The Whys and Hows of an Online Conference – Part 1

Online conferences, even before the coronavirus pandemic, were starting to pick up steam and become a more popular choice within a number of different industries. Whether you’re planning to host a conference during the pandemic or a year or two in the future, opting for online solutions is a good way to go.

In Part 1, we’ll be covering the benefits of creating an online conference, as well as the negatives you may not have considered, and why you’ll still want to opt for this solution even after the coronavirus threat has passed. In Parts 2 and 3, we’ll be talking about the virtual options you have as well as how to get started on the production of your own online conference.

The Benefits of an Online Conference

There are quite a few benefits to hosting your conference online rather than in person that could be the deciding factor for you. A few to consider include

You Don’t Have to Think About Space Constraints

When it comes to an in-person conference, you often have to give special thought to the location. You need to consider how many people will want to attend, how many guests will be attending X seminar versus Y seminar, and how many hotel rooms your conference should expect to need, among other things. It’s a lot to think about and can cause quite a lot of headaches.

With online conferences, however, you don’t need to worry about these sorts of things. Your crowd is dispersed all over the globe, and you don’t have to consider hotel reservations, food requirements, parking, or any other space constraints.

It’s More Affordable for Everyone Involved

Online conferences also tend to be more affordable for everyone attending. Your guests will not have to physically travel, saving money on travel, food, accommodation, and other expenses. These costs could have easily added up to thousands of dollars.

You’ll also save money on the venue and amenities. You don’t have to put a deposit down on a space, or necessarily spend as much in preparation.

It’s More Accessible

When you host an in-person conference, between travel constraints and expenses, there could have been quite a few people who would have been an asset to the conference who can no longer attend. Or other professionals in the industry who would like to register but cannot travel to the conference. With online solutions, you’re allowing more people to attend, and on a much grander scale.

What could have been a local or even national conference can now be a global conference, allowing you and other guests to connect with more people than ever before.

You’re Helping the Environment

There’s no doubt that physical conferences can produce quite a bit of waste. From cans from the vending machines to all that paper, a lot is tossed out at the end of the event, and not even recycled properly. Virtual options allow you to cut all that waste out, be more sustainable, and help the environment from the comfort of your chair.

Less Personal Contact

Though this can be seen as a negative for some, at the moment, it’s definitely a plus. With the coronavirus, physical conferences are delayed or canceled. Online conferences on the other hand allow you to still hold your event while keeping hosts, presenters, and attendees safe.

The Negatives of Online Conferences

We wouldn’t be doing conferences justice if we didn’t mention the negative sides of an online event, but it is important to note that the pros do outweigh the cons, and there are ways to overcome the challenges listed below.

There are Tech Constraints

One of the biggest points to mention in this department is the tech constraints of your guests when it comes to online conferences. This could be due to slow internet, insufficient computer resources or other tech, or not understanding how to properly use the tech or how to attend. Your attendees need to fully understand how to attend and take part, or they may not get the full experience.

You can get over this hurdle by properly training your hosts, speakers, and guests ahead of time, and doing tests to make sure any bugs are out of the system before your conference date. We’ll talk about this more in a later part.

Poor Format or Content

Just because your conference has moved online doesn’t mean you don’t have to do the legwork. You still need quality content and presenters to make your conference worth your attendees time and effort. And you also need to consider how you’re presenting this content. Is it in a format that everyone can easily adjust to and benefit from?

This challenge is easily overcome by proper planning ahead of time by everyone involved in your conference. We’ll also cover this in a later part.

Why You Should Still Opt for an Online Conference After the Pandemic

It will be a bit before the coronavirus is completely dealt with. This is one reason that online conferences can be a great option at the moment, but there are other reasons why, even after a vaccine is developed and used widely, you’ll want to keep using online conferences. A few include

• All the benefits listed above still stand.
• You will be still saving your guests money, effort, and time.
• Industries will take a bit to recover.
• Even when a vaccine is developed, industries will take time to recover. It won’t be an overnight fix. Travel and hospitality industries will be particularly hit for years to come.
• People will not want to travel.
• Tourism is another industry that will be suffering. Even though you’re conference isn’t necessarily a vacation spot, your audience will not want to take unnecessary trips. 
• People will still be hit hard financially.
• Across the globe, people’s finances are in dire straits. Out of work, they will not be looking to travel extensively to conferences.
• Businesses will still be hit hard financially.
• Just like industries, businesses will take time to cover. They may not have the extra resources to send their employees to the conference as they would have done just a few years ago.
• People will have become more used to virtual conferences.
• With time, more and more professionals will become comfortable with the tech and knowledge needed to make the most of virtual conferences. It will be easier than ever to dive in and know your way around.

Online conferences are becoming more popular for a variety of different reasons with the benefits far outweighing the negatives. If you haven’t considered opting for this route, now is the time to. 

Join us for part 2 where we’ll go over the wealth of options you have when it comes to choosing a platform for your virtual conference to ensure you’re making the right choice for your industry, business, and guests!

Are you curious about hosting your own online conference? Not sure where to start? We can help you go through your different options to best serve your and your attendees’ needs. Get started with us here.