During the pandemic, Zoom meetings became all the rage. Today, adding a virtual element to live meetings helps to capture a larger audience. Credit: DepositPhotos.com

As political unrest, federal job layoffs and complex U.S.-Canada relations continue to impact the meetings industry, virtual events remain a critical option for companies looking to maintain connections and advance business goals.

The surge in virtual events during the pandemic showcased their potential. Organizations pivoted to virtual formats to maintain momentum and broaden their reach.

“Virtual is going to see a spike,” says Dahlia El Gazzar, a tech evangelist, idea igniter and founder of DAHLIA+Agency. “Forward-thinking organizations are already planning to augment their in-person meetings with virtual extensions. Cancellation of grants and government participation, hesitancy to travel to the U.S. or abroad, and budget slashing are the current reality, and virtual is the solution to continue to keep their audience informed and engaged.”

Nick Borelli, director of marketing at Zenus, a facial analysis technology company and a virtual tech expert, agrees. “I’m in a number of threads on Linkedin where organizers are talking about their canceled events due to nonprofits being unstable, government organizations pulling out for budget reasons, and international audiences wanting to stay away from the U.S.,” Borelli says.

“The logical pivot would be virtual events. We’ve been training how to shift to them on both the planning and executing side as well as from an attendee point of view,” he adds.

During the pandemic, when in-person gatherings came to a halt, conferences, trade shows and corporate meetings quickly pivoted to virtual formats, ensuring business continuity. This shift also expanded audience reach and diversity.

An example is Salesforce, which had planned its annual flagship Australian event at Sydney’s International Convention Centre, expecting 15,000 attendees. When the pandemic made in-person gatherings impossible, Salesforce transitioned to a virtual model with live speakers and an entirely remote audience — resulting in a staggering 80,000 online participants.

“As someone deeply involved in the intersection of AI, event technology and AV production, I have witnessed firsthand how virtual events can extend the life of content and broaden audience reach when paired with strong content strategy and production value. However, the market has evolved since 2020. Today, attendees expect higher production quality, personalized experiences and more intentional networking opportunities, even in virtual formats. Without these, virtual events risk low engagement and limited ROI,” says Anca Platon Trifan, CMP, WMEP CEO | AI speaker & strategist, Tree-Fan Events Productions LLC, host of events, Demystified Podcast.

Transformational Opportunity Squandered?

Jennifer Glynn, CITP, managing partner of Meeting Encore, has not seen an increase in virtual meetings due to geopolitical issues. “There is still the post pandemic residual virtual meetings like town halls and annual general meetings, but with the cost of travel, visa concerns and currency fluctuations, we could see an increase in virtual. But, as we have learned, nothing compares to face-to-face events for strengthening relationships, increased learning and more,” Glynn says.

Bob Mitchell, principal/founder of Mitchell Partnership Alliances, focuses on the convergence of events, content, technology and community for Fortune 500 companies, associations and nonprofits.

“During Covid, the events industry squandered a transformational opportunity. It looked at virtual events as purely a stop-gap measure or a contingency plan instead of a creative and strategic opportunity,” Mitchell says.

He says the events industry could learn from telehealth. “Prior to Covid, a patient went to the doctor exclusively in person. Now telehealth has grown not only in acceptability but in some cases the norm,” Mitchell adds. “How did the healthcare industry accelerate the significant consumer benefits of virtual through telehealth, and why has the events industry resisted widespread adoption?”

Mitchell asserts that virtual should be used in conjunction with in-person events as part of your engagement mix, saying, “It should not be an either/or proposition.”

He adds that event professionals have learned how powerful it is to offer learning and education sessions and make them digital, whether synchronous or asynchronous. “An event doesn’t have to be four-and-a-half days. It can be a day-and-a-half, and the other sessions can be virtual,” he says. “Events are being eliminated. Let’s be proactive and plan to pivot to virtual. This will be both economical and provide the benefits of increased accessibility of the virtual experience. Virtual events, as mentioned, can certainly be a contingency plan, so get your contingency plan ready. Have a platform ready.”

Meanwhile, the events industry can do a better job of promoting the content and message of an event.

Says Mitchell: “It’s often the one-and-done circus. The show comes to town, the tent goes up. Three days later, the tent comes down, and it’s see you next year. This scenario is not about fostering community, continuing the conversation.”

The Expanding Virtual Events Market

The virtual events market is experiencing rapid growth. Market research firm The Business Research Company projects its value to increase from $193.45 billion in 2024 to $236.69 billion in 2025. By 2029, it is expected to reach $537.18 billion, mainly driven by the rising popularity of hybrid events.

While growth projections are impressive, organizations need to recognize that not all virtual events are created equal. The key differentiator is how technology is used to facilitate authentic human connection. AI, for example, can now assist in matchmaking and personalized content delivery, but it cannot replace thoughtful programming and community-building efforts,” Platon Trifan says.

Remembering that a virtual event platform is a place to interact, share thoughts and send a message to a worldwide audience is essential. They are event management systems that facilitate your hosting of virtual gatherings that include webinars, summits, workshops and online events.

A thorough understanding of your event’s goals and who you are addressing is imperative.

“Hopefully, the lessons from the pandemic era of events don’t need to be rediscovered,” Borelli says. “One of the most valuable virtual event design choices you can make is hiring an emcee to speak directly to the virtual attendees. No one wants to consume an event like a fly on the wall. We want to be engaged and treated like participants no matter where we are.”

He adds that, when designing a virtual event, planners must empathize with virtual attendees and the differences in their experience: “They are more likely to be distracted, need breaks from content, and have a harder time creating a sense of community and belonging. When looking for the right platform, accessibility is incredibly important so you don’t divide your audience based on their level of tech friction. The next most important, for me, is the variety of engagement and interactivity options to break up the prolonged screen time. With polls, Q&A, games and a highly trained emcee, you can engage a virtual audience for a significant amount of time,” Borelli says.

Tess Vismale, CMP, DES, event rescuer and speaker, and founder of iSocialX, always tells her clients to start with the objectives of their event. “I’ve emphasized for years that there’s a thin line between planning and execution, and my team finds this especially true for virtual events. Before we even look at platforms with our clients, we make sure we’re clear on goals: What are we trying to achieve? How will we measure success? What experience do we want the attendees to have?” she says.

This 360-degree view has proved successful for Vismale. “We saw how valuable this was when we worked with the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP). Our team executed five virtual events with just four days of lead time instead of the usual eight weeks. By focusing on the mission of uplifting spirits during the pandemic, we reached 1,800 attendees with meaningful content,” she says. “For the NCBMP events, we chose PINE, which wasn’t widely used in the U.S. at the time, because we found it better served our specific needs than more common options. I always tell planners not to be afraid to explore new technologies when they’re the right fit.”

She recommends requesting demos, talking to references who have run similar events and testing the platform’s technical support. “We know from experience that you need a responsive partner when you’re live and hit technical issues. With the NCBMP series, we had to meet everyone where they were, adapting our approach for each venue rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all solution,” Vismale says.

Choosing the Right Platform

Organizations must choose platforms that align with their specific needs to achieve business goals through virtual events.

Be strategic before diving into your virtual event platform comparison. You are looking for the best virtual event platform for you. But what does “best” mean? It should be a solution that ensures you achieve your goals and focuses on your audience, and their needs and preferences.

Make sure to have a user-friendly interface and use a platform that can handle various audience sizes without compromising performance. Features like live Q&A, polls and breakout rooms enhance interaction and replicate in-person experiences. High-quality streaming maintains professionalism and engages audiences. Compatibility with CRM and marketing automation tools simplifies workflows and enhances data tracking. Using real-time data on attendee behavior informs strategy. Branding and interactive elements create a unique and tailored event experience.

El Gazzar says that before vetting platforms from a technical or capability side, it’s essential to consider production. “The priority when choosing a virtual platform is to be sure the production company has your back and knows the platform you are using inside and out,” El Gazzar says. “Your production team must be your strategic partner and one that doesn’t hesitate to share advice on enhancing your program and content.”

Within the production, it’s essential to look at content, engagement strategy and how you will keep attendees engaged. A virtual event to emulate, according to El Gazzar, is Eventastic, billed as the world’s largest virtual event about events.

She also stresses the importance of giving the same time and consideration to your virtual platform as a venue where you are gathering in person.

“Just like you would check the physical space, the lighting, breakout rooms, networking areas, you have to look at the platform you are using for your virtual event,” El Gazzar says. “What are its capabilities? Is there a main room where everyone can talk to each other online? How will the speaker and audience engage? How will the speaker’s content be interactive with attendees? Will there be a whiteboard and slides that can be uploaded so attendees can annotate and get them later?”

How can the content be shared and marketed after the virtual event? For example, El Gazzar mentions RingCentral and how it can take the recording into a content studio where it is edited and highlight reels are created.

Assessing the Cost

It’s important to remember that not only are you paying for the platform, but oftentimes, you also pay a fee for each attendee. “You are paying for production, you are paying for strategy,” El Gazzar says. “You have to be realistic with budgets. Virtual is not an add-on. It should have always been an offer. It is not an afterthought.”

Analyzing the Data

Virtual event platforms provide a wealth of data about who attends the event, their engagement levels when they log in and out and more. Vismale suggests that event planners use virtual event data to measure authentic engagement beyond attendance numbers.

“We identify which sessions held attention — and where interest dropped — to refine future content. With NCBMP, we tracked which segments generated the most engagement, helping us understand what resonated most with the community,” she says. “Analyzing participant journeys helps us develop deeper audience insights, personalize follow-up and tailor future programming. The NCBMP events revealed which content types participants engaged with, which will inform our future programming decisions.”

She recommends that planners demonstrate ROI to stakeholders by using measurable metrics to establish a clear data strategy before an event begins, defining which metrics align with the group’s objectives.

Says Vismale: “For NCBMP, we saw that ROI wasn’t just financial — we measured it in community impact and emotional support, with 1,800 attendees receiving critical connections during isolation. We tied success metrics to the mission of uplifting spirits during isolation, requiring specific attention to engagement and sentiment indicators.”

Making the Best Choice

Successful virtual events require more than just the right platform. They need clear goals, thoughtful content, strong production and an understanding of audience expectations. Be sure to:

1. Clarify Business and Attendee Goals: Whether it’s education, sales or networking, the event design must align with these.
2. Prioritize Engagement and Accessibility: Use technology that supports real-time interaction, but also consider on-demand and accessible formats (captions, translations).
3. Focus on Production Value: High-quality visuals, sound and a run of show that mirrors a professional production will keep attendees engaged longer.
4. Leverage AI Thoughtfully: AI can support content delivery and matchmaking, but should not replace authentic community-building efforts.
5. Measure Impact: Use platform analytics, attendee feedback, and post-event engagement to assess success and refine future events.

“Virtual events remain a powerful tool, but they require intentional design and execution to deliver value,” Platon Trifan says. “As companies continue to explore hybrid solutions, the lessons learned from early pandemic-era virtual events should inform a higher standard moving forward — one where technology enhances, rather than replaces, meaningful connection. C&IT