by wbadminTop Rated Virtual Event Software Platforms of 2021
Focus on Virtual Events in 2020.
Due to the spreading of deadly corona virus across the globe, in-person events have been a huge no-no leading to a steep rise in virtual events. But often the question arises on what exactly is a virtual event? The answer to which is simple- it is an event quite similar to an in-person one but the difference here is a virtual event is conducted online via online platform. People turn up at a particular time, dress up according to the event, listen to the speaker, interact with each other, all of this takes place, but not at a physical location but from the comfort of their homes.
The meaning of Virtual event platform
Virtual event platform is a tool or a software which allows you to conduct an event similar to in-person event, but it is online through internet. It enables multiple speakers and allows the event to be recorded. This is different from the usual software like zoom and go-to meeting as these platforms are designed for smaller groups in order to conduct intimate events. Additionally, many other tools and features are provided to the users to make it a more formal.
Things you can do with a virtual event platform
Audience Chats: You can select a virtual chat box where the attendees can interact with each other. It also allows the audience to interact with the speaker or the host which increasing the interactive nature of the platform.
Audience Poll: You can keep your audience engaged by using the feature of audience poll. It is a way of asking questions to the audience digitally. These polls can be conducted before, during or after the presentation.
Live Streaming: The best virtual platforms allow you to stream your event through social media and YouTube. By streaming it live on various social media platforms, you can increase your reach to a very large audience, which most of the brands want ideally.
Q&A Sessions: A Q&A session is a great way to engage your audience and interact with them. An event platform will have an integrated Q&A system where the host will ask a few questions at specific times during the event.
Breakout Sessions: These are small interactive sessions conducted during an event. It allows the audience to participate themselves in the event which is very important as often people might feel left out in virtual events. These sessions allow audience to indulge themselves with the host or the speaker which helps to build a good rapport.
Event Marketing: It is important to promote your event as much as possible to gain a large number of audience. The software must include some marketing tools such as collecting email-ids of participants and sending them timely reminders, offers, itinerary and schedules. They should also help with the promotion of the event on social media.
Free Handouts: Handouts or takeaways are available in plenty at these types of events, especially business events. The handouts include schedules, lesson materials, sales pitches and discount coupons. Make sure your software enables you to provide these kinds of coupons online to your audience.
Five Top-Rated virtual event platforms of 2020
1.BigMarker:
Bigmarker is one of the top most platforms for hosting virtual events. Some of the major brands like Google and Panasonic use Bookmarker. It is useful for both, small events as well as events which include thousands of participants.
They allow users to add logos and company colors in their digital gatherings which helps to increase brand awareness. They also have an amazing marketing setup, mainly through emails. The key point is Bookmarker is a browser-based platform which means the users do not have to worry about downloading an additional software.
Key Features:
- Landing Pages
- Interactive in-between sessions
- Social Media and YouTube streaming
- Audience Handouts
- Amazing Marketing Setup
Price: $79-$299 monthly
GotoWebinar:
GotoWebinar is another popular platform which allows you to promote or host digital gatherings. It is very useful to host large virtual events as it can host more than two thousand participants very easily. It has engagement properties such as screen sharing, custom branding options and much more.
If you are looking to increase your reach, you can use GotoStage, which is a GotoWebinar feed. It promotes your webinar to an audience of millions and hence an amazing software to increase your reach. GotoWebinar also enables you to review your event through analytics on its dashboard after the event.
Key Features:
- Customized Branding
- Recording of the Event
- Polls and Surveys
- Review Analytics
Pricing: $49-$399 monthly
HeySummit:
HeySummit is an amazing platform for people not so comfortable with technology as it is very easy to use. It allows users to make dynamic landing pages easily which helps the participants to choose the session that interests them the most. It has a speaker dashboard which helps the speaker to add their own bio and social media links to their event profiles which helps to save time. After the event, you can analyze your event through detailed data analytics. The only drawback here is you must integrate HeySummit with Zoom or Bookmarker.
Key Features:
- Landing Pages
- Live and Recorded Sessions
- Speaker Dashboards
- Review and Analytics
Pricing: $29-$291 monthly
Hopin:
It is an event platform which allows streaming of webinars and events. But it is also popular in engaging with audience through reception, stage, sessions etc. Hopin allows users to host and manage live events for an audience as huge as hundred thousand. It provides basic features like chats and polls but its standout feature is the simplicity of event schedule tool. The drawback of this software is the event span is for maximum 72 hours, hence any rehearsal before the main event requires additional resources and cost.
Key Features:
- Sessions with chat and polls
- Customizable and branding options
- Simple event schedule tool
Pricing: $99 per month
SpotMe
SpotMe offers its users the opportunity to create live and on-demand events. It provides a good interaction between the host and the participants. It is a high volume, all-in-one event platform that allows users to create and broadcast events, webinars, trainings and other various engagement methods.
SpotMe assists its users throughout the event, including speaker orientation, live streaming, live interpretation, assistance in designing and building campaigns. It is also a very simple and user friendly software which does not require knowledge of complicated tools. The only drawback is that the pricing is quite high when compared to other software.
Key Features:
- Simple user interface
- Add-ons available to assist various production aspects.
Virtual Events are the Key thing
Virtual Events are the way to move forward. It allows your brand to reach to a large number of audience and hence increases your brand value. They allow your company to reach and interact with the target audience while maintaining social distance. Virtual events are here to stay, it’s time you hop on the bandwagon!
Media Mavericks has the expertise to execute such virtual events that will help your company get an edge over others. With the widespread use of this medium, we assure you excellent results.