Virtual events have been the new go-to for companies for the past almost 1 and a half years, with the cancellation of real-life events being one of the most noticeable side effects of Covid-19. The shift from physical to digital solutions is something we’ve had to adapt to across all parts of our lives. Though virtual events aren’t new, they’ve become more popular than ever in the past few months.
A virtual event is as its name suggests – the online version of a physical event. Although it may be impossible to replicate the experience of a physical event, virtual events can still provide a similar experience. In some instances, virtual events can even have advantages over physical ones. One of the key advantages of virtual events is that it helps to increase your reach to all over the world. It may not always be achievable to bring people together in the same space, especially when your stakeholders are scattered across the world. This is why virtual and hybrid events will probably continue to be popular, even in a post-pandemic world.
Webinars
Webinars are virtual seminars that can be used for a variety of events. This includes presentations, lectures, Q&A segments, panel discussions, or any combination of the above. One of the key features of webinars is that they allow for real-time interactivity between attendees and presenters. Webinars help to connect masses of people from around the world and conduct sharings. You can also share slides, videos, or any type of media content with attendees through the online platform. Webinars are a great solution for when you require large groups of people to be in attendance.
Webinars are often live streamed with a structured program, with breaks for live Q&A sessions, polls, panel discussions or networking sessions.
Above is an entirely virtual webinar that Vivid Snaps’ professional video crew worked on. This webinar featured 2 speakers, one located in Singapore and another from overseas. Apart from a live moderated Q&A session between the speakers and audience, the webinar also included a pre-recorded presentation that was accompanied by slides.
A professional team with experience in live streaming helps ease the pressure of ensuring the webinar is streamed without technical interruptions. They can also enhance your webinar by providing additional features like overlay graphics and picture-in-picture visuals, giving it a more professional look and feel.
Webcasts
Webcasts are similar to webinars; they feature presentations, lectures, Q&A segments, and panel discussions. At the same time, they’re also distinctively different – they do not allow for interaction between attendees and speakers. Since no live interaction is involved, you also have the option to pre-record your entire webcast. This gives you the flexibility to have as many takes as you need for each segment to ensure your event is as seamless as possible. If you’re looking to share your content without the need for interaction with audiences, a webcast will be ideal for you.
Above is an entirely pre-recorded webcast that Vivid Snaps’ professional video crew worked on. The webcast featured 2 presenters who were filmed at Vivid Snaps’ green screen studio connecting with another speaker from overseas. It also included presentation segments with slide sharing and a panel discussion.
Having a professional team assist you with your webcast can help to ensure that the final video is edited seamlessly and looks as similar to a live webinar as possible. They can also make sure that presenters streaming in from overseas look the best they can, using their technical knowledge to direct and give tips to ensure a higher quality video stream.
Virtual Summits/Conferences
Conferences and summits cater to large audiences and can run for multiple days. Virtual conferences often feature important keynote speakers to speak on a topic of interest. With the ability to hold conferences online now, companies and event organisers can fulfill the same objective of connecting speakers and audiences from across the globe while saving costs!
Just like a physical conference, there’s an agenda and the event can run for multiple days. They can also include several tracks and sessions, have breakout sessions for smaller-group discussions, and conduct live polls. Speakers and attendees can have two-way communication between them over audio/video Â
Above is a hybrid conference that Vivid Snaps’ professional video crew assisted with. The conference was held at Hybrid Experience @ Suntec Singapore and featured 3 panelists on-site and another streaming in virtually. There were also pre-recorded videos, presentation segments and a live Q&A session during the conference.
Virtual Annual General Meetings
Though annual general meetings (AGMs) can be held in-person with limited audience and safe distancing measures in place, it’s possible to hold a hybrid or remote AGM just to be safer amidst the pandemic. You can hold your AGM entirely virtually on a video conferencing or teleconferencing platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. You may also choose to hold your AGM in a physical location with speakers present on-site while your audience stream in virtually.Â
All non-listed companies must hold their AGMs within 6 months of end of the financial year. AGMs are official transactions of business. You still have to follow guidelines as you would for physical AGMs, such as giving notice and ensuring a quorum is met.
Vivid Snaps has assisted multiple companies with the AGMs and has the experience and skills to suit whatever your AGM requirements may be!
Virtual Tours
Virtual tours are simulations of physical locations and can be stitched in the form of a video, photos or 360 virtual reality. They are a versatile tool for any company or organisation to showcase their physical premises – be it to showcase a new office, museum, art exhibition or attraction.
Like most online events, virtual tours can also come in 2 different formats – pre-recorded and live streamed. A pre-recorded tour is available at any time once posted, so people can access it anytime they’d like from wherever they are. This is great option for places like museums or art galleries that wouldn’t necessarily need a guide, allowing participants to ‘free-roam’ as they would if they were visiting the location in-real-life.
Live streamed tours are usually for smaller groups as they follow a fixed schedule. They’re also often targeted at only local audiences as having to coordinate between time zones of multiple countries may be difficult. With a guide conducting the tour in real-time, live streamed tours allow for more interactivity and are a closer simulation to physical tours as attendees can interact with guides for more information.Â
Above is a pre-recorded 360 virtual reality tour (VR) of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. The VR tour allows viewers to click and drag with their mouse to see various parts of the hotel. It allows people to view the hotel from a perspective similar to someone who might be there physically. The interactivity is also fun and creates a more interesting experience for audiences as opposed to looking through videos or photos.
Virtual Product Launches & Trade Shows
If there’s anything we’ve learned in the past year, it’s that we can take any event online. This includes product launches and trade shows! In fact, hosting your trade show online can give you an even greater reach due to the increased accessibility of an online platform over a physical location. With no travel costs and the option to attend from the comforts of one’s home, this often leads to higher attendance number. This opens plenty of opportunities for exhibitors and attendees to connect, network and gather leads, even on a global level.
Above is an innovative product launch live stream Vivid Snaps assisted with. The presenter was filmed in a green screen studio and walked the audience through different sections of their ‘online flagship store’. The live stream also featured presentations and interviews with professionals.
Hire A Professional Crew To Assist With Your Virtual Event
At Vivid Snaps, we provide video production and live streaming services to assist with your virtual event needs. If you would like to engage our services or speak to our friendly project coordinators, you can enquire more. Don’t hesitate to drop us an email or give us a call!
