solution. This powerful tool empowers event organizers to efficiently schedule and manage event promotions across various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, WordPress, and LinkedIn.

With Hootsuite, you can take control of your social media strategy, monitor conversations, and make data-driven decisions that lead to real results. 

Top Features:

• Schedule your event promotions in advance, ensuring a consistent online presence without the need for real-time posting.
• Monitor all your social media accounts in one place using a centralized dashboard
• Easily track mentions, comments, and conversations, making it simple to stay engaged with your audience and respond to inquiries or feedback promptly.
• Assess your social media ROI, identify what strategies are working and what needs improvement, and use data to make informed decisions for optimizing your event’s online presence.
• Simplify content creation and posting with a content calendar that helps you plan and schedule on-brand posts across all your social media channels. 

12. Salesforce Report for Event Reports and Data Collection

Salesforce Report is a centralized cloud-based reporting platform that provides a visual representation of sales-based data to organizations. It supports the crucial elements of a business including sales, marketing, service, and commerce.

Known to be one of the most popular cloud-based CRM platforms, Salesforce Report assists companies in planning and optimizing their sales processes.

Top Features:

• Make useful decisions with a centralized, user-friendly, interactive and KPI-driven solution.
• Consolidate data from several sources to help identify the relevant KPIs.
• Easily formulate strategies and improve efficiency and productivity across the board.
• Integrate with other tools such as a dashboard creator to generate actionable insights.

Project Management Software

13. ClickUp for Work Management

ClickUp offers a streamlined and comprehensive app for event planners to manage team projects and work effectively. Whether you’re part of a small startup or a large enterprise, ClickUp’s project management software caters to all types of organizations. It simplifies organizing tasks and projects, facilitating collaboration across your entire team and organization. 

ClickUp’s key strength lies in its flexible hierarchy infrastructure, which allows you to break down complex projects into manageable tasks and subtasks while maintaining a centralized view of all event data. This feature makes it one of the best event planning tools.

Top Features: 

• Tailor ClickUp to match your specific team’s processes, enabling efficient task management and workflow optimization.
• Connect with over 1,000 work tools, enhancing collaboration and centralizing data within ClickUp.
• Plan and visualize your event’s key milestones to keep your team on track and aligned with project goals.
• Collaborate seamlessly on tasks, assign responsibilities, set due dates, and track progress within the platform.

14. Slack for Team Communication & Community Building

Beyond its traditional use, Slack has proven to be a valuable asset for facilitating session interaction within events. Its versatility lies in its ability to create distinct channels within a single workspace, making it suitable for both team communication and attendee engagement during events.

Event organizers can establish private channels for their teams to coordinate seamlessly, ensuring that everyone stays on the same page behind the scenes. Simultaneously, public channels can be dedicated to various discussion topics, encouraging event attendees to interact, share insights, and network with one another throughout the event’s duration. 

Top Features:

• Create private and public channels, allowing event organizers to maintain internal discussions while providing attendees with discussion hubs for specific topics.
• Engage in one-on-one conversations, enabling personalized communication and networking opportunities.
• Utilize video and voice calling features, and facilitate real-time interactions and collaboration even when participants are geographically dispersed.
• Easily share documents, presentations, and other files within the platform, enhancing information exchange during events.

15. Asana for Task Management

Asana is a powerful task management tool that has become an essential asset for organizations of all sizes. It’s designed to streamline workflow and enhance productivity by helping teams manage tasks, projects, and assignments with precision. 

At its core, Asana provides an intuitive interface that allows for easy collaboration and communication, making it an indispensable tool for businesses and teams striving to stay organized and efficient. With Asana, you can break down complex projects into smaller, manageable tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, and track progress in real time.

Top Features: 

• Easily create tasks, assign them to team members, and set due dates. 
• Break down larger projects into smaller tasks and subtasks, helping teams stay organized and focused.
• Tailor workflows to match your team’s specific needs, ensuring that projects are managed efficiently.
• Create dependencies between tasks to ensure that one task cannot be started until another is completed, promoting a logical workflow.
• Assign priorities to tasks and set deadlines to help team members focus on critical items and meet project milestones.

16. Monday.com for Workflow Management 

Monday.com is a versatile and robust workflow management tool designed to streamline and optimize work processes for teams and organizations. It offers a user-friendly and visually appealing interface that simplifies task tracking, project management, and collaboration. With Monday.com, teams can achieve greater efficiency and productivity, making it an ideal choice for various industries and use cases.

One of Monday.com’s standout features is its customizable workspaces, which allow users to create tailored workflows that suit their specific needs. Whether you’re managing projects, tracking marketing campaigns, or coordinating events, you can design boards, timelines, and dashboards that align with your team’s objectives. 

Top Features:

• Encourage teamwork with features like real-time collaboration, file sharing, and @ mentions, ensuring everyone stays informed and engaged.
• See progress at a glance with the intuitive visual interface that makes it easy to manage tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
• Seamlessly integrate with popular apps and tools like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams, enhancing productivity and workflow connectivity.
• Streamline repetitive tasks with automation rules, ensuring that processes are efficient and error-free.
• Gain insights into project performance with customizable dashboards and reporting tools that provide data visualization and analytics, enabling data-driven decision-making.

17. Wrike for Project Management

In project management, effective teamwork and efficient coordination are the cornerstones of success. Wrike, an advanced project management software, empowers project managers to transform disjointed efforts into cohesive workflows. With its impressive array of features, Wrike simplifies the management of complex projects, automates tasks, identifies potential risks, and optimizes resource allocation seamlessly. 

Wrike’s workflow management software provides a clear visual representation of priorities, fostering collaboration among team members. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible to everyone, from project managers to team members. 

Top Features:

• Tailor Wrike to match your team’s unique processes and best practices, creating a streamlined workflow.
• Automate repetitive tasks to reduce manual efforts and increase productivity.
• Gain insights into project progress and potential bottlenecks through customizable dashboards and reports.
• Foster collaboration among team members with an intuitive and user-friendly interface.
• Allocate resources efficiently to prevent overloading or underutilization.
• Manage all your projects in one place, ensuring accountability and alignment with organizational goals.

Event Engagement and Gamification Software

When it comes to hosting successful events, attendee engagement and interactivity are key factors for success. To enhance the ease of use and overall in-event experience, you can seamlessly integrate these tools into your event. While many event platforms now offer native tools for engagement and gamification, these additional solutions can be seen as valuable “nice-to-haves” if you’re looking for something more familiar or with added depth in functionality.

18. Restream for Live-streaming

Restream is a dynamic live-streaming service that assists in broadcasting presentations to multiple online destinations at once. Restream helps you integrate with Facebook, LinkedIn Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and many other live-streaming platforms simultaneously.

It’s user-friendly and offers complete creative control of the look and feel of the broadcast. With Restream, you can create your own backgrounds, add logos, update the names of the speakers, and much more. 

Top Features:

• Broadcast on multiple platforms simultaneously for broader reach.
• Enhance real-time chat across various platforms for seamless communication.
• Schedule and broadcast pre-recorded content as live sessions for convenience.
• Easily download video files for repurposing and podcasting.
• Connect with other virtual event platforms, including vFairs, for expanded functionality.

19. Zoom for Video Conferencing

Zoom is a leading platform for video conferencing and virtual meetings. With its user-friendly interface and versatile features, Zoom has become an indispensable tool for organizations of all sizes. Zoom enables users to connect, collaborate, and communicate seamlessly, bridging geographical distances and fostering productivity.

With its robust security measures, including password protection and waiting rooms, Zoom ensures the privacy and confidentiality of meetings, making it a reliable choice for businesses and organizations. 

Top Features:

• Ensure your communication is clear and reliable with Zoom’s high-quality video and audio.
• Easily share your screen to present slides and documents, or collaborate on projects with colleagues or clients.
• Conduct smaller, focused discussions within larger meetings, fostering more engaging and productive interactions.
• Utilize instant messaging and file-sharing features for seamless, real-time communication and collaboration during meetings.
• Join or host meetings from your smartphones and tablets, offering flexibility and convenience for remote or on-the-move participation.

20. WebEx for Online Meetings and Webinars

WebEx is a highly regarded platform for hosting online meetings and webinars, providing a robust and feature-rich environment for remote collaboration and communication. With its user-friendly interface and versatile tools, WebEx is a top choice for businesses, organizations, and educational institutions.

WebEx excels in facilitating virtual meetings and webinars, allowing participants to connect from anywhere in the world. Its features include seamless integration with calendars and various productivity apps, ensuring that scheduling and joining meetings is effortless. 

Top Features:

• Enjoy crystal-clear HD video and audio for a smooth and immersive meeting experience.
• Seamlessly integrate WebEx with your calendars and productivity apps for efficient scheduling and management.
• Utilize features like screen sharing, chat, and file sharing to foster collaboration during meetings and webinars.
• Benefit from strong security measures, including encryption and authentication, to protect sensitive data.
• Record meetings or webinars for future reference and easily share them with others.

21. Kahoot! for Trivia Tools

Trivia is one of the most engaging remote team-building activities that can be played over a virtual call, event, or conference. Kahoot offers trivia games for organizations and educational institutes. With the Kahoot app extension, it becomes easier to play trivia games by integrating it with an app you’re already using. For example, you can integrate Kahoot with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, vFairs, and other video conferencing and event apps.  

Kahoot can help attendees interact and compete with others at the event through quizzes, contests, and other engaging activities. With Kahoot, you can create a quiz and set up rewards for winners. You can also play 1:1 virtual games or just decide to go on a team mode.  

Top Features:

• Use open-ended questions, polls, and word clouds to collect insightful feedback from event participants.
• Assess your attendees’ understanding and engagement with assessment questions and interactive quizzes. Ensure that your event content is effective and informative.
• Utilize Kahoot to encourage idea generation and brainstorming sessions. Crowdsource innovative ideas and solutions from your event attendees.
• Enhance knowledge retention by engaging participants with enjoyable learning experiences to make the information stick.

22. Interprefy for Language Interpretation 

Interprefy is a popular language interpretation tool used at virtual conferences and events. This tool is beneficial for personal conference interpretation and automatic live captioning in multiple languages.

Interprefy aims to connect people in events, meetings, and conferences but in their own language. Interprefy believes that there should be no language barrier when it comes to learning. They offer real-time interpretation from vetted interpreters and AI-powered live captions for any type of event, be it on-site, virtual, or hybrid. 

Top Features:

• Expand your reach by conducting events in multiple languages, breaking down language barriers to reach a global audience effectively.
• Integrate Interprefy with a variety of event platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, vFairs, and more, to ensure inclusivity and enhance the accessibility of your events.
• Improve the accessibility of your sessions by providing real-time interpretation and live closed captions during webinars, conferences, and meetings.
• Tailor interpretation and captioning services to your specific event needs, ensuring precise communication with your diverse audience.

23. Miro for an Interactive Whiteboard

Miro is an innovative online platform designed as an interactive whiteboard, and it serves as a virtual space where individuals can come together to collaborate on various subjects and projects, no matter where they are located geographically. 

What sets Miro apart are its distinctive features, such as note-taking and real-time problem-solving tools, which empower teams to work together seamlessly. With the ability to visualize ideas, brainstorm, plan, and execute tasks efficiently, Miro enhances communication and productivity among team members, making it a valuable tool for remote or distributed teams who want to work collaboratively and effectively.

Top Features:

• Monitor changes, assign tasks, and have conversations with other team members within the Miro interface.
• Present your ideas or results in an organized manner.
• Make communication easier with the screen-sharing feature. 
• With Miro’s Zapier integrations, you can easily create cards in case of a new task, a new form submission, or an entry in a spreadsheet.
• Create and align with stakeholders on the collaborative whiteboard.

24. Kumospace for Virtual Networking

Kumospace is a 3D virtual networking app that helps people make new connections in unforgettable virtual spaces. It lets you fully customize your event with your own logos, furniture designs, music, and YouTube videos so it feels like your own space.

With Kumospace, connecting online has become fun and more human. 

Top Features:

• Connect with people in immersive virtual spaces through video conferencing.
• Let attendees communicate with one another via Spatial audio.
• Easily share ideas with other people on the floor through screen sharing.
• Utilize the chat feature to have 1:1 direct or group messages.
• Use the Kumospace map feature to see what everybody is doing on the floor. 

Key Takeaway

The world of event management platforms offers a multitude of options to suit every event organizer’s needs. Whether you’re organizing a small corporate meeting or a large-scale international conference, these 24 best event planning software solutions provide the tools and features to streamline your planning process, engage attendees, and ensure the success of your events. 

From registration and ticketing to real-time communication, analytics, and accessibility features, these platforms offer comprehensive solutions to help you plan and execute seamless and memorable events. Choosing the right event planning applications that align with your event goals and requirements is the key to unlocking the full potential of your event planning goals.

Whether you’re hosting a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event, this guide will be the perfect starting point. We have developed this guide to help you plan your event from day one to the curtain call.    

Chapter 1: What is Event Planning?

Event planning underlines every task or activity that an event organizer needs to do before they are ready to host an epic event. It means the entire process of setting up an event and managing all of its aspects. This includes setting up a date, an agenda, finding speakers, marketing the event to a wider audience, and so much more. 

Event planning business can be a humongous task if you don’t know where to start. To make your event planning steps easier, you need to invest in some right tools and work with the right team. Whether you’re hosting a job fair, tradeshow, or conference, you will have to lay out an event plan and then structure your event planning efforts accordingly.

Event Management VS Event Planning

Event Management and Event Planning, while closely related, involve distinct aspects of orchestrating an event. Event Planning primarily focuses on the design and logistics leading up to the event. This includes tasks like selecting themes, choosing venues, arranging catering, and coordinating entertainment. It’s about setting the stage for the event, meticulously organizing every detail to ensure the event’s concept comes to life. 

Event Management, on the other hand, deals with the execution and operation of the event itself. It involves overseeing the event’s smooth running, handling any issues that arise during the event, and ensuring that all elements of the event plan are implemented effectively. While planning is about creating the blueprint, management is about bringing that blueprint to life and handling the real-time dynamics of the event.

Key Differences Between Event Planning VS Event Management At a Glance:

Event Planning:

• Focuses on the design and logistics before the event.
• Involves selecting themes and choosing venues.
• Arranges catering and coordinates entertainment.
• Organizes every detail to bring the event’s concept to life.

Event Management:

• Deals with the execution and operation during the event.
• Involves overseeing the event’s smooth running.
• Handles issues that arise during the event.
• Ensures effective implementation of the event plan.
• Manages the real-time dynamics of the event.

What Is an Event Plan?      

If you’re just starting out on event management and event planning, the first thing you need to do is to develop an event plan. An event plan is where you hash out all the details before you begin working on the ground.

There can be a few different steps to event planning and developing a detailed plan can help you navigate more easily. Start off by making a list of all the things that you think you need to do. Even the minutest of these tasks should be on your list. Then, make a chart with the three stages of your event planning:

• Pre-event planning
• Things to do during event days
• Post-event plans

It will now be easier to start putting your humongous list of tasks into the right stage of your event planning process. This basic event plan can break all tasks down so you can focus on one task or one stage at a time and still get everything done in an organized manner.

What Should You Add to an Event Plan?

An event plan needs to be detailed enough so you don’t miss anything. But it also needs to be easy and quick to follow for everyone involved. If you’re confused about what should or shouldn’t be a part of your event plan, here is a basic list that you can start off with:

• Start your event planning business by adding your main aim behind the event. This is the most important piece of information that you always need to remember.
• Mention the names or contact information of all the people involved in making your event come to life. This can include vendors, company reps, staff members, sponsors, etc.
• Next, jot down general information about your event like the date, venue, timeline, etc.
• Make it easier for your staff by making a list of all the roles and responsibilities that you have assigned to people. Whether you’re hosting an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event you should make sure that none of your staff is overworked. 
• Marketing and PR are vital components of event planning. So, make sure you add a PR and marketing plan to your event plan as well.
• Budget and insurance can define a lot about the scope of your event. The more budget or insurance coverage you have, the bigger your event can be. Therefore, your event plan needs to have a budget plan and details of insurance.

What Are the 5 Basic Principles of Event Planning?

Event organizers need a few essential skills to be able to pull off a successful event. Whether you’re hosting a seminar, a conference, or a trade show, you need to follow the 5 C’s of event management: concept, coordination, control, culmination, and closeout. 

These five C’s are the key elements that make up the recipe for smooth event planning and an epic event. If you have these down, you have a great chance at hosting a successful and memorable event.

Concept

The first and most important step to running a successful event planning process is to develop the concept or theme behind it. This means developing an objective before you take the next step. Think about why you want to host this event and what you can get out of it. 

Coordination 

The second step is where the on-ground event planning begins. Coordination means managing the logistics and building the project from the ground up. This step can involve all the physical aspects like selecting and setting up a venue, itinerary, entertainment, speaker sessions, etc.

Control

The third step involves understanding and controlling all the different aspects of the event through a bird’s eye view. So, this step is something that event organizers will be doing throughout the event planning process. It can include things like managing the staff and their responsibilities, controlling the budget, allocating resources, time management, etc.

Culmination 

The culmination is everything that you need to do on the event day. The day of the event can be overwhelming, and if you don’t have a plan it can be total chaos. This is the day that your team has been working so hard for and there’s a lot riding on it. This step of event planning is where communication is the key as it involves handling all the logistics and setting up contingency plans in case anything goes wrong. 

Closeout

The final stages of the event are usually post-event activities. In the closeout stages, event organizers can clear outstanding vendor payments, collect event data, and ask for attendees’ feedback. This stage is about closing up shop and calculating how successful your entire event planning process was. This is the ideal time to nurture the connections you’ve made to improve business or keep attendees engaged enough for future events. In the closeout stages, you can reach out to contacts, repurpose event content and distribute it through other mediums, keep attendees interested through social media community building, etc.  

Chapter 2: How to Plan an Event

Developing a step-by-step plan at the very beginning of your event planning journey can help you sort out everything from the get-go. An event checklist can help you focus on one step at a time so you don’t get lost trying to finish the extended tasks. 

Read on to find all the steps you should add to your event plan and get your hands on a fantastic event planner that makes things easier.

10 Steps for Planning an Event

Starting out, narrowing your event planning steps down to just ten sounds impossible. However, all you need to do is think about the bigger picture and what absolutely needs to be done. Then, you can break these steps down to further individual tasks.

This guide can help you narrow down the ten most basic steps of your event planning process. Let’s start:

1. Set Your Event Goals

Defining the scope of your event can be one of the first main challenges to take on during event planning. If your event goals aren’t clear enough, you can’t plan something great to achieve those goals either. So first and foremost, decide what you want to achieve through your event and then work towards it.

Almost all events have a main goal and they’re then designed in a way to support that aim. Some common examples of event goals can be:

• Launching a new product
• Hiring new resources
• Maximizing attendance
• Educating your audience about a particular industry trend
• Selling a service or a product
• Capturing potential qualified leads
• Fostering a deeper connection with existing clients 
• Networking and building a relationship with your peers
• Increasing brand visibility and awareness.
• Providing a platform for personal and professional growth

2. Create an Event Budget

The next step in event planning, after you have a goal, is to set up event budgeting. If you don’t know how much money you’re allowing yourself to spend on each step of the event planning process, you will more than likely spend excessive amounts. Budgeting is important to set a line for yourself and your staff so you can get the most out of the money spent.

Some of the things that you need to do when setting an event budget are:

• Categorize all your expenses into most and least important so you can make better decisions if money is tight.
• Research vendors and estimate costs before you start.
• Consider hidden costs, any possible surcharges, or other miscellaneous costs.
• Define all your income sources from the event to calculate better ROI.
• Stay as realistic as possible and use the upper limits for all the estimates that you’re putting in on your budgeting sheet.  

The scope and size of your event depend greatly on your event budget. Event budgeting allows you to create a master plan so you can achieve the most with what you have. For example, it can be easier to decide the delivery model of your event, the marketing spend, the number of people you can invite or hire, and more.

3. Choose the Event Type or Delivery Model

Once you have a main event goal and have also set a budget, there will be some level of clarity in what you want to achieve. So, now is the best time to choose how you want to host this event. There are three main event types to choose from:

Virtual events are completely online and have been used as an accessible and convenient way of hosting events for organizations all around the world. Online events are much less expensive compared to traditional in-person events. Moreover, they also reduce carbon footprint, create global access, and reduce many logistical issues.

In-person events are the traditional way of hosting events where attendees have to commute to a physical location to be a part of the event. These events cost more money but offer a much more personal and engaging experience. Moreover, the latest in-person event technology can offer streamlined attendee experiences such as quick check-in and badge printing processes, and onsite networking and engagement.

Hybrid events are the best of both worlds. They combine both in-person and virtual events and offer an experience unlike any other. Some parts of the event can occur online, while some parts can be in-person. This way, global attendees can still get access to the event’s sessions and content while opening up networking opportunities for in-person attendees as well.

4. Build Your Team

Now, you can start creating your dream team for the next steps of event planning. The organizing committee can have a bunch of different members, technical staff, marketers, and even volunteers. The whole team has to work together to build a successful event. 

If your team doesn’t gel well, the event planning process can become equally more difficult for you. So, make sure you pick the best people who have a passion for events. The most resourceful people will work with you to build the event of your dreams. 

Once you have a team, you will also need to define their roles and responsibilities. This is crucial so that no one steps on another person’s toes and everything runs smoothly. Moreover, this is also your chance to delegate the work efficiently so no one is overworked. 

5. Find & Vet Vendors

Whether you’re hosting an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event, you will need a list of different vendors for various event activities. For a virtual event, you need to find event registration and ticketing software, event management software, and a hosting platform. You might also need to find marketing tools and vet all these vendors. 

In-person and hybrid events need the most effort at this stage of event planning because the physical nature of the event demands more services on live days. For example, you will need a catering service, a security company, A/V vendors, etc. 

The vetting process for vendors for any event is crucial to make sure that you pick the right ones. Here are some important tips that you should consider:

• Compare the rates of a few different vendors and collect their portfolios at the very beginning of your search. Then choose the best ones based on their services and charges.
• Read online reviews of all the vendors that you have shortlisted and make an informed decision.
• Keep customer service as a top priority when choosing a service provider.
• A particular vendor might be offering a bunch of services, however, that doesn’t mean they will be the best at all of them. Make sure you pick vendors that are experts for the service that you’re hiring them for.
• Ask all vendors for their registrations and licenses before you sign a contract with them.
• Read and re-read the contract multiple times before signing to make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.
• If you’re sourcing a vendor through a referral, make sure you do your due diligence.

6. Find Speakers and Sponsors

One of the most important steps of event planning is to find speakers and sponsors for your event. 

Sponsorships are one of the best ways to generate revenue at any event. You can offer sponsors freebies, host a live session with them, or even offer them space for placing logos and branding. This event planning guide will delve deeper into how to find sponsors and how to monetize your event later. 

Speakers can be one of the biggest highlights of the event. Attendees often come to events to listen to an expert speaker or a celebrity keynote. So, finding the right speakers for your event can be crucial for adding more value to your event, boosting attendance, and increasing event engagement. 

7. Create an Event Agenda

Now is the time to start planning the activities for your event and building the agenda. From the first day of the event to the last, your attendees are looking forward to gaining value for their time. So, make sure you have something in store for your audience and aren’t wasting their time.

An agenda can be helpful in creating a good flow for your event and add in a mix of learning, engaging, and fun activities. Here’s how you can create an event agenda for your next event:

1. Figure out the duration of your event. It can be anywhere from a few hours to a few days. This will provide a basic framework for your event agenda.
2. Develop a list of all the most important activities you would like to add to your event. For example, a welcome note, a keynote session, expert panel discussions, breakout rooms, games, lunch breaks, etc. 
3. Now, allocate time for each activity so that you can divide up the day of the event accordingly.
4. Depending on the significance of the activity or session, allocate the prime time spot to them. For example, keynote speaker sessions happen during midday or at the end of each day to get the most traction. 
5. Make sure you’re adding ample breaks in the middle of sessions to give your attendees a much-needed breather. You can separate important sessions with a lunch break or a fun group activity to rejuvenate the audience.
6. Add some breaks in the middle of sessions to make up for delays or sessions running over.

TIP: Set some time to review the agenda one last time to adjust any last-minute changes to the event. You should share the agenda with all the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, or any other stakeholders at your event well in advance so any discrepancies can be dealt with in time.

8. Create a Marketing Plan

Imagine that you have designed one of the most amazing events with tons of great speaker sessions and informative content. But, you aren’t getting any registrations. No need to fret because a well-developed event marketing plan can fix that for you.

Event marketing is a humongous task in itself, but without it, your event won’t get the attention it deserves. There are a few different ways to market your event, and here are some of the mediums that you can use:

• Email marketing campaigns
• Social media channels like LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, etc.
• Event website
• Paid ads on social media and Google
• Influencer marketing
• Content marketing
• SEO

9. Plan Logistics for Live Days

All your efforts boil down to the live event days. This is the most crucial time of the event planning process, and one misstep here can ruin everything you have worked so hard to achieve for months.

So, logistical planning and setting up contingency plans for the main event days are absolutely crucial. You should be prepared for the worst and have a plan B and C in place too. You can’t expect everything to go smoothly but if you’re prepared for it you won’t get blindsided.

For In-Person Events

In-person and hybrid events have a physical venue and involve attendees arriving from different areas to one destination. So, the logistics and planning of the event are most important.

Plan how your speakers and attendees are arriving. This includes arranging transportation, accommodation, and parking spaces. 

You also need to collaborate with vendors and suppliers to make sure they’re at the venue on time, and make sure that the catering is all set. 

Double-check all A/V equipment so there are no surprises during live sessions. Following the event schedule should also be a top priority because time management is a big part of running a successful event. 

You should develop a floor plan so all exhibitors know where they’re supposed to go, especially if the venue is fairly large.

For Virtual & Hybrid Events

Virtual events might not be as daunting as far as live days are concerned. However, there are still some important things that you should do to streamline the event.

Since virtual events are hosted through an online platform, most of the logistical checks you need to do will be technical tests. So, go around the whole platform once and make sure all the links are working, run test sessions for webinars with your guest speakers, and remove any possible bugs. 

To make it an even smoother experience for exhibitors and attendees, you can run training sessions with them in advance. This can be helpful to transition them into the virtual environment especially if they aren’t tech-savvy.

10. Debrief with Post-Event Analytics

Event planning is primarily over once the event is finished, however, that’s not the last step for event coordinators who want to make the most of it. This is the best time to debrief your entire team by collecting and analyzing event data.

Most hybrid and virtual event providers will offer an in-depth event analytics dashboard. These can have event data such as the number of users who logged in, booth visits, webinar views, link clicks, etc. Moreover, you can also collect more data by running post-event audience polls. 

All this data, if analyzed properly, can offer fantastic and actionable insights for event organizers. It is always best practice to consider audience feedback to further improve event experiences for them. 

Bonus: Event Planning Template

Developing an event plan is the most crucial first step for hosting an epic event. Even if you know all that you need to know, creating an actual plan for event planning can take time and effort. Even then, you may miss out on something crucial that could’ve made your event even better.

Use our event planner template to get a head start on your event planning and execution.

Chapter 3: How to Set Up Your Event

Event setup is one of the most crucial parts of your event planning journey. This is where things start to shape up whether you’re an in-person, hybrid, or virtual event. Setting up the event website, figuring out the venue, finding the right vendors, and building a social media presence might be the first few steps you need to take at this point. 

We will talk about virtual, hybrid, and in-person event setup processes in a bit. However, here are a few things you need to do no matter what your event delivery model is.

1. Create an Event Website

Event setup and creation should start with creating an event website where attendees can come to get the latest updates, event information, or other details. You can also create a page for showcasing your event agenda and collecting registrations. 

The event website should focus on creating the right image of your event for your attendees and should match your event’s vibe. So, make sure you pick the right template, use your brand’s logos and colors, and customize the website to create an eye-catching design.

2. Build Social Media Channels

The next thing you need to do is start creating an event page. You can use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media channels to promote your event. Social media channels can be a great way for event promotion as well as creating meaningful connections with your audience.  

Building these social media channels can lay the foundation for building a community around your event as well. You can integrate tools like the vFairs LinkedIn community builder and boost attendee engagement. Moreover, you can also run paid ads through these social media outlets once you’re in the marketing stages of your event plan.

3. Create a Ticketing & Registration Process

Next, you will need to set up a ticketing system for your event. Whether your event is free to attend or has a priced ticket, an event ticketing and registration system can allow you to set up a registration page, ticket pricing tiers, print tickets, or check-in attendees at an event. 

One of the first things you’ll need to do is to set up a registration form. An effective registration form will help you get the right information from attendees and then use the data to create an impressive event experience for them. Registration forms for physical ticketing can also include pictures or meal preferences. 

Setting Up a Virtual Event

Now, let’s talk about setting up your virtual event because there are certain things you will need to do differently. First, you need to choose a virtual event platform to host your event (more on this later in this guide). Then, you can start setting up your event for your attendees. 

As the event is completely online, you should think about the complete journey that your attendees will take once they register. This includes logging in, entering the virtual environment, watching the webinars, visiting virtual booths, etc.

Planning and executing a virtual event can be a hands-on experience for many event organizers and this virtual event planner can help you weather the storm and design an epic event.

Virtual Event Features to Consider

You can choose a number of features for your virtual event to add value for attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. You can add an external or internal lobby, an auditorium for sessions, networking features like chat, spatial networking, roundtables, virtual exhibit halls, etc.

Choosing which virtual event features to add to your event depends upon your event type and goals. For instance, a virtual trade show event needs to have an exhibit hall and maybe some e-commerce features and a virtual conference should have an immersive webinar experience, etc. Some of the top features to consider include:

• Virtual environment (lobby, exhibit hall, auditorium, etc.)
• Webinars or virtual auditoriums
• Networking features (chat, roundtables, spatial networking, etc.)
• Integrations with marketing tools, CRMs, ATS, etc.
• Event gamification tools 
• Accessibility features
• Live and post-event analytics
• Polls and Surveys
• Job board (for hiring events)
• Shopping cart (for trade shows)
• Abstract management features (for conferences)

Setting Up an In-Person Event

Now let’s move on to the things you will need to do to set up an in-person event. The rules are completely different here because nothing is happening online, except the registration process. All your attendees will gather at a physical location, visit physical booths, and watch live presentations. So, the event planning and event management process is also different. 

You will need to source catering and decoration vendors, curate a venue, think about parking and accommodation, set up an A/V and so much more!

Gather the Right In-Person Event Technology

In-person events aren’t the same as pre-pandemic and the latest technological advances have changed how we host them forever. Ticketing, badge printing technologies, event mobile apps, and check-in gear have changed the game for event coordinators. In-person event planning now includes gathering the right event tech to support you through achieving all your goals. 

Here are a few of the most important event tech stacks that you should consider adding to your next in-person event:

1. Check-in Gear

In-person events happen at a physical location and most attendees will need to physically check-in to the event on the day of the event. This could mean long queues or an army of personnel to help them through the gates and check them into their sessions.

However, event organizers can make all of that simpler through check-in gear. The whole process is seamless as all it takes is a simple scan. Moreover, event organizers can capture and retrieve onsite leads through these check-in scans and get more data on attendee behavior and engagement.

2. Badge Printing

Attendees who have registered for an onsite event can scan a unique QR code to print their badges onsite at the time of the event. The scanning is quick and the badge is printed instantly to reduce any lines at the registration desk. In-person events can be a pain to manage, but badge printing and scanning gear can help reduce the load from the team at the front desk!

3. Mobile Event Apps

You can make your in-person event easier to navigate and much more interactive for attendees by including an event mobile app. The mobile app can help attendees take a look at the event agenda for the day and maintain a personal calendar. 

They can see where each booth is located through an interactive floor plan, use the QR code scanner for badge printing, and share their contact cards seamlessly through the app. 

The event mobile app can also be a fantastic way for event organizers to keep their attendees engaged. They can send out push notifications to give out important information or updates to attendees, include gamification tools like a QR scavenger hunt, and allow users to chat with each other through the app.  

Setting Up Hybrid Events

A/V Tools

You need to make sure that both attendees have similar access to event content such as live sessions, booths, etc. A reliable A/V setup and streaming software are thus the most important parts of setting up a hybrid event. You might need to talk to a bunch of different vendors before you make the final call as a lot can ride on it. Reliability and pricing are both equally important.

Networking Features

One of the biggest challenges of hosting a hybrid event is to make sure that virtual and in-person attendees have a chance to connect with each other and feel a part of the same event. Therefore, adding some networking features that bridge the gap between both types of attendees is important. You can add networking lounges or allow in-person and online attendees to chat with each other through a mobile app, etc.

Bonus: Add Web Accessibility Features

When you’re setting up a hybrid or virtual event, you should consider adding web accessibility features to make your event more inclusive for all audiences. There can be many attendees who have been diagnosed with visual or hearing impairment, ADHD, or other ailments. You don’t want to miss out on making the event accessible for all of these audience members as well. 

What Are Web Accessibility Features?

Accessibility features are additional enhancements that you can make to your event platform that allow attendees with disabilities or ailments to still be able to participate fully. 

Some of the features that you can include for advanced web accessibility are:

• Screen Reader
• Text Magnifier
• Video Transcription
• Subtitles 
• Multilingual Support
• Image Alt Attributes
• Keyboard Navigation

Here is a complete guide to hosting accessible events that can help you choose the right features to add to your virtual or hybrid event.

Chapter 4: Event Management Platforms

Event planning and management is much easier with an event management platform and tools to help you along the way. Most of the tasks on your event planning list will be easily doable if you choose an end-to-end event management platform. 

These platforms can help you from the first day of your event planning process to the curtain call. Some will even include features for post-event debriefing to recap what went well or could be improved.

Event management platforms should be able to help organizers manage every aspect of their event. This includes event planning, setting up, marketing, monetization, and post-event feedback collection. However, there are so many different options, and choosing an event management platform that suits your needs can be the point of difference between an epic and unsuccessful event.

How to Choose an Event Management Platform

Before choosing an event management platform, there are a certain number of things that you should consider. The platform should be able to meet all your requirements and help you achieve your event goals. If you’re not sure what criteria you should look into, here are a few important considerations:

1. Evaluate the Features

When you have your event goals in mind, you need to judge if the platform you have shortlisted has all those event planning capabilities. You shouldn’t choose a platform that lacks some of the most vital features required for running a successful event. Otherwise, you may have to switch between a few different event planning tools to achieve the same result. 

Some absolute must-have features for an event management platform are:

• Event registration and ticketing
• Agenda management
• Attendee management
• Marketing features
• Event analytics and reporting
• Onsite support

2. Focus on Customization Capabilities

Most events will need a customizable event management platform to help them achieve what they want. Event organizers don’t want to be stuck with a platform that isn’t capable of transforming according to their needs. There can be a huge difference between customization and configuration, and most platforms in the market only offer limited customization capabilities. 

3. Consider User Friendliness

You should be prepared that not all of your attendees or staff members are going to be super tech-savvy. So, it is pertinent to choose an event management and event planning tool that is convenient and easy to use for everyone. You don’t want to end up spending half of your time conducting training sessions or demos. 

4. Opt for a Mobile-Friendly Platform

In order to make your event easy to access and convenient to attend for everyone, you should consider choosing a mobile-friendly platform. This could mean adding a powerful mobile event app to your event experience or simply making sure that the sessions or other features are also accessible via a mobile browser.

5. Look for Integration Capabilities

The event management platform that you choose should be able to integrate with other popular tools and software that you already use as an event organizer. Some important integrations could include CRMs like Hubspot, ATS software like BambooHR, or email marketing tools like MailChimp, etc. Integrations can smoothen the planning process and you can directly transfer the data from the event planning software to these tools.    

6. Consider the Price Point

It goes without saying that your event planning steps should always keep in mind the budget that you’re working with. Therefore, instead of spending more money on features that you don’t even need, you should always consider the option that serves the best value for your money. Most event planning platforms can customize a plan for you that suits your event goals and also fits your budget. 

7. Make Customer Service a Priority

Choose an event planning platform that puts customers first and will make sure all your needs are met. Customer service is often ignored but can be the biggest point of difference for you. Whenever you’re choosing a platform, read reviews from customers on third-party and impartial websites like G2 and Capterra to make an informed decision.

8. Look for Robust Reporting Features

Event organizers can often understate the importance of event analytics and attendee data. You can get a lot of answers if you focus on what your attendees liked or disliked. Audience behavior during the event and post-event feedback data can offer quantitative and actionable insights to further improve your event. Therefore, an event management platform that offers detailed reporting and analytics should be a key priority to debrief after the event is over. 

9. Leverage AI Capabilities

No software or tool is complete without additional AI-powered integrations. AI can help event organizers during most event planning steps and should be something you’re looking for. For example, vFairs offers a powerful AI Marketing Assistant that can help you write copy for marketing campaigns, social media, press releases, and landing pages within a few minutes.

10. Monetization & Sponsorship Opportunities

Most events have an ROI or revenue goal that they want to achieve and sponsorships can be a great way to do that. Your event management and hosting platform should be able to offer ample sponsorship opportunities so you can monetize some aspects of your event. This could be the ability to create custom branding for booths or lobbies, host sponsored content, provide marketing real estate to your sponsors, etc.

11. Consider Platform Scalability

Your event could have 100 attendees or 10,000, and the platform you choose should be able to handle both scenarios seamlessly. You could be hosting events of varying sizes and the event planning and management platform should be able to scale with you without sacrificing on quality. 

You can streamline event planning by choosing an event management platform that offers all-in-one features. This reduces the need to hop on to various different event planning tools or manage talks with multiple vendors simultaneously. It is your best bet as you can save time and hassle and streamline all your workflows. An all-in-one event management platform can help you direct all stakeholders to one platform and minimize the event planning chaos.  

Choosing an Event Management Platform When Planning an Event

We can help you narrow down your search by naming the top event management platforms in the market along with their pros and cons. Full disclosure that this isn’t an exhaustive list and you should vet your options according to your specific needs.

Make sure to first fully understand what you are looking for in an event planning solution and only select platforms that will fulfill your event goals. Always read up on all G2 and Capterra reviews for the event management solutions you are considering. 

There is a lot of information there and you can easily find the right solution for your company and event. You can inquire from peers within the industry for referrals. But most importantly, once you have shortlisted some options, book a demo to get clarity on what the solution offers.

Tip: Even if you have a clear idea of what your event goals are and what you’re looking for in an event planning platform, there can still be a bunch of options to choose from. Read our best event management platforms guide to weigh the pros and cons and choose the best option for yourself. 

Chapter 5: How to Market Your Event Like a Pro

Effective event marketing is crucial if you want to get the word out about your event. You may have created the best list for easy event planning but if you don’t nail all your marketing efforts it could all go in vain. The event management platform that you choose could also help you in creating marketing campaigns that attract more attendees. 

There are so many things that you can do while planning an event to boost your marketing efforts and create a buzz around your event. Here are a few important steps to take when you’re just starting out. 

1. Build an Event Landing Page

One of the very first things that you need to do is to develop a landing page for your event. This is where your attendees will come to get information about your event, see the agenda, and register for it. You should make sure that the landing page speaks for your event with a brilliant design and feel because it can be the first impression for most potential attendees. 

If the landing page doesn’t tell them what the event will be like, you’re likely looking at a massive bounce rate and low registrations. To build a high-converting landing page, focus on visuals as well as the page copy. Spend some time researching and creating a page that compels visitors to register. 

2. Create Marketing Collateral & Distribution Channels

Now is the time to start building out your marketing armor. This includes everything from the landing page content, social media posts, event videos, press releases, etc. Creating marketing collateral was a time-taking ordeal for many event organizers. However, you can now use AI-powered marketing tools to create content in minutes.

All the marketing collateral you create will need the right distribution channels or it won’t make any difference. The ideal distribution channels for your marketing efforts can be:

• An event website
• Press release wire distribution channels
• Social media websites
• Paid ads
• Email distribution lists
• Physical distribution such as event standees, brochures, banners, etc.
• Event listing marketplaces such as vFairs Discover
• Third-party marketing websites like EventBrite, etc.

3. Find Sponsored Partnerships

Sponsorships are one of the best ways to increase event ROI, but these partnerships can also be used to get more eyes on your content. The power of marketing your event through your event sponsors and exhibitors is still untapped. You can ask them to share all of your content with their audiences to get more exposure and event engagement.

Moreover, sponsored activities at your event such as a live session or networking event can also bring in more traffic. The rule is simple: the more people talk about your event, the more chances there are of higher attendance.

So, make sure that you ask your sponsors and exhibitors to talk about your event and share as much information as they can with their personal audiences. This can amplify your reach and create higher resonance.

4. Explore Influencer Marketing

Influencers on social media can have a lot of impact on your event attendance. Influencer marketing might be one of the most hit or missed opportunities for many event organizers and therefore it isn’t their first choice of medium. However, the key is to find the right influencers for your event.

For example, if your conference is about health and wellness, you should look for influencers in that niche only. They will have the right audience to speak to and can get your event in front of eyes that are actually interested in consuming such content. 

Event marketing is a massive task on its own and if you are new at this, you probably don’t know where to start. For a detailed inside scoop, you can read our event marketing guide and get all the information you need on creating the ideal marketing plan for your event.

Chapter 6: How to Monetize Your Event

Planning an event also means considering how you are going to make money out of it. Events can either be free or paid, but ticketing is not the only way to monetize your event. There are a lot of other ways to make money as an event planner, and this event planning guide will help you set up some of them.

1. Get Sponsors On Board

Event sponsorships can boost revenue for any event and finding the right ones should be a part of your event planning process. Event organizers can create various tiers for event sponsorship packages and offer special discounts and services to organizations that fill up these sponsorship spaces.

Each tier can have a different level of added advantages and pricing options. So, the more a sponsor pitches in, the additional eyes they can get for their brand. 

If you aren’t sure what to add to your sponsorship offers, here are some ideas you can use. 

In a virtual event, fully customizable lobby designs can ensure that sponsors have enough real estate in the venue. You can do the same for physical venues by setting up standees, banners, posters, etc.

Printed material like attendee badges can have sponsor logos. 

You can also offer sponsored activities within the event. For example, a scavenger hunt or a webinar.

Sponsors can set up a branded booth at your event for free to connect with attendees and generate leads.

They can also get a certain number of free tickets to the event.

You can consider offering sponsors services or discounts from your organization that they can avail after the event is over.

2. Gather Exhibitors

Exhibitions can work at pretty much any type of event whether you are planning for it or not. Adding a virtual exhibit hall to your event isn’t a problem at all as online event platforms like vFairs are fully customizable and accommodate as many halls as you like. This requirement is also something to consider during event planning as you can’t add another hall at the eleventh hour. However, if you’re hosting a hybrid or in-person event, you may need to choose a venue that has additional space for an exhibition.

It can be an investment for a better ROI for your event as each exhibitor needs to pay for a space at your event. The more buzz you create, the more exhibitors will be lining up outside your gates for a chance to showcase their products and services. You can use attendee numbers and quantifiable past engagement levels to create a level of FOMO for exhibitors at your event. 

Exhibition space is only the primary charge. The bigger the space, the more you can charge for it. Moreover, any additional customizations are also ground for more charges for each exhibitor booth. At physical venues, you can also rent out extra tables and chairs or standees to your exhibitors. 

3. Tiered Ticketing 

Asking registrants to pay for tickets might be the most obvious way to make money at an event. However, if you are planning an event that you want to make more accessible for all, things can get tricky. This is where tiered pricing can come into play.

You can still have a free or nominal charge pass that most attendees will use to get into your event. However, tiered pricing allows you to charge more from potential customers that are willing to pay a premium for added services. More expensive tickets can include a better seat, a meal box, refreshments, parking space, bonus content, accommodation, etc.

4. Sell a Full Access Pass

Apart from the tiered plans for ticketing, some events also sell a full-access pass. This can include even further VIP treatment that only a select few attendees can get their hands on. During the event planning process, think of the features that you want to make exclusive for all-access pass holders. This can be a great idea for events that have a celebrity pull. You can think of it as a backstage pass to a concert. You can sell a full access pass to entice attendees into paying a premium for a chance to get to meet those celebrities. 

5. Sell Advertising Space on Your Venue

Advertisers are always on the lookout for more space to run their ads. Whether you are hosting an in-person event or are completely online, you can offer ad space to companies and advertising agencies. If your attendees are their target audience, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved. You need to create real estate and potential high-traffic places in your event for ad spaces during event planning. 

You can get in touch with advertising agencies and set up plans for them to rent out ad space. However, you also need to be sparing with ads as they can completely ruin the event experience for your attendees. So, the ad space is under your control and can be as small as one standee or brochure, or as big as a billboard. Make sure to brainstorm creative ways to place ads during event planning so they don’t end up staring attendees in their faces.

Chapter 7: Tips for Successful & Easy Event Planning

Event planning can be a tough nut to crack even if you create a thousand checklists. You have to stay organized almost all the time and human beings are bound to make mistakes. So, instead of fretting about all the tasks that you need to complete, you have to develop a game plan and then stick to it. You can deal with any eleventh-hour changes too if you have contingency plans and Plan Bs to fall back on.

Event Planning Tips for Virtual Events

Create an Event Planning Worksheet

Your event planning worksheet needs to include everything from day one to the final curtain call. One of the most difficult things when planning an event solely for online audiences is that you don’t get to see a physical impact. This can make it harder to visualize the attendee’s perspective and you may lose your focus sometimes. That is why, an event checklist template and a proper event planning sheet can help you stay on track and make sure you design an event that will be memorable for all attendees.

Focus on Creating Immersive Experiences

Virtual events and online activities can be a hit or a miss if event organizers haven’t fully considered the attendee experience. You need to make sure that you focus on creating experiences that attendees will remember and fully engage with the event. During event planning, talk to your team and brainstorm ideas for engaging your attendees during the event. This can include more networking opportunities, quizzes, and other gamification features to keep everyone fully invested.

Leave The Pandemic Behind

Event planning and management was a big fat mess during the pandemic and it was one of the biggest reasons for virtual events becoming as big as they are right now. While the pandemic is long gone, people still seem to be interested in attending online events. 

Event organizers also need to move past the woes of the pandemic and think of virtual events as an option rather than the only possible one. There are many features that you can add at a virtual event that transcend the pandemic and organizers can help attendees see and use them to their advantage.

Listen to the Audience

It can be difficult to connect with your audience through the virtual platform, however, that can be key to planning a successful event. You can keep an eye on the most viewed webinars, or the most visited booths to make sure what your attendees are most interested in. Moreover, you should add feedback collection mediums like webinar ratings, feedback surveys, etc. 

Event Planning Tips for In-Person Events

Be Prepared for the Worst

You are hoping for the best possible scenario due to rigorous event planning efforts, but you also need to make sure you are prepared for the worst. This is true for all types of events, but handling a problem at an in-person event might be the most complicated. Therefore, it is important to always have a plan B and think of every possible solution well in the early stages of event planning. Thinking on your feet and improvising are important to transform a complete disaster into a minor hiccup.

Get the Right Venue

Venue sourcing is one of the most important aspects of in-person event planning. You should take your time in selecting the right venue and considering every possible aspect. The location, the spaciousness you require, the number of rooms and parking spots, and the price point are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a venue.

Leverage In-Person Event Technology

The world has changed how it hosts events and in-person event technology is what has brought forward that revolution. If you are planning an event, you should look into all the innovative new technologies that you can incorporate into it. Things like an easy badge scanning app at the check-in counter or an event mobile app can greatly improve the attendee experience. Moreover, relying on technology can also reduce some of the workload from your staff and streamline event planning.

Event Planning Tips for Hybrid Events

Bring All Audiences Together

One of the biggest challenges for event planning and hosting with in-person and online attendees is bridging the gap between them. You need to make sure that both audiences feel a part of the same event and have similar experiences. 

You should add networking features that both audiences can participate in and connect with each other. Gamification that is open for both in-person and online attendees can also create a more harmonized experience.

Integrate Your Event Tech Stack

Hybrid events can already be difficult to juggle as you need to focus on both online and in-person aspects of event planning. Therefore, it is important to integrate the tech stack that you are already using into your event management platform. This can include ATS, CRM, or marketing tools so that each step of the event planning and managing process runs smoothly.

Chapter 8: Post-Event Tips for Event Organizers

Most event organizers would assume that their event planning jobs are done when the event is over. But this might be a big mistake!

Post-event analytics and debriefing are a big miss if you skip doing this immediately after the event. The feedback and experience will still be fresh and you can draw much better conclusions from them. Here are a few great tips to catch up on post-event activities and plan accordingly.

1. Gather Attendee Feedback

Collecting feedback from attendees when the event is underway can help you make some quick fixes on your toes. However, collecting post-event feedback might be a much more important part of event planning and management. This can give you much more detailed insights into how the experience was for each attendee and what they liked or disliked about the event.

So, make sure that you make post-event polls and feedback surveys a part of your event planning checklist. It can be easier to miss out on these if you haven’t planned in advance.

2. Dig Deeper into Event Analytics

Live event analytics offer a lot of actionable insights and can be used for team meetings that happen post-event. These can set the groundwork for you and your team when you’re planning an event next time. The more you analyze these analytics, the deeper understanding you can develop for your attendees.

So, when you’re in the event planning process for upcoming events, you have all these insights that you can use to set it up. No one can understand your audience better than you, and the only way to successfully achieve that is through a data-driven approach. Pick and choose what you want to include and exclude for an even better experience for your next event.

3. Build a Lasting Community

If event planning and hosting is something you do often, it is important to build a community around them. This can include prospective new attendees, current stakeholders, speakers, sponsors, or event professionals. When someone leaves your event without following your social media accounts or developing a connection with one of the event organizers, you might have lost a lead. 

Therefore, make sure you develop a deeper and more personal connection with each of your attendees and welcome them into a bigger community to connect. Hold on to your attendees! You can ask them to join a Facebook group, drop their business cards with you, or simply follow your event page for future updates. 

Leverage Event Planning & Management Platforms to Execute Epic Events

You aren’t the only one struggling with how to plan an event and execute it to perfection. Event planning is a big take on and you need to be organized at all times, every step of the way. We’ve answered some pressing concerns about how to plan an event and how to leverage event tech. Here’s a quick recap of everything we discussed:

• Make use of this event planning guide and our event planner template to get started. To ensure your event planning and execution is a breeze opt for an all-in-one event management platform. 
• Streamline ticketing and registration for onsite and virtual attendees. Offer an event dashboard to manage every aspect of your event and use a mobile app to expedite processes like check-in and navigating through an event. 
• Most importantly, make sure you choose a platform that offers stellar customer support to help you through every step of the way. 

If you’re curious to see how an event management solution works, book a demo with us.

FAQs

With this SEO guide for event marketing, we will provide practical strategies for optimizing your event website to attract and engage your target audience, irrespective of the type of event you’re hosting. 

Understanding Your Target Audience

To create an effective SEO event marketing strategy, you need to understand your target audience. This includes identifying your audience, creating buyer personas, and understanding their search intent.

Identifying Your Audience

Begin by identifying your audience. There are several key factors to consider:

1. Understand who your audience is. Find out their age group, gender, profession, and other demographic information. 
2. Identify the problems they want to solve, such as what challenges they are facing and how your event can help address these issues. 
3. Determine what your audience cares about, their interests, hobbies, and other areas of passion. This information can help you tailor your marketing message to resonate with your audience.
4. Understanding who they trust and why. This can help you establish credibility and trustworthiness with your audience. For instance, if your target audience trusts influencers in your industry, you can leverage influencer marketing to reach them effectively.
5. The channels your target audience uses can help in reaching them effectively. For example, if your audience predominantly uses social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you may want to focus your marketing efforts on those channels.
6. Use market research, customer interviews, competition analysis, and social media insights. Market research and customer interviews can provide valuable insights into your target audience’s behavior, interests, and preferences. Competitor analysis can help you understand what your competitors are doing to attract a similar audience. Social media insights can provide information about your audience’s interests, demographics, and engagement levels.

SEO can help in identifying the audience for your event marketing by improving website ranking, which in turn attracts potential attendees.

Creating Buyer Personas

Once you have identified your audience, create buyer personas. Buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers. They can help you better understand your audience’s needs, pain points, and motivations. For example, if you are organizing a virtual music festival, your buyer personas might include music lovers of a particular age range, with a certain income level, and with specific interests in different music genres.

Understanding Search Intent

Understanding your audience’s search intent is critical for creating an effective SEO event marketing strategy. Search intent refers to the reason behind a search query. For example, if someone searches for a specific website like “vfairs website”, their intent is navigational. If they look up “upcoming virtual job fairs,” they may be interested in attending an event in the near future, so their intent is informational.  If someone searches for “job fair tickets” their intent is commercial meaning they are looking to attend a paid job fair  whereas if they search for “buy [event name] tickets” their intent is transactional meaning they are ready to buy. 

Here are several indicators to consider when determining search intent:

• Doing a SERP (Search Engine Results Page) analysis can help in identifying what is ranking for a specific keyword. By looking at the content and format covered in the top results, you can get a sense of what the searcher is looking for. 
• Examine SERP features such as featured snippets or knowledge cards. For informational keywords, you’ll often see a featured snippet or a knowledge card, whereas for transactional keywords, you’ll frequently see an ad.
• Keep an eye on the words used in the search query as they’ll also indicate search intent. For example, a modifier such as “best” in “best events in the US” indicates an informational intent.
• Use keyword research tools like Semrush to provide information about search intent. This feature can help in identifying whether a keyword is informational, commercial, or transactional.

These indicators are important to consider when determining search intent and helps you create content that resonates with your audience, improves your website’s ranking, and drives traffic and conversions.

Takeaways: 

• Use tools like Google Analytics to gather data on your audience demographics and interests.
• Conduct surveys or interviews with your existing audience to gain insights into their needs and motivations.
• Look for patterns in the search queries related to your event and create content that answers those queries.
• Analyze search data to identify the most relevant and profitable keywords for your event website.

Keyword Research

When it comes to optimizing your SEO event marketing strategy, one of the crucial steps is conducting keyword research. Keyword research is the process of identifying the terms and phrases that your potential audience is searching for on search engines like Google. By understanding these keywords, you can create content that targets them, which can help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

To conduct effective keyword research for SEO event marketing, start by brainstorming a list of potential keywords related to your event, such as its name, theme, location, or type. Next, use a keyword research tool to find related keywords and gauge their search volume,  competitiveness and relevance. Some popular keyword research tools include Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush.

To optimize your keyword research for SEO event marketing content, it’s essential to utilize keyword tools effectively. These tools can help you identify what is ranking for these keywords, what is the traffic potential and some related queries and terms. All this information helps you decide which keywords are right to target keywords with high search volume and low competition, allowing you to target the most relevant and achievable keywords for your SEO event marketing strategy.

One strategy for optimizing your SEO event marketing content is to use long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are phrases that are more specific and have lower search volume but are often more relevant to your target audience. For example, instead of using a broad keyword like “virtual conference,” a long-tail keyword might be “upcoming tech virtual conference in Los Angeles.” 

Using long-tail keywords not only helps you target a more specific audience but can also help you rank for multiple related keywords. By including these keywords in your content, such as your event website or social media posts, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in SERPs for relevant search queries.

Content Marketing

Creating and distributing valuable content that resonates with your target audience can help drive traffic to your event website and increase engagement, making it an important aspect of SEO for event marketing. With so much content available online, it is important to create high-quality, informative, and relevant content that stands out from the competition. 

This section discusses the key elements of content marketing for SEO, including keyword research, content creation, distribution, and analytics. By following these strategies and tips, you can create an effective content marketing plan that helps improve your event website’s search engine visibility and attract more attendees.

Research and Building Out a Content Strategy

Research is a critical component of any successful content marketing strategy. It involves gathering insights about your target audience and competitors, identifying their needs, and understanding their search intent. By researching your audience, you can determine the type of content that would resonate with them and the keywords they are using to search for your event. Competitor research, on the other hand, can help you identify gaps in their content strategy and find opportunities to differentiate your own.

Once you’ve conducted your research, it’s time to build out a content strategy. A content strategy outlines your approach to creating and publishing content that supports your SEO event marketing goals. It includes the types of content you will create, the channels you will use to distribute it, and the frequency of publication. By building out a content strategy, you can ensure that you are creating content that aligns with your overall SEO strategy for event marketing.

When developing a content strategy, it’s important to determine topics that reflect the theme of your event, educate people, and keep them engaged and excited. Your content should resonate with both attendees and exhibitors, providing value to them by answering frequently asked questions, showcasing your event’s unique features, and keeping them updated on the latest developments. 

A well-crafted content strategy can help you attract attendees, boost engagement, and ultimately drive conversions, making it a crucial aspect of any event marketing campaign.

Tip: Use tools like Google Trends and SEMrush to research the keywords that your target audience is using to search for your event. These tools can help you identify popular search queries and create content that targets those queries. Also, consider creating evergreen content that remains relevant over time and can drive traffic to your website long after it’s been published.

Choosing Content Type and Formats Best Suited for Your Industry

Different industries and audiences respond differently to various content formats, and it’s essential to choose the ones that work best for your event. For instance, if you’re organizing an academic conference, research papers and case studies might be more effective than social media posts or videos.

Content Types & Formats:

In addition to considering your industry and audience, it’s also important to choose content types and formats that align with your event’s goals and objectives. For example, if you want to generate buzz and excitement for your event, social media posts, and teaser videos could be effective. Conducting a SERP analysis plays a vital role in identifying the format and type of content that ranks on search engines.

Optimizing Content:

To optimize the reach of your content on a particular distribution channel, it is advisable to use formats native to that platform. For instance, if you are creating content for Twitter, using a thread or a one-liner would be more appropriate than merely sharing a blog link. Although this may not directly affect SEO, adopting native formats for a platform can increase your content’s visibility and engagement. It resonates better with the audience as they are accustomed to consuming content in a specific format on that platform.

Competition:

Another important consideration when choosing content types and formats is the level of competition in your industry. If your event is in a highly competitive industry, such as technology or fashion, it’s important to create high-quality, visually appealing content that stands out from the crowd.

Tip: Experiment with different content types and formats to see what resonates best with your audience. Keep track of engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments to see which types of content are generating the most interest and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Creating Valuable Content for Your Audience

Delivering high-quality content to your audience is a crucial aspect of any successful SEO event marketing strategy. By providing high-quality content, you can attract and engage your target audience, build trust and credibility, and ultimately drive conversions.

To ensure that your content is valuable, you need to research your audience and understand their interests and preferences. Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you can start creating content that resonates with them. The content should be well-written, informative, and engaging, and should be presented in a format that is easy to consume. This could include blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, or social media posts.

Tips: 

• Use tools like Google Analytics to gather data on your audience demographics, behavior, and interests, which can assist with your content creation process.
• Save time creating content with our AI assistant and optimize it for SEO easily. 

Incorporating Keywords in Content

By including relevant keywords in your content, search engines can better understand the content of your website, and in turn, improve its ranking in search results. When incorporating keywords, it is essential to ensure that they are included naturally and do not feel forced or repetitive. Overusing keywords, also known as “keyword stuffing,” can result in a penalty from search engines and harm your website’s ranking.

Tip: Focus on using long-tail keywords in your content.

Utilizing Video and Images for SEO

Video and images have become essential components of modern-day content marketing and have a significant impact on SEO. By including videos and images in your content, you can provide your target audience with visually engaging and informative content that can help to improve their overall event experience. 

Video content such as event teasers, webinars, and Q&A sessions are great ways to showcase your event and generate interest among potential attendees. Additionally, images can be shared on social media platforms to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your event website. To further optimize your video and image content for SEO, make sure to include relevant keywords in your file names and descriptions, as well as to add alt tags to your images to ensure they are accessible to visually impaired users.

Tip: Use a video hosting platform such as YouTube or Vimeo to host your event videos and embed them on your website. This will not only improve your website’s SEO but also provide a seamless viewing experience for your audience.

Operational Decisions

When deciding when to publish your content, it’s essential to consider your audience’s behavior and preferences. For example, if your target audience is mostly active on social media in the evenings, it may be best to schedule your content for publication during those times.

In addition, the frequency of content creation and publication also plays a significant role in SEO. Search engines prioritize websites that publish fresh and relevant content frequently. However, it’s essential to maintain a balance between quality and quantity. Consistently publishing low-quality content can harm your website’s reputation and rankings.

Choosing the right channels for content distribution is also important. You should select channels that your target audience uses the most. For example, if your audience prefers email, sending out newsletters and updates via email would be the most effective strategy. On the other hand, if your audience is more active on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, sharing content on these platforms would be more effective.

Tip: Repurpose your content into different formats to reach a wider audience. For instance, turn a blog post into an infographic, or a video into a blog post. This can help maximize the value of your content and boost your SEO efforts.

Remember, the operational decisions you make will significantly impact your content marketing success. It’s important to continually monitor and adjust your strategy based on user engagement and conversion data.

Repurposing Content

Repurposing content is an excellent strategy to get more out of your existing content and attract new audiences. By repurposing your content into different formats, you can reach a wider range of audiences and keep your content fresh and relevant. For instance, you can turn a successful blog post into a video or an infographic to appeal to different types of learners.

For instance, you can repurpose a successful blog post into a visual format such as a video or infographic, catering to diverse learning preferences. By converting a blog optimized for search engines into an SEO-optimized video, you may be able to rank high on platforms like ‘Google Images’.

Repurposing content can also help you save time and resources in content creation. Rather than starting from scratch every time, you can use existing content as a foundation and build upon it to create something new.

Tip: Always keep your SEO strategy in mind. When repurposing content, make sure to update the content with the latest information and incorporate new keywords to optimize it for search engines. 

Measuring Success

After you initiate your SEO event marketing strategy, it’s essential to measure the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. By analyzing metrics such as website traffic, engagement, and conversion rates, you can determine which types of content and distribution channels are resonating with your target audience. 

This information can help you adjust your strategy and focus on creating more of the content that drives results. Additionally, analyzing analytics can provide insight into areas that need improvement, such as the frequency of content creation, keyword optimization, or even the timing of your content distribution. Therefore, it is crucial to track and measure the performance of your content regularly to maximize the effectiveness of your SEO event marketing strategy.

Tip: Utilize Google Analytics to track your website traffic and engagement. Set specific goals and KPIs for your content marketing efforts, and regularly review and analyze your analytics to optimize your strategy.

On-page Optimization

Your content will not be found unless you optimize it. You can start by optimizing individual web pages on your event website to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic from search engines. In this section, we will explore various strategies for on-page optimization that will help you improve your website’s visibility and attract more potential attendees. 

Create Optimized Landing Pages

When it comes to SEO event marketing, your landing pages play a critical role in converting potential attendees into actual attendees. Optimizing your landing pages for search engines is a key component of on-page optimization. This includes using relevant keywords, headings (h1-h4), adding alt text to all images, using clear and concise URLs, and including external and internal linking. 

Additionally, you must ensure that the structure of the page is easily readable, engaging, and easy to navigate. Checking existing featured snippets and trying to create content to win them. A featured snippet can also increase your page’s visibility and click-through rate.

Optimizing Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Page titles and meta descriptions are the first things potential attendees see when they come across your event website in search results. Optimizing your page titles and meta descriptions with relevant keywords will help improve your website’s visibility and click-through rates. Ensure that your page titles and meta descriptions are clear, concise, and compelling enough to entice users to click through to your website.

Utilizing Schema Markup

Schema markup is a structured data language that can be added to your website’s HTML to provide search engines with more information about your event. Utilizing schema markup can help your website appear as a rich snippet in search results, providing users with additional information about your event, such as the date, time, location, and ticket prices.

Tip: Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to make it easier to implement schema markup on your event website.

Off-page Optimization

In addition to on-page optimization, off-page optimization helps improve your event website’s search engine ranking. Off-page optimization focuses on external factors that can impact your website’s visibility, such as backlinks and social media engagement. 

Here are some effective off-page optimization techniques that can help improve your event SEO and drive more traffic to your event website:

Building High-quality Backlinks

One of the most effective off-page optimization techniques is building high-quality backlinks to your event website. Backlinks are links from other websites to your site, and they signal to search engines that your site is a credible source of information. To build high-quality backlinks, focus on creating high-quality, shareable content that other websites will want to link to. 

Reach out to influencers or other websites in your industry to see if they would be interested in sharing your content and linking back to your event website.

Leveraging Social Media

Social media is an excellent tool for promoting your event and improving your event SEO. Share your event website on your social media profiles and engage with your followers by answering questions, sharing updates, and posting relevant content. Encourage your followers to share your event with their networks, and consider running social media contests or promotions to generate more engagement.

Utilizing Local SEO Techniques

If your event is location-specific, utilizing local SEO techniques can help improve your search engine ranking and attract more local attendees. This includes optimizing your Google My Business profile, adding your event to local directories, and including location-specific keywords in your content and metadata.

Technical SEO

Optimizing the technical aspects of your website  improves its overall performance and user experience. Three critical elements of technical SEO that can significantly impact your website’s rankings are website speed and performance, mobile optimization, and implementing HTTPS and SSL.

Optimizing Website Speed and Performance

A website that loads quickly can improve engagement, increase conversions, and reduce bounce rates. One effective way to optimize website speed is to minimize the number of HTTP requests by reducing the size and number of resources, such as scripts, stylesheets, and images. You can use browser caching to store frequently accessed files in a user’s browser, reducing the need to download them again. 

Additionally, compressing images can reduce their file size without reducing their quality, helping to speed up page load times. By implementing these techniques, you can help ensure that your event website loads quickly and efficiently, providing a better experience for your visitors.

Mobile Optimization

Mobile optimization is becoming increasingly important for websites as more and more users access the web on their mobile devices. To ensure that your website is mobile-friendly, consider using a responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes and orientations. 

It’s also important to optimize your website for touch screens, which may involve using larger buttons and ensuring that interactive elements are spaced appropriately. Another suggestion is to simplify your website’s design and structure for mobile devices, making it easier for users to navigate and find what they’re looking for.

Tip: Google’s mobile-friendly test tool can help you determine if your website is optimized for mobile devices. Use it to identify any issues that need to be addressed and to make necessary adjustments to your website.

Implementing HTTPS and SSL

Implementing HTTPS and SSL can help secure your website and protect your visitors’ data. HTTPS and SSL encryption also provide a trust signal to search engines, which can improve your website’s rankings. Implementing HTTPS and SSL involves purchasing an SSL certificate, configuring your web server to use HTTPS, and updating all internal links and references to HTTPS.

Tip: Ensure that you choose the right SSL certificate for your website. There are several types of SSL certificates available, and choosing the wrong one can lead to issues such as compatibility errors or security vulnerabilities. Consider your website’s needs and budget before selecting an SSL certificate and consult with a professional if necessary to ensure that you make the right decision.

Measuring Success

Utilizing Analytics Tools

One of the critical components of a successful SEO strategy is measuring its success. This can be done through the use of analytics tools, which provide valuable insights into your website’s performance. There are many analytics tools available, such as Google Analytics, which is a free and powerful tool that allows you to track website traffic, engagement, and conversion rates. 

Other tools include SEMRush and Ahrefs, which provide more in-depth analysis and competitor research. By utilizing these tools, you can gain insights into the behavior of your website visitors and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Tip: When using analytics tools, it’s essential to focus on the metrics that matter most to your SEO event marketing goals. For example, if your goal is to increase ticket sales, you should track conversion rates and the sources of your website traffic to see where your most valuable leads are coming from. By tracking and analyzing the right metrics, you can make informed decisions on how to optimize your SEO strategy for maximum impact.

Adjusting Your Strategy Based on Data

Once you have gathered data and analyzed key metrics, it’s time to adjust your SEO event marketing strategy accordingly. This involves identifying areas that need improvement and implementing changes to improve website performance. 

For example, if you find that certain keywords are not driving enough traffic, you may need to adjust your content strategy to focus on those keywords. Similarly, if you notice that your audience is more engaged with video content, you may need to incorporate more videos into your content marketing strategy. By making data-driven decisions, you can continuously optimize your SEO event marketing strategy and drive better results.

Tip: Set clear goals and benchmarks for your SEO event marketing strategy and track your progress against them. This will help you identify areas where you are excelling and areas that need improvement, allowing you to adjust your strategy accordingly.

vFairs and SEO Event Marketing

When it comes to optimizing your event for SEO, vFairs offers several features to help improve your search engine rankings. 

Custom Subdomains

One way to optimize your event website for SEO is to use a custom subdomain on vFairs. This means that instead of using the default vFairs subdomain, you can use a subdomain that is specific to your event. For example, if your event is called “ABC Conference,” you can use the subdomain www.abcconference.vfairs.com. This allows you to create a unique URL for your event that can be optimized for your target keywords, making it easier for your audience to find your event online.

Tip: When looking to optimize your  event website, choose a custom subdomain that is easy to remember and relates to your event. Avoid using generic or vague subdomains that may confuse your audience or make it harder for search engines to understand the purpose of your website. Also, make sure to include your target keywords in the subdomain to help improve your search rankings.

vFairs Discover Listing

vFairs Discover is an event marketplace that lists events from different categories. Considering the nature of this feature, it is ideal to target long-tail keywords like ‘upcoming career fairs in Texas’. Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive than shorter, more general keywords. By targeting long-tail keywords through vFairs Discover, you can increase your visibility and attract more qualified leads to your event website. 

This can be particularly helpful if you’re targeting a niche audience or promoting a unique event. The key is to ensure that your event description and other content on vFairs Discover page includes the relevant long-tail keywords that your target audience is searching for. This will help increase your chances of appearing in search results and driving more traffic to your event website.

Copywriting Services 

Optimizing your event content is crucial for effective SEO, and vFairs’ copywriting services can help you achieve that. Our team of expert copywriters can add value to your event marketing collateral by creating unique and SEO-optimized.  We can help you create event descriptions, speaker bios, and other content that is both engaging and relates to your industry subject matter. They can also ensure that your content is free of any errors, typos, or other issues that can harm your search engine rankings. Additionally, we make sure to review the content carefully so that it aligns with your brand voice and tone.

Tip: Make sure to communicate clearly with your copywriter about your event goals, target audience, and any specific keywords or phrases you want to target. This will help ensure that the content they create is tailored to your needs and optimized for your target audience’s search queries. 

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, optimizing your event website for SEO can significantly improve your visibility, attract targeted traffic, and increase registration rates. Here are some key takeaways from this SEO guide for event marketing:

• Identify your target audience and create buyer personas to understand their search intent.
• Conduct keyword research and incorporate keywords in your content and headings.
• Utilize on-page optimization techniques, including creating optimized landing pages, optimizing page titles and meta descriptions, and utilizing schema markup.
• Utilize vFairs’ custom subdomains, vFairs Discover, and copywriting services to optimize your virtual event content for SEO.
• Monitor and adjust your SEO strategy based on user engagement and conversion data.

Looking ahead, we can expect SEO event marketing to continue to evolve as new technologies and marketing strategies emerge. It is essential to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies to ensure your event website remains optimized for search engines and your target audience. Some future trends in SEO event marketing may include the increased use of AI and chatbots, voice search optimization, and a focus on personalized, data-driven experiences.

By following the tips and strategies outlined in this SEO guide for event marketing and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies, you can create a successful SEO strategy for your virtual event and attract more registrations and revenue.

In this guide, we will explore the best tips, tricks, and strategies to host a virtual hiring event that will help you attract top talent and make the most of your time and resources. Whether you’re new to planning or hosting a virtual hiring fair or looking to improve your existing process, this guide will provide valuable insights to help you achieve your hiring goals. Let’s get started! 

Chapter 1: Virtual Hiring Event Fundamentals

What is a Virtual Hiring Event?

A virtual hiring event is an online recruiting event that connects job seekers with potential employers in a virtual environment. These events use video conferencing and other online tools to facilitate communication between job candidates and hiring managers. 

Virtual hiring events are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. Examples of a virtual hiring event include online job fairs, webinars, and virtual career fairs. 

These events are typically organized by employers, universities, or job search websites, and they allow job seekers to learn about job openings, network with recruiters, and apply for positions from the comfort of their own homes. A virtual hiring event is particularly useful for individuals who are unable to attend in-person events due to location, schedule, or other constraints.

Virtual vs. Hybrid vs. In-person Hiring Fair

Virtual, hybrid, and in-person hiring events are three distinct types of recruiting events that organizations can use to connect with job candidates. The main difference between the three types of hiring events is the level of physical presence involved. 

Virtual Hiring Events:

A virtual hiring event takes place entirely online and uses video conferencing and other digital tools to facilitate communication between recruiters and job seekers. Examples of a virtual hiring event include online job fairs and virtual career expos. 

Hybrid Hiring Events:

Hybrid hiring events are a combination of in-person and virtual elements, with some participants attending in person and others attending online. An example of a hybrid hiring event might be a job fair where some employers have virtual booths while others have physical booths. 

In-person Hiring Events:

In-person hiring events are traditional job fairs or recruiting events where job seekers meet face-to-face with recruiters and hiring managers. Examples of in-person hiring events include career fairs, open houses, and networking events.

9 Benefits of Hosting a Virtual Hiring Event

Planning and hosting a virtual hiring event is daunting but they come with major benefits. Here are 9 potential benefits of hosting a virtual hiring event for employers and job seekers: 

1. Save  Costs: 

A virtual hiring event is often less expensive to host than in-person events because they eliminate costs associated with venue rental, travel, and accommodations. One of the biggest costs associated with in-person hiring events is the rental of a venue, such as a conference center or hotel. These venues can be expensive, especially if they are in popular or high-demand locations. By hosting a virtual recruitment fair, companies can eliminate these costs altogether.

By eliminating the costs associated with venue rental, travel, and accommodations, companies can save money while still connecting with top talent from around the world. Additionally, a virtual hiring event can be more convenient for both companies and candidates, allowing them to connect and communicate from anywhere with an internet connection.

2. Increase Talent Reach: 

Virtual hiring fairs enable employers to reach a much broader pool of candidates compared to traditional in-person hiring events. Since these events are hosted online, anyone with an internet connection can attend, regardless of their location. 

This means that companies can attract talent from a wider geographic area, which can be especially beneficial if they are looking for candidates with specialized skills or experience.

3. Increased Accessibility: 

Job seekers can participate in a virtual hiring event from anywhere with an internet connection, increasing the number of potential candidates that employers can reach. This means that employers can reach a much larger pool of potential candidates than they would be able to through traditional recruitment methods.

These events eliminate the need for travel and allow participants to attend from the comfort of their own homes. This can be especially advantageous for individuals who live in remote areas, have mobility issues, or simply don’t have the time to attend in-person events.

4. Build a Talent Pool for Future Vacancies: 

Virtual hiring fairs can also be used to build a talent pool for future job openings. Companies can collect resumes and contact information from attendees, and use this information to reach out to potential candidates when suitable positions become available. 

This approach can help companies save time and money in the long run, as they will already have a pool of qualified candidates to draw from.

5. Efficient Event Run Time & Time Management: 

A virtual hiring event can be scheduled to take place over a shorter period of time than in-person events, saving time for both job seekers and employers. It can be scheduled at any time of day, making it easier for job seekers to participate around their work and personal schedules.

Moreover, a virtual hiring event offers attendees the ability to log in and out as they please and access on-demand content without strict time constraints. This is particularly beneficial for job seekers who may have other commitments or responsibilities. 

6. Improved Engagement: 

To make the virtual hiring process more engaging and interactive, employers can use a variety of tools and features that are available on online platforms. A virtual hiring event can use interactive tools such as chat rooms, webinars, and engagement features to keep job seekers engaged and informed.

7. Build Rapport with Professionals: 

Virtual hiring fairs offer a great opportunity for employers to build rapport with professionals. Companies can offer resume reviews, career counseling, and interview tips to attendees, which can help them establish a positive relationship with potential candidates. 

They can also share on-demand content and downloadable resources that provide valuable information about their company and its culture, which can help them attract top talent.

8. Enhanced Data Tracking: 

Digital tools can be used to track metrics such as attendance and candidate engagement, providing valuable data for employers to analyze and optimize future events. Hosts and organizers can access first-party data instead of relying on third parties. The event data, therefore, is more tailored to the organizers’ and exhibitors’ needs.

By tracking attendance, organizers can determine how many people attended the event, how long they stayed, and which sessions or activities were most popular. This data can help them identify which sessions or activities were successful and which ones need improvement. They can use this information to plan future events and create more engaging sessions or activities that resonate with their audience.

9. Reduced Environmental Impact: 

A virtual hiring event is more environmentally friendly than in-person events, as it eliminates the need for travel and reduces carbon emissions. 

When it comes to in-person hiring events, candidates and employers must travel to a specific location. This often involves taking a car or other transportation, which contributes to air pollution and carbon emissions. In contrast, a recruitment fair allows attendees to participate from the comfort of their own homes, eliminating the need for travel and reducing the associated carbon footprint.

Virtual Hiring Fair Types

Virtual hiring fairs provide job seekers with a variety of opportunities to connect with potential employers, learn about job openings, and get a better understanding of different companies and industries. 

Whether you’re just starting your job search or looking for a more targeted approach, a virtual hiring event can be a valuable tool for connecting with potential employers and advancing your career. A virtual hiring event comes in many different types, each with its own focus and format. Here are some common types of a virtual hiring event:

• Virtual Career Fairs: 

Virtual career fairs are virtual hiring events that are typically organized by universities, colleges, or other educational institutions. These events are designed to connect students and recent graduates with potential employers. They can include features such as video conferencing, chat, and document sharing.

• Job Fairs: 

Job fairs are virtual hiring events that are open to a wide range of employers and job seekers. These events may be organized by third-party providers or industry associations, and typically include features such as video conferencing, chat, and document sharing.

To get the most out of a general job fair, organizations should come prepared with a clear strategy for engaging with candidates. They should be ready to answer questions about their company and the positions they are recruiting for.

• Campus Drives

Campus drives are virtual hiring events that are specifically designed to connect employers with students and recent graduates. These events are usually organized by universities or other educational institutions, and provide employers with an opportunity to showcase their brand and connect with potential hires. 

Campus drives typically include features such as video conferencing, chat, and document sharing, and may also include interactive sessions such as workshops or panel discussions.

To get the most out of a campus drive, organizations should come prepared with information about their company and the positions they are recruiting for, as well as a clear strategy for engaging with potential hires.

• Virtual Onboarding Fairs: 

Virtual onboarding fairs are designed to help new hires get up to speed on company policies, culture, and benefits. These events can include sessions on topics like HR policies, benefits enrollment, and corporate culture.

• Industry-Specific Events: 

Some virtual hiring events focus specifically on certain industries, such as healthcare or technology. These events may include panels, workshops, and other sessions designed to provide job seekers with insights into the industry and the latest job openings.

• Diversity and Inclusion Events: 

Some virtual hiring events focus on promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. These events can include panels, workshops, and sessions designed to help employers attract and retain a more diverse workforce. These are focused events based on the company’s initiatives to ensure equal treatment of employees without disrespecting any gender, race, ethnicity or religion.

Virtual Hiring Fair Examples

A Virtual hiring event offers a convenient and efficient way to connect with potential employers and explore job opportunities from the comfort of your own home. Here are a few examples of virtual job fairs and career fairs vFairs has hosted: 

Job Fairs:

• Eastern Ontario Virtual Job Fair – Bayshore Health

This virtual job fair was aimed at candidates looking for jobs in the healthcare industry in Eastern Ontario. The event provided a platform for job seekers to connect with Bayshore Health, one of Canada’s leading providers of home and community healthcare services. 

Attendees were able to explore job opportunities, learn more about the company, and chat with recruiters from Bayshore Health. The event was free to attend and was hosted on an online platform that allows for real-time interactions between job seekers and recruiters.

• Perth Airport Job Fair

This virtual job fair was organized by Perth Airport, one of Australia’s busiest airports. The event was aimed at candidates looking for jobs in the aviation industry, such as pilots, air traffic controllers, and ground staff. 

The event provided a platform for job seekers to connect with Perth Airport and other aviation companies, explore job opportunities, and learn more about the aviation industry. Attendees were also able to participate in live webinars and presentations on topics such as career development and industry trends.

• Jobs in Health and Care Barnsley 2022

This virtual job fair was aimed at candidates looking for jobs in the health and care sector in Barnsley, UK. The event provided a platform for job seekers to connect with local employers, explore job opportunities, and learn more about the health and care sector. 

Attendees also participated in live webinars and presentations on topics such as career development and job search strategies.

Career Fairs:

• eFinancialCareers Fintech Fair

This virtual career fair was aimed at candidates looking for jobs in the financial technology (fintech) sector. The event provided a platform for job seekers to connect with leading fintech companies, explore job opportunities, and learn more about the fintech industry. Attendees also participated in live webinars and presentations on topics such as emerging trends and technologies in fintech.

• RMIT Future Careers Expo 2022

This virtual career fair was organized by RMIT University, one of Australia’s leading universities. The event was aimed at students and recent graduates looking for jobs and internships in various industries.

The event provides a platform for job seekers to connect with employers, explore job opportunities, and learn more about career development and industry trends. Attendees  also participated in live webinars and presentations on topics such as resume writing and interview skills.

• Bell Technology and Digital Careers Event

This virtual career fair was organized by Bell, one of Canada’s leading telecommunications companies. The event was aimed at candidates looking for jobs in the technology and digital sectors. 

The event provided a platform for job seekers to connect with Bell and other technology companies, explore job opportunities, and learn more about career development and industry trends. Attendees participated in live webinars and presentations on topics such as emerging technologies and career growth opportunities.

Chapter 2: Planning a Virtual Hiring Fair

How to Set Up a Virtual Hiring Event

Setting up a virtual hiring event requires some planning and preparation. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up a successful virtual hiring event effectively.

Step 1: Define the Purpose of your Event

Before you start planning your virtual hiring event, it is essential to define the purpose and goals of the event. What type of candidates are you looking for? Which positions do you want to fill? What are the essential skills and qualifications required for the positions? Having clear answers to these questions will help you plan the event more effectively.

Step 2: Choose the Right Platform

There are many virtual hiring event platforms available to choose from, including vFairs, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and many more. When choosing a platform, consider your budget, the number of attendees you expect, and the features you need, such as video conferencing, chat, and screen sharing. 

It is also important to ensure that the platform you choose is user-friendly for both recruiters and candidates.

Step 3: Set a Date and Time

When setting a date and time for your virtual hiring event, consider the time zones of your target audience. It is best to schedule the event during a time that is convenient for most attendees, such as early afternoon or early evening. It is also important to give candidates sufficient notice about the event to allow them to plan accordingly.

Step 4: Promote your Virtual Hiring Event

Promote your virtual hiring event through social media, job boards, and  email campaigns. Use eye-catching graphics and messaging to attract potential candidates. Consider partnering with local colleges and universities, industry associations, or other relevant organizations to reach a wider audience.

Step 5: Prepare for the Event

Preparation is key to the success of your virtual hiring event. Here are some key elements to consider:

• Develop a list of questions to ask candidates during the event. This will help you identify the most suitable candidates for the positions you are recruiting for.
• Create a virtual booth or landing page for the event. This should include information about your company, the positions available, and any other relevant information candidates need to know.
• Train your recruiters on how to use the virtual hiring event platform. This will help them to effectively engage with candidates during the event.
• Conduct a test run of the virtual hiring event platform to ensure everything is working correctly.

Step 6: Host the Virtual Hiring Event

On the day of the virtual hiring event, ensure that you and your recruiters are logged in and ready to go. Here are 6 tips to make the event a success:

• Greet candidates as they arrive and make them feel welcome.
• Give an overview of the event and explain the format to candidates.
• Use video conferencing to conduct live interviews with candidates.
• Use chat to answer any questions candidates may have.
• Collect resumes and contact information from candidates.
• Take notes during the event to help you remember key details about each candidate.

Step 7: Follow Up with Candidates

After the virtual hiring event, it is essential to follow up with candidates. Here are some tips on how to do this:

• Send personalized emails to each candidate thanking them for attending the event.
• Let candidates know about the next steps in the recruitment process, such as further interviews or skills tests.
• Keep in touch with candidates to maintain their interest in the position and your company.

9 Things to Look for in a Virtual Hiring Platform

With so many virtual hiring platforms available, it can be challenging to know which one to choose. Here are 9 things to look for in a virtual hiring platform to help you make the right choice.

• User-friendly Interface

As users joining the event may not be tech-savvy, it is essential that the interface of the virtual hiring event platform is easy to navigate for both the recruiter and the candidate. Ideally, it should be intuitive and straightforward, with clear instructions on how to use the platform.

• Video Conferencing Capabilities

Video conferencing is an essential feature of any virtual hiring platform. It allows recruiters to conduct live interviews with candidates and interact with them in real-time. Look for a platform that offers high-quality video and audio capabilities to ensure a smooth and seamless interview process.

• Chat Functionality

Chat functionality is another essential feature of a virtual hiring platform. It allows recruiters to communicate with candidates in real-time, providing an efficient way to answer questions and provide additional information. 

Chats get candidates faster responses without having to schedule a meeting with the recruiters. It also serves an alternative to those who do not feel comfortable taking video calls. Group chat rooms and individual chats are also offered. 

Therefore, look for a platform that offers a chat feature that is easy to use and includes options for private and group chats.

• Customizable landing page

A customizable landing page allows recruiters to showcase their company and the job opportunities available. It should be easy to customize and provide a professional-looking presentation of your company and the position. Look for a platform that offers a customizable landing page that is easy to use and visually appealing.

Landing pages can be a great way to attract registrations and ticketing for your event. As an organizer, you will be able to get detailed metrics of the registrants and keep a track on them. 

• Analytics and Reporting

Analytics and reporting are essential for tracking the success of your virtual hiring platform. They provide valuable insights into the recruitment process, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and make informed hiring decisions. Look for a platform that offers analytics and reporting tools that are easy to use and provide actionable insights.

• Security and Privacy

Security and privacy are critical considerations when choosing a virtual hiring platform. Look for a platform that takes security seriously, with robust data protection measures in place to ensure that your data is safe. Additionally, it should be compliant with privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA.

• Integration with Other Software

The event platform should be able to integrate with other software you use, such as applicant tracking systems or video conferencing tools, to ensure a seamless recruitment process. Look for a platform that offers integration options that are easy to use and set up.

• Mobile Accessibility

As more and more people use their smartphones and tablets to access the internet, mobile accessibility is an essential factor to consider. Look for a platform that offers mobile accessibility, with an app or mobile-friendly website that allows candidates to apply for jobs and access information on the go.

• Customer support

Look for a platform that offers excellent customer support, with multiple ways to get in touch, such as phone, email, or chat. Additionally, it should have a comprehensive knowledge base or FAQ section that provides answers to common questions.

Budget Analysis

It’s important to create a detailed budget analysis in advance to ensure that all expenses are accounted for and that the event stays within budget. Here is a sample budget analysis for a virtual hiring event:

Note: The above costs are approximate and may vary based on the size and scope of the virtual hiring event.

Some additional considerations that may affect the budget include:

• Number of employers participating
• Length of the virtual hiring event
• Number of job seekers expected to attend
• Additional features, such as virtual job interviews or on-demand presentations

How to Market a Virtual Hiring Event

The rise of virtual hiring events has transformed the way companies recruit new talent. However, the success of a virtual hiring fair depends on how well it is marketed. Follow these steps to market your event well. 

Step 1: Define Your Target Audience

Are you looking to attract recent graduates, mid-career professionals, or individuals with specific skills? Knowing your target audience will help you create messaging that resonates with them.

For example, if your target audience are recent graduates, you can create social media campaigns that target universities and colleges. You can also reach out to career services offices to promote the event to their students.

Tip: Use social media analytics to determine the demographics of your followers and website visitors. You can also survey your current employees to understand their interests and how they found their current roles.

Step 2: Create a Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone web page that is designed to convert visitors into leads. It is an essential component of any marketing campaign as it allows you to collect contact information from potential attendees. Your landing page should provide information about the event, including the date, time, companies and the types of roles that will be available.

For example, a landing page for a virtual hiring fair could include a video of a recruiter discussing the benefits of working at the company and showcasing the types of roles available. It could also include testimonials from current employees about their experiences working at the company.

Tip: Use eye-catching visuals and concise messaging to capture the attention of your visitors. Keep your form fields minimal, asking for only essential information such as name, email address, and resume.

Step 3: Leverage Social Media

Social media is a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach a wider audience. It is essential to have an active presence on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, where potential candidates are likely to be active.

As the organizer, it is important to create a social media campaign that includes posts about the virtual hiring fair and highlights some of the key benefits of working at the company. Use the hashtag #VirtualHiringFair and mention the careers page of the company’s website to drive traffic to the landing page.

Tip: Use appropriate hashtags and mentions to increase the visibility of your posts. Share photos and videos to provide a glimpse into the company culture and showcase the benefits of working at the company.

Step 4: Make Use of Email Marketing 

Email marketing is an effective way to promote your virtual hiring fair to a targeted audience. Create a personalized email campaign that includes all the essential details, such as the date, time, and registration link. Use attention-grabbing subject lines, concise messaging, and clear CTAs to encourage your potential attendees to register.

Tip: Send reminders to those who have registered to increase attendance.

Step 5: Partner with Relevant Organizations

Partnering with relevant organizations can help you reach a targeted audience. Reach out to professional associations, universities, and job boards to see if they would be interested in promoting your event to their members.

For example, partnering with influencers in your industry can help you reach a wider audience and build credibility. You can collaborate with influencers by inviting them to speak at your virtual hiring fair or by asking them to share your event on their social media platforms. This can help you reach a more targeted audience that is interested in your industry.

Tip: Offer a discount to these associations or job boards to incentivize them to promote your event.

Step 6: Use Paid Advertising

One effective way to market your virtual hiring fair is through paid advertising. You can leverage Google Ads or social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter  to promote your event to a broader audience. 

To maximize the effectiveness of your paid advertising, make sure to target your ads based on the job titles, location, and industries you are trying to attract. Additionally, track and analyze your paid advertising performance to adjust your strategy and optimize your spending. 

Tip: Use compelling ad copies and visuals to encourage clicks and ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions.

Chapter 3: Hosting A Virtual Hiring Event

5 Best online platforms for Virtual Hiring Events 

There are many virtual hiring event companies that offer extraordinary platforms for virtual hiring events. Here are the 5 best virtual hiring platforms that have hosted uncountable hiring fairs. 

1. vFairs:

vFairs is a powerful virtual events platform that has hosted hundreds of virtual hiring fairs so far. It is a comprehensive platform that offers features such as chat rooms, video conferencing, webinars, and more. Their virtual booths allow employers to showcase their company culture and engage with job seekers through various interactive tools. 

The platform offers customizable virtual event solutions to meet the needs of recruiters and job seekers. Its user-friendly interface and advanced features make it an ideal choice for virtual hiring events. 

vFairs provides video and chat capabilities, one-on-one chat sessions, and group sessions that allow job seekers to connect with recruiters and hiring managers. With customizable branding options and analytical tools, employers can easily evaluate the success of their virtual events. vFairs also provides a dedicated manager to each client which is completely free of cost. 

Additionally, vFairs has integrated AI into their email builder, which simplifies the process of setting up email campaigns for event organizers. Furthermore, they intend to incorporate AI into various other aspects of their platform, such as social media posts, scriptwriting, landing pages, speaker bios, and more.

vFairs G2 ratings as of 7th March 2023:

2. Brazen: 

Brazen is one of the top virtual event companies that provide a platform for virtual career fairs, recruiting events, and webinars. Brazen’s platform offers live video and chat capabilities, one-on-one chat sessions, and group sessions that allow job seekers to meet recruiters and hiring managers in a virtual setting. Brazen also offers customizable landing pages and registration forms to help employers brand their virtual events.

However, a few user reviews on G2 show how some users may have faced some issues. 

‘I would say the biggest dislike is cost. We could do a lot more with the platform if they didn’t charge for every new feature or when we want to invite our hiring managers to participate in events.’ Alyssa B. Talent Acquisition Team Lead

‘I didn’t like the compatibility with phones. I was using my web browser, so I would join a booth, click the enable chat  and wait. But when I would click out to let’s say do something else in my phone, I would redo it all over.’ Naome M. Field Representative

3. Handshake:

Handshake is a virtual event company that provides a platform for virtual career fairs, recruiting events, and employer information sessions. Handshake’s platform offers video and chat capabilities, as well as customizable landing pages and registration forms. Handshake also integrates with many popular applicant tracking systems to help employers streamline their recruiting process.

However, a few user reviews on G2 show how some users may have faced some issues.

‘The user interface isn’t the prettiest – it can be clunky to use, and some information is duplicated in different spaces. Onboarding new users to the platform is not intuitive. There are also (rarely) glitches that have to be addressed from a developer standpoint which can take some time to update.’ Verified User in Construction

‘It’s pretty extensive. For a smaller company like ours, it’s a little too much.’  Kimberly D. Controller

4. Hopin:

Hopin is a virtual event company that provides a platform for virtual conferences, meetups, and other events. Hopin’s platform offers video and chat capabilities, as well as networking and engagement features that allow job seekers to connect with recruiters and other attendees. Hopin also offers customizable branding options and integration with popular marketing tools.

However, users have felt that Hopin has become a  pricier option. 

‘Hopin has increased their pricing quite a bit which has made the platform not financially feasible for us anymore. The price, in relation to the limited features it has in comparison to so many of their competitors, is what made us leave their service.’ Jessica L. Manager

‘The price, I see Hopin as a great solution and platform for a higher budget, you pay on a monthly basis and get all the features, it’s well designed but a little expensive when you have many events and clients like us.’ Ouali B. CEO & Founder

5. Bizzabo

Bizzabo is an all-in-one platform that offers event management tools, including virtual career fairs. It has features such as networking, lead retrieval, and custom branding. Bizzabo also offers analytics to help recruiters measure the success of each event. It has become a popular platform for virtual career fairs due to its intuitive interface and robust set of features.

However, a few users have been facing some issues with the platform, especially with the quality of service.

‘I think that the quality of service has significantly decreased since their “restructuring” at the end of the year.’ Victoria R.

‘I wish they had a customer support phone number, it’s still a newish platform and it has system errors pretty frequently and it can be hard to hear back from support quickly.’  Verified User in Computer Software

Top 10 Features Needed for a Virtual Hiring Event

After you choose the right platform for your event, make sure you know what features they offer that can level up your virtual hiring experience. Here are the top 10 features you need to consider before saying ‘YES’ to any platform:

1.Event Gamification

Gamification is the use of game-like elements to engage participants in a virtual hiring event. By incorporating elements such as leaderboards, badges, and rewards, event organizers can create a fun and engaging experience for attendees. Gamification can also be used to encourage attendees to visit all of the virtual booths, attend all of the sessions, and complete all of the required tasks.

2. Interactive Webinars

They are a great way to provide attendees with valuable information about your organization and the positions you are recruiting for. By incorporating features such as live Q&A sessions, polls, and surveys, organizers can keep attendees engaged and gather valuable feedback. Interactive webinars can also be recorded and made available on-demand, allowing attendees to access the content at their convenience.

3. Job Boards

Job boards are a key feature of any virtual hiring event. They provide attendees with a centralized location to view all of the available job openings and submit their resumes. Job boards should be easy to navigate, searchable, and include detailed job descriptions and requirements.

4. Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is essential for virtual hiring events. It allows attendees to connect with recruiters and hiring managers in real-time, and provides an opportunity for face-to-face conversations. Video conferencing should be easy to use, reliable, and include features such as screen sharing, chat, and recording.

5. Mobile Event App

A mobile event app is a great way to keep attendees engaged and informed throughout the virtual hiring event. The app should include features such as a schedule of events, speaker bios, session descriptions, and an interactive map of the virtual venue. The app should also allow attendees to connect with each other and share contact information.

6. Document Sharing

This functionality allows attendees to share their resumes, cover letters, and other relevant documents with recruiters and hiring managers. Document sharing should be easy to use, secure, and allow for multiple file formats.

7. Meeting Scheduler

A meeting scheduler is a great way to streamline the process of scheduling interviews and follow-up meetings with potential candidates. The scheduler should be integrated with the video conferencing platform, and allow for easy scheduling and rescheduling of appointments.

8. Virtual Booths

As an organizer or exhibitor, you want to create a personalized experience for the attendees. With a virtual booth, you can get some dedicated real estate at the event where you can respond to individual queries and educate candidates about your company.  Booths should also include information about the positions you are recruiting for and the benefits of working for your organization. Booths should also include a video introduction, a chat feature, and links to relevant resources.

9. Social Media Integration

A great way to promote your virtual hiring event and engage with potential attendees is to integrate with social media platforms. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be used to share event information, promote sessions, and encourage attendees to register.

10. Analytics and Reporting

Analytics and reporting are essential for measuring the success of your virtual hiring event. Event organizers should track metrics such as attendance, engagement, and job applications. This data can be used to improve future events and optimize recruitment strategies.

Events platforms usually offer detailed metrics such as booth visits, number of applications, meetings, webinar views, and more. However, they may come at an additional cost.

10 Strategies to Boost Attendee Engagement

Here are some steps that you can follow to increase engagement at your virtual hiring event:

1. Make Your Promotions Exciting

Creating marketing buzz and setting the tone for your virtual hiring event is the first step to getting people excited. Start your marketing activities at least a month in advance. This will help your target audience remember it and be more and more inclined to attend. While there are several approaches you can take, creating fear of missing out (FOMO) amongst your target audience is an effective one. Besides messaging tactics, using the best channels to reach your audience is critical. Emails and social media marketing are two key channels that can prove helpful for your efforts. 

• Email Marketing

Send your first invitation a month in advance. This should include the event agenda. Add a few pointers around the benefits of attending the event. Mention any influencers and high-profile companies here. You’d also want to do giveaways and contests to bring more people to your event so mention these in your agenda as well. 

Then, follow up with two to three reminders for those who didn’t register. You can also add customer testimonials or any other kind of social proof to establish the authority and credibility of your event. Space these out evenly so you don’t run the risk of annoying your prospects. 

Oh and don’t forget to remind all the registrants that you’re going live at least 30 min before the event.

• Social Media Marketing

Social media is a gold mine for building event hype. And it’s so versatile! 

Make teaser videos and share testimonials and images from past events. You’ll also want to add hashtags so all your posts get more visibility and are easier to reference. Create a custom hashtag and ask sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees to use it to boost reach.

More importantly, make it fun! Highlight the pull factors in your messaging so that people want to attend the event. Mention every company and speaker that’s a crowd-puller. If Unilever has a booth at your university’s job fair, students will run to the registration page! 

2. Choose A Virtual Hiring Event Platform With Realistic Venues

Virtual hiring events have existed long before COVID-19. But why didn’t they take off back then? The reason for their lack of fame was the disconnected experience they offered. It was the lack of an immersive environment.

That’s why virtual venues can be the difference between a virtual hiring event that people keep talking about long after it’s over and one that’s quickly forgotten. Many virtual hiring event platforms like vFairs offer 3D event spaces like virtual lobbies, auditoriums, networking lounges, and exhibit floors. These mimic actual venues so they’re easier to navigate and also more exciting than traditional event web pages. 

3. Play A Welcome Video Upon Entry

Welcome attendees to the event with a pre-recorded video. When they log in for the first time, you want to auto-play the welcome video. But what should be in it?

Tell them how you appreciate their presence and what they can expect from the event. Moreover, many attendees might still struggle with new technology so it always helps to provide extra assistance. Guide them through the application and show them the different areas they can navigate to. 

Have this video accessible at any time in case some people forget their way around the virtual space. If your platform has a video vault, store the video there. Towards the end of the welcome video, you can let viewers know that the video can be accessed at any time from the video vault. While this isn’t mandatory, it helps attendees feel more valued and taken care of. And as a consequence, more invested in the event.

4. Set Up A Vibrant, Custom Exhibit Hall

If you’re hosting a virtual job fair, help your exhibitors set up their respective booths to represent their company. Each exhibitor has the power to style the booth as per their liking and branding. If it’s a virtual career fair, you can display different departments at different booths and share the relevant information for each. 

Again, this makes a more immersive experience. Showcasing prominent logos always helps increase an event’s appeal. 

5. Publish A Live Job Board

Live job boards are great to reel in attendees and help them find relevant roles quickly. They provide an easy and quick way to check for open roles. Once they find a position that interests them, they can head to the right booths. This saves time and optimizes the career fair experience for attendees.  

6. Use A Social Wall

Social walls like walls.io are a great way to showcase event engagement and build momentum. These walls consolidate all social media posts on various channels and display them in an embedded widget on your event page. 

This helps people see what other attendees are up to and even the event areas that are catching the most attention. And attendees can tell where the party is at. This is great for boosting engagement at virtual hiring events.

7. Deploy Interactive Networking Options

While chat and video calls are now available with most virtual hiring event providers, you’d want to take it up a notch to keep attendees hooked. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to do that now!

• Auto-matchmaking: Automatically pair attendees with companies that match their interests and initiate productive conversations.
• Group networking: Enable attendees to connect in groups over chat, audio, or video.
• Games like Kahoot!: Test attendees on their knowledge with fun games like Kahoot!
• Networking integrations: Integrate with other apps that offer even more networking options. An example is spatial chat which stimulates real-life lounges where you can walk up to a person of interest and strike up a conversation.

8. Play A Game of Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt can do multiple things at once. While you can make the event more attractive for attendees with clues and the appeal of the competition, you can also incentivize it with giveaways. 

But there’s something in it for exhibitors as well. You can direct attendees to specific booths by placing clues there and initiating more conversations. For virtual career fairs, you can direct people to departments that have the most openings.  

9. Play a Game of Trivia

Trivia games are an exciting way to initiate friendly competition and get people excited about things that interest them. You can also use them to test industry knowledge and other skills. Ultimately, it’s a great way to stimulate the mind.

You can also have live polls to take a pulse check on how attendees feel at the event.

Explore more event gamification features.

10. Partner Up With A Gifting Service

Who said you couldn’t get swag bags at virtual hiring events? 

Get in touch with a local vendor who does corporate gift packages. For job fairs, you can charge your exhibitors a special fee if they’d like to be a part of the swag bag promotion. You can brand different items for different sponsors. So the pen can be branded for Company Alpha while the notebooks come in the colors of Company Beta. Useful and relevant freebies always boost engagement at virtual hiring events. This also makes for an added incentive to register for the event.

Chapter 4: Attending a Virtual Hiring Event 

How to Attend a Virtual Hiring Event?

As a first time attendee, it might be a little tricky to understand how virtual hiring events work. Here are 6 essential steps you must take to attend a virtual hiring event:

Step 1: Registration

Job seekers typically register for the event in advance through an online platform. During registration, they provide basic information such as their name, contact information, and job preferences.

Step 2: Preparation 

Prior to the event, you are able to review the list of participating employers and research the available job openings. This will give you a sense of what the interviewers will be looking for. 

Step 3: Log-in

On the day of the event, you can log in to the virtual platform using a computer or mobile device and start exploring the event right away! 

Step 4: Navigation

Job seekers can navigate through the virtual hiring event using an interface that includes video conferencing, chat rooms, virtual booths, sessions, and more. You may visit virtual booths to view job descriptions, company information, videos, and other informational content. 

Step 4: Networking

You can engage with recruiters and hiring managers through interactive tools such as chat rooms, webinars, networking lounges, and more. You can ask questions about job openings, company culture, and career paths.

Step 5: Resume Submission

When you find the job that works  best for you, apply away! You can submit your resume and other application materials directly through the virtual platform.

Step 6: Follow-up

After the virtual hiring event, employers may follow up with you to schedule interviews or provide additional information.

7 Insider Tips on How to Attend a Virtual Hiring Event 

Virtual hiring fairs offer a convenient way for candidates to explore job opportunities and connect with recruiters without leaving their homes. However, attending a virtual hiring fair can be daunting if you’re not sure what to expect. Here are the 7 insider tips for attending a virtual hiring fair:

• Prepare Ahead of Time

Just like an in-person hiring fair, it’s important to prepare ahead of time for a virtual hiring fair. Take some time to research the companies that will be attending and the positions they are recruiting for. Make a list of the companies you’re interested in and the questions you want to ask recruiters. This will help you make the most of your time at the event.

• Test Your Technology

Before your virtual hiring event starts, test your technology to ensure that everything is working properly. Make sure your internet connection is stable and your webcam and microphone are functioning properly. Test the platform you’ll be using to attend the event and make sure you’re familiar with its features.

• Dress Professionally

Although you’ll be attending the event from home, it’s still important to dress professionally. Dress as if you were attending an in-person hiring fair. This will help you make a good impression on recruiters and demonstrate your professionalism.

• Be Ready to Introduce Yourself

When you connect with a recruiter, be prepared to introduce yourself and explain your experience and qualifications. Have an elevator pitch prepared that highlights your skills and experience. This will help you make a strong first impression and start a conversation with the recruiter.

• Ask Questions

Virtual hiring fairs provide an opportunity to ask recruiters questions about the company and the positions they are recruiting for. Prepare a list of questions ahead of time and ask them during your conversation with the recruiter. This will help you learn more about the company and the job opportunities available.

• Take Notes

During your conversations with recruiters, take notes on the key points discussed. This will help you remember important details and follow up with the recruiter later. Taking notes also demonstrates your interest and engagement in the conversation.

• Follow Up

After the virtual hiring fair, follow up with the recruiters you spoke with. Send a thank-you email that summarizes your conversation and reiterates your interest in the company and the job opportunity. This will help you stand out from other candidates and keep your name top of mind with recruiters.

In conclusion, attending a virtual hiring fair can be a great way to connect with potential employers and explore job opportunities. By preparing ahead of time, testing your technology, dressing professionally, introducing yourself, asking questions, taking notes, and following up, you can make the most of your time at the event and increase your chances of landing your dream job.

8 Tips for Employers to Hire Virtually

Finding the right candidates at the virtual hiring event can be extremely daunting. To ease your process, here are 8 insider tips for employers to hire virtually and make the most of the virtual hiring process:

• Define Your Hiring Needs

Before you begin the virtual hiring process, it’s important to define your hiring needs. Create a job description that clearly outlines the skills and qualifications required for the role. This will help you attract the right candidates and ensure that you’re making the most of your time during the virtual hiring process.

• Choose the Right Virtual Hiring Platform

There are a variety of virtual hiring platforms available, and it’s important to choose the one that best fits your needs. Consider the features you require, such as video conferencing, chat, and document sharing. Choose a platform that is user-friendly and easy for candidates to navigate.

• Prepare Your Team

Make sure your hiring team is prepared for the virtual hiring process. Ensure that everyone is familiar with the virtual hiring platform and its features. Assign roles and responsibilities for each team member to ensure a smooth and efficient hiring process.

• Schedule Virtual Interviews

Schedule virtual interviews with candidates in advance. Provide clear instructions on how to join the virtual interview and any additional information the candidate needs to prepare. Consider using a scheduling tool to simplify the process and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

• Conduct Effective Virtual Interviews

Conducting virtual interviews requires different skills than in-person interviews. Make sure your team is trained on how to conduct effective virtual interviews. Provide clear instructions on how to use the virtual interviewing platform and any other tools that will be used during the interview.

• Assess Candidates Effectively

Assessing candidates virtually requires a different approach than in-person assessments. Consider using virtual assessments, such as video interviews or online skills assessments, to evaluate candidates’ skills and qualifications.

• Communicate Effectively

Clear and effective communication is key during the virtual hiring process. Make sure to communicate regularly with candidates, providing updates on their status in the hiring process. Keep the lines of communication open to ensure a positive candidate experience.

• Offer a Positive Candidate Experience

The virtual hiring process can be daunting for candidates. Offering a positive candidate experience is essential to attracting top talent. Make sure to provide a clear and transparent hiring process, communicate effectively, and offer support and guidance to candidates throughout the process.

FAQs

Chapter 1: What is Virtual Networking?

As social creatures, humans rely on socialization and networking to thrive in their personal and professional lives. Online networking events bring people together regardless of their geographical location and time zone. You can build a borderless network and get exposed to new opportunities. You can gain insights from experts and learn new approaches to tackle blockers in your day-to-day lives. The possibilities are endless; let’s take a deep dive into virtual event ideas to maximize the benefits of networking in the digital age.

What Types of Events Use Virtual Networking?

Virtual networking event ideas include the following:

• Business Conferences 

Professionals from various industries are typically drawn to these gatherings as attendees, speakers or sponsors to accomplish their respective business goals. They use online networking opportunities to meet peers, build employer brands and share knowledge.

• Trade Shows and Expos

Exhibitors and attendees can connect through networking at trade shows, allowing them to plan virtual meetings, product demos, and other activities.

• Job Fairs

Virtual job fairs allow job seekers to network with recruiters and companies worldwide, simplifying job interviews and career opportunities.

• Professional Development Workshops and Seminars

Participants can meet one another and leaders in their field virtually to share insights, learn, and build professional relationships.

• Networking Events

You can organize networking events specifically to connect professionals; these events can be industry or location specific. Companies, associations, and other organizations can host these events to help their members meet and foster connections.

• Virtual Happy Hours and Meetups

Groups, communities, and organizations conduct social events like meetups, virtual happy hours, and other networking opportunities to engage with their members.

In short, you can apply virtual networking to any event to bring people together, wherever they may be, and give them chances to share ideas and form new relationships.

In-person Events

Virtual networks at in-person events can complement traditional networking possibilities when people are physically present in the same location. Before, during, and after the event, attendees can communicate with each other using mobile apps or internet platforms. Other virtual networking ideas include “breakout rooms” where attendees can engage in group conversations or one-on-one meetings with other attendees.

Virtual Events

Virtual events are entirely online, typically via video conferencing or virtual event platforms. Virtual networking is integral to these events as attendees are in different physical locations. They often include networking sessions where attendees can connect in various ways, such as through group video chats, instant messaging, AI matchmaking, or even virtual business card exchange. 

Hybrid Events

Virtual networking can play an essential part in hybrid events by allowing attendees to engage regardless of location. For instance, participants attending the event remotely can still participate in networking events with attendees who are present in person. They can also connect with webinar speakers or join panel discussions virtually. This makes it possible for a more inclusive and diverse audience and for participants who might not be able to attend in person to have more flexibility.

Importance of Virtual Networking at Events 

As technology advances, it is becoming increasingly important for people to connect with one another virtually while attending events. Let’s have a look at how it can be beneficial.

Social Interaction

Even when not physically present, attendees can connect and develop relationships during virtual events. This can be particularly helpful for participants who cannot travel to physical events or for events that draw a large and diverse audience.

Showcase Your Brand

Companies and groups may exhibit their brands to a larger audience by hosting virtual events. Moreover, companies can increase visibility and contact more potential customers by participating in networking events online.

Connect With Prospects

Attendees can connect with prospects through virtual events, whether they are prospective partners, clients, or customers. In addition, they can develop new relationships and connections through engaging activities like roundtables or 1:1 chats that could result in new business prospects.

Increase Business

Participating in virtual events allows businesses and organizations to broaden their consumer base and increase revenue by exposing their brand to a larger audience and developing relationships with future clients.

More Professional Opportunities

Professionals can develop their skills and network with like-minded individuals by attending seminars, workshops, and other virtual events. This can also help professionals expand their horizons, learn something new, and make valuable connections.

How Does Virtual Event Networking Work?

When you attend a virtual event, you’ll likely have the opportunity to connect with other attendees through networking. You’ll have access to technology such as video conferencing tools, mobile apps, or virtual platforms that make it possible to connect with other attendees before, during, and after the event. Here’s how virtual networking works:

1:1 Networking

Picture this: you’re at a virtual event and have a video chat with someone you just met. It’s the same as if you were in the room together, but it’s happening virtually. In this meeting, you can share information about your company, learn about theirs, and arrange a follow-up meeting if necessary. Virtual events require preparation and follow-up in the same way that in-person events do.

Group Discussions

Sharing your interests, discussing the latest industry trends, and learning from experts are part of participating in a group discussion with other attendees. You can join the discussion by clicking on a link or entering a special code, leading you to a virtual room where you can communicate in real-time with other attendees. It’s a fantastic way to learn, share ideas, and make new friends.

• Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms are more intimate, smaller discussion groups focusing on specific topics or themes. These rooms are frequently moderated, allowing attendees to engage in more in-depth, concentrated discussions. In addition, it can be an excellent chance to meet other participants who share your interests.

• Roundtables

Roundtables are similar to breakout rooms but often focus on a specific topic or theme and have a moderator, an expert in the field, who leads the discussion. They provide an opportunity to learn from industry experts and gain insights you can apply to your business.

Chapter 2: Networking at Virtual Events

Why Should People Network at Events

According to a LinkedIn survey, 50% of individuals expect to meet new people at online networking events. 

Attending networking events allows one to meet new people and make connections that can lead to future professional success. It provides opportunities to meet and learn from professionals in one’s field and to get innovative ideas and viewpoints. Event networking is not only a great way to meet people but also a fantastic opportunity to learn about cutting-edge advancements in your field, discover useful resources, and expand your professional horizons.

How to Network Virtually

Networking at events may be a vital tool for professional development, but planning ahead is critical to make the most of the opportunity. To develop a strategy for networking at events, here’s what you should consider:

Understanding Objectives

Before you go to the event, think about what you want to accomplish through networking. Do you want to broaden your professional network, learn from industry experts, or see new perspectives? Knowing your goals will help you stay focused and gain from the experience.

Figuring Out How to Present Yourself

Take some time to consider how you want others to perceive you. This includes knowing your talents, shortcomings, and what you hope to achieve through networking. You’ll be able to adjust your approach and make the most of your networking opportunities if you understand how to promote yourself.

Having Post-event Activities Lined Up

It is likely that people you meet do not remember you post-event as they must have met numerous other attendees. In order to stay on their radar and nurture your relationship with them, you need to plan the next steps. Sending an email, booking a meeting, or adding people to your professional network are all examples of this. 

12 Ways to Boost Networking at Virtual Events

Networking ideas for virtual events can be difficult, you can still create meaningful relationships with the correct strategy. For example, assume you’re attending a virtual event and want to take advantage of the virtual networking activities, but you’re unsure where to begin. Don’t worry; we’ve got your back. Here are twelve pointers to help you network more effectively at virtual events:

1. Engage in Pre-Event Activities

Reach out to individuals you wish to connect with before the event and introduce yourself. You can also utilize the event’s platform to see who else is going and create a list of people you want to connect with.

2. Share Your Bio With the Organizers

Some virtual events allow attendees to share their bios with the organizers; this can be a fantastic way to meet other attendees with similar interests. Make an effort to develop a brief and clear bio that highlights your professional background and areas of interest.

3. Use Social Media

Utilize social media to connect with other attendees before and during the event; you can use the event’s social media hashtags to connect with others. Try to be active on social media by sharing event information and images, and engaging with other participants.

4. Participate in Discussions

Many online networking events include a networking lounge or breakout rooms; take advantage of these areas by participating in discussions and meeting new people. Try to be active and engaged during talks by asking questions and sharing your opinions.

5. Engage in Live Chat

Many virtual events have a live chat option, which you can use to connect with other attendees and initiate conversations. Again, try to be friendly and professional, and approach people with whom you wish to interact.

6. Use a Mobile Event App

A mobile event app facilitates virtual networking by connecting attendees regardless of their location. The app may have live chat rooms, discussion forums, or a social wall where participants can interact. Mobile apps also offer virtual meetings, 1:1 video conversations, and other networking opportunities.

vFairs mobile event app is a comprehensive solution that helps organizers and attendees streamline the entire event experience. Attendees can network virtually, making it an ideal solution for events of all sizes and formats. The app facilitates community building by allowing attendees to connect through its live feed and social wall. vFairs mobile event app also helps increase attendee engagement by offering interactive tools such as polls and surveys.

7. Create Fun Games

Organize or take part in enjoyable games that encourage participants to interact with one another; this can be a fantastic way to break the ice and meet new people.

8. Conduct Q&A Sessions

Q&A sessions can significantly improve networking at virtual events. These sessions give attendees the chance to ask questions, get clarification on their concerns, and receive answers, which boosts their participation in the event. Attendees can also interact with the presenters and other attendees, share ideas, and form new connections during the session. Additionally, Q&A sessions can foster peer-to-peer learning and provide attendees with a sense of community, enhancing their involvement and connection with the event.

9. Use a Meeting Scheduler

Many virtual events have a built-in meeting scheduler that allows you to schedule meetings with other attendees. Make sure to use this tool to schedule meetings with people you want to connect with.

10. Collect Contacts

Make a list of people you want to connect with and collect their contact information using the virtual business card exchange tool. Then, follow up with them after the event, and don’t hesitate to organize a meeting or phone conversation with them in the future.

11. Use AI Matchmaking

As the virtual world continues to dominate how we interact and network, it is crucial to understand the virtual networking preferences of participants. 52% of people wish to have preference-based matchmaking at events, according to a LinkedIn survey. 

AI matchmaking is a feature that connects participants with other attendees with similar interests or goals using artificial intelligence algorithms. It works by assessing attendees’ profiles, hobbies, and ambitions and then matching them with other attendees who are a good fit. This can be a fantastic way to meet new people and uncover new business prospects. Attendees are also more inclined to participate in networking events online where AI matchmaking is available because they know they can easily connect with others who share their interests.

Spatial Connect is a novel approach to virtual networking offered by vFairs. The feature incorporates metaverse and virtual reality elements, making it feel more like an in-person event networking experience. It enables guests to roam around a virtual location, interact with other attendees, and engage in conversations like they would at an in-person event. This feature is especially beneficial for large virtual events when connecting with other attendees can be difficult.

12. Follow Up Promptly

Follow-up after a virtual meeting is important if you want to keep the connections you made and build long-lasting relationships. A quick and easy way to keep the conversation going is to send an email to the person you met with, thanking them for their time and letting them know you’d like to keep in touch. You can also send them a LinkedIn connection request with a personalized note and engage with them on the platform. 

Chapter 3: Pros and Cons of Virtual Networking at Events

Virtual event networking has become increasingly popular recently as technology has advanced to make networking more sophisticated and effective. While there are pros and cons to networking virtually, it is becoming an increasingly viable option for many people and organizations. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of networking at virtual events, helping you to weigh up the benefits and drawbacks and determine whether it is the right approach for you

Benefits of Virtual Networking

• Cost-Effective and Convenient

Since networking at virtual events is frequently less expensive than in-person networking events; it is more accessible to a broader range of people and organizations. It also eliminates the need for travel and accommodation, allowing you to communicate with others from the convenience of your home or workplace.

• Greater Access to Information

Virtual event networking frequently enables quick access to information and resources, such as virtual business cards and social media profiles, making it easier to learn more about the individuals you connect with and follow up with them later.

• Global Reach

You can connect with people worldwide through virtual networking, significantly expanding your potential network and opportunities. It also allows you to connect with others on your own time, making networking easier to integrate into your hectic schedule.

• Easy Post-Event Analysis

Virtual events make post-event analysis easier by collecting data and analytics such as attendance, engagement, and conversions. This can assist event organizers in understanding the effectiveness of their activities and improving future events.

Cons of Virtual Networking

• Low Attendance

Many people may need to recognize the usefulness of virtual events or may be unable to participate due to technological issues. This can make it difficult for organizers to reach their target attendance numbers and for attendees to interact with a diverse group of people.

• Lack of Attendee Engagement

Networking events online frequently lack the face-to-face contacts that distinguish them from in-person networking events. This can make it more difficult to form relationships and connect with others. For example, virtual attendees are usually not comfortable switching on their cameras during video conferencing calls which makes it difficult to build stronger connections.

• Technical Issues

Technical issues, such as connectivity problems or audio/video quality issues, can occur at virtual events. These flaws might be annoying and make it difficult for participants to participate in the event fully.

• No Face-to-Face Interactions

Networking at a virtual event is less personable than meeting someone in person, therefore, creating trust and establishing connections with people can be more difficult.

However, virtual technology is growing more sophisticated daily, and many individuals depend more on technology to network, even at in-person events. With the correct attitude and tools, virtual event networking can be an effective and valuable method to interact with others and create professional ties.

Chapter 4: How to Host a Virtual Networking Event

Imagine you are an event organizer planning a virtual event focusing on networking. You want to ensure your attendees have a great experience and leave with valuable connections. Here are some things to remember to boost virtual engagement at your event. 

Before the Event

Invite an Appropriate Amount of People

Keep in mind the number of people you invite. A lower number of attendees will make networking and contact sharing easier. It is preferable to have fewer individuals but deeper connections. It is critical to target the appropriate audience who will benefit the most from the event.

Simplify Logistics

Give attendees clear directions and technological assistance to make it easy for them to participate in the event. Preparing a guide with step-by-step instructions and a FAQ section might help you cover all potential questions. This ensures that your attendees get all vital information and have no difficulty joining the event.

Send Out Reminder Emails with Guest Introductions

Send out reminder emails containing speaker introductions, bios, and contact information to assist guests in preparing for the event. This will enable them to arrive prepared and make the most of the occasion. With this information, participants can begin researching and making a list of persons they wish to connect with.

Choose the Right Virtual Event Platform

To make the event more engaging, use a virtual event platform that includes networking lounges, matchmaking, and video conferencing services. The correct platform will assist you in creating an interesting and dynamic atmosphere that encourages participants to network and connect.

During the Event

Conduct Icebreakers

Incorporate engaging icebreaker activities to make attendees feel more at ease around unfamiliar attendees. Icebreakers encourage attendees to initiate or engage in conversations and begin making connections right away. 

Be an Active Moderator

Make sure to encourage attendees to connect with each other through group discussions, virtual breakout rooms, or one-on-one conversations. Stay aware and respond quickly to any technical issues to guarantee a seamless and pleasurable experience for all participants.

Offer Multiple Means of Connecting

You can offer multiple means of connecting, such as video conferencing, live chat, and virtual business cards. A variety of networking features are available for attendees to choose from per their preferences. They can connect through chat, audio, or video sessions. They can interact 1:1 or in group discussions or breakout sessions. 

You can also offer AI matchmaking to help attendees find link-minded individuals easily. Spatial Connect feature also uses spatial audio and VR technology to create an immersive and interactive networking experience. These features offer unique networking opportunities that cater to different peoples’ communication preferences. 

After the Event

Send Follow-up Emails

Send follow-up emails to attendees to thank them for attending, to give resources or material mentioned during the event, and to solicit feedback. This follow-up check will show that you appreciate their presence. It will also provide an opportunity to receive feedback from attendees that can help you improve future events.

Promote a Future Event

Utilize the collected feedback and data to plan and market a future event to your attendees. Share any new developments or changes since the last event, and inform them of the upcoming event date. This will inspire them to continue attending your networking events and forge stronger relationships.

It is critical to remember that networking is an ongoing process and that relationship building does not end with the event. Attendees who have a good networking experience are likely interested in upcoming events. You can keep sending them updates via email. By staying in touch, you can nurture your relationship with the attendees and improve your chances of turning them into returning visitors.

Chapter 5: How to Make Virtual Networking Events Interesting

Virtual events have grown in popularity for professionals to meet and extend their network. Still, people find virtual gatherings to be less engaging than in-person gatherings. However, with the correct approach and technologies, virtual networks can be as exciting and effective as in-person gatherings.

Ideas for Virtual Networking at Events

Icebreakers

Icebreaker questions are a great approach to put attendees at ease and spark conversations. These questions are usually open-ended and simple making it easier for participants to respond. You can also organize icebreaker activities that are interactive and enjoyable for the guests to partake in. Here are some examples of icebreaker questions you can include in your next event: 

• What motivated you to participate in this virtual networking event?
• What is your current job/industry, and how do you hope to benefit from this event?
• What is a fascinating project you have lately worked on?
• Who would you choose to have dinner with, living or dead, and why?
• What is your favorite pastime aside from work?
• Can you tell me something interesting about yourself?

Remember that these questions should be open-ended and common so that participants can respond quickly without any difficulty. You can create your icebreaker questions based on your event theme and audience.

Invite a Guest Speaker 

Inviting a guest speaker to your event can make it more fascinating and engaging. A guest speaker can bring significant views and information while sparking conversation among attendees. This can be a great way to help participants learn something new, pose questions and engage in interactive discussions.

Create an Event Theme

A theme can make your event more engaging and motivate attendees to participate. The topic can be specific to the guests’ industry or profession or be more inclusive and enjoyable. For example, create a theme based on a popular TV show or movie, and encourage guests to dress up or decorate their virtual backdrops accordingly.

Use Breakout Rooms

Using breakout rooms for small group conversations can give guests a dynamic and interesting experience. Breakout rooms enable guests to have more intimate and concentrated interactions with a smaller group of individuals, which can be good for networking. Furthermore, employing breakout rooms helps guests meet new individuals and broaden their network in a more personalized manner.

Add Games/Polls

Including games or polls in-between sessions can help guests recharge by doing something fun instead of waiting. If the games require group participation, they can establish a sense of community. They can also encourage attendees to connect and engage with one another. You could, for example, host a virtual scavenger hunt, a quiz game, or a poll on a current topic. 

Here are some top virtual event ideas you can modify to cater to different audiences and industries.

What is the Future of Virtual Networking?

Networking at virtual events is anticipated to grow in popularity as technology improves and becomes more accessible. We can already see the increased demand for hybrid events that integrate virtual and in-person events with various networking opportunities. Networking is a massive attraction for people to attend any event.  vFairs is one such platform that offers excellent networking opportunities, whether it’s a virtual, hybrid, or in-person event. Use its variety of networking features to meet your event’s objectives in a way that’s both enjoyable and productive for you and your attendees.

How To Find Virtual Networking Events

Finding the right networking opportunities might take a lot of work with the growing popularity of virtual events. Here are a few great resources to help you identify virtual events that can help you build connections and expand your network from the comfort of your home:

Newsletters

Newsletters are a common way for event planners and industry experts to educate their followers about future online conferences. Attendees and exhibitors can sign up to stay up-to-date and find relevant events to attend.

College Alumni Centers

Schools and universities host virtual alumni networking events throughout the year. These gatherings are a fantastic way to reconnect with old classmates and establish new ones. You can learn about these events by visiting your school’s website or alumni center.

Religious Organizations or Groups

You can also attend virtual events hosted by many religious groups and organizations. For additional information, it’s best to visit their website or social media profiles.

Slack Groups

There are numerous slack groups devoted to various businesses and professions. Joining these communities might help you interact with individuals in your industry and learn about upcoming virtual events.

Professional and Industrial Groups

Many professional and business groups provide online networking events and webinars. These events are a wonderful way to network with individuals in your sector and stay updated on the newest advancements. You can find these events by browsing the groups’ websites or social media pages that interest you.

Coworking Spaces

It is common for coworking spaces to host online seminars and conferences. Inviting yourself to these communities might help you meet other professionals in your field and find out about online events you would want to attend.

Virtual Event Platforms such as vFairs Discover

vFairs Discover provides a consolidated listing of all types of events, from conferences to job and career fairs. While there is an endless variety, it is extremely simple for individuals to search for events of interest to them. Event organizers can also give their events a boost and reach a wider audience by marketing their events on the listing.  

Key Takeaway

Virtual networking helps people network and create professional ties more easily. It is not limited to virtual events but also in-person and hybrid events, thanks to the usage of virtual platforms like vFairs. You can meet like-minded individuals through smart matchmaking or have specific discussions at roundtables. You also have the option to conduct 1:1 or group audio, or video conversations. Although some may argue the lack of personalization, if you plan ahead and have a strategy in place, you can make the most of networking opportunities through this medium. Explore more and get started. 

Happy networking!

FAQs

What Is Virtual Onboarding?

As we said at the outset, the present world has become tech-savvy. Businesses have successfully adjusted to the “new normal” workspace, which involves the significant contribution of technology and virtual platforms for conducting day-to-day office tasks and beyond.

Virtual onboarding has been part of the business world for a long time but has taken a different turn after businesses adopted remote and hybrid working standards. The idea of virtual onboarding is similar to what the in-person onboarding process looks like. However, virtual onboarding is far more convenient and impactful than in-person onboarding.

Goals of Virtual Onboarding

The aim of virtual onboarding is similar to in-person onboarding, which is to explain work culture, terms of services, job roles, and more to the new hires. However, there is more to achieve:

• The onboarding process focuses on seamlessly making the new employee part of the organization.
• Virtual onboarding focuses on explaining work culture, terms of service, job roles, and all the essential information about the company needed by new employees.
• Virtual onboarding tools such as video conferencing, online resources, and trusted virtual platforms help conduct the onboarding process.

In the past two years, we have learned that change and adaptation are inevitable. After the pandemic debacle, businesses worldwide have seen massive shifts in their terms, policies, and working style. Virtual onboarding, in this case, helps firms in explaining to new hires what changes have become part of the business module.

With virtual onboarding, new hires can try to understand the terms and policies differences independently. Instead, online resources, interactive sessions, and webinars help the freshers quickly access information from their laptops, which allows them to understand the company culture and their corporate journey.

How to Conduct a Virtual Onboarding Fair

By now, you have an idea of how necessary it is to have a well-planned virtual onboarding fair for your company and new employees. Well, you don’t have to look any further. Here are a few tips for how you can conduct virtual onboarding fairs.

A Warm Welcome Goes a Long Way

Creating a well-structured onboarding strategy is not as easy as you’d think. A Gallup survey found that only twelve percent of employees agree that their organization is doing a great job onboarding new employees. It means an alarming percentage of organizations are lacking in conducting a satisfactory onboarding fair.

As we said, a robust onboarding fair can help with a higher retention rate. Therefore, it is your time to do the needful. So, the first thing you need to do is offer a warm welcome to your new employees.

It is certain that the new hires are nervous and have various thoughts going on in their heads when joining a team. Especially if you are bringing in new employees for your remotely working company, the employees may not know what to expect on day one. This is where a warm welcome comes in handy.

A welcome email should include the following:

•  A warm welcome to the company
•  A quick introduction to their onboarding point of contact
•  An employer branding attachment
•  Links to important documents and sites
•  Check-in arrangements and details
•  A welcome video
•  Check-list of shipped equipment (laptop, headphones, swag)
• An invitation to join the onboarding site

Highlight Company Success

You might wonder why a hired employee needs to hear all the company has achieved or is looking forward to scoring. Well, it is one of the most crucial steps in a virtual onboarding fair which many companies need to pay attention to.

The Digitate report found that one in five new hires is unlikely to recommend their employers after the onboarding experience. It helps to motivate your employees and make them feel part of something from the beginning. You have to focus on employer branding. Highlighting company success can help validate employees’ decision to become part of your organization.

Remember to Focus on Company Culture

Focusing on company work culture is the basis of virtual onboarding fairs. Everything you communicate with your new hires through onboarding should direct them toward your company culture. It is necessary to showcase the values and attitude your company possesses.

Especially for remote workers, it is essential to get connected with the company’s roots from the start of their corporate journey. A well-designed virtual onboarding fair can help create a sense of belonging and responsibility early on. The activities or videos you make as part of the virtual onboarding fair will develop the desired attitude towards the company, colleagues, clients, and their work.

Make Room for Introductions

There’s just so much you can do with virtual onboarding fairs. Unlike a traditionally designed onboarding process, virtual onboarding helps new hires explore the organization’s different employee programs. With a reliable virtual platform like vFairs that offers convenient virtual onboarding fairs, new hires can visit virtual booths or attend webinars to understand the company’s mission, vision, and values. Moreover, a virtual platform helps new hires understand different departments and hierarchies.

With the help of a virtual platform like vFairs, you can develop a virtual onboarding fair that ensures that new hires are well-informed and not overwhelmed with the details.

Start Assigning New Tasks

Once your new hires are familiar with the company mission, vision, values, and overall hierarchy, they eagerly look forward to starting their work. At this stage, you should have an onboarding assignment pack containing all the necessary training your new hires require before jumping on their tasks. You can start assigning the relevant work to your employees and help them use new methods and approaches.

Make Sure to Test the Virtual Onboarding Fair

Once you have scheduled all the activities for your virtual onboarding fair, giving the process a test drive is necessary. A test drive will help you catch any hindrances in onboarding before you forward the fair to the new hire. After all, you want to leave a good impression on the new hires with a non-tested or poorly designed virtual onboarding fair.

You can also read: How to develop a virtual onboarding plan

The Must-Haves: Virtual Onboarding Features

After getting the gist of how a virtual onboarding fair is conducted, you might feel overburdened. Well, the good news is that plenty of virtual platforms offer easy ways to create a virtual onboarding fair. One of the most popular virtual onboarding platforms, vFairs, offers webinar technology, resources, and more to help businesses limit virtual onboarding issues.

Following are the employee onboarding software features by vFairs that help with the fast, accessible, and smooth onboarding of new hires into your organization.

Secure Virtual Venues

Having secure virtual venues is one of the most significant benefits of having a virtual platform to create a virtual onboarding fair for your company. vFairs is well recognized for offering restricted access to virtual venues so that the virtual onboarding fair created for your company remains secure. Moreover, the platform boosts security with two-factor authorization and single sign-on.

When onboarding new hires into your remote company, they might inevitably feel a little hesitant early in the process because of a lack of physical touch. However, with stunning 3D halls, you can bring your corporate building to life for your new hires. You can create a space that is easy to navigate using lobbies, auditoriums, and familiar halls so that the new hires quickly develop a sense of belonging to the workplace. You can customize booths for your departments and training modules while mimicking department reps with diverse avatars.

This secure virtual venue feature kick-starts the virtual onboarding fair in a closed network and keeps the new hires excited about their corporate journey with the life-like virtual building.

Engagement

Unlike in-person onboarding, virtual onboarding fairs need many more elements to keep the new hires engaged and interested. With vFairs engagement features like host training with live, semi-live, and pre-recorded sessions, you ensure your employees do not get bored with the information. Also, you can create customized webinar agendas for employee training and offer prompt help via Q&A sessions and polls.

To keep things exciting, vFairs offers scavenger hunts; leaderboards games for new hires. Also, new hires can remain updated with in-event alerts and notifications. All this and much more helps in creating a virtual onboarding fair that does not lack employee engagement.

Resources

One of the most significant benefits of opting for a virtual onboarding fair instead of in-person onboarding is to have access to resources that are easy to handle. With vFairs virtual onboarding services, you can upload onboarding guides, videos, assessments, and more to your resource vault. Also, you can allow the employee to download the resources into their virtual briefcase while they navigate the fair. You can also share event information and more with a branded landing page of your virtual onboarding fair.

Reporting

It is only fair that you have all the real-time information on how your virtual onboarding fair is sitting with the new hires. To help you with this, vFairs offers real-time metrics for training progress and engagement. Moreover, you can also access reports, including booth visits, resource downloads, and webinar views. Furthermore, you can also grab insights into employee journeys and use feedback surveys to measure the success of your virtual onboarding fair. You can also run post-events reports to analyze the success of the virtual onboarding fair. So many reporting benefits can help you make out of the onboarding process.

Networking

Having the right networking features is essential for a successful virtual onboarding fair. With vFairs, you can connect prospects with reps via chat, audio, and video calls. You can also use themed chat rooms for your organization’s departments. Scheduling onboarding meetings is also convenient with a meeting scheduler within the virtual platform. Lastly, the networking feature offers quick access to reps with interactive exhibit booths.

Customer Support

In a virtual onboarding fair, you can trust a virtual platform like vFairs to complete the job. The bonus point of connecting the onboarding process with vFairs is that the platform offers 24/7 customer support which promptly resolves problems and addresses all queries. The 5-star customer support offers seamless onboarding with in-event troubleshooting and a dedicated project management team.

6 Ideas to Make Virtual Onboarding Fun

Having a set of features for a seamless virtual onboarding fair is fantastic. But, to keep the virtual onboarding fair interesting, you have to think out of the box. Here are a few ideas that will help you in breaking the ice, keep the event highly interactive, and push engagement levels high:

1. Virtual Team Lunches

You have sent a welcome email, assigned tasks, and got your new hires at ease. But what is the next step?

It is the first week of your new hires in the organization, and you must ensure they are still comfortable in their unique journey. For this, you can schedule a team lunch. A virtual team lunch can help team members better understand each other and avoid shop talk. Virtual lunches are an escape from work where team members can discuss non-working topics like popular TV shows, hobbies, and families. It is fun introducing your new hires to the old team members and allowing everyone to connect.

2. Virtual Escape Rooms

Virtual escape rooms are fun. Challenging games in a virtual escape room demand high team collaboration. Your new hires can team up to solve puzzles and decipher clues to win. It is a fantastic way to bring employees closer to the team and give others a chance to show off their creative skills.

3. Virtual Coffee Breaks

Virtual coffee breaks have become a necessary part of remote working. Virtual coffee breaks can be your partner when trying to ease your new hires into the company. These casual small group gatherings allow new hires to feel more comfortable and get along with others.

4. Ice Breakers

Keeping new hires engaged and excited about their corporate journey in a remote setting can take time and effort. Virtual icebreaker activities can help you learn more about the new hires and also help them do the same. Virtual icebreakers are usually questions or quick games that help people get to know each other better. You can come up with questions like “What is your hometown like” or “What Disney character do you like the most.” Whether the questions are basic or bizarre, the new hires will appreciate your effort to know them and allow them to hang out with the team members.

5. Virtual Scavenger Hunts

A virtual scavenger hunt is a perfect way to create a better bond between new hires and old team members. Your new hires will discover the delight of successful team collaboration early in their journey with scavenger hunts. vFairs helps businesses develop relevant resources for virtual onboarding and organize virtual scavenger hunts to keep the new hires excited about the process.

6. Trivia Games

Playing customized trivia games is a great way to gauge how much your new hires have learned in the first week of onboarding. You can come up with questions about the company and information relevant to their job title. Delivering information without putting your new hires on the spot is fun.

Final Thoughts

As an employer, you already have a lot going on. Therefore, having a well-structured virtual onboarding process is essential for higher retention and employee satisfaction. Here is when you should be taking all the help from vFairs, a recognized virtual onboarding platform – click here to connect with the vFairs team now!

Organizations continue hosting virtual exhibitions even after planners push in-person events back into the picture. The recent survey results showed that 51% of respondents are willing to host virtual exhibitions because of reduced expenses compared to in-person events. Moreover, 20% of respondents believe virtual exhibitions are more time-saving than in-person exhibitions.

Following this piece, we will discuss fundamentals, benefits, types, and a lot more about virtual exhibitions.

Chapter 1: Virtual Exhibitions Fundamentals

Virtual exhibitions, also known as digital exhibitions, offer much more than traditionally set-up exhibitions. Besides being convenient and affordable for brands and exhibitors, virtual exhibitions are a great way to build community. However, before we discuss the details, let’s learn the basics of online virtual exhibitions.

What Is a Virtual Exhibition?

If we go by the traditional definition, the public display of events and products is an exhibition. However, art exhibits and student project showcases, the more popular and growing virtual exhibition types, are redefining the concept.  

Virtual exhibitions offer many benefits compared to traditional exhibitions. They are more affordable, provide a convenient platform for both customers and brands, and offer a reliable way to network, build community, and showcase the company’s narrative.

To make the most of a virtual exhibition, one must be familiar with the tools that help execute a successful online display. The easier way is always to partner with the best virtual exhibition platform to stay far from any hassle. 

How To Create a Virtual Exhibition

Virtual exhibitions are becoming a popular choice for event planners for many reasons. They allow companies to demonstrate products to potential buyers and enhance the company’s image.

 Before you gear up for a virtual exhibition, you need to have your priorities set. It includes a clear vision of what you want to achieve from online exhibitions. You can use your online exhibition for multiple purposes. You can introduce new products to your audience, generate sales, improve the company image, etc. Here are some steps to help you plan and execute a successful virtual exhibition. 

Step 1: Plan Ahead

Early planning is key to a successful online presence, regardless of the event type. If you want to foresee challenges and combat them before they disrupt your event, you should start planning your virtual show months before the launch date. 

Planning a virtual exhibition involves a lot of work. You must start by researching the topic, working on your subjects, inviting speakers, setting a clear road map, and much more. However, suppose you feel intimidated by the responsibilities. In that case, there are virtual event platforms that can help you plan, manage, and host a successful virtual exhibition. 

When partnering with a virtual exhibition expert like vFairs, you get your virtual exhibition responsibilities sorted quickly. vFairs recommends that its customers connect with virtual exhibition experts on the platform at least four weeks before the event launch. This involves preparing the virtual exhibition event from start to finish. Furthermore, the team will assist you in exploring your entire pre-event marketing strategy. This timeline is suitable for setting up your live event for success.

Step 2: Prepare a Budget Breakdown

Budgeting can save you from excess stress. A budget breakdown includes deciding how much you want to spend on different aspects of virtual exhibition platforms, such as event marketing, features, and more. You can either stay on top of your expenses by creating a budget for your event or trust a virtual exhibition planner. 

For instance, vFairs helps you budget your event—vFairs offers assistance from event planner professionals. You can grab a quote for your event by contacting vFairs and looking at the platform’s budget planner to get an idea of how a leading virtual exhibition platform deals with event budgeting.

Step 3: Choose an Online Platform for the Exhibition

Many virtual event planners offer virtual exhibitions. However, only some virtual event platforms provide advanced features that can guarantee a successful online event. We recommend putting your money and efforts in the right place. 

vFairs stands out as the top choice for virtual event management. With the highest rating on G2 and the number one platform satisfaction score, it’s undoubtedly the most reliable virtual exhibition platform. 

Virtual Exhibition Features by vFairs

vFairs offers a wide range of virtual exhibition features that help organizers execute a successful virtual exhibition.  Here are features by vFairs offers for you to kick start your virtual exhibition fair. 

1. Virtual Environment

vFairs lets you leverage user-friendly 3D designs to create exhibit halls, auditoriums, and immersive lobbies. Here are some features that come with virtual environments:

• Draw more audience attention with interactive exhibit booths. 
• Deliver a message of diversity and inclusion with super-interactive animated avatars. 
• Offer support and guidance with the help desk in a mesmerizing virtual environment.
• Offer animated avatars for a unique virtual event experience. 

2. Pre-event Marketing

With vFairs, you can use AI-powered tools to enhance event performance. Moreover, you can use a custom domain and build landing pages to make your event content more exciting. Here is what more you can do with the feature:

• Collect first-party data with an AI-reporting chatbot. 
• Send automated emails and reminders to your audience through vFairs pre-event marketing features. 
• Craft customized emails and set up emails for your target audience. 
• Host multilingual content to give the audience a sneak peek into your virtual exhibition. 

3. Interactive Exhibit Booths

The excellent part of partnering with vFairs is choosing interactive booths from a wide range of professional booth templates. Further are some more points to consider:

• You can add customized graphics and avatars to your booth. 
• You can access downloadable documents, videos, and other resources to help with your event content. 
• Your attendees can engage in booth reps through chat, moderated Q&As, meeting schedulers, etc. 

4. Gamification

There are plenty of engagement features to make your virtual exhibition event. You can hook your audience with trivia, leaderboards, and scavenger hunts. Moreover, here is more of what the engagement feature offers: 

• Send event alerts and notifications so your attendees are always alerted throughout the event.
• Live polls and Q&A sessions can help you grab instant feedback from your attendees. 

5. Reporting and Analytics

To ensure your event is heading according to the plan, vFairs allows you to get real-time metrics with a live dashboard. The reporting and analytics features also let you:

• Get precise data through an AI reporting chatbot. 
• Track exhibitors’ performance through click rates, downloaded documents, booth visits, etc. 
• Instantly share real-time data with exhibitors and sponsors.  
• Visualize each user’s journey. 
• Make use of the detailed post-event report. 
• Track resource downloads and booth visits and predict views.

6. Customer Support

A 24/7 custom rapport is a rare virtual event planner feature vFairs offers. Further, the customer support feature offers. 

• Dedicated project team along with professional end-to-end project management support. 
• Rated number one on G2 for its unique customer service.

Step 4: Promote and Start Registrations

Before you put your event live for the audience, it is wise to understand your virtual exhibition’s marketing needs. 

It would be best to spark excitement among your target audience for the upcoming virtual exhibition you planned. You can do this by opening up registration for the online event some days before the launch date. Once you grab information about your target audience through their filled registration forms, you can send reminder texts or emails about the virtual event.

You can create a custom email campaign with vFairs’ drag-and-drop email builder. You can also add custom branding and personalized tokens to your promotional emails. Learn more about vFairs’ advanced marketing tools here.  

Step 5: Create a Virtual Exhibition Lobby

Once you have grabbed the required registration, you must prepare a pleasing virtual lobby to welcome your audience. A mesmerizing virtual lobby will help you generate more publicity and attract more sponsors to your event. 

An interactive virtual exhibition lobby is not only attractive to the audience. Instead, the host can grab better sponsorship opportunities through virtually pleasing graphics and banners within the lobby.  

Step 6: Allow Interactive Elements

Virtual exhibitions have all the leverage to explore interactive elements to keep the audience hooked and engaged. You might wonder what more you can do with a virtual exhibit to make it more exciting. Well, we have a solution for you. 

vFairs offers many interactive virtual features that best suit your online event exhibition. You can keep your audience hooked with trivia games, Q&A sessions, live pools, chat options, and more. Remember the scavenger hunt that can keep your audience attached to the platform long. 

7 Benefits of Hosting Virtual Exhibitions

Considering the significant benefits of hosting an online exhibition for your brand, how can you determine if it’s the right move for you? Take a look at some of the most compelling advantages below:

1. They’re More Affordable

Let’s face it: Hosting a virtual event, be it creating a virtual museum exhibit or hosting an online gallery exhibition, can save a lot of money when choosing the digital mode. Virtual exhibitions not only eliminate travel and food costs but also offer convenience that attracts a global audience. 

An in-person virtual exhibition requires many more resources, which can be heavy on your or your company’s pockets. From having a budget for a stand spare to buying and shipping furniture and dedicating a certain amount for meals, you need a lot of resources to organize an in-person exhibition. 

On the other hand, a virtual exhibitor eliminates most of the high-cost elements. A virtual exhibition can be much more convenient for your organization if you are not ready to spend a heavy imprint on an in-person event. 

Check out our comprehensive event budget guide to better understand the cost difference between hosting virtual and in-person events. 

2. They Attract More Brands and Sponsors

Virtual exhibitions are a great way to attract more brands and sponsors and generate better leads. Once you partner with a reliable virtual event planner like vFairs, you can create a customized virtual environment that is attractive to sponsors. With advanced virtual exhibition features, you can allow sponsors and brands to take full advantage of the exposure. 

The customized virtual environment allows exhibitors and attendees to connect and engage seamlessly. The upgraded networking opportunities in a virtual exhibition are also an attractive way to attract more sponsors and brands to your platform. 

3. They Reach a Global Audience

Hosting a virtual exhibition is the ultimate way to expand your company’s presence and showcase its products and services to a wider audience.

With a virtual event, you can boost the exposure of your exhibitors, sponsors, and more. You can reach a broader audience and attract numerous potential clients worldwide by going global.

4. Sell Advertising Opportunities to Exhibitors & Sponsors

When you choose vFairs’ online virtual exhibition platform, you can access numerous benefits. It’s important to emphasize the valuable advantages that potential exhibitors and sponsors can enjoy. 

A key attraction is the expanded reach to a larger and more diverse audience, along with the multiple advertising opportunities that vFairs offers to enhance brand visibility and generate high-quality leads, such as pop-up ads, banner ads, and more within the vFairs mobile app. 

With vFairs, sponsors, and exhibitors have the potential to boost their recognition significantly by leveraging the information from real-time reporting and analytics tools.

5. Sell Sponsorship Packages

In addition to advertising space, there are numerous other opportunities to offer to sponsors and exhibitors. For example, vFairs provides fully customized and branded virtual booths highly sought after by exhibitors.

You can create tailored sponsorship packages to entice sponsors and exhibitors further. Charging admission fees is a popular and effective method of ensuring that your virtual exhibition is a profitable event.

6. Sell Content Post Event

Since we are moving towards a cookie-less future, events are one of the reliable ways to collect attendee data. With vFairs, there are so many ways that vFairs lets you make your event profitable even after the event is over! Event communication should be something other than a point to leverage only as the event is in talks. Instead, you should be ready to sell an enormous amount of actionable data on attendees during events, nurturing processes in creating involvement, sponsored emails, and more.

7. Create Content That Can Be Repurposed in the Future

On-demand content is revolutionizing the virtual event industry. Therefore, you should come up with content that doesn’t grow old. Creating relevant content for a long time is an excellent way to sell your virtual event to your desired exhibitors and sponsors. Your exhibitor and sponsors would love to be part of an event that can be in the talks longer. You, in turn, can generate more revenue from evergreen on-demand content.  

Top Features to Look For in a Virtual Exhibition Platform

When choosing the best virtual exhibition platform for your event, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed by the options available. However, vFairs is the optimal choice with its unique features tailored for successful online exhibitions. Let’s learn more about vFairs’ offerings.  

1. Branded Exhibitor Booths

Once you partner with vFairs for your virtual exhibition, you are in for some fun and exciting features—vFairs allows you to give your exhibitors complete control of their booths. Your virtual exhibition platform helps your exhibitors grab the attention of attendees, share information, and increase brand recognition through highly customizable booths.

Through branded exhibitor booths, your exhibitors can choose the design and graphics, select colors, pick avatars, and upload downloadable content and videos to engage their visitors. 

2. Group and Private Chat

You can increase attendee engagement for your virtual exhibition with group and private chat options. Your exhibitors can also fully take advantage of the chat options, such as hosting a group chat or creating 1:1 audio or video meetings to connect better with the leaders. These chat options help generate more leads, make a convincing sales pitch and ensure the attendees have a long-lasting interest in the event. 

3. Convenient Document Sharing

vFair’s convenient document-sharing feature lets you publish product resources such as tutorials, use case data, spec sheets, and release information. Moreover, your attendees can save resources in their virtual swag bags. These dedicated resources can later help them download content and study. 

4. Sponsorship Opportunities

Apart from attracting a wonderful audience, generating great leaders, and increasing networking opportunities, you want to squeeze all possible sponsorship opportunities out of your virtual exhibition. 

You can monetize your event with various sponsorship options. This way, you can give your sponsors the best way to receive maximum exposure in the virtual exhibition fair. At the same time, you can count on the number of sponsors coming your way. 

Chapter 2: How to Make Virtual Exhibitions Interesting

It is essential to clearly understand your objectives in preparation for your virtual exhibition launch. Virtual exhibition hosts strive to create unforgettable events by incorporating captivating features to enhance visibility and audience engagement.

Engagement Features for Virtual Exhibitions

Virtual exhibitions are fun only if they are free from back-to-back sessions that do not offer attendees time to freshen up. The good part is that introducing games and other icebreakers has become one of the best virtual event industry trends. To become part of this growing tradition, you need to grab the exciting engagement features for your event to rise above the noise. The following super-interactive engagement features will keep your event and audience alive for extended periods.

 1. Q&As

Make your virtual exhibitor an extended virtual webinar with unbreakable sessions, or create an interactive virtual exhibition that offers attendees a chance to relax, chit-chat, and learn. 

Long informative sessions are a disaster recipe for successful virtual exhibitions. Instead, you should encourage more Q&A sessions for your attendees. Fortunately, vFairs has you covered here as well. vFairs offers a highly interactive virtual event feature that offers Q&A and polls. These engagement features can be easily navigated so that only relevant queries make it to the platforms, and your target audience can grab only the relevant information.

 2. Networking Lounge

The networking lounge is indeed a networking feature you should long for. The feature lets you establish a dedicated place to join chat rooms, take a break from the event, and meet people. This is one of the best ways to ensure attendees enjoy the event, relax, and network. However, you can also create chat rooms based on popular topics or topics that strike common interests.

 3. Photo Booth

What is the best way to ensure the attendees have a memory of the event they were a part of? A photo! In a long list of fantastic engagement features, vFairs offers an opportunity for your attendees to take fun photos in a photo booth.

The virtual photo gallery or booth is about more than just taking pictures. You can also create entertaining gifs out of them. You can play around with filters and backgrounds to bring your hip and happening side to the event. The photo booth gallery lets other attendees select their favorite photos and leave likes. 

4. Surveys & Polls

Polls during webinars allow you to assess your attendees’ feelings about the exhibition. They are also great for understanding what attendees prefer and what they would like to learn more about. Overall, polls are super helpful when it comes to collecting attendees’ information. 

5. Trivia

Trivia can make the event enjoyable. It lets you keep the event alive with exciting questions and better engagement. Moreover, vFairs integrates with the highly interactive trivia game Kahoot. Kahoot is a game that brings people with similar interests together. This game is integrated with several vFairs events and makes virtual events more fun and interactive. 

6. Scavenger Hunt

We all know about scavenger hunts, but how familiar are you with a scavenger hunt for your virtual exhibition? The scavenger hunt has items around the event and shares a list of clues for your attendees to find them. Each hidden item has a score attached to it. The more things you have collected, the more points you win. 

This is one exciting way to keep your event going. A scavenger hunt is also an intelligent way to drive more traffic to strategic spots at the event. By placing a hidden item, you can send your attendees to a gold sponsor’s booth. Indeed, a scavenger hunt is a popular virtual event engagement feature, and you should take advantage of it! 

7. Spin the Wheel

Spin the Wheel is perfect if you find more ways to keep your virtual exhibition exciting and award your attendees. You use a customizable spin wheel and attach different values to each segment. The pointer then chooses which element to land on. This is one exciting way to keep your attendees hooked to the event for longer. 

8. Social Media Wall

With integration with Walls.io, vFairs lets you collect all social media posts related to your event. After collecting all the seats for your event, you can add them to a real-time branded feed on your event. This way, your attendees can see what people are talking about your event and how your event is catching more attention. 

9.  vFairs Spatial Connect

vFairs’s proprietary feature, Spatial Connect, uses 3D simulation rooms to bring more physical networking to exposure in a virtual setting. Attendees can move a virtual avatar through the virtual space as if walking through an actual venue. Their avatars can connect via audio/video with others in their vicinity and spark interesting conversations. Your attendees can enjoy concerts and speaker sessions while chatting with one another. 

Here are some insights into how the Spatial Connect feature works: 

• Users can create more of their avatars with keyboards. 
• Close-quarter audios allow attendees to enjoy private conversations only with users nearby. 
• Multiple rooms let you collect information about different areas of interest.
• Native reporting lets us gauge the time used through spatial connection.

10. Breakout Rooms

vFairs lets you create a small workshop, also called breakout sessions. These breakout rooms are split into small groups where attendees are asked to solve problems as a team. Breakout sessions are highly collaborative. Therefore, it is also one of the most efficient features for fast networking.

 11. Miro Canvas

The Miro platform allows attendees to celebrate with each other on an interactive whiteboard. The whiteboard will let attendees share their ideas and plan activities and workshop projects. One great thing about this integration is that the feature works on video, making it easier to feel like you are part of in-person group work. 

12. Matchmaking

Virtual matchmaking pairs people with similar interests in a virtual event. Once people are paired up, they are brought together in a video call to have exciting conversations. This is amazing for significant events like virtual exhibitions, corporate events, or alum reunions. This feature has been super popular in virtual job fairs, where applicants can easily find suitable candidates. 

13. Leaderboard

The leaderboard features let you incentivize specific actions and award attendees for their participation. You can attach points to the above-listed engagement activities or other actions people take within the event, such as visiting a specific booth or watching a webinar. This will encourage your attendees to participate more in the virtual exhibition and help you create an interactive virtual event. 

Chapter 3: Types of Virtual Exhibitions

By now, you know that virtual exhibitions offer endless possibilities. However, to take your shows to the next level, you must understand the basics, including the types of virtual exhibitions and their requirements. 

Here is a quick breakdown of what we mean by different types of virtual exhibitions. 

Virtual Museum Exhibits

Creating a virtual museum exhibit is a great way to ensure that art and history get their attention. The art community has been adapting to the growing demand for virtual exhibits.

Uniting the perfect audience is necessary to create an online museum exhibit or online gallery exhibition that achieves its goals.

Virtual art galleries and museum exhibitions benefit the artist but are also excellent attractions for art lovers. Art lovers might want to be in an in-person environment where they can feel the art and artist closer. However, with enhancements in virtual events, the preferences of art lovers have changed significantly. The comfort of enjoying the presence of other art lovers and classic art is one luxury of living in a digital age. 

Online art exhibitions are the best way to earn better leads, exposure, and a wider audience. You can gain so much from hosting a virtual presentation for your museum. However, the demand is to ensure you combine our art with a virtual exhibition service from a reputable virtual event organizer. Here is an example of how a certified virtual event platform can help you with a successful virtual museum exhibition. 

Example: NOC UK 

The National Oceanography Centre UK decided to host a virtual open day using vFairs. By utilizing vFairs, the organization successfully attracted a wide range of attendees to its event. This remarkable event featured virtual exhibit booths, scavenger hunts, chat rooms, and more. 

Student Showcases

You might be familiar with open-day virtual events, but do you know how popular student exhibitions are? Colleges and universities are on their best game to host the best student exhibitions to showcase their talented students. 

Virtual exhibitions serve as an excellent platform for architecture students to present a diverse range of buildings within a digital realm.

Example: Young Enterprise Trade Fair

In its 13th edition, the Young Enterprise Trade Fair brought a record number of teams and their companies. The event was a success with vFairs, a virtual platform with unique features that allowed students to represent themselves at their respective virtual booths. 

Health Care Exhibitions

It should come as no surprise that the healthcare industry is at its best when it comes to introducing future advances with a forward-thinking approach. And what’s an innovative, practical, and convenient way to spread information through healthcare virtual exhibitions? 

Virtual event organizers like vFairs are best to partner with if you want your virtual healthcare event to enable an increased ROI and earn better profits. The platforms offer various services to help adapt to whatever is required to create a successful show. 

Example: Lymphoma Workshops

One example of a successful healthcare virtual exhibition is lymphoma workshops. Lymphoma Workshops are regional, one-day educational programs that provide the latest information about lymphoma, diagnosis, current treatment options, and patient support issues. 

The leading virtual exhibition platform, vFairs, supported the virtual health care workshop. vFairs provided its services to help the Lymphoma Research Foundation connect lymphoma experts with patients virtually.

Virtual Trade Shows

Trade shows are best when hosted by a virtual exhibition expert. Virtual trade shows involve promoting products and services to a broad audience. 

These days, virtual trade shows are going pretty great. Be it appliances, food snacks, or unique-looking furniture. There is nothing you cannot promote in a virtual trade show. Most of these events have been successful when paired with a virtual event organizer with the best services. 

You do not have to fret over finding one because vFairs will handle all your troubles. vFairs lets you sit back and relax while you grab qualified leads. Apart from having a greater global reach, better return on investment, and increased visibility, there is much more you can earn by hosting a virtual trade show with vFairs. If you’re still in doubt, this interactive piece will help you learn about virtual trade shows and how vFairs is the best partner you can choose for your investment virtual trade show. 

Example: Harbor Wholesale Foods

Harbor Wholesale, one of the largest independent food distributors in the North West, faced various challenges, including transitioning to virtual events while still achieving their event goals. They found that vFairs was the ideal virtual exhibition platform, providing unique and realistic virtual events. With vFairs, Harbor Wholesale experienced a remarkable 35% increase in sales compared to their most recent in-person trade show.

Virtual Product Exhibits

Virtual product exhibits bring unlimited virtual sales tactics to practice. You not only get the chance to connect better with your customers through a virtual product exhibit, but you can also get access to qualified leads. 

Your customers can view and understand your product and its journey from the comfort of their homes. The complete digital experience gives you a better return on your initial investment. 

A virtual product trade show is best known for providing better sales and opportunities. This is primarily because a virtual product exhibit lets you reach a broader, more diverse audience like any other virtual exhibition. 

vFairs allows exhibitors to design personalized booths to get more audience attention and enable them to represent their company better. It is something you can not do on your own. 

Besides getting better-qualified leads, your product trade shows provide branding opportunities to corporations and small businesses. The smaller brand gets a better chance to spread the word about its products and services and get valuable exposure without putting all its capital at risk. Moreover, suppose you are attending a product exhibition relevant to your industry. In that case, you will likely see a lot of competitors onboard. It is the perfect time to learn more about your industry, inquire about upcoming trends, and gain insights into how your competitors work on their products. 

Virtual product exhibits are also a great way to socialize. Suppose you did not get to mingle with your exhibitors and people. In that case, hosting a virtual product allows you to run into many more professionals in your industry. If you want to learn more about how vFairs can help you grow in your industry by allowing you to host a virtual product exhibit, then click here. 

Example: Apple’s Wanderlust

In 2023, Apple, a major industry player, revealed its highly anticipated iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 during the groundbreaking virtual product exhibit Wanderlust. This event unveiled the latest hardware and established a new standard for virtual product showcases.

Virtual Art Exhibits

Virtual art exhibitions are gaining popularity because they offer artists numerous opportunities. With professional virtual event organizers, artists can showcase their work to a global audience while keeping costs low. These exhibitions provide a unique platform for artists to present their creations in a digital space, reaching a diverse and engaged audience.

Utilizing a comprehensive virtual exhibition platform like vFairs, organizers can fully leverage advanced features to launch a successful virtual art exhibition. With animated avatars, customized venues, and a fully immersive virtual event experience, a virtual art event is set up for success.

 Example: NYUAD Art Gallery 

The NYUAD Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi showcased a captivating exhibition highlighting nine artists and art collectives using technology to express their creativity. 

Chapter 4: How to Attract Exhibitors to Your Virtual Event

By now, you know how big virtual exhibitions are. However, hosting a virtual event is more than just an opportunity for your exhibitors. The more you invite good-quality exhibitors to your show, the more everyone involved benefits.

9 Ways to Promote Your Virtual Event to Exhibitors

You must have the best exhibitors on board to ensure your virtual exhibition is a massive success. Exhibitors are the power behind a successful virtual arrangement. However, finding quality exhibitors is challenging when dealing with a virtual show or virtual art event with a lot of competition. 

Nevertheless, as we have suggested many effective moves to conduct different types of virtual exhibitions, we are here to help further. Here are some helpful tips to attract exhibitors for a successful virtual exhibition.

1. Inform Them about Creative Ways They Can Promote Their Brand

You will surely benefit from many tools and features when you have decided to link with a virtual event organizer to conduct a virtual exhibition. For instance, vFairs comes up with a bundle of advanced virtual event tools and the best features for a successful virtual exhibition. So, instead of keeping the information to yourself, you should guide your exhibitor on how they can leverage the tools and features to connect better with their audience. 

Some of the valuable promotion features of the vFairs virtual event platform, which you should discuss with your exhibitors, are as follows:

• Mobile app’s splash ads and banner ads 
• Mobile app white labeling
• Branded badges and lanyards
• Sponsored welcome video
• Sponsored virtual exhibit booth
• Multimedia logo on the event’s homepage

2. Networking Opportunities

With vFairs, the networking opportunities are endless. The platform lets your exhibitors and attendees develop connections within the event. 

vFairs offers live chat tools to engage with a more comprehensive, diverse, and global audience through a single platform. Other than this, vFairs offers the following event networking tools:

• Live Chat room
• 1:1 audio/ video chat
• QR-based contact exchange
• Smart matchmaking

 Check Event Networking Tools for more details. 

3. Lead Generation

Lead generation is your exhibitors’ top priority. Therefore, with vFairs, your exhibitors can search profiles to find the best fit for their target audience and request they set up a meeting during the event. vFairs’ lead capture app comes with:

• Contextualize data
• Capture event ROI
• Event setup and configuration

Check the Event Lead Capture App for more details. 

4. Marketing Tools

An event can only aim for success with the proper marketing techniques. To help you create hype for your event, vFairs offers a broad range of marketing tools, including AI-powered marketing tools, to help create content for marketing campaigns in minutes. Furthermore, the vFairs offer:

• Branded event landing pages
• Drag and drop email builder
• AI writing assistant
• Community building

Check Event Marketing Tools for more details. 

5. Product Listing

With vFairs, it just gets better. Your exhibitors can showcase unlimited products without incurring additional costs. 

6. Online Sales

In the case of virtual trade shows, your exhibitors can access real-time updates of attendees’ book products, shortening sales cycles, and more. 

7. Offer Marketing and Sales Consultation

One thing is for sure: the success of your virtual exhibition depends upon the success of your exhibitors. Offering marketing and sales consultation services might go beyond the standard scope of work. It will surely help you execute a successful virtual exhibition. Similar to this vFairs team will introduce you to a wide range of features to produce successful results. You also have to convey the information to our exhibitors further. 

It includes informing them about the gamification features that can make events more exciting, and integration features that convert maximum online leads into sales, and much more. 

8. Provide Measurable Results

Similar to how you expect to receive real-time updates of your event through your virtual event organizer, your exhibitors also need evidence of ROI. It would help if you informed them about all the additional aspects of participating in your virtual event. 

Remember that exhibitors are at the back of your event. You must take all the proper measures to attract reading companies to your virtual exhibition. It might be challenging, but once you partner with vFairs, you have so much to offer your exhibitors that they cannot reject. 

9. Additional Sponsorship Opportunities 

There is no better way to attract high-quality exhibitors to your virtual exhibition than by offering them accessible additional sponsorship opportunities. You must present how your sponsors can gain value from your virtual event. 

As we said, once you are fortunate enough to join hands with vFairs, there is almost nothing that you have to worry about. You can find ways to offer additional sponsorship opportunities to your exhibitors. Instead, vFairs does the job for you. 

Check event sponsorship packages for more details.

Chapter 5: Emerging Use Cases for Virtual Exhibitions

It is no secret that virtual exhibitions have taken over traditional exhibitions. We have seen the benefits of turning everything virtual in the past two years. However, even with virtual exhibitions, change is inevitable. A lot is happening in the virtual exhibition space. The following are some emerging trends you will witness this year and beyond. 

Virtual Reality Exhibitions

Embracing virtual exhibitions is crucial in today’s fast-paced world. To truly stand out, you must incorporate new and innovative features that captivate your audience. Like any marketing strategy, the key to success is grabbing your audience’s attention. One way to achieve this is by showcasing your commitment to innovation.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a rising trend in the event industry that has piqued the interest of companies looking to engage their exhibitors, sponsors, and audience. Leveraging VR allows you to offer a unique and attention-grabbing experience. If you’re planning a virtual reality trade show, remember that your audience will be bombarded with numerous sales pitches. Creating multi sensory experiences that set you apart is essential to make a lasting impression.

Virtual Reality is becoming increasingly popular across industries. Businesses of all sizes recognize the value of jumping on the VR bandwagon. Promoting VR exhibitions such as VR art exhibitions, through a virtual reality experience for your next virtual exhibition, will likely attract more attention.

Consider this: Hosting a virtual showroom exhibition offers unlimited potential without the high venue rental costs associated with in-person events. With virtual reality, the floor space for your virtual showroom is virtually limitless.

Furthermore, virtual reality exhibitions are gaining traction in museums. They offer interactive installations, games, and more, allowing visitors to engage with the art rather than simply observe it.

The possibilities virtual reality can bring to the virtual event industry are mind-blowing. It’s only a matter of time before Virtual Reality becomes a staple in event industries!

Metaverse and Virtual NFT Gallery

Imagine a digital world where you can socialize, interact with digital items, and participate in various activities. That world is called Metaverse.

The metaverse combines augmented reality, virtual reality, and blockchain technologies, allowing for the emergence of virtual NFT galleries. These virtual spaces resemble real-world galleries but have the unique ability to engage fans worldwide. 

The popularity of blockchain-based virtual galleries has soared, attracting NFT enthusiasts who can showcase their collections in enhanced virtual spaces. These developments are just a glimpse of the revolutionary changes happening in the virtual event industry. Stay tuned for more exciting advancements!

And that’s a wrap! I hope you learned everything you need to plan a successful virtual exhibition. Feel free to contact the vFairs to get a detailed walkthrough of the platform.

FAQs

If there’s anything more challenging than finding great people to work for you, it’s retaining them. If you’ve had trouble getting employees interested in your company’s benefits and programs, you’re not the only one. 

Virtual benefits fairs are not new in firms with numerous work sites and many remote employees on different shifts. A virtual benefits fair is a branded event that takes place online and is set up like a physical benefits fair. Employers ask benefits providers to set up a virtual booth on their platform and upload relevant educational materials like brochures, videos, and presentations. Also, interactive tools like chat rooms and webinars allow companies to connect their employees with the right people in real time and answer their questions immediately.

Virtual benefits fairs frequently contain virtual booths where visitors can interact with employers, sponsors, and benefits providers and watch webinar presentations, webcasts, and other activities. Attendees can interact with benefit providers via live chat, Q&A, discussions, polls, and other features. However, because most virtual benefits fairs are customized, the number of features and sessions available vary from event to event.

In-Person vs. Virtual Benefits Fairs

You can host the benefits fair virtually or in-person. Both have pros and cons. Keep reading to dig deeper into what each type offers. 

In-person Benefits Fairs

Virtual Benefits Fairs

Why Are Virtual Benefits Fairs Better Than Physical Ones?

A virtual benefits fair provides enormous value to businesses. Here are four reasons why businesses choose them over physical events:

Better User Experience

Employees benefit from a better end-user experience when they look for benefits online. Instead of physically sitting through l training sessions, registrants can direct their own learning. Virtual Benefits Fairs provide “on-demand” education, allowing employees to choose which virtual booths to visit, what content to examine, and which webinars to attend.

An online fair has no time constraints, allowing employees to learn at their own speed. They may consume content and make judgments in peace because multimedia is available around the clock. A virtual benefits fair, on the other hand, enables an experience tailored to each employee’s interests, significantly increasing their involvement.

Affordability

The cost of physical events is very high. The costs of venue rents, travel logistics, and printing alone may add up quickly, especially when similar events repeat throughout the year. A virtual arrangement, on the other hand, ensures significant cost reductions. Employers can reduce traditional expenditures connected with onsite events while also avoiding the inconvenience and effort of organizing them by allowing guests to meet in a virtual area to hear about perks.

Measurable Outcomes

Physical training sessions and clinics are frequently challenging to quantify. Organizers mainly focus on managing the event’s logistics; therefore, they forget to measure how much value was delivered to employees and how the training material was evaluated. Feedback is restricted to a post-event survey, which rarely provides practical information. 

Virtual benefits fairs improve that by allowing businesses to learn how engaging these events were. Detailed metrics like attendee patterns, webinar engagement numbers, booth visits, and frequency of information downloads assist companies in determining which benefits are popular and which material requires attention.

Global Accessibility

Companies sometimes have staff distributed across multiple places, making actual fairs for each of those marketplaces impracticable. However, the online nature of virtual benefits fairs allows employers to gather all of their employees in one virtual area for benefit learning. 

Of course, administrators have a significant challenge with a one-size-fits-all system. For example, healthcare and insurance firms in North America will most likely differ from those in Europe. Fortunately, top virtual event platforms handle this issue by personalizing attendees’ experiences and displaying only vendors who operate in their geographical region.

Best Practices for Virtual Benefits Fairs

Virtual benefits fairs are a great way to get in touch with employees. Think about these best practices for virtual benefits fairs to make the most of your next one:

Ask for Feedback

Getting direct employee feedback through an annual survey or quick poll is one way to get them on board with a benefits fair. Ask them what they’d like to get out of the benefits fair in the end, what kinds of vendors they’d like to see, and if there are any other ways you could make it more helpful for them.

You can find out what your employees want and need by going straight to the source. This will make it better for them and, hopefully, get them more involved. Plus, you can use that information to talk to employees in the future.

Make a Team

Benefits experts don’t have to work in isolation from each other. It’s okay to ask for help, especially for an event like a benefits fair that requires a lot of planning and logistics. So, use this chance to put together a group to plan. Keep it small but ensure that it represents the different parts of your organization. You can give people specific tasks with agreed-upon due dates to help make sure the event goes smoothly.

Include Diverse Vendors

Ensure that vendor representatives cover your whole benefits program. This helps attract a broad pool of candidates with varying interest levels in the same benefits, which is essential in attracting a larger pool of applicants overall.

Consider Branding

You can use unique branding to bring your benefits fair to real life. Branding can help you give your benefits program a name, which will help you show the value of your benefits in a way that makes it easier for your employees to connect with them. Also, it makes talking fun and easy to understand. Regarding your benefits fair, you can use your brand to your advantage by developing an exciting theme that runs through all the activities and giveaways. This will help you get more people to come.

Offer Giveaways

Some employees require a little push to learn more about their benefits. Offering gifts is one method to accomplish this.

Vendors frequently bring their own entertaining goods, but you may supplement them with prizes. Another possibility is to include a grand prize, such as round-trip airline tickets, which are frequently purchased with corporate credit card points. Consider giving employees a small booklet with stamps for each vendor they visit to keep them motivated. The more stamps they gather, the better their chances of winning a prize.

How to Host a Virtual Benefits Fair 

Virtual benefits fairs have grown in popularity recently as businesses move traditional benefits fairs and in-person training online to broaden their reach, cut expenses, and enhance employee happiness and retention. So, how exactly do you put virtual benefits fair?

A virtual benefits fair requires extensive planning and preparation like a conventional benefits fair. So, when it comes to hosting a virtual benefit fair, these simple procedures will ensure its success:

Choose a Virtual Events Platform

A virtual events platform will, in essence, do all the hard work for you. Using a tool like vFairs, you can register attendees, create virtual booths, enable live chat, share downloadable content, stream live video presentations, and set up virtual meeting rooms for follow-up conversations. Think about how your event looks and feels, and then choose the platform to help you reach your goals. This is a glimpse of what vFairs can do:

• Provides 24/7 customer support
• Offers text and video chat in real-time
• Offers customizable virtual exhibit booths
• Provides virtual meeting spaces

Evaluate Your Needs

Now that you’ve decided on a platform, you can start thinking about how the event will unfold. Depending on the kind of experience you want to provide, you might want to include things like:

• 1:1 interaction
• Each benefit provider’s own booth
• Live or recorded video streams
• Virtual auditorium
• Live webinars
• Downloadable material

Plan the Event

Scheduling your virtual benefits fair involves two steps. First, analyze the event’s flow. You should avoid organizing live lectures or webinars simultaneously to maximize attendance. If this isn’t possible, employees can download the presentations to watch on their own time. Consider whether the event will be a single day or spread out over several days. Don’t drag out the event too long, or people may lose interest. Second, plan the event’s date, so staff can consider their options. Avoid scheduling the fair around company deadlines or holidays.

Market the Event

Now that you’ve organized the event, it’s time to promote it to your staff. Begin by assembling a brief information package so that employees understand what to expect from the benefits fair and can begin to prepare any questions they may have. Distribute event information to your staff in as many ways as possible. To promote anticipation and excitement, use all applicable event marketing tactics at your disposal. In particular, you should:

• Send invitations through email
• Post event information on internal social networks such as common Slack channels
• Distribute flyers in common areas such as break rooms and staff lounges
• Putting the event on your social media pages to remind your employees about it

Analyze the Event

When the virtual benefits fair is over, you should collect as much data as possible and analyze the event. Remember that figuring out what did and did not work at the event is the only way to make it better next time. Fortunately, vFairs offers a built-in analytics feature to help you make the most out of your event. 

What Does vFairs Offer?

vFairs is a leading virtual, hybrid and in-person event platform. A vFairs virtual benefits fair makes employee benefits accessible and enjoyable for a remote workforce. You can keep it active all year round so that employees and their families can access it worldwide.

vFairs offers interactive webinars, group and 1:1 chat, a resource directory, and Q&A sessions. You can give your staff simple access to benefits information such as what they are and how to use them effectively. Overall, vFairs provides special features for employers that can help you get the most out of your benefits fair. Let’s take a look!

Secure Virtual Venues

vFairs allows you to restrict access and boost security at your virtual benefits fair. You can identify which credentials should gain access to your event, use Single-Sign-On, and implement 2-factor authentication. You can also restrict access to only company employees. 

vFairs offers your benefit vendors stunning custom 3D halls and highly customizable booths. They can add custom graphics, banners, and links to social media pages and websites along with relevant resources. Benefit providers can have branded booths. Overall you can populate your space with animated avatars via the self-select avatar library. 

Networking

vFairs allows you to connect employees with benefit providers via chat, audio and video calls. Employees and their families can connect on group chats with benefit providers. They can get quick access to benefit details with interactive exhibit booths.

Engagement

vFairs virtual benefit fairs let you boost event engagement with scavenger hunts and games. You can lead your employees to important event areas and cover maximum virtual space through a virtual leaderboard. You can also host info sessions with live, semi-live and pre-recorded webinars.

Moderated Q&As can help address employee concerns. You can also make your fair exciting with leaderboards and games. In-event alerts and notifications can keep employees updated. 

You can also integrate with social media walls, simulation rooms, etc, to make the event more exciting!

Resources

At the vFairs virtual benefits fair, you can also upload benefit details, terms and conditions, and more to your resource vault. Employees can download resources to their virtual briefcase as they navigate the fair.

You can also share event info, agenda and more via a branded landing page. Your global workforce can access the event and browse through the resources at any time at their own convenience.

Advanced Reporting

You can easily track real-time metrics like employee turnout and engagement at your virtual benefits fair. Moreover, you can access booth visits, resource downloads, and webinar views. vFairs lets you analyze employee journeys and use feedback surveys to measure success. You can also run post-event reports analyzing your benefits fair’s ROI.

Key Takeaway

vFairs is a leading event management platform that can help you organize a successful virtual benefits fair. You can contact us today to get started. Our dedicated project management team will help you with every step of the process. 

FAQs

But what are virtual job fairs exactly? How do they work? And how can companies organize them? Hold on. Sit tight. This guide to virtual job fairs answers all your questions and more! Let’s get started.

Chapter 1: Virtual Job Fairs Fundamentals

What Is a Virtual Job Fair? 

A virtual job fair is just like an in-person job fair, albeit, it is hosted online. It hosts a number of organizations that have individual virtual booths. Virtual job fairs move away from the confines of limited physical space and enter into a space with animated 3D designs, virtual avatars, and the ability to host a huge number of people across the globe. 

Virtual job fairs also expedite the entire process of hiring people, enabling organizations to conduct on-the-spot interviews, and finding people most suited for the job by filtering out readily available CVs. A virtual recruitment fair reflects the vibrancy of in-person job fairs, offering organizations and job seekers both an opportunity to connect and network with one another.

How Does a Virtual Job Fair Work?

Most virtual job fairs require a virtual platform like vFairs to facilitate the setting. Attendees can enjoy a complete 3D environment and walk around different rooms. There are usually virtual booths set up by different recruiting companies. Attendees can virtually drop their resumes at any of the booths that they are interested in. Then, booth representatives can save relevant resumes and conduct initial interviews through audio and video chat.

So, virtual job fairs can work pretty much the same way as in-person job fairs but without the hassle of going to a physical venue. Virtual job fairs can be across industries and can also focus on specific ones like healthcare, education, engineering, marketing, etc. Here are a few things that you can expect to see at a virtual job fair:

Virtual Environment

Virtual event platforms like vFairs offer customizable 3D environments to level up your virtual events. You can log in to a welcome video in the main lobby and then make your way to a room with just one click. The 3D virtual environment can make events like virtual recruitment fairs feel more real and immersive with avatars, animations, and custom room designs. So, it can be better to set up a virtual event with a life-like environment than just trying to collect resumes from a website landing page. 

A virtual environment can also make interacting with fellow attendees and recruiters a positive experience. Event platforms like vFairs offer fantastic networking opportunities and tools for creating more meaningful interactions. Chat boxes, webinars, Spatial Connect, and smart matchmaking are only some of the many great networking features. Moreover, gamification tools like Scavenger Hunt, trivia, spin the wheel, etc., can make the whole experience a lot more fun.

Exhibitor Hall

Virtual job fairs are a great way to connect recruiters and job seekers in a virtual environment that facilitates networking. You can expect to see a virtual exhibitor hall in event platforms like vFairs during a live event.

The exhibitor hall at virtual hiring events can have multiple booths with recruiting agencies and organizations looking to hire people. The booths are fully customizable with the ability to brand them with banners as you like. Attendees can look around each booth and take a look at the job opportunities available with each of them. The experience can be similar to walking around in a hall, stopping at the booths that look interesting, and talking to the representatives.

Job Boards

Attendees at a virtual job fair can find all the job listings in one place which is usually called a job board. It can be much easier to search for relevant open positions and save the ones you have applied to from one list. It can be a great place for recruiters to post the jobs they are hiring for and collect resumes easily. Even if a candidate doesn’t visit your booth, they can still take a look at the jobs you have posted.

Booth Reps

All booths in a virtual job fair will also be “manned” by representatives. When a potential candidate visits a booth, they can create a chat slot and have a conversation with the booth reps. This is a great way for recruiters to screen candidates through audio and video chat and for candidates to get answers to anything they feel curious about.

Are Online Job Fairs Worth It?

The easiest way to answer this would be with a resounding YES! 

Online job fairs have all the right elements and features to become an ultimate success. They can help candidates and employers alike with far less hassle than an in-person job fair.  It is eco-friendly plus no one needs to worry about commuting. There are networking and reporting tools available for interactivity, and everyone has all the necessary information at their fingertips. There are many other benefits to a virtual job fair as well and we will discuss them all later in this guide.

How Long Do Job Fairs Last?

Virtual job fairs can last anywhere from a day to up to three days. Small and medium-sized organizations might not have many posts to fill in. Therefore, even a day or two could be enough to get connected to all the right candidates. However, many recruiting agencies are interviewing for multiple companies and for various positions at a virtual recruitment fair. Sometimes they can even divide up the days based on the type of roles they will be interviewing for, or set up booths from similar industries. 

So, depending on the vacancies and the number of organizations, you may need more time to interview and shortlist candidates. Virtual event platforms like vFairs can allow organizers to extend the age of the job fair with on-demand hosting. So, if you are hosting a job fair for larger organizations or would like access to the event platform for longer, it is totally up to you.

In-Person vs Virtual vs Hybrid Job Fairs

Here are some of the biggest differences between in-person, virtual, and hybrid job fairs.

In-Person Job Fairs

A physical or in-person job fair, as the name implies takes place in a physical location, in a hall, or a hotel. In a physical job fair:

• You set up your own booths, display your own resources, and engage in conversation with potential employees. 
• People from surrounding areas are in attendance; it is highly localized.
• You can only invite a limited number of people due to budget and space issues.
• You will have to incur additional costs associated with food, travel, accommodation, printing resources, etc. 

Virtual Job Fairs

An online job fair, on the other hand, is arranged in a virtual environment. Your virtual job fair:

• Transcends budget and capacity limitations. 
• Allows organizations to reach a global pool of talent. 
• Helps organizations host live webinars, engaging with attendees via live Q&A sessions and polls. 
• Facilitates exhibitors in adding and displaying any number of documents and videos to the platform which attendees can download and keep for future reference, without any chance of them losing valuable information. 
• Has multiple booths, live chat tools, animated 3D lobbies, and interactive designs.

Hybrid Job Fairs

This is a popular event format as it gives you the best of both worlds. It means that you can arrange some parts of the event online through a virtual event platform while some elements of the job fair can happen in-person.

• Some booths can be online using a virtual event platform or an event app while some can be set up at a physical venue.
• The in-person attendees can be highly localized to avoid commute and accommodation costs while the event can still be accessible to a global audience virtually.
• Engage in-person and virtual audiences with event technology, live webinars, polls, and Q&A sessions.
• You can make resources like brochures, handbooks, pamphlets, etc. accessible to download online for all attendees. This can help you save printing costs and reduce the carbon footprint of your job fair. 

Is a Virtual Job Fair Platform Free?

Most virtual event platforms are not free. However, there are some free virtual job fair platforms also available in the market. There’s a famous saying that says if something is free, then you’re the product! You may think that you’re getting a fantastic deal but more often than not, a free virtual job fair platform will be a waste of your time and effort. You can probably still host a free virtual recruitment fair, but it won’t have the right features and can fail to hit the mark.

Most of the time, free event platforms don’t have the necessary and required solutions to make your virtual job fairs and recruiting events successful. Moreover, they may be advertised as free, but more often than not there are hidden costs. You will only find out about these costs later when it is too late. So, instead of opting for free virtual job fair platforms that are ultimately not good enough, you should find a platform that has all the solutions you are looking for. 

The vFairs platform is transparent and upfront about pricing and only charges clients for what they actually need. You can find more information here.

Chapter 2: Hosting Virtual Job Fairs

Now that you understand what a virtual job fair is, let’s move on to why you should host one. Most event organizers can underestimate the effectiveness of a virtual job fair because of a lack of information. Here are some important things that you should know. 

Why Host a Virtual Job Fair?

Virtual job fairs can be a really immersive and effective experience for booth exhibitors, attendees, and organizers. Here are some reasons to consider virtual job fairs if you’re still on the fence about it.

Increased Attendance 

With no limitations of physical space and no time restrictions, the virtual job fair opens doors to a wider global audience. Your audience can be in any time zone, and they will not have to miss out on an amazing opportunity. Content and webinars are available after the virtual job fair ends. This flexibility boosts attendance and reach of the virtual job fair. 34% of planners consider increased attendance the most positive result of pivoting to virtual. 

Convenience 

A virtual job fair allows for greater accessibility to people who are unable to attend a physical event freely. This allows you to include people with any hearing or visual disabilities who would otherwise be uncomfortable in a physical event. Virtual event platforms also allow accessibility features such as color contrast, event navigation, text size, page narration, webinar translation, and captions.  

Content 

In a physical job fair, you will have to think about printing a bunch of resources, manuals, guides, company handbooks and so much more. There is an added cost attached to this. In a virtual job fair, all materials plus videos are available online in the virtual exhibit booth.

Cost 

A virtual job fair means all costs pertaining to food, accommodation, travel, venue, chairs and tables, booths, etc, have been eliminated. You do not have to worry about putting aside a budget for these expenditures. The exhibitors need not worry about printing costs of resources, standees, and other branding materials. 

Minimized Hassle 

A virtual job fair reduces the hassle involved in hosting an entire event venue. Virtual venues are usually much quicker to set up, remove the need for traveling, and offer so much more. Virtual event organizers have access to a large number of tools that can boost event attendance, ease attendee management, and give organizers access to live and post-event data. Organizers can also help attendees navigate the event easily by creating walkthrough welcome videos for them pointing at all the significant areas of the venue. 

Reduced Administrative Issues 

When it comes to hiring new candidates, sifting through countless resumes and screening candidates is a lot of work. Human resources can save time by virtually recruiting employees. Employers can search for resumes and filter candidates according to their needs and can easily eliminate the process of interacting with people not suited to the role. Moreover, virtual job fair platforms also help with easy data management as recruiters can download resumes of all candidates based on the jobs they have applied for.

Virtual job fairs offer another amazing way to screen candidates. Organizers can set up the video smart matchmaking feature to match ideal candidates with recruiters. The candidates and recruiters will be asked a set of questions and users with the same answers will match each other through a video call. The call is usually timed and if the interview is going well both parties can mutually increase the time of the call. 

Environmental Friendly  

Virtual job fairs and other events are environmentally friendly. Candidates are participating from their own spaces hence, they eliminate the need to arrange for travel, transportation, accommodation, and physical venue. Additionally, they require less paperwork and fewer printed resources. 

Networking 

Virtual job fairs don’t take away the opportunity for people to network and build contacts. Your attendees can use the live chat tools to engage with an organization’s booth representatives. They can book a chat slot via the meeting scheduler tool. They can get noticed with live webinars and Q&A sessions. Plus, attendees can even reach out to the booth representatives on their own and initiate conversations. 

“I love the fact that people can not only do text chat, but they can also do audio and video chat on the very same platform!”

– Trina Edwards, Director of Operations & Customer Success at Diversity in Ed.

Data Measurement 

With virtual job fairs, event hosts and exhibitors can track attendee movements, and get insights on which part of the event was most exciting for them, and where they received the most value for their time. Your organization can track user journeys and get information on:

• How many people visited each booth 
• How long attendees stayed in each booth 
• What documents were downloaded 
• Which videos were viewed 
• How many resumes were collected
• Which posted jobs were the most popular
• How many people attended each webinar
• If there were any conversations with the booth representatives or fellow attendees

This allows you and your exhibitors to understand what worked well and where they need to make modifications for future events. Online career fairs are a great way to get more information and data on attendee behavior which can be difficult to do at conventional onsite events.

How Much Does a Virtual Job Fair Cost?

Setting up a virtual event is easier on the pocket when compared to setting up a huge physical event. Moreover, the virtual event is scalable, so you can invite as many people as you like, with the cost not skyrocketing all of a sudden. The few considerations that have to be taken into account are:

• Virtual event platform provider fee 
• Content production (videos, documents, and other resources)
• Third-party integrations 

The estimated base cost of a virtual event is almost $35,000 less than the average cost of an in-person event. Depending on the sponsorship pricing you offer to employers, it’s easy to see how quickly you can recoup that investment and even end up profiting!

Advantages & Disadvantages of Hosting Virtual Job Fairs

Virtual job fairs have their fair share of pros and cons that one should consider before getting into it. While some solutions may work for some people, they can never be universally correct for all.

Pros of Virtual Job Fairs

Let’s take a look at some of the most important benefits of hosting a virtual job fair:

Information about Job Openings

Filling open vacancies costs companies a hefty amount which is why hiring managers are keen to screen and shortlist candidates efficiently at online career fairs. All the information about open roles needs to be readily available for candidates so that recruiters don’t waste their time.

Job fairs allow hosts to offer dedicated time to interested candidates, share information they might require, and ensure they receive more relevant candidates for the roles. This saves them the time and hassle of looking through an endless stack of resumes that might not benefit them. You can host a virtual job fair for remote jobs, hybrid jobs, or even onsite jobs and get information to candidates a lot more efficiently.

1:1 Communication

Virtual job fairs offer a chance for recruiters and hiring managers to communicate directly with prospective candidates. Screening resumes through 1:1 interviews, chat, and networking lounges makes the process a lot more advanced. Candidates can also make a lasting impression by communicating with employers one-on-one. They can make that connection while submitting the resume, dropping their business cards at the booth, or setting up an appointment with the HR booth rep. 

Brand Awareness

Participating companies can increase and develop strong brand awareness among their target audience. They can showcase their company policies, perks, and benefits in a positive light. Which, as a result, can encourage talented job seekers to consider their company.

Branded visual displays at virtual hiring events can draw a candidate’s attention, which enables companies to get the name out through marketing collateral.

Industry Insights

Employers who set up their company booths at virtual job fairs can offer attendees valuable industry information and insights as well. They can set themselves up as thought leaders in the industry by sharing documents, brochures, and videos through their booths. They can also set candidates up for success by offering them information about company culture that they won’t find anywhere else. Employment candidates can ask questions and gain industry insights, skills, and qualifications needed to fill certain positions. Based on this, they can craft their resumes for higher chances of success.

Cons of Virtual Job Fairs

Virtual job fairs offer so much for many people and although the advantages are many, they can have a few drawbacks as well.

Not Suitable for Non-Tech Savvy Candidates

Virtual job fairs rely heavily on technology. So, all attendees need to understand how to navigate through the virtual platform to make the best use of attending a virtual hiring event. If the candidates are not tech-savvy, they can have a hard time finding and applying for jobs. So, virtual job fairs may make them feel uncomfortable and out of place. 

Training Costs

If you want your virtual job fair to be a success, it is important to train attendees and job posters. The career fair virtual technology can only be as reliable as the people using it. So, organizers may have to spend some time and money on training.  

In-Person Interviews Are Hard to Replicate

It can be hard to fully replicate in-person interviews. Sitting in front of a candidate in a physical setting can help recruiters learn a lot more about them and gauge their personality. It can also be easier for candidates to be memorable and leave a personal touch during in-person interviews.

However, the vFairs virtual event platform has the answer to these downsides as well. The platform offers a remarkable and immersive 3D environment. Novel networking features like smart matchmaking and Spatial Connect can also improve the overall attendee experience. vFairs works closely with event organizers and exhibitors and offers them pre-event training so all stakeholders can have a smooth experience.

Virtual Job Fair: Quick How-To Guide 

Hosting a virtual job fair requires planning and goal-setting from the get-go. You need to set milestones in order to deliver your virtual event platform well before time. There is an increase in people recruiting online, and job seekers looking for online avenues. It is better to set a checklist that helps you guide through your planning process. 

Here’s a step-by-step process for hosting a successful virtual job fair: 

1. Set your goals for the virtual hiring event and outline key performance indicators (KPIs).
2. Choose a virtual event platform provider. 
3. Identify sponsors and employers that you have to bring on board. 
4. Outline speaker sessions, create schedules, and invite respective speakers for the event. 
5. Create content for your landing page, exhibitor booths, or any guides, agendas or notes you want the incoming audience to have. 
6. Actively promote your event on social media channels. Use automated email-building tools to market your event.   
7. Connect with your virtual platform provider and the project management team to go through the event, and test all aspects of the team to ensure there aren’t any last-minute glitches. 
8. Understand when and how to get reports and analytics for your event. 

You can also use our virtual event checklist to help guide you through the process.

You can set up the most engaging virtual job fair, but it won’t be a success unless enough people know about it. Moreover, they can’t just be any people, they need to be your target audience and should be interested in showing up to the virtual hiring fair. So, ideally, your target audience can be anyone who is looking for a job or someone who wants to hire people. You will need an omnichannel, targeted, and well-planned event marketing strategy to get their attention.

How to Promote Virtual Job Fairs

Here are some of the best ways to promote your virtual event.

Leverage Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective strategies and might be able to get you the most ROI for your virtual hiring fair. Most event platforms can facilitate third-party integrations like CRMs and email marketing tools. For example, vFairs offers a fantastic email builder that is easy to use and facilitates custom email designs.

There are many ways to take your event email marketing campaign to the next level. This includes writing excellent subject line copy and adding incentives for attendees. So, a pre-event and post-event drip email marketing campaign can help you get the word out.

Build a Community on Social Media

Social media is an effective tool for event marketing and community building. You can start by creating an event page for your virtual job fair and post updates and registration links. You can use a social media integration like vFairs LinkedIn Community Builder as well. Registered users will be prompted to join the event page on LinkedIn and become part of a community. It can also be a great way to interact with your target audience directly, answer any questions they might have, and create some pre-event buzz. Relevant social media groups can also be important to gain more followers and increase attendee count.

Gather Sponsor Partnerships

Event sponsors are not only great for revenue generation but can also help you promote your virtual job fairs. You can partner with your sponsors for pre-event content generation and increase event awareness and engagement. Using integrated marketing can help you and your event sponsors deliver an impactful single message.

Sign Up for Co-Branded News Releases

Event marketing platforms like vFairs also offer co-branded press releases for your virtual job fair. Such programs can help you get the word out about your event. You can mention what sets your event apart, and things to look out for, announce a special registration deal, and talk about your company. Co-branded press releases are a great way to boost event registrations or spread more awareness. You can find more information about the vFairs co-branded press release program here.

Chapter 3: Virtual Job Fair Platforms

Choosing the right virtual event platform can be the most important and crucial step for any successful event. Event organizers should consider all their options and make sure they choose a platform that has all the required and necessary features.

Finding The Best Virtual Job Fair Platform

When you are looking for the virtual job fair platform most suitable for your needs, you may come across multiple options. The best way is to gather as much information as you can about all of them. Then you can list down the pros and cons of each and make an informed decision.

Questions To Ask Virtual Job Fair Providers

Your virtual job fair is there to connect employers with the most qualified candidates. It also aims to provide value to them, cutting their costs incurred and time spent browsing aimlessly through innumerable resumes. So when organizing that virtual job fair, make sure to ask the following questions to your virtual job fair provider. This will keep things clear for you, helping you keep track of your milestones. 

1. Do you offer free demos of your events?
2. Can you share some samples of past events you’ve hosted?
3. How do you manage speaker sessions, networking events, and breakout sessions?
4. How long does it take to set up the virtual event platform?
5. What security features are in place for the virtual aspect of your event?                        
6. Is the virtual job fair platform compatible with multiple devices?                                
7. How do you facilitate interactions between exhibitors and attendees?
8. Do you offer any accessibility features?
9. What post-event reports do you provide? What are your reporting mechanisms?
10. Is there a readily available customer support team?
11. What is the most effective way to communicate with your visitors? Is it group chat/conferencing
12. What does the design look like?
13. How long can the virtual job fair be hosted on one website?
14. How flexible is the platform?

How to Host a Virtual Job Fair: Features To Use

The key features of your virtual job fair platform will define success for you. These features help you stand out from the rest and help attendees and exhibitors breeze through it. Let’s explore these features in greater detail. 

Job Board 

For job seekers, the job board is an exceptionally useful tool. It allows:

• Candidates to search for open positions and submit resumes
• Employers to list available positions on the job board and collect applications from interested candidates. 
• Attendees have access to the job board at any time to filter through the available positions and find the openings most relevant to them.

Resume Database 

Employers can sift through the available resumes to choose the ones most suited to them. They don’t have to spend extra time screening out unqualified candidates. The resume database allows recruiters to filter resumes by city, state, organization, current job title, and years of experience. They can also search through attendees in the database and add resumes to a favorites list for easy shortlisting.

Applicant Management through Custom Tags

You can make it easier for hiring managers to track all the applications at their virtual booth through custom tagging. They can create customized tags such as shortlisted, interview scheduled, rejected, overqualified, etc., to keep track of all candidates who apply. This can make applicant tracking a breeze for recruiters and they can make the most of the job fair.

Simplified Application Management

You should also add features to your virtual job fair to support the journey of job seekers at the event. An application management page can help them track all the jobs they’ve applied for or saved for the future. They can search through various jobs with filters and streamline their job hunting process by getting all the information on one page within the platform.

Featured Jobs

Highlighting the most important and sought-after jobs within the event with a “featured” banner is another great addition to any virtual job fair. Recruiters can select a couple of jobs from their booth as featured so that they’re highlighted and become more visible to attendees. These jobs will always stay on top of the job lists and attendees will be more likely to apply to them.

Networking Features

Virtual events have to have innovative features to provide attendees with the right tools for networking. Networking features like Spatial Connect, multiple chat options, roundtables, and smart matchmaking can be fantastic ways to get the ball rolling. They facilitate attendees to start communicating with each other and with the exhibitors in a much more natural way and setting. Here are some additional networking features that can help:

Job Seeker & Candidate Percentage Match

With so many options, it can be difficult to manually sift through job openings or search for the right candidate if you’re hiring. Smart matchmaking features can help you get to the right person and the right job quickly and much more efficiently. 

A percentage match feature allows attendees to answer a few questions at the time of signing up for the event. Later, these answers are mapped to each other to match candidates and job seekers that are most compatible based on a percentage. Attendees can see the percentage of their compatibility right in the chat so they know the likeliness of finding the right person to connect with.

Meeting Scheduler

Booth reps looking for candidates to shortlist should be able to book an interview with them easily. A meeting scheduler can help them set it up quickly through the list of candidates in the job listing module. If they find someone they would like to talk to, all they need is a few clicks to book a meeting.

Chat Queueing for Exhibitors

Exhibitors can be the busiest people at a virtual job fair. They have to talk to all the candidates visiting their booth, answer questions, and also manage all their appointments. Chat queueing features within the event platform can help exhibitors plan it all out. They can add potential candidates to a waiting line so they know how long it will take and how many people are ahead of them in the queue.  

Data and Reporting

Detailed live reports and analytics provide insights into the attendee behavior for both the host and exhibitors. With this data, you can measure your event’s impact. It allows you to get a clear picture of which aspects of the event were successful, helping you improve future events. 

Stellar Customer Support 

Customer support can make or break many event platforms. Tech support throughout the event and a dedicated project manager can help you relax through the event live days. The vFairs platform is known for its best-in-class customer service and our clients love that about it. You can read the stellar reviews about vFairs on G2 and Capterra to know more.

Gamification

To boost attendee participation and interest, you can gamify the virtual job fair. This includes trivia questions, arranging for scavenger hunts that lead attendees across the platform, and leaderboards to incentivize your participants to engage further with the event.

Webinars 

The virtual event platform allows you to host live, semi-live or pre-recorded webinars. Hosts or employers can conduct these sessions, which is a fantastic opportunity in itself to connect with potential employees. With live Q&A sessions and polls, you can elevate your attendees’ experience beyond just a dull webinar. Employers can take this opportunity to promote their organizational values, company culture, and growth opportunities. 

Customized Booths 

Your exhibitors can fully customize and brand their booths with their logos, banners, and custom graphics. Additionally, the avatars present in the virtual booths are customizable. This helps organizations present themselves as ethnically diverse to incoming attendees helping them feel comfortable.

Accessibility

Adding accessibility features to your virtual job fair makes sure that you can cater to every audience member. The vFairs platform offers great accessibility features that include visual aids, sign language integrations, subtitles, color contrast, text size adjustments, etc. Some other accessibility features to consider adding to your job fair are:

• Screen Reader
• Video Transcription
• Live Webinar Translations
• Live Captioning

Other Virtual Job Fair Must-Haves 

Apart from the most important virtual event platform features, there is a lot more to look for in a virtual job fair. Here are some other add-ons and secondary features to look for in an event platform that can level up your event.

Event Marketing Tools 

What is the use of organizing a stellar virtual job fair when you don’t send out the message loud and clear? 

Automated and AI-powered email builder tools allow you to send customized, timely, and relevant emails to your audience – that too within seconds. You can send reminders and announcements if the audience has 

• registered and hasn’t logged in;
• logged in and there are some updates;

The organizer can also send post-event emails targeting various audience segments. They can send emails to those who 

• logged into the event: they will receive an automated thank you message; 
• registered but didn’t log in: they can get useful resources and takeaways from the event;

AI-powered marketing tools can also help you create other marketing collateral like press releases, social media posts, landing page content, etc. In just a few minutes, your entire marketing collateral and campaign content can be ready.

Content

Employers can add relevant content to their booths. These can be videos, documents, or other resources. Additionally, photo galleries, presentations, and job descriptions can also be easily added. 

Job seekers, on the other hand, can add these resources, videos, and documents alike to a virtual ‘swag bag’ and email them so they can view them at their own convenience.

Third-Party Integrations

Event platforms can also offer third-party integrations to add more value to your virtual job fair. For example, third-party integrations for vFairs can facilitate real-time language translations, adding social walls to your event, poster walls, trivia, audio and video calls, payment gateways, etc. Specifically for virtual job fairs, you can integrate with numerous Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like Zoho, BambooHR, or BreezyHR. These seamless integrations can help you make your event an even more impressive and interactive experience for all.

Easy-to-Use Interface

Setting up a virtual job fair shouldn’t be as hard as setting up an in-person event. Therefore, it is important to look for virtual event platforms that have user-friendly interfaces and are easy to set up. You don’t want to spend most of your time adjusting the settings and talking to customer support even if it is your first time. 

Moreover, pre-event attendee and exhibitor training can also be a great way to understand the platform better. The vFairs team offers training sessions for exhibitors and event organizers to make the initial event setup seamless.

Multilingual Support 

Ensure a comfortable environment for your attendees joining in from different countries and speaking different languages. Virtual job fairs that support multilingual support and translations in various languages can create a favorable experience for attendees. 

Customization Options

Virtual event platforms should also offer vast customization options for event environments, sponsorship placements, exhibit halls, and individual booth designs. A completely whitelisted event with customizable branding colors, logo placements, and 3D environment can truly set your virtual job fair apart from the competition. 

Chapter 4: Attending Virtual Job Fairs 

Virtual job fairs are still relatively new but it is beyond doubt that they are here to stay. People looking for job opportunities should familiarize themselves with the new tech and be ready for the change. This section will discuss everything you need to know before you attend a virtual job fair.

How To Find Virtual Job Fairs 

Virtual job fairs don’t have a physical venue so you likely won’t find physical marketing collateral like brochures or posters about them. However, there are many ways to find out which events are happening around you and which job fairs you should attend. 

1. Join Online Communities

The best part about virtual job fairs is that most of them are looking for global audiences. So, no matter where you are, make sure you are part of relevant online recruitment communities on Slack, Reddit, Indeed, etc to get the latest information.

2. Scan Company Websites

If you are interested in a particular company or industry, then your search for virtual job fairs can be a lot easier. The best thing to do is to make a list of company websites that you can consider working for and then check their websites regularly. 

3. Sign Up for Emails

Recruitment agencies often have a newsletter with the latest job postings, announcements, and news. Signing up can be as easy as providing your email account. Make sure you put in an email ID that you check regularly so you don’t miss anything.

4. Search Through Event Listing Platforms

Event listing platforms can help you discover all kinds of in-person and online events happening. They list down all the important information like dates, venue (for in-person), agenda, etc on an exclusive event page. You can search through these platforms for upcoming events that match your interests and book tickets online.  

5. Follow Social Media Platforms

It is also important to follow all social media platforms for any company that you want to apply to a job for. Whenever they are participating in a job fair, posting on social media can be the first thing they do to announce it. 

How To Prepare For A Virtual Job Fair

You can connect with employers in a virtual space from the comfort of your home. But how do you make the best impression? How do you benefit from a virtual job fair and maximize your opportunities? Prepping for virtual job fairs is something people have on top of their minds and here are some great tips to stay ahead.

1. Research Which Employers Will Be Present

Before signing up, make sure you know which employers will be present. It’s always best to browse through their career page. See other job descriptions and what are some of the skills they might be looking for. You can also browse current employee profiles to see the kind of personnel they have and how you might fit within them.

You can always note down some questions to add to the discussion. Perhaps you’d like some career advice or guidance they could assist you with. This will also break the ice and create room for more discussion.

2. Polish Your CV

This virtual job fair tip is one you cannot do without! Your CV has to be ready for sending whenever you need it. Thus, make sure it is up-to-date and tailored to the position you are applying for. Do away with any irrelevant information. A CV should provide the best glimpse of your profile. Ideally, it should fit into a single page.

When you are registering for a virtual event, chances are they will ask you to submit your CV there and then. Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Make sure all dates, GPA, and certifications are correct as well.

3. Practice Your Pitch

You need to tell the interviewer why you are perfect for the role. So, much like an in-person interview, you need to have the best pitch that will set you apart. The more rehearsed you are for it, the better chances you have. So, make sure that you list down all the reasons why you can be a great resource and sound confident while you’re doing it. 

4. Follow Up

Sometimes employers take some time to follow up. You can always take the first step and thank them for their time and send your CV once more for their reference. If 2 days have elapsed, you can safely write to them expressing your continued interest. This shows that you are passionate and motivated for the role. 

You can also connect with people over professional platforms such as LinkedIn. This way you are creating a network and making sure they remember you!

5. Take Time Out to Network

One of the best takeaways from a virtual job fair could be the expansion of your professional network with the right people from your industry. So, don’t just attend to give interviews and apply for jobs. Make sure you set some time out for attending webinars, taking part in roundtable discussions, or simply chatting with attendees and booth reps. 

Getting Hired At Virtual Job Fairs: Interview Tips

Virtual job fairs offer a much different interview experience than in-person job fairs. So, landing a job virtually may require a whole different set of skills to impress the interviewer.

If it is your first time attending a virtual job fair and you aren’t sure how to prepare for the interview, here are some tips.

1. Preparing For Interviews

You’re registered and your CV is polished. Now you need to prepare to speak to your potential employers. Research the employers and try to gauge their expectations in terms of what hat are they looking for in an employee. Secondly, look through employee profiles in similar roles on LinkedIn. This will help you understand what kind of skills you need to bring to the table.

Jot down some talking points you want to emphasize to elevate your position. Highlight your greatest strengths and achievements. Also, make sure to ask questions about the role or company. This will prove to the hiring managers that you researched their organization and have a keen interest in working with them.

2. Choose a Quiet Space

Before joining an interview or roundtable, make sure you set up in a quiet place with minimal distractions. Interruptions would not bode well for you during the interview process. Make sure your background is not too distracting either – you want the interviewer to be entirely focused on you.

Be sure this space has uninterrupted wifi. You do not want a situation where you are speaking and your internet connection drops. This can be very embarrassing and can eat into your scheduled time.

3. Test All Your Devices

Make sure your webcam, microphone, and speakers are all connected and working properly. Always have a backup situation in mind. If your internet connection is not reliable use a wifi dongle or your phone’s mobile hotspot. Virtual events are also mobile compatible and many organizers also opt for a mobile event app. Keep yourself logged in there should the need arise. Be prepared for any situation.

4. Dress to Impress

We all express ourselves in some way through our clothing. This does not mean we have to show all our colors in a workspace. Make sure not to dress too casually. Your hair must not be unkempt, and your clothes not wrinkled. Be sure to choose the appropriate work attire. No sweatshirts, jeans, or T-shirts. A semi-formal blazer is always a good choice over a collared shirt.

Proper dress trousers and dress shoes as well. Even if the interviewer can’t see you from above your waist. This will make you look professional as well as boost your confidence. If you look the part, you can play the part.

5. Turn the Camera On

Before going into a virtual interview, candidates should shake off their camera shyness. Not turning your camera on can look unprofessional and lower your chances of getting the job. The recruiter is most likely to forget what you said because they can’t put a face to the candidate’s name. Moreover, it is important to turn the camera on so you can impress the recruiter with your body language, posture, and eye contact.

6. Ask Questions

When the interviewer is done asking their questions, the ball is in your court. Make sure that you have at least two to three questions to ask them at the end of the interview. Instead of passing up on the chance to talk, you can ask them about the KPIs for the role, more about the company and its culture, or about the interviewer.

7. Conduct Yourself Professionally

Be sure to sit straight, maintain eye contact, and engage well with the person. Keep a pleasant disposition. You do not want to appear too serious, inattentive, or disinterested. Though these situations are always daunting, exude confidence. This will be easy to do if you are well prepared. 

Remember this is a virtual space, where professionalism can get blurred between the lines. So if an employer speaks to you over chat, refrain from using slang internet terms. You want to conduct yourself professionally no matter what.

How to be Successful in a Virtual Job Fair? Bonus Tips

If you want to succeed at a virtual job fair, you have to make the extra effort and go the extra mile. Here are some more things that can set you up for success:

1. Keep Distractions Away

Before you enter the virtual event platform, make sure to distance yourself from any and all distractions. It could be a window, a TV, the door, your family, or your phone. During the time of the event, the only thing that should have your entire focus is the event platform itself.

2. Use the Gamification Features

Back-to-back interviews can be daunting and also tiresome. Many virtual job fairs have gamification tools like trivia, spin the wheel, scavenger hunt, etc. These features can be a great way to take a break from the nerve-wracking process of finding employment. 

3. Browse Other Booths

Perhaps you have time on your hands after all your scheduled calls. There is no harm in exploring other exhibitors in the virtual exhibit hall as well. Cast your net wide, and dive into any opportunities you get. Learn more about the options available to you.

4. Take Notes

Make sure to take notes during calls, gain contact information, or any other ideas employers share with you. These will be useful later for them. Always try to mention something within the interview that you promise to share with them after the call. This helps in your follow-up communications. Rather than simply contacting them to thank them for their time, you’re creating space to add more valuable information as to why you should be hired.

5. Explore Training Opportunities

Sometimes virtual fairs also provide training opportunities with certifications. Don’t miss out on these chances to increase your skill sets, and also showcase your motivation to employers.

Your Virtual Job Fair: Key Takeaways

Virtual recruitment looks like it’s here to stay. Virtual job fairs increase attendance bringing a global pool of candidates to your organization. However, you won’t be able to execute a successful event without a rock-solid event promotion strategy. Be sure to invest some time spreading the word with compelling content and through channels popular among your target audience.

As the world continues to adopt a remote working culture, virtual job fairs can continue to be an essential part of an organization’s hiring strategies. Your event’s success will heavily depend on the platform you opt for. 

So, do your research and ask questions to get a complete understanding of the platform from your virtual event provider. Set realistic and achievable milestones in your journey to setting up your virtual platform and hosting your event. Leverage specialized features like job boards, featured jobs, and resume filters of the platform. Measure data in real-time and analyze attendee behavior post-event to learn and modify future events.

We are the #1 rated event management platform on G2 and can help you host an epic virtual job fair. If you want more information on the vFairs virtual job fair platform, you can get in touch with us by booking a demo.

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