Data shows that virtual events are becoming more popular, and while many still believe that live events are the main way to promote a business, that might change in the near future: over 90% of event marketers plan to invest in them.
Successful businesses are already taking advantage of this, but what advantages do virtual events give?
Advantages of virtual events
The best examples of virtual events making a business explode in popularity are the ones related to the gaming industry and e-sports. BlizzCon, League of Legends World Championship, and Dota 2 The International are some of the biggest virtual events hosted every year. Statistics show that the attendance for these events increases every year, as virtual platforms provide an opportunity for a bigger audience to attend. While it did take a couple of years to see how powerful an impact virtual events can have on a business, today, companies have caught up.
Successful platforms for virtual events
While virtual event platforms may have been limited in the past, they now offer a broad range of features to suit a variety of businesses. The modern virtual event platform prioritizes high quality video and additional features to keep an audience engaged. Certain types of virtual events tend to stick to a certain batch of platforms. For e-sports, YouTube and Twitch are the most frequently used, but as businesses outside the world of gaming and music are adapting to virtual events, the range of platforms is growing.
Technological impacts on the future of virtual events
As virtual events are relatively new, people often wonder how they can improve, not only when it comes to ease of access, but also the engagement with the audience. Virtual reality has been around for a couple of years, but the technology is still considered expensive for the average user, which at the moment does not add to the revenue. It is believed that as soon as there is a breakthrough that will allow easier access to virtual reality equipment, hosting virtual events in an actual virtual world will open many doors and ideas to a business. Some businesses are already preparing for this type of virtual event, as they could well be the next big thing in the future.
At the moment, virtual events are focused on the type that people can access with their phone or computer. However, it is only a matter of time before these events evolve and become something bigger than we can imagine now.
