In recent years, virtual events have become a popular way for businesses and organizations to reach wider audiences and create unique experiences for attendees. While these events provide many benefits, it’s important to recognize the value of in-person events and the human connections they create. By combining the power of immersive virtual events with the benefits of in-person events, businesses can create a truly engaging and memorable experience for attendees.
What are, and why have, immersive virtual events?
An immersive virtual event is a type of virtual experience that takes advantage of the latest advancements in technology to create a realistic 3D environments that your presenters can be placed in in order to elevate your event well above your standard virtual meeting. Unlike traditional webinars or video conferences, which can often feel flat and impersonal, immersive virtual events provide a more engaging and interactive experience that allows attendees to feel like the virtual presenter is in an actual studio, meeting room, or other virtual environment.
Immersive virtual events have a range of features that make them a powerful tool for businesses and organizations. One of the key advantages is the ability to create realistic environments that transport attendees to another world. This is made possible through super-computers, green screens, and virtual camera movements, which allow event organizers to create realistic and interactive environments.
These environments can be used to showcase products, provide training, present slides, or even host virtual conferences and trade shows. The realism of the environment, combined with the ability to interact with other attendees and speakers, creates an engaging and immersive experience that is difficult to replicate through traditional video conferencing platforms.
Another advantage of immersive virtual events is the ability to customize the experience for attendees. Virtual environments can be designed to cater to the needs and preferences of specific audiences, allowing businesses to create a more personalized experience that resonates with attendees.
What about the value of in-person interaction?
While immersive virtual events provide many benefits, it’s important to recognize the value of in-person events. Face-to-face human interaction is an incredibly valuable aspect of events that cannot be replicated through virtual technology. The opportunity to network, build relationships, and create human to human memories is something that is unique to in-person events.
Furthermore, in-person events provide a tangible return on investment that is difficult to measure in virtual events. Attendees can physically touch and interact with products, see demonstrations in person, and participate in face-to-face training with real time human feedback and interaction. In-person events also provide an opportunity for attendees to experience the intangibles of an event, such as the energy and excitement of a live performance or the aroma of food and drinks.
How and why do both?
The key is to balance the benefits of immersive virtual events with the value of in-person events. By combining the two, either in two tracks or completely separate events, businesses and organizations can create a truly engaging and memorable experience for attendees. For example, a business may hold an in-person event at the beginning of the year to kick off new initiatives and provide face-to-face interaction for attendees. Later in the year, they may hold an immersive virtual event to reinforce the learnings from the in-person event or roll out new changes.
The immersive virtual event could be designed to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the products or services offered by the business, as a follow up to the in-person event previously. For example, attendees could participate in virtual product demos or attend workshops hosted by industry experts as a way to reinforce learnings. The immersive environment could also be designed to facilitate networking and relationship building, allowing attendees to connect with other like-minded individuals from around the world.
Now what?
Overall, immersive virtual events have emerged as a powerful tool for businesses and organizations to create engaging and interactive experiences for attendees, however, it’s important to recognize the value of in-person events and the human connections they create. By combining the power of immersive virtual events with the benefits of in-person events, businesses can create a truly engaging and memorable experiences for attendees that provides the best of both worlds. The key is to balance the benefits of immersive virtual events with the value of in-person events to create a truly dynamic and engaging event strategy.
