Nishchal Dua is the Director of Marketing at Airmeet – a one of its kind virtual event hosting platform, offering a unique experience to its users through its authentic representation of on-ground events virtually. The platform is designed to allow community managers to conduct frequent micro-interactions between knowledge professionals, industry stakeholders and thought leaders. As a seasoned marketing professional & entrepreneur, Nishchal has founded & exited two successful start-ups, Amicus Shopping Assistant (acq’2016) and The Remote Life (acq’2020).
Physically, B2B (business-to-business) event planning differs from B2C (business-to-customer) event planning. Setting up conferences, networking sessions, or seminars to encourage company representatives to engage with one another and access updated market information is the aim of B2B events. B2C events, on the other hand, are intended to encourage community-building and build connections with current or prospective consumers. For B2B and B2C events, the strategy and event management protocol differs. However, when we take such events online, their planning and marketing align on various fronts.
Before the pandemic, virtual events were not a part of everyone’s dictionary. Since 2020, however, webinars, online events, and conferences have been a part of our everyday dialogue. As organizations adopted the ‘work from home culture,’ the value of different virtual events also rose. People started understanding the benefits attached to frequent virtual interactions. These events thus emerged as the backbone for the business sector, offering solutions for both B2B and B2C event requirements.
Virtual event platforms provide a multitude of tools for planning, promoting, and executing online events. These solutions are intended to assist organizations in replicating in-person events’ feel and value proposition through digital interactions. As a result, virtual event platforms are flexible and cost-effective for every industry.
Here’s how virtual events offer ease of operations to both B2B and B2Cevents:
Event Planning: The first task on your to-do list for planning either category of events is to define your target audience—customers or brands. You can create a highly branded event by personalizing your event with a theme online, creating a bespoke reception area, and branded event layout. There are alternatives for creating customized registrations, doing dry runs, and planning your event ahead of time. You can design your ideal event quickly and accurately with the help of a virtual event platform that aligns with your goals.
Speed Networking: The entire purpose of hosting an event, whether a B2B or B2C, is to network with professionals, peers, and decision-makers from the industry, build a community of like-minded individuals or directly network with potential and existing customers. Virtual platforms remove the hassle of logistics and allow people to connect personally and professionally from the comfort of their homes. They also remove geographical and cost restrictions that would earlier pose a challenge. Some platforms also offer additional networking features that can be leveraged to enhance this experience further.
Dedicated Sponsor Areas: There are dedicated spots for sponsors when you conduct traditional B2B and B2C events, such as a business or cultural summit. It is important to note; virtual events are not far behind in this context. You can now focus on your sponsors by displaying their brand through innovative features on various platforms such as booths and more.
User-friendly Formats: Various virtual event formats are suitable for B2B and B2C events, such as webinars, workshops, online conferences, and online trade fairs. The webinar format is particularly popular among them. These easy-to-navigate formats are incredibly user-friendly for both attendees and organizers. They ensure an increased worldwide reach, enable monitoring of attendees and engagement, and offer an option to watch recorded sessions later.
Analytics Dashboard: Through an in-depth analytics dashboard, virtual events can provide a comprehensive view of your event’s performance. They will assist in assessing attendee engagement, selecting top sessions, monitoring the event’s pulse, and determining sponsor traction. These analytic tools will assist both B2B and B2C businesses in analyzing the event’s outcome.
Ease of Scale: Virtual events are highly scalable. Whether they demand the attendance of 2 or 10,0000, platform options are plenty. Furthermore, individuals from all over the world can assemble on a single platform, making it easier to conduct an event at any time because it eliminates the need for travel.
Chat, polls, and Q&A: This one-of-a-kind characteristic of virtual events aids in interacting, exchanging, and giving value to your audience. By inviting the audience, stakeholders, and experts on stage and engaging them in in-session conversations, you can empower them to share their stories. These features remove the monotony of sitting in front of a screen and encourage people to participate in the ongoing event actively.
In the current context, the business industry cannot run without virtual event platforms; the business sector is becoming hybrid, and virtual event platforms are ideal for this sort of arrangement for every sector. In addition, organizers can personalize features by considering the strategy they want to take, who the audience is, and the final goals they want to achieve.