It’s no secret that conferences make for an important part of any professional schedule. With advanced technology and sophisticated online platforms available at your service, a virtual summit in the changing landscape is something that is encouraged by a number of pros, including Steve Liefschultz, to leverage its benefits.
Where some individuals continue to think that these do not make for a proper substitute to a one-on-one meeting with respective clients, a majority of organizations are attracted by benefits like cost-effectiveness.
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What is a Virtual Summit?
Want to stand out for your charming personality, your passion, and your creativity concurrently as you facilitate educational discussions, get involved with renowned organizations, and build your reputation? This is in crux what virtual summits stand for with their ability to unite the connectivity and convenience of internet to the value that conferences as educational opportunities provide.
Similar to the professional, in-person conferences, virtual summits are packed with interviews, sessions, panel discussions and, in certain cases, social media events regarding the subject matter. The difference is that their viewers are now entitled to access, interact, and be part of the discussions from their homes only as long as the person has an internet connection.
What are the Advantages?
There is no doubting the fact that they are here to stay. As stated above, both participants and organizers like their cost effectives and easy and engaging interaction. Other plus points to guarantee you’ll have audiences join you from around the world include:
- They can be attended by anyone, anywhere, and anytime
- Access to peers and necessary learning sessions provides instant feedback and so leads to decisions and deals successfully closing quickly
- Anyone attending the virtual summit does not has to hunt through multiple corridors and rooms for industry leaders but can have immediate networking
- They offer eco-friendly value compared to all the printed materials including brochures and give-aways that used to be trashed away as well as the travel conferences previously entailed
- They add up to give you accurate analytics, which a physical event might have a difficult time to provide for; which resources were downloaded, which sessions were watched, etc.
It might not prove such a great idea if your (extrovert) peers prefer face-to-face networking to online events, if they can’t get up and attend one because they lack personal motivation that paying for and travelling to the place of commitment, for instance, brings or are easily distracted by other opportunities.
So how do you make the most of these experiences?
Tips for a Great Virtual Summit
One report claims that virtual events will see a 56% growth during the 2012-2015 period. That’s good enough for Steve Liefschultz to support the following:
- Start with a conference strategy; validate the need for it; consider too the hosting platform (e.g. 3D-VirtualEvents, Intercall, Communique Conferencing) you want to go with
- Avoid technical glitches and other mistakes by preparing the content in advance and editing it to keep it interesting
- Market it; a more through and aggressive campaign would be possible if you’re not troubled by logistics, space limitations, or per-person costs
- Ensure it allows people to interact and network with whomever they like
Do you agree? Let us know below.
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