Online events already existed before the coronavirus outbreak. But because of the pandemic, they spiked in popularity. Businesses began to install event software and train their staff to help them adapt to the new format. Providers of matchmaking software strive to boost their productivity and deliver increasingly better products. From this article, you'll get to know how to make the most of online event networking in 2022 and which tools you might want to use.
The Specifics and Benefits of Virtual Events
For centuries, people have been attending offline events to meet professionals from their industries or the sectors they were interested in. This type of event enables them to achieve the following goals:
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Meet mentors or experts in a given field
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Expand their professional network
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Prove that they have expert knowledge in the field and can share it with others
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Generate new business leads
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Promote their brands
Despite the breathtaking technological progress, very few people would have believed that online event networking could ever replace offline conferences and trade shows. Then, coronavirus broke out — and companies surprisingly quickly adapted to the new reality. The main challenge was emotional. Many people found it difficult to get accustomed to virtual events. They reported missing their usual sensory experience and face-to-face dialogs.
However, from the business point of view, virtual event networking enabled brands to accentuate their unique selling proposition. Both the organizers and the attendees of the events admitted that they managed to accomplish their goals.
Some events take place 100% online. These are known as virtual events. Plus, there are hybrid events. Such format suggests that some part of the attendees are physically present on the location and broadcast in real-time for many other participants. Those others can watch the event passively or interact with other guests using tools of online communication.
To make the most of virtual and hybrid meetings, companies should rely on dedicated event software.
The Functionality of Event and Matchmaking Software
The most basic event and matchmaking software offers a simple attendee directory and private chat. More sophisticated solutions have the following features:
The main mission of event networking solutions is to boost people's engagement.
The Advantages of Virtual and Hybrid Events
Virtual and hybrid event networking has the following advantages:
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People who can't afford to travel long distances to take part in offline events can easily participate in online gatherings
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You might be able to meet people who you would have never come across otherwise
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During the pandemic or other emergencies, online event networking is the safest and easiest opportunity to get together
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Virtual events normally last just a couple of hours and you can get back to your usual work immediately afterward
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All you need to do to join an event is to get access to matchmaking software
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In the online format, there might be fewer distractions — and if you're allowed to record the event, you won't miss a single word
The developers of event and matchmaking software try to offer each time more powerful and innovative solutions. The competition in this sphere is very fierce. One of the latest technological milestones was the integration of AR and VR technologies into event software.
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Which Software Can You Use to Organize Virtual Events or Prepare for Them?
One of the most popular and reliable solutions that you can use for online event networking is Bitrix24. It allows you to complete the following tasks:
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Create private, group and company calendars
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Add private and public events to calendars
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Invite people to your events
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Modify people's access rights to events
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Synchronize your calendars with MS Outlook and Google Calendar
When getting ready for virtual event networking, you might want to use the built-in contact center of Bitrix24. It comes in equally handy for internal and external communications. Make audio and video calls to your colleagues, send text messages to them and share files with them. If you need to prepare speeches or reports for virtual event networking, assign tasks to your team members and monitor their performance. If someone fails to meet the deadline, Bitrix24 will notify you and you'll be able to re-allocate your resources.
Apart from event networking capabilities, Bitrix24 has many other useful functions:
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A CRM with customizable fields and an opportunity of storing an unlimited number of records
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A website constructor that enables you to build a site or landing page without any coding skills
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Email marketing instruments
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Time, task and project management tools
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Ecommerce and sales intelligence solutions
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Workflows and business process automation
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HR tools
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Opportunity of generating insightful reports with actionable data
You don't need to pay anything to try the cheapest plan of Bitrix24. You'll get access to 5 GB of online storage, collaboration tools, CRM, task and project management instruments, contact center and website builder. When you need to upgrade, you'll be able to choose from three paid plans: Basic (5 users, USD 30 per month), Standard (50 users, USD 60 per month) or Professional (unlimited number of users, USD 120 per month). The prices might slightly fluctuate over time because Bitrix24 frequently offers discounts.
Over 10 million businesses from all over the world use Bitrix24. This product is available as an on-premise solution, in cloud format and a mobile app for iOS and Android. Feel free to try it and appreciate its multiple benefits!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you found this article informative and now you better understand the specifics of online event networking. Virtual and hybrid events are here to stay because they allow people from different cities and countries to meet each other without spending funds and effort on traveling. To make the most of online events, you might want to install Bitrix24. This versatile and reliable solution allows you to create public and private calendars, plan meetings and appointments, invite people to your events and carry out many other useful functions.
