[Infographic] Virtual Event Trends & Opportunities

Event Trends

October 15, 2020

The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way event organizers plan, run and measure the success of meetings and conferences. Here are some insights on what attendees expect and how event planners are adjusting to meet the challenge.

Virtual events trends and stats:

Unsurprisingly, Google searches for “virtual event” and “virtual conference” have steadily increased in the US and Canada since COVID-19 struck in early March.

However, it turns out that virtual events were popular even before the pandemic:

42% of organizations were already running virtual events in 2019 (Source: Wild Apricot 2020 Virtual Event Report)
When survey respondents were asked whether or not they think that in the future all live events will have a virtual dimension, 50.7% said yes. (Source: 614 Group)

PROS AND CONS of Virtual events

While virtual events are less expensive to run…

84% of organizations who have run virtual events reported that they spent less on virtual events than in-person ones. (Source: Wild Apricot 2020 Virtual Event Report)

… attendees find them easier to skip out on.

Virtual marketing events see an attendance rate of just 44% (Source: Digital Journal Group)

But the good news is:

Just over three-quarters (75.4 percent) of event planners report that attendees gave the same or very similar evaluation scores to the virtual conference as to a comparable place-based event. (Source: Tagoras Virtual Conferences Report)

Before COVID, people attended business events to stay informed and connect with others:

67.9% Learn about the latest developments in the industry
64.4% Meet new business prospects and generate leads
56.3% Spend quality time with current clients
44% Socialize with peers
37.6% Close deals
37.6% Market their company

(Source: 614 Group)

Education and networking are no less important in a virtual environment, but people expect to be entertained as well. When asked to rate their interest (out of 10), attendees ranked these virtual event features most highly:

8.29 Raffles or giveaways
7.34 Live Q&A with presenters/speakers
6.35 One on one networking based on job function, interests, etc.
6.06 Live chat with product and/or service providers
5.49 Virtual networking with peers (e.g. happy hours)

(Source: Covalent Careers)

VIRTUAL EVENT PLANNER STRATEGY

What are event managers charging for virtual event tickets?

6% said more than what they charge for in-person events
9% said the same
12% said slightly less
23% said much less
27% said all their events are free
29% said they charged for in-person events, but won’t charge for virtual events

(Source: Wild Apricot 2020 Virtual Event Report )

How long are event managers running virtual conferences for?

25.7% Less than one day
22.9% One to one and a half days
11.4% More than one and a half to two days

(Source: Tagoras Virtual Conferences Report)

What kind of experiences are virtual event organizers offering attendees?

A majority of the organizations that have hosted a virtual conference offered the following features:

Live sessions delivered in real time (87.7 percent)
Archived recordings after the virtual conference ends (76.7 percent)
Real-time text communication between participants (69.9 percent)

Discussion boards, pre-recorded sessions with on-demand playback, and a virtual exhibit hall were offered less frequently.

(Source: Tagoras Virtual Conferences Report)

How can virtual event managers maximize attendance?

When compared to attendance at in-person events:

70% of virtual event planners said they had “many more” attendees with a guest speaker.
57% of organizations who had “many more” attendees reported that they ran a panel discussion.

(Source: Wild Apricot 2020 Virtual Event Report )

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The vast majority of organizations hosting virtual events are charging less than they would for an in-person event.

In-person and virtual attendees alike are motivated by making new connections and generating leads for their business. Brands running online events will have to actively encourage networking in a virtual environment.

Guest speakers and panel discussions will help you maximize attendance at your next virtual event.

Run your next virtual event with Attendease! Contact our team to see how it works!

How To Find The Perfect Speaker for Your Event

Event Management News

October 8, 2020

Speakers can easily make or break an event. If you have a presenter who doesn’t understand who they’re talking to, or who can’t keep the audience’s attention, you’re wasting everyone’s time (and possibly their money).

Conversely, if you have a speaker who has a compelling topic and knows how to deliver it with clear takeaways, you’ll have a happy crowd who will leave positive reviews for your event, and tell others.

While big-name keynote speakers tend to attract registrants and attendees, sometimes it’s the lesser-known subject matter experts or people who have personal stories to share that deliver the most memorable presentations.

Regardless of your budget, you will be investing a lot of time into researching, recruiting, marketing and communicating with your event speakers, and trusting that they will deliver a great experience to your attendees – so finding the right person for the job is critical.

How (and where) can you find the perfect event speaker? Here are a few guidelines to get you started.

Look for customer reviews

As any psychological scientist will tell you, one of the best predictors of future behavior is past behavior.

When you’re evaluating a speaker, it’s helpful to review the feedback of event planners who they’ve worked with in the past, and audience members who have previously attended their presentations.

Whether you’re on a speaker’s website or looking through a speaker directory, keep an eye out for positive quotes and testimonials from former audience members and event planners (the more, the better!)

Look for attention to detail

When a speaker lists their expertise in very general themes like “technology” or “business,” it can be difficult to understand exactly what they will be talking about, or what your audience will take away from attending their presentation.

Ideally, you want a speaker who arms attendees with helpful frameworks or new ways of thinking about a problem or opportunity.

Look for speakers who not only list core topics, but also include the following in their bios or program summaries:

Target Audience
Focus
Tools
Learning Objectives

If a speaker has included some – or all – of this information, you know they have put a lot of thought into what type of audience their talk benefits the most, and what they want the audience to learn.

Look for videos

It’s hard to tell what someone’s personality or charisma will be like on-stage (or on Zoom) just from reading their bio.

Fortunately, many professional speakers offer videos that you can watch to get a sense of their presentation style. https://www.youtube.com/embed/VFshvhzcCVw?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Feventupplanner.com

Here are popular types of videos to look out for:

Speaker/sizzle/demo reel: This is often a short, “best of” compilation video that captures a speaker’s key themes and shows what kind of energy they bring to their presentations. When watching a speaker reel, keep your eyes and ears peeled for how the audience reacts as well!
Long-form: Some speakers take a while to build up to a point, grow a rapport with the audience, or go in-depth on a particular topic. If you want to know whether a speaker can hold an audience’s attention for more than 30 minutes, you’ll want to watch a long-form video of one of their past presentations.
Interview: If you’re looking for a speaker to join a panel, keep an eye out for any interviews they may have recorded. This will give you a good sense of how the speaker answers questions and how they will interact with your moderator.

Look for speaker accreditation

Speakers who are serious about their craft often go through rigorous training programs to demonstrate their dedication and professionalism.

Here are a few awards or certifications to look for when you are evaluating a speaker for your next event:

CSP – Certified Speaking Professional

Members of the NSA (National Speakers Association) can apply for a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation, which only 17% of members currently hold. And it’s no wonder. One of the qualification requirements for CSP applicants is that they must have documentation of 250 paid presentations – minimum. If you’re looking for an experienced speaker, look no further.

CPAE – Council of Peers Award for Excellence

If you’re searching for an all-star speaker at the top of their game, look for someone who has won a CPAE. Only five of these highly talented individuals are inducted into the NSA Hall of Fame each year, based on the following categories: message, presentation/delivery, experience, professionalism and collateral material.

PCC – Professional Certified Coach

To become a PCC (Professional Certified Coach), applicants must go through the ICF (International Coaching Federation) and complete at least 125 hours of training, and have at least 500 hours of coaching experience. You can trust a speaker with a PCC designation to deliver a motivational or inspirational presentation.

TED

Short for “Technology, Entertainment and Design,” the TED conference is widely respected for attracting top speaking talent that leaves a lasting impression on audiences. TED speakers are often highly accomplished innovators and master storytellers.

Where to find qualified speakers online

You can, of course, do a general Google or LinkedIn search for an event speaker. But there are a few online directories that make it easy to search for speakers using filters like location, fees, and availability.

Here are a few that you may find helpful:

As you browse through the options, we hope you use the guidelines we provided to help narrow down your search and find the perfect event speaker.

Create a Call for Speakers on your event website

Consider adding a Call for Speakers on your event website, to attract applications of people interested in speaking at your event. Event management platforms, like Attendease, give you the power to create the speaker’s application and automate the process, so you can easily approve or reject applications, and simplify the process of gathering speaker data, such as bio and photos.

With these tips in hand, we hope your next speaker roster is a success!

How Four Major Global Events Pivoted from In-Person to Virtual

Event Management News

September 28, 2020

The novel coronavirus outbreak has had a significant impact on the events industry, from venues and vendors to speakers and sponsors.

As Roland Swenson, SXSW CEO & Co-Founder put it, “Today we find ourselves contending with what it’s like to adjust to a new normal that is anything but. We feel great sympathy for all affected by COVID-19 and the ripple effects this global pandemic has caused.”

Highly anticipated in-person events like South By Southwest and Dreamforce have been canceled for 2020, leaving event planners scrambling to come up with online alternatives that can entertain and educate thousands of attendees, and grappling with questions like:

How do you replicate the serendipity of networking online?
How do you get people on different continents to participate in discussions?
How do you turn a speaker’s spare room into a stage?

As abrupt as it was, the shift to virtual programming hasn’t been all bad news for event managers; as HubSpot has shared, “Being online allows us to invite more people to be part of the INBOUND community. With travel costs eliminated we can reach attendees all around the globe. We can offer translated content in multiple languages and schedule sessions and experiences across time zones.”

Jessica Lessin, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Information, agrees: “For comparison, last year’s WTF conference took place in New York with fewer than 200 people squeezed into a venue in Times Square. This year, over two days, we drew more than twice as many speakers and more than twice the number of attendees. From a business point of view, we made more money as well—greater revenue and far lower costs.”

Want to learn how event planners are adjusting — and even thriving — in this “new normal”? Here is an overview of how several companies are rising to the challenge.

SXSW (Austin, Texas – March 13-22)

Typical attendance number: 400,000

SXSW is a major film, music and tech event held every year in downtown Austin, Texas for the last 34 years. The festival is known for its interactive programming, after parties and brand activations. This year, the city of Austin canceled SXSW the week before it was supposed to begin.

What SXSW did to adjust

Rather than let all their hard work go to waste, the event planners behind SXSW launched a weekly series called SXSW Sessions Online, where the speakers who would have appeared at the festival in March can still deliver their presentations, and attendees can participate through a live Q&A.

SXSW typically has a strict no-refunds policy, but due to the unprecedented situation, they offered 2020 registrants badge deferral to the next three years of the festival, or 50% off a future walk-up rate ticket until 2023.

Offering brand new speaker content to anyone who might want to watch, and showing leniency to 2020 badge holders is a great way for the event organizers to build goodwill while they rebuild the event for next year.

Collision (Toronto, Canada – June 23-25)

Typical attendance number: 32,000

Collision is a three-day tech conference that has been running for the past five years, attracting top tier speakers and well-known vendors to its stages and exhibit hall. Collision announced in March that it would be transitioning the conference at the Enercare Centre in Toronto into an at-home experience.

What Collision did to adjust

Since innovation is at the core of Collision, it makes sense that the event organizers would lean on technology to transition the in-person summit into an interactive virtual gathering. In June, they launched “Collision from Home” a two-screen experience combining a desktop web app and a mobile app.

With the mobile app, attendees could build a profile, schedule workshops, talks and meetings, connect ahead of the conference with entrepreneurs, startups and investors, and stream five channels while on the go. With the web app, attendees could watch 100+ hours of talks, interviews and keynotes from more than 450 speakers. They could also participate in 3-minute networking sessions and small group discussions.

With this two-step approach, Collision created a rich conference experience with plenty of room for attendees to form new connections with each other. https://www.youtube.com/embed/W22JVLwhVyE?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Feventupplanner.com

Burning Man (Black Rock City, NV – August 30 – September 6)

Typical attendance number: 78,000

Burning Man is not your typical corporate gathering. Since 1986, this “experiment in community” has been drawing increasingly large crowds to the Nevada desert every year, where attendees build their own tent cities and wander the grounds until sunrise admiring temporary, large-scale art installations.

Personal connections, DJ sets, spontaneity and radical giving are at the heart of what Burning Man stands for, so when the festival was forced to go fully digital this year, all eyes were on the event organizers.

What Burning Man did to adjust

At first, Burning Man’s CTO Steven Blumenfeld wanted to turn the experience of the physical event into a 3D VR world, but he quickly realized he didn’t have the time or resources to do so, and that he wanted the fully interactive Burning Man experience to be accessible via smartphone and computer.

Instead, he found independent groups of volunteer developers who wanted to build their own online versions of Burning Man. These became eight official “recognized universes” – blending virtual reality, social layers, video chat, and 3D environments using Second Life technology.

Similar to the real world, attendees were invited to add their own digital camp or art installation to the online version of Burning Man, or leave a viewable offering in a virtual temple (the “Ethereal Empyrean Experience”).

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Burning Man’s transition to digital is that it’s impossible to completely replicate an in-person event by hosting it online. As a TechCrunch reporter Lucas Matney explains it, “While the apps hope to bring elements of the physical event into their virtual spaces, the creators also seem to realize that aiming to compete with attendees’ past memories is unwise.”

Instead, event planners should take advantage of the flexibility of virtual platforms and focus on creating all-new experiences for attendees.

INBOUND (Boston, MA – September 22-23)

Typical attendance number: 25,000

For the past nine years, HubSpot’s INBOUND event has been an in-person, three-day conference for sales and marketing professionals, bringing individuals and teams from across the globe together to attend keynotes, breakout sessions, networking lunches, creative activations, after parties and musical performances from major acts. In May, HubSpot announced that it would be transforming INBOUND into a two-day, virtual experience.

What INBOUND is doing to adjust

The event planners at HubSpot worked to combine the Spotlight, Breakout, and Deep Dive speaker sessions that attendees have enjoyed in the past with new virtual programming, including:

Debates, where two speakers select a topic and pick sides on it
Audio-Only sessions, so people can take a visual break from the screen
Speaker Office Hours, for 1:1 mentorship
Mindfulness sessions, so people can take a mental break during the day
International-friendly Time Zone-based speaker sessions

They also welcomed input and feedback from registrants via a Facebook group and an Advisory Committee.

INBOUND has long been known as a conference where attendees and speakers can connect and share experiences together, and we look forward to seeing how else they encourage these interactions to take place online.

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Conclusion

As you can see, pivoting to virtual can be more than simply having your speakers available on a live streaming session. Think about ways to make the virtual experience just as exciting as the in-person one for all the right reasons: great user experience, different types of session formats, ability to network, attendee interaction, on-demand availability — are just some of the things you can consider for your next online event.

Having the right technology to power your virtual event is also something to consider. If you are in the hunt for event tech to support your new demands, talk to our team to see how Attendease can help you bring your virtual events to life!

5 Brilliant Categories for Event Tech Awards at Attendease 2020

Event Management News

September 16, 2020

We are pleased to announce that Attendease has been shortlisted for five categories under the Event Tech Awards 2020. The Event Tech Awards recognizes the achievement of companies delivering outstanding digital and technological solutions to the events industry and it takes place in London, each year. Here are the categories in which Attendease has been nominated to this year:

Best Visitor Registration Technology
Best Event Management Platform
Best Hybrid Event or Live Streaming Solution
Best Conference Technology
Best Event App

This is the 8th edition of the Awards and it’s the most important recognition awards in the event industry. Attendease has won Best Event Website/ Mobile Site in 2016 and Best Attendee Management Technology in 2019.

The event Tech Awards Ceremony is part of the Event Tech Live – the world’s leading event tech expo. This year’s event will be hybrid, so attendees from around the globe can attend the virtual event that happens from November 2nd – 5th 2020.

According to the Event Tech Live website, “the new-look virtual element will extend and accelerate those processes by stretching the canvas beyond traditional opening times and extending its geography from East London to everywhere. Its visitors are composed of event organisers, promoters, managers, venues, agencies and brands that are looking for fresh tech to take their events to the next level”.

Want to learn more about Attendease? Contact our team to book a demo!

Attendease Wins Best Attendee Management Tech at #ETL19

Event Management News

November 9, 2019

We are pleased to announce that Attendease has been nominated for two categories under the Event Tech Awards 2019: Best Event Management Platform, and Best Attendee Management Technology, and we are taking a trophy home!

The awards are now in their seventh year and it’s the most important recognition awards in the event industry.The Event Tech Awards recognizes the achievement of companies delivering outstanding digital and technological solutions to the events industry and it takes place in London, each year. This is not Attendease’s first rodeo tho, in 2016 we won the awards for Best Event Website/ Mobile Site. #GoTeam!

CEO Todd Heintz receiving the Event Tech Awards 2019 for Attendease

Want to learn more about Attendease? Contact our team to book a demo!

New Features: Attendee Applications

Event Management News

April 9, 2019

Attendee Applications

There are certain exclusive events that require attendees to be vetted. Whether these events are internal, invite only, or simply have a limited capacity, there are times when you need an application process. We recently released an attendee application process.

With the new attendee application experience you can build an application form, add it to a page on your event website, and then set default messaging for approvals and rejections (as well as identify who should be notified when new applications are submitted).

Once you begin receiving applications you’re able to review each of the submissions and approve or reject them. Approved attendees can be sent a private invite or registration code to gain access to registration. Alternately, you can choose to upload and auto register approved applicants.

Attendee Matching by Group

You are likely familiar with our Attendee Matching feature which allows you to send email blasts to all registered attendees, to all checked-in attendees, or to a specific group of pass holders. We have just released an enhancement which will allow you to send email blasts to specific pricing groups.

Event Tech Awards 2018: Here We Go!

Event Management News

July 26, 2018

We are pleased to announce that Attendease has been shortlisted for two categories under the Event Tech Awards 2018: Best Event Management Platform, and Best Hybrid Event or Live Streaming Solution. The awards are now in their sixth year and will once again recognize the achievements of companies delivering digital and technological solutions to the events industry. The event will happen on November 7th, in London, when the winners will be announced. #FingersCrossed This is not Attendease’s first rodeo tho, in 2016 we won the awards for Best Event Website/ Mobile Site. #GoTeam!

Want to learn more about Attendease? Contact our team to book a demo!

New Features: It’s all about the Attendee experience!

Event Management News

July 12, 2018

At Attendease we are consistently listening to our customers and improving our platform. Here are some of the latest improvements we launched that you can start using right away!

Theme Colors
With theme colours you are able to determine the look and feel of your event websites with precision. Use the “Theme Color” section on the Site Settings screen to update your preferences. Immediately get an idea of what the selected colours will look like in the preview area.

Theme colours are prominently featured throughout your website.

Print/PDF button

Make it easy for your attendees to print a page by adding a “Print/PDF” button to your website. Add the button via the Heading block or on your event portal with the Event Listing block. Clicking the button will give the user detailed instructions on how to print or turn the page into a PDF.

Event Requests

Allow your registrants to request an event to be added to your organization’s Event Portal Calendar. Once approved and set up, event will be automatically created and added to the calendar.

Event and Organization Notes available
Let your colleagues know the important information by leaving a note directly in the Attendease Dashboard. Whether you want to share something with other Owners in the organization or if it’s related directly to a particular event, we’ve got you covered.

More enhancements and updates:

Improved functionality when uploading or editing images in Registration Form fields. It is now possible to both zoom and crop the image in the interface.
We’ve made it easier for your attendees to add your event and their scheduled sessions to their calendar by adding “Add-to-Calendar” options directly on their Attendee Profile
The Import Attendees feature now gives more detailed feedback when you upload and automatically register attendees.

We hope you enjoy these new features!

New Features: Attendee Updates & More

Event Management News

June 27, 2018

Isn’t technology great? Sometimes it feels like we are living in the future! Exciting new developments are always just around the corner. While driverless cars and pizza deliveries by drone are not yet available (to us mere mortals) there are some exciting updates from Attendease that are available today. You heard right – today!

Attendee upload & auto register

Attendease now supports uploading a .csv file with a list people who will be automatically registered for an event. Each attendee who has been uploaded receive an email to confirm their reservation and access the event website. Simply navigate to the Attendees screen in your event dashboard. Note that at the moment we are only supporting 3 registration fields: first name, last name, and email.

Replace or delete files uploaded during registration

We all make mistakes, that’s just human nature. So we decided to make it easier for your attendees to replace or delete files they uploaded during registration. Don’t love your profile photo? No problem. Have a new version of that PDF? Simple. Attendees can now login to your account and select the My Registration tab to replace or delete files.

Watch Now feature is available for Advanced Schedule

The “Watch now” feature allows you to host a video – recorded or live streamed – that is only accessible to registered users for a limited period of time. Registered attendees who schedule a session with Watch now enabled are automatically checked into the session when they access the video content. This allows you to easy produce a report which shows who accessed the content. This feature is now available with the Advanced Session Schedule block!

More Enhancements

We have also released a handful of additional enhancements, including:

Enable an additional step to verify a registrant’s email address
Embed content from Twitter on your event website.
Add a LinkedIn Insight Tag to your website

Want to manage events the smart way?

Schedule a free consultation to learn how Attendease can help you manage events more efficiently.

It’s Official! Attendease & Boomset Integration

Event Management News

May 24, 2018

The wait is over! We are proud to officially announce Attendease’s integration with Boomset, the award-winning on-site event tech provider. The integration provides a powerful solution to seamlessly create real-time efficiency with complete on-site automation for events.

The new integration creates a bilateral data flow for items such as registration, event management, custom questions, and session check-in information, enabling planners to better prepare, track, manage and report collected data through the entire event planning process. This integration is the most robust solution that Boomset currently offers to its customers, connecting numerous features available on Boomset directly into Attendease.

Event teams will access information in real time that will allow them to create a flawless event flow with vital data to strategically plan the next event or series of events. Using functionality like the session management feature, data automatically syncs on-site data from Boomset to Attendease, ideal for collecting registration and check-in information for a main event and sessions. Another core functionality of this integration includes the two-way synchronization feature, which eliminates the number of tools and manual tasks normally expected from planners and their event teams, such as merging multiple documents or manually fetching data. In addition, the event assessment feature ensures event demographics are easily accessible from event staff to attendees.

The integration supports pre-event logistics, on-site management, and post-event analysis through the use of the latest technologies in the industry. Event teams remain in sync with real-time updates as Attendease and Boomset communicate with each other to reduce the number of tools and manual tasks normally expected from event management teams. Everyone receives the information and attention needed for a well-rounded on-site event experience.

“We are pleased to partner with Boomset to continue providing our customers with the highest level of user experience when it comes to event marketing software. With Boomset, we continue to evolve our event management platform by offering seamless integration of collaboration tools and better data flow to corporate event teams,” said Todd Heintz, Chief Executive Officer of Attendease.

Kerem Baran, Chief Executive Officer of Boomset, added, “We are all excited about this upcoming partnership. I have always believed that integrations are the most crucial part of a successful start-up and Boomset has always acted as a trusted stakeholder with all of our partners. The Attendease team has been a delight to work with and we cannot wait to serve our mutual customers with cutting edge on-site features and the most exceptional customer support in the market.”

Want to know how you can take advantage of this new feature? Contact our team to learn more!