Discover five innovative virtual event ideas, from interactive cooking classes and charity awards to virtual speed networking and art exhibitions, showcasing the limitless possibilities with the right virtual event platform.
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When it comes to virtual event ideas, you’re only limited by your own imagination. You see, anything and everything is possible when you utilise the right virtual event platform.
According to Kaltura, 92% of organisers have shifted to virtual events in 2021, with 94% planning for virtual events this year, and 48% planning to increase the number of virtual events they host the year after.
So it’s never been more important to understand what is and isn’t possible with virtual events!
In this blog we’re going to be looking at 5 unique virtual event ideas that you might have had no idea were possible. Ideas that could very well change the way you look at virtual events overall.
Take virtual speed networking, for example. Events that were once limited to the real world but now roam free in an immersive online setting. We’ll be covering virtual speed networking in greater detail below, so stick with us.
Our goal here is to inspire you when coming up with your own virtual event ideas. And once again, hammer home the point that anything and everything is possible with the right virtual event platform.
One of the main reasons why so many brands are leveraging virtual events at the moment comes down to their versatility.
Virtual events are easier to scale, they’re accessible, and they’re also incredibly cost-effective compared to traditional face-to-face events. It’s no wonder marketers are dedicating a significant chunk of their budget to virtual events!
In terms of what is and isn’t possible with these events, it’s as we said, the only limit lies in your own imagination. Sure, there might be a few obstacles you’ll need to overcome in order to present the event in a virtual setting, but there will always be solutions.
Solutions that should be outlined by the virtual event provider you go with to bring your plans to life!
We get it.
It’s tough to picture what is and isn’t possible with virtual events without examples to help contextualise everything. This is why we’re highlighting 5 virtual event ideas. Again, to help inspire you.
Let’s not waste any more time and get right into it, starting with virtual cooking classes – classes that are sure to get your mouth watering!
Virtual cooking classes are different to the hundreds, if not thousands of food-oriented videos you’ll find on YouTube. It’s important that we make that distinction from the beginning as people tend to mix them up with virtual cooking classes.
No. Virtual cooking classes are a lot more interactive in comparison – inviting delegates to prepare and cook meals alongside an engaging host who guides them along the way.
Unlike in-person cooking classes, you aren’t limited by space. Meaning you can run this class with dozens of people if you want. A dozen is simply a suggestion too. There’s no limit to the number of people you can run this class for!
What’s more, with the right platform, you can also livestream these events directly for a much wider audience.
If you choose to livestream these events, we’d recommend you include live polling. Presenting questions like ‘who cooked the best dish?’ to your audience will only increase engagement.
Sure, the option is there to run these events on any standard conferencing platform. But it won’t be branded, and it won’t include any additional features that you’ve picked out yourself. This is why going with a custom virtual event platform is preferred.
Charity awards recognise the benefits provided to communities and society in general. They work perfectly in an online environment, either as an entirely virtual event or as a hybrid event where organisers offer somewhat of a blend between the two.
It goes without saying that virtual-only charity awards are more than beneficial to certain attendees. Awards being run on a digital platform ensure that everyone can attend the event despite having any physical limitations that might limit their ability to attend a face-to-face charity event.
This puts every attendee on an even playing field.
Increasing engagement at virtual charity awards is very easy to do when you gamify the event in some way too! Fully-customised games will keep the attention of your audience as the event rolls on. Trivia-based questions that appear as graphics, for example, are great for keeping your attendees engaged.
While we’re on the topic of gamification you might want to check out virtual photo booths. Photo booths are great at increasing engagement while giving attendees something to keep to remind them of the experience!
Planning this type of event is also a lot more simplified. For example, organisers could pre-record footage from winners or speakers ahead of time and present it as if it were live. We call this ‘as-live’ here at iVent.
We mentioned it at the top of the post but have yet to go into more detail.
Until now.
We’re of course referring to virtual speed networking – a way to connect people together in a much more comfortable space. Those that attend these events can take part pretty much wherever, just as long as they have access to the internet.
This is a lot more convenient for people who live very busy lives, and don’t have the time to take part in traditional speed networking events.
Virtual speed networking works in the same way it does normally. The only difference is there’s a screen in front of you. Essentially, attendees log on and are greeted by various other people in a rapid-fire-like format.
1-2-1 functionality makes this possible. The functionality you’ll find in various types of virtual events, such as virtual exhibitions and trade shows. Only, in this instance, it’s geared more towards dating. There are also breakout rooms that give attendees the opportunity to sit and chill with others in between speed networking rounds!
After the event, attendees simply log in and can see who matched with them. This is a lot more efficient for participants when you compare it to exchanging information the old fashioned way.
Are you ready to get started?
Practically every art gallery now has a virtual element at play, allowing attendees to experience art in various ways. Some virtual art exhibitions consist of various still images that attendees can navigate within a 360-degree environment.
Others make the virtual element an actual part of the art itself as a form of meta-commentary.
This is exactly what artist Philip Colbert did with his ‘LOBSTEROPOLIS CITY’ project. Colbert built an entire city for attendees to play around in, inviting visitors to create their own avatars and even build their own piece of the universe!
Virtual art exhibitions have proven to be very handy for university students looking to showcase their work too. Various universities now present student work this way as standard, mostly to allow friends, family, and any other interested parties, to check out the various works on display.
Virtual events having video functionality allow creatives to showcase their work completely unrestricted, as intended. Video can be implemented in a variety of ways, depending on the preferences of the artist or organiser.
Virtual workout sessions are quite similar to the virtual cooking classes we mentioned at the top of this virtual event ideas post. Similar in that there are a bunch of videos online that offer workout tips and classes, only virtual workout sessions are a lot more interactive.
Like food, variety is the spice of life for workout classes, with there being multiple types of classes that personal trainers and instructors can offer, either to an individual or a group.
The best example we can give here is Peloton, the workout bike brand that took the world by storm with its range of products and virtual workout sessions. Peloton’s virtual workout sessions are so popular A) because of their high production value, and B) because people can access them live and on-demand.
65.9% of event organisers make their virtual events available on-demand after the fact
– Markletic
Having an on-demand option will increase the effectiveness of your events. After all, not everyone can attend events as they’re happening live. On-demand allows them to view these events at their own leisure.
Which for virtual workout sessions is more than ideal. The ability to pick and choose different workouts to perform whenever, wherever, is great for establishing trust as it shows your audience that you’re willing to accommodate them.
Plus, with workout sessions, it’s highly likely that people will want to watch certain classes more than once anyway. So give them that option!
We might have come to the end of our 5 virtual event ideas list, but we’re not finished! Putting this list together had us feeling inspired, so much so that we actually noted down a bunch of additional event ideas.
Ideas that are still worth mentioning, if only to emphasise the versatility of virtual events overall! Here are more virtual event ideas to consider that you had no idea were possible:
Some of the event ideas we’ve just mentioned (escape rooms and murder mysteries) can actually be implemented into other events, serving as games to keep attendees engaged as the event rolls on. Similar to the virtual photo booths mentioned above.
These activities can be placed on any page within your event, as long as you’re choosing a virtual event platform capable of being customised from the ground up (like ours).
Out of the 5 virtual event ideas we covered, which surprised you the most?
Was it virtual speed networking? Or were you taken back by the idea of a virtual art exhibition? Either way, we hope you now understand the endless possibilities that come with running virtual events!
While the virtual events mentioned have differences, they all have one thing in common:
To run, they all require an optimised virtual event platform. One that is capable of handling hundreds of attendees if need be, and includes various additional features that help make the event a complete success!
This is where iVent enters the picture. We help you bring your virtual events to life, regardless of the market you operate in, what you’re hoping to achieve with your events, and who you’re hoping to run these events for.
Have a virtual event idea that you’d like to share with us? Get in touch. Our virtual event platform is fully customisable to meet your wants and needs. In other words, there’s no such thing as a bad virtual event idea.
If you believe in it, we want to hear it.
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