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An event as a marketing tool

In the last decade, events became an important marketing tool that helped companies to introduce their offers to a wider specific audience and improve the bond with their target groups.

We would like to introduce some facts that speak in favor of events in comparing to other, more traditional marketing tools:

An event facilitates one-to-one discussion with your consumers, helping them to establish a much more personal relationship with your brand,

People who attend events get a personal experience which they later pass to their peers or friends. This makes your brand more accessible to your target group,

Events are very cost-effective in comparing to other, traditional marketing media channels,

You get quick responses from the market which can make your business more flexible and adaptive.

As we established events are a powerful marketing tool but since last year event marketers had one more challenge to overcome. What are the first out-comes of digital events as marketing tools? As it turns out it is always a combination of interaction and visual appeal that creates the best results.

Being behind a desk is not the most appealing set to attract your views. Companies are building stunning sets that align with their campaigns and put the viewer’s state where it feels as they are watching a movie.

Engagement is still king and there are many ways to create it online. A shipped goodie package and a well-thought-out break-out room are one of many options for your attendees to feel special.

Send them a special coffee brew and offer a barista video workshop or have local farmers deliver fresh fruits for a perfect power smoothie. Through such activities attendees feel more engaged and are more likely to view more products or services from that event. That brings us one step closer to purchase. 

All online events are viewed on some sort of digital device. This means that a connection to a purchase process is much more direct. Connecting your live content with pop-up notifications and showroom spaces offers your attendees to buy products or services with a seamless protocol. Thus driving up sales on such events.

The future is hybrid

In this fast-changing time, one day the health situation is looking better, another day worse. That is why one of our key learnings in this whole situation is that the event industry will permanently adapt with the hybrid model.

Hybrid events are a perfect mix of digital and live events. This kind of event takes place live for a small number of people, while everyone else can watch it online from any location. The main advantage of such events is that they combine the advantages of digital and live events, bringing together the best of both worlds.

Hopefully, the Covid threat will not be here for long and regular gatherings and events will be back in full force. Still, event pros will have to adapt with different measures to reduce health risks as much as possible.

So what are the benefits of creating a hybrid with the help of a platform like Confiva? The first and the most noticeable aspect is the ticket sales. While a physical venue has its capacity set, online events have not. Capacity for online events is limitless and the option to expand your ticket sales or reach more people quickly covers the cost of a live stream event platform. If your event has viral potential the income from online tickets can create massive profits.

In-person visitors can also access the platform and view content that they have missed. Connecting with other visitors is easy and your guests are not limited to participants that they bump into on-site.

Interested in organizing a hybrid event? For a completely free and non-binding Confiva presentation, contact us at [email protected] 

Are online events profitable?

In 2020 the worldwide pandemic brought the otherwise prospering event industry to a standstill. Organizations were forced to shift from in-person to virtual events in the blink of an eye. Many of them faced this challenge head-on, while others are still waiting on the return of live events. Nevertheless, statistics show that as many as 84% of event organizers decided to carry out online events in 2020.

In one form or another, online events are here to stay. But the real question remains: are they profitable? To simplify, we will have to look at this question from two different viewpoints: the financial and brand building aspect. Before we dive in, we must stress that live events are indeed irreplaceable. However, we cannot deny that extending them online is beneficial in every aspect.

The financial aspect

While the overall revenue of a digital event is lower than in-person events, most Confiva hosted events have created the same ROI as live ones or have well surpassed their expectations. The production and software costs of going online are significantly lower. Making a profit is easier as fewer tickets have to be sold to make a return on the investment. With no venue limitations, the potential is much higher, and with lower production costs, the risks are lower.

The same principles apply to hybrid events. In a hybrid event, the online production is even cheaper as many costs are shared or are needed for the in-person events. Video production teams, technicians, venue, VJ’s, and others are already in place. With the help of a dedicated Confiva event manager, the switch is easy and quick. We also have to acknowledge that some people prefer to attend online or cannot visit your location at the time of your event. For online attendees, the price can be adjusted. The digital native attendees are out there and ready to buy their tickets. Here is a simple comparison:

Brand building aspect

Events are a powerful tool to create brand awareness, market your services, drive sales or engage your employees. Online events have proven to be no different. Acknowledging that online attendees can be engaged on the same level as in-person ones is the first step event planners have to take. Now we only have to find the correct way to do it and the right tools for it. Confiva offers an online environment with many native features for driving engagement, from gamification to attendee interaction. But we do not stop there. You are also free to utilize any collaborative or visual web-based tool directly into our platform. 

Our HTML sections are in every area of the platform and are free for you to embed any website or web-based apps. If you want to take your guests on a 3D tour across the galaxy or invite them into your custom-designed game, ask our event manager for advice or find apps on your own, the possibilities are endless.

Full or partially online events are the future

These are just some of the reasons why we think it is crucial to consider online events as an integral part of your or your client’s business. Step into the digital evolution with the right partner. Find out more on a quick call with our sales team or contact us on our webpage.

The biggest (dis)advantages of online events

In 2020 most events were canceled or postponed. Back then, we were all wondering—what now, what’s next? But a year later, we all realized that online events proved to be a great alternative to live events during the pandemic. Moreover, we believe the hybrid model is the future of the event industry even after the battle with the virus is won.

Strictly online events can be terrific for many things but realistically, not for everything or everyone. So, what are the main advantages and disadvantages of online events? Are they better in comparison to in-person events? If not, why not? Let’s dive deeper.

The main advantages of online events

• Saving time and money: Think about this: you don’t have to travel to a venue, you do not have to book accommodations or transports. Also, online events can be more time-efficient if they are structured and planned appropriately.
• Higher and wider reach: Have you ever faced a problem where your event guest list was too long? Well, with an online event, you can achieve worldwide reach. That also means that with a proper strategy and a good marketing plan, you have the potential to reach many more attendees than with in-person events.
• Sustainability: In-person events usually produce a fair amount of waste. Also, don’t forget about pollution caused by CO₂ emissions of air and car travel. So, if you are thinking about being more environmentally friendly, online events could be the answer.
• Easy access: Online events can be more practical for participants since they can join the event from the comfort of their own homes. No more taxing rides or flights to other parts of the world. Easy access can also contribute to higher participation. An additional bonus is that with Confiva, which is also mobile-friendly, participants can easily partake in your event from any device they want without downloading other apps. Easy peasy!

The main disadvantages of online events

• No face-to-face interaction: Online events can be less personal. Not to mention that connecting with others online is just not the same as doing it in person. However, at Confiva, we developed various networking tools for making the event as personal as possible.
• Technical problems: You probably know that feeling when you are at an event or a meeting, and suddenly your internet connection stops working. Right in the middle of something important! This can happen, but most issues can be avoided with a little bit of practice and knowledge. It is also the reason why it is so important to have a great team and event-based support throughout the whole event.
• Distractions: Keeping people’s attention can be challenging, especially when they are not physically present at an in-person event. Therefore, your online event needs to be engaging and attractive to keep the participant’s attention span as long as possible.

How to tackle the disadvantages of online events?

So how do you navigate through the pros and cons of online events in the best possible way? You can prepare plans to highlight the advantages and be considerate of all the disadvantages.

Focus on content, not on the budget. Content is still the main reason your potential customers buy tickets. To save time and money, you can focus strictly on content. No more expensive venues and catering bills. While the ticket price of online events is usually more affordable, there are still massive returns. Create a financial plan, find out how much backup you need from sponsors to break even, and assess the risks. You will quickly see the sense online events make.

Create a scalable event concept. When creating the concept, take into account that scalability is much easier with online events. Keep the viral effect in mind and try to direct your marketing team to think big. You do not have to worry about the venue capacity when it comes to online events.

Adopt sustainable event production. Make sure the attendees know that they are contributing in their own way. Introduce sustainability into the program of your event. Remind attendees with workshops or round tables about your environmental efforts.

Drive engagement. Battle the lack of face-to-face interactions with networking video rooms.  Make small group workshops that encourage attendee participation. Enable your guests to connect through in-platform meetings.

Work with professionals. Live streams are dependent on many different things coming together, from the video production team to the webcam on your speakers’ laptop. Therefore, the production team has to be professional and test all the speakers and their equipment before the event.

Strategize. To tackle the shorter attention span of your online attendees, make the event shorter and split it into multiple days while offering access to more stages at once. Attendees can pick and choose based on their interests and later replay the ones they have missed.

The basics steps of online event planning

1. Find out what will make your event stand out.
2. Form a concept of the event.
3. Create a financial plan.
4. Re-evaluate priorities.
5. Manage the financial risk.
6. Create the event program and book.
7. Make the program shorter.
8. Find the right platform

• • If you choose Confiva, this is where your worries over platform technology end.
  • Our event managers help you with any production needs.
  • In case you feel comfortable and would not need help, just read on.

1. Set a production partner.
2. Marketing & sales plans and execution.
3. Prepare all materials the event needs.
4. Communicate with the production teams.
5. Prepare schedules for tests and coordination.
6. Go live.
7. Gather feedback, learn, and adapt.
8. Follow up with attendees.

If you still can’t choose the event form, you have one more option: the hybrid event. The in-person and online events combined into one can join the best of both worlds. They are also the future of the event industry. Would you like to know more? Check out our article on why we believe that the future is hybrid.

How is Confiva different from Zoom?

This last year we have seen a flood of new event platforms on the market, each with its own virtual space and style. Although online event platforms differ in user experience and platform design, they generally offer the same features.

• • Expo space for embedding sponsor- or other on-demand content.
  • Networking modules for connecting participants with each other and with speakers.
  • Live stream stages that give attendees a direct feed to the event’s program.

Confiva offers all of the above while also focusing on something outside of the digital domain. But first, let us take a step back and talk about the most frequently asked question we receive from our clients.

The main differences between Confiva and Zoom

The easiest way to understand the difference is to look at Zoom as a smaller conference room and Confiva as a whole event venue. The small conference room is where you can have meetings or seminars, while the event venue offers multiple bigger stages, conference rooms, private meeting places, sponsor booths, and much more.

Key takeaway? Zoom is a video communication tool, Confiva is an online event platform.

So, what is Zoom good for? Zoom offers a perfected software for direct communication between two or more people. It is an excellent tool for simple webinars, meetings, or talking to your parents. That is why our video production partners use Zoom to connect remote speakers and why the platform is integral to our production process. For some events, Zoom links are enough, but many event professionals find they need more from their online event environment.

Here are some of the benefits Confiva brings to the table.

• • Attendees can register on custom-built landing pages.
  • The platform is easy to use and navigate through all the different areas.
  • Participants can connect and interact privately.
  • Sponsors can display their services or products in showrooms.
  • Guests can switch between different stages and view various live streams.
  • The event is secured, and the invite link works only for one user at a time.

A quick in-platform presentation from our sales representatives reveals many more benefits of the Confiva platform. Click here and start talking with our managers! Or read on and discover the main difference between Confiva and our direct competitors.

Customer care

We understand clients and address their needs. Our approach to customer care and the effort we dedicate to our clients and their events stem from many years of experience and know-how. The truth is, professional online events still frighten many event planners and businesses, and that is why we recognize the need for clear, direct, and quick guidelines.

What are the most prominent customer care features that set Confiva apart from other event platforms?

A dedicated event manager

No tools are good if you do not know how to use them. Anyone hosting an event on Confiva has the option of being in direct contact with a dedicated event manager. Confiva’s event managers are here to make their client’s lives easier during an online event organization. And they will stop at nothing to raise the level of any event they are helping to organize.

If this is all new to you, do not worry about leaving things in the hands of our event managers. From a platform standpoint, they guide you through using the platform. They also help you import content and advise you on possible improvements. It does not stop there. Do you need a video production team? No problem. Do you need a studio or venue? They can find the right one. Event managers can help you with the online aspects of your event. They are your point of contact for the entire production of your online event.

Attendee support

We give our attention to the attendees as well. Our support staff is always ready—before, during, or after the event—to help resolve any issues. Our problem-solving record is currently at 100%, and we intend to keep it that way.

We want you, speakers, performers, and attendees to have a blast at your event, no matter its form. There are countless ways to create online events so let us steer you in the right direction. With our software and our customer care, you will be running online events in no time and with little effort.

Are you ready to take on this task? We are.

Everything you need to know about event platforms and why you should use them

Why wouldn’t you just use Zoom or Facebook live for your event? It’s free and you can be quickly done with it. Sure, video chat or a Facebook live event is simple enough, and if the purpose is just a public announcement or a meeting it works just fine.

But what lies beyond that? Is it possible to offer attendees as much interaction and content as in a real-life event? With platforms such as Confiva, we are very close to an event experience as we know it.

What are the main benefits of event platforms?

Event platforms offer well-thought-out web-based environments for all your content and attendee engagement. They have four key advantages that will elevate your online event to the next level:

1.  Event platforms let you do more… in every way possible.

This is not a big surprise, since event platforms are purposely built tools with many event focused features. Imagine you are at a 3-day conference: there are multiple stages happening simultaneously, you can attend sponsor booths, fun activities, and workshops. All this is hard to pull off with a video chat tool. This is where all those event platforms features come into play. 

2.  Sell tickets and attract sponsors

Most of the events receive their funding from ticket sales and sponsorships. They offer integrated ticketing processes, usually accompanied by a landing page to help you sell your tickets, inform and register attendees. Sponsors will be glad to back your event if there is some possibility of returning their investment – e.g. engaging guests with giveaways or added exposure with custom showrooms in the platform.

3.  They help you with attendee engagement

Event platforms have optimized tools to ensure that your attendees will be engaged and eager for more. Treasure hunts throughout the platform, competitive games, quiz games, and many more interaction options are embedded in event platforms and bring great results. With good prizes, your attendees will be happy to engage with your content.

4.  Attendees can connect and chat

Networking is a big part of any event. Attendees can talk in chats or connect directly with 1v1 video calls. Host quick »get to know« meets or let your attendees have 1 on 1 time with your speakers. If the event is a hybrid (real life & online event) it is a perfect way to connect the online attendees to the ones at the event venue.

 

When to use event platforms?

1. Based on the type of event

If your event is public and free it is best to host it on low-cost public platforms. But if you are selling tickets it is best that your event is protected and the event link can not be shared. Event platforms have security and login protocols to protect you and prevent multiple people sharing one ticket.

2. Based on capacity

Based on our experience, event platforms should be used for any event with over 50 attendees, and in some cases even less.

3. Based on the amount of your content

Use an event platform if you have a huge amount of content that you need to separate and organize for your attendees.

4. Based on the client

In this case, you have a high end client that would want a professional look and feel of their event.

It shouldn’t matter if you have a real-life event or you are planning an online one. As the latter does not have a limited capacity, it’s a great way to expand your event to anyone with a wifi connection.

So finally we have come to the last major question:

 

How to choose the right event platform?

It’s very simple. If you choose Confiva, we are confident that it will be the right one for your event. And it is a nice coincidence that you are reading this on our webpage – only a button click away from a non-binding video call with our team.

5 tips that guarantee your next online event’s success

There are countless simple »event hacks« you can experiment with that are not on this list. Our tips will not guide you through those dark woods. We are going straight to the core fundamentals, the main things that make an event successful. The things that we can guarantee will make your online event good… or even great… Heck, maybe everything aligns, and we are talking about the perfect unicorn event.

These are our tips:

• Prepare

• Create

• Correct

• Host

• Follow up

… and more importantly, if you decide to follow them, make them your own. Adapt and morph our suggestions to your needs and sprinkle them with your event style.

1. Prepare

Plan and prepare every single detail that you can before the event starts. Utilize every possibility to gather the information that will help you make the right choices. Preparation is one of the core planning phases that you should not forget by any means, and by the time you are over, you should have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your event. Plan marketing, PR, and ticketing/monetization strategies so you can pinpoint the risks and avoid them in time while remaining stress-free.

Also note: In online events, we have to consider that the online participants act differently, so you need to match the program activities accordingly. Consider multiple stages simultaneously to shorten the timeframe, plan fun break-out sessions and think about alternative ways to engage participants behind the screen.

2. Create

The create tip should be fun to enforce if the preparation is complete. Now that you have all your information, the next step is to carry out all the plans, create the visual identity and the program of your event. The event program should use all the possible technology that you have at your disposal.

At this point, it is always good to know what are the features that your online event platform will offer you. It is just like doing an in-person event, where you need to know what your venue will provide you. The online event platform is your venue in this case. A responsive collaboration with the platform is one of the things event managers should always strive to achieve. At Confiva every client receives the help of our dedicated event manager, so this is already a part of our service *wink wink*.

3. Correct

You can plan all you want but always keep an open mind to changes. In the creation phase you will have a chance to communicate with experts in the industry, so don’t be scared to change your opinion based on the information you receive. Improvise, adapt and overcome.

4. Host

OK, it’s time for your event to start. If you are hosting it on Confiva you have little to worry about from the software side. The main focus should be on the program execution, video production, and attendee interaction. In all event platforms, there are usually multiple chats where participants can interact. We have found that having a PR team highly involved in conversations can be a massive change in an online event. Participants feel heard, and it adds a personal element when relaying all the information.

5. Follow-up

The follow-up for an online event should be much more than just a thank you note you get in your email. Offer all your content to be viewed after the event has ended. Let your participants replay and see the content they might have missed, but make sure to always keep something for them for the next time, so you keep them on their toes. If your goal is to keep attendees engaged for as long as possible, think about creating a community by planning the follow-up with fun or educational workshops or similar smaller events.

Whenever you get hyped by fast and simple hacks to improve your event, do not get sidetracked. Always be sure to take care of the fundamentals first, and with Confiva we will take care of the rest.

 

New Features, New Reasons to try out Confiva

After quite a few updates that we did »under the radar,« we are happy to announce that from now on, we will let you in on all future releases. Transparency builds trust, and trust is the foundation for great work.

So here they are, three new features on the Confiva platform that will bring you an even more enjoyable and streamlined online event experience:

• Sessions feature – Group video call
• Meetings update – 1v1 video call
• Stage update – Video follows

1. Sessions

This is the main new feature on the list, as it offers the highly anticipated two-way video communication among groups of attendees. Think of Sessions as break-out rooms at your events. You can now host brainstorming sessions, workshops, team buildings, or throw a good old tea party. Every session can accommodate up to 50 participants.

Still modular

The sessions feature is particularly useful for events that require direct video interaction among participants or break-out rooms. As with all other features on our platform, Sessions can be turned off or added. It all depends on your particular needs.

2. Meetings video call

Let your attendees network and have all the meetings that they desire with our native 1v1 video calls. Every event participant on the Confiva platform can now talk for up to 4 hours, share files, screen share, and network.

No external tools or additional logins are needed – participants are free to communicate. And who knows, your potential business partner, ultimate client, or even your future arch-nemesis might be on the other side of your next meeting on Confiva. Try it out and see for yourself!

3. Video follows

Video live stream any time, all the time. As of now, every time you will move from the live stream stage to any other area of the Confiva platform, the video stream will follow you. It’s like having a faithful dog that is always by your side. The only difference is that it’s not a dog but a live stream, and it works on server power, not food.

The main benefits are that participants can move through the platform and view any other content they are interested in while still keeping an eye on the live stream. Speakers can even guide attendees to specific showrooms or other areas on the platform, making the experience much more interactive.

 

We are very proud of our new features, but to be completely honest, they are nothing compared to all the updates we have in the pipeline for the year 2022. We can’t wait to share every one of them with you. Stay tuned!

Marko Šček, CPO of Confiva

7 reasons why your company should try online events

To start this one off we would like to address that we are still big fans of in-person events. However, not all people have the option to attend, and there are a lot of them. Most professional online events have boosted their attendance and extended it to a wider pallet of attendees.

In this blog, we will cover a few more reasons why your company should consider online events. Here are the main ones:

• Employees
• Education
• Exposure
• Reach

• Community
• Business development
• Evolution

Employees

There has been countless researches that have proven that a happy employee will be more productive, create more value for a company, and consequently will have a better quality of life in general. We feel that everyone should be happy at their job or at least have a dog in the office for some therapeutic belly rubs. If dogs are not allowed, you should definitely use events to create a better atmosphere in your work environment.

With company events, we create a better and more connected workforce. No matter the event goal, whether it is education, team building, or just simple fun, online events will get your message to each one of your employees.

Education

Give your employees the option to grow and improve through educational online events or host informative events for your business network. Streamline the process of conveying information. Have it at the fingertips of any of your peers. With the help of our dedicated event managers, you can prepare interesting and fun courses for any purpose.

Exposure

Events were a great tool to shout out to the world about your company, service, or product. With special experiences, we can create ambassadors from attendees and create exposure during and long after the event.

Reach

Any real-life event is always limited by the capacity of the venue but not in the case of using an online event platform. Anyone with an internet connection is now a potential attendee, and they can join from any device and any time. Confiva even offers all specific areas to upload and show any content you have in your live event. With this, all your attendees will have access to the same content and can network with the same people.

Community

With Confiva you can create a private portal for your clients or business network. Having a community is good for any business. For global owned and operated businesses, though, it’s even more exciting because you can interact with your customers and prospects outside your country. Community involvement shows your customers what you’re doing to make their immediate world a better place for everyone.

Revenue

The event industry has been on a bumpy ride since the pandemic but online platforms have rushed to the rescue in every sense, and the monetization has not been left out. Sell tickets, offer showrooms to sponsors and create lasting partnerships with brands. With the right content, the financial potential of your event is endless.

Evolution

We are well aware that this era of social limitation will not last and the need for only online events will be lowered. So what will be the future of platforms such as Confiva? While the „forced“ digitalization offered many opportunities for the expansion of SAAS companies it will also introduce their benefits. Confiva aims to become an added revenue stream and networking module for public events while evolving into an integral element of employee engagement and information sharing in bigger companies. Using digital platforms aligns your company and employees with future-orientated practices, positioning it as forward-thinking.

No matter how some of us view online platforms, they have proven to be powerful tools to help you reach your event goals, and with Confiva our team of digital event professionals will make sure of it.