Event Success

CHAPTER 10Choosing the Right Format for the Right Outcome

Event leaders today are seeing their event strategies evolve from an exclusively in-person format to a digital-first format—where in-person events complement a larger virtual engagement strategy.

In this new environment each event format—in-person, virtual, and hybrid—presents a unique strategic application. Below is an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each event format along with brief descriptions of where they are and are not effective, with a brief overview of best practices to keep in mind when designing an event experience for a specific format.

Virtual Events

Advantages

The primary advantage of virtual events is reach. As we discovered first-hand at the start of the pandemic with our (Almost) IN-PERSON event, the low barrier to entry allows event teams to reach a much broader audience on a virtual platform. It's similarly much easier to attract speakers and guests who would otherwise not fit in the event budget or be able to attend in person.

Other advantages include much greater data-capturing capabilities and thus greater insight into audience behaviors. As the technology improves, the expectation is that virtual events will be able to offer a content model that more closely resembles a content streaming service, where attendees are directed to the sessions that best suit their interests.

Virtual events are also typically less expensive to produce than in-person events and provide an opportunity ...