With the rapid increase in the popularity of virtual events, virtual exhibitions have also become a common sight. Given its rapid growth, we are sure you must want to know more about it. This article consists of all that you need to know about virtual exhibitions.
What is a Virtual Exhibition?
An online or virtual exhibition is an exhibition that is held online with the help of online event platforms. Virtual exhibitions are a great way to allow the attendees to attend the event from the comfort of their homes. A virtual exhibition is almost similar to a physical exhibition except for the mode of hosting it. In addition to this, virtual exhibitions cost way less than physical events.
Why should you consider Hosting a Virtual Exhibition?
The rising popularity of virtual exhibitions is not a mere factor of luck but is purely due to its advantages over physical events. Let us have a look at the key benefits of virtual exhibitions.
Highly Accessible
Virtual exhibitions are much more accessible than physical exhibitions. The visitors can attend the event from anywhere in the world without travelling to the event venue. Moreover, there are no device restrictions. In other words, it can be attended from a laptop, a mobile or a tablet.
Cost-Effective
Hosting exhibitions virtually results in a lot of cost savings as compared to physical events. As the organizer, if a virtual exhibition, you don’t have to incur the cost of renting a venue, catering, travelling and lodging. This makes it a very cost-effective option as opposed to physical events while also providing a similar event experience.
Widen Audience Reach
Hosting exhibitions virtually instead of physically helps widen the customer base. Virtual exhibitions are not restricted by geographical distances and can be attended by people across the globe. This will provide you with an opportunity to target a completely new customer base and increase the overall sales. Furthermore, virtual events are a great way to increase attendance of your event as more people can register for the event without any space constraints.
Track Data in Real-time
Virtual exhibitions allow you to track attendee data in real-time which is not possible in the case of physical events. For instance, you can track data like the top attendees, most popular rooms and places, most liked sessions, etc. This helps provide better insights into the event and devise better marketing and event strategy for the future.
More Inclusive
Sometimes, physical events can make introverts feel left out. In simple terms, introverts or shy people might have a hard time speaking in public. This could make them feel left out and stop them from sharing their valuable inputs. Virtual exhibitions are a perfect solution as they provide features like live chat. This feature helps the attendees ask their doubts and provide suggestions, thereby promoting a more inclusive environment.
Helps Brand Visibility
While physical events can be viewed only on the day of the event, virtual events can be viewed and accessed for as long as the organizer deems fit. A higher lifespan of the event helps increase the visibility of the brand. You can also consider looking for online event platforms that provide dynamic banners features.
Saves Time
In addition to being cost-effective, virtual exhibitions are easier to set up and are less time-consuming. It eliminates the lengthy and time-consuming activities like selecting a venue, hiring staff for the venue, catering, hotel bookings etc. This allows you to focus more on important activities like event planning, building sponsorships and improving the attendee experience.
Best Practices for a Successful Virtual Exhibition
Understand the Needs of your Audience
The first step to a successful planning process is to define your target audience and identify their needs and requirements. You must research well, conduct pre-event polls and track the behavioural pattern of your target audience to get an idea about their problems. This will help you improve the attendee experience by catering to their needs and solving their problems. Moreover, you should also define the goals of your virtual exhibition and align your strategy with them.
Choose a Virtual Event Solution
After identifying the needs of your target customers, the next step is to choose a virtual event solution provider that aligns with your requirements. AI Matchmaking, live chat, live polls, 100% customization, advanced data analytics and gamification are the must-have features for a virtual exhibition platform.
Plan Your Content in Advance
Create a comprehensive content marketing plan and decide the channels or platforms you will use to promote your content. Make a plan of the type of content you will use. Make sure the content is focused on solving the customer’s problems and has a great quality.
Schedule the Completion of Each Activity
Completing all the tasks on time is a great way to ensure the success of the event. Once you have the list of all the activities that need to be completed, the next step is to set a timeline or a time frame for the completion of each activity. Try to stick to the timeline and complete each activity in a timely and disciplined manner.
Plan Your Finances
Planning your finances well before you start executing the plan is a great way to save yourself from the last-minute cash crunch. In addition to that, it will also help you get a budget estimate and arrange the funds beforehand.
Promote Your Virtual Exhibition
Promoting your virtual exhibition is one of the most important tasks. We all know how powerful social media can be in terms of marketing and promotion. Therefore, you must create dedicated event pages on social media and promote them. Make sure that you stay consistent and post content that is relevant to the exhibition. Moreover, you should create a dedicated event landing page on your website where the visitors can find all the relevant information and the event registration link. You can also use email marketing to promote your event. Furthermore, you can ask your sponsors and participating companies to promote the event among their social circle.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you must already be aware of the benefits of virtual events and the best practices you must follow to host a virtual exhibition. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and make your next virtual exhibition a grand success.
