Are you looking for ways to improve your virtual events in 2023? Look no further because we have the latest virtual event statistics to help guide your event planning! Since virtual events continue to play an important part in the event business, staying current on the newest trends and insights is critical.

In past years, we polled our LinkedIn audience on their event focus for upcoming events. The results showed that 54% were focused on building a hybrid event strategy, while 46% were still focusing on optimizing their virtual events strategy. Both hybrid and virtual events are anticipated to be prominent throughout 2022- 2023 and beyond, so it is crucial to continue building up both strategies.

Did you know that 10% of participants access the event website before the event’s scheduled start time? This presents an opportunity to provide attendees with a more comprehensive event experience by loading your event site with pre-event content and using your pre-event emails to drive traffic to content and networking opportunities that can be accessed before the official start date.

When it comes to networking, small-group video calls are the preferred form of networking for attendees. Our data from 2021 events showed that Roundtables were the most heavily utilized networking feature on our platform, surpassing Happy Hour chats, Boardrooms, and other popular networking functions. Roundtables are small group video chats that can host up to six people and can be started by attendees, speakers, or sponsors. It is best to leverage multiple networking formats to best accommodate attendees’ unique communication and networking preferences. However, it’s worth noting that small and intimate video calls are popular among attendees. Encourage speakers and sponsors to host their own Roundtables to take advantage of this popular format in 2023. It is important to note that both strategies are necessary to accommodate attendees’ diverse preferences. Additionally, by providing pre-event content and small-group video calls, we can enhance the attendee experience and increase engagement with your event.

Post-Event Content Is Key

when it comes to virtual events, providing post-event on-demand content is crucial. In fact, a recent poll showed that 56% of event owners said they would like to provide playback of event content for attendees after the event. This is because providing on-demand information prior to, during, and after the event is a good practice to widen the reach and deliver incremental benefits to attendees. Participants can catch up on sessions they missed due to busy schedules or time zone issues and can revisit and play back virtual event content to refresh their memories or enhance their learning.

Measuring ROI Is Tricky:

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) of virtual events is one of the biggest challenges event owners faces. A poll taken last year showed that 38% of event owners found measuring ROI to be their greatest challenge when planning virtual events. Without the right tools and data, tracking the ROI of your events can be risky. However, event owners using the Social27 Virtual Event Platform have access to rich data insights both in real-time and in post-event reporting through the Event Owner Dashboard. This allows organizers to track connections made, content interactions, and more to determine whether their event KPIs were met. Sponsors can also use the Sponsor Workplace Dashboard to track their own analytics and follow-up with leads that scanned their badge at Exhibitor Booth Microsites or filled out lead generation forms to continue the conversation and close sales.

Engaging Attendees Is Key

keeping attendees engaged is another challenge event owners face. Around 44% of event organizers said that keeping attendees engaged is the largest gap in their event strategy when planning virtual events. However, keeping people engaged during virtual events is not as challenging as it sounds. Attendee engagement comes from providing valuable and engaging content, while also utilizing the engagement tools built into virtual event platforms like Social27 Virtual Event Platform. Event owners can explore engagement tools such as in-session polling, chat features, live Q&As, and more to add excitement to their sessions.

Plan Your Virtual Events with Social27, if you are planning a virtual event in 2023, Social27 Virtual Event Platform can help you take your event to the next level with attendee engagement tools, rich data insights, and top networking features.

Set up a demo today to learn how the Social27 Virtual Event Platform can help you achieve your event goals for the year ahead.

Conclusion

Virtual events will continue to stay, and event organizers must adapt to the issues they bring. However, with the right tools and strategies, event owners can overcome these challenges and host successful virtual events. Social27 Virtual Platform provides event owners with the tools they need to measure ROI, engage attendees, and provide valuable post-event content.

So, if you are planning a virtual event in 2023, be sure to consider Social27 and ‘Request a Demo’.