When many events were postponed or canceled, businesses came to rely on digital tools and platforms to replace in-person events like user conferences, product launches, and even trade shows. Companies that are accustomed to meeting with or selling to prospects in person have had to quickly make the switch to platforms like Zoom and GoToMeeting. These video conferencing resources are great for traditional video meetings or webinars, but they lack the tools and resources to immerse attendees in your products and services through a visually engaging experience. In addition, most don’t offer a creative professional team that is experienced with creating impactful 3D virtual events. With live events on pause, you need a better way to make your marketing message heard.
Why Opting for an Interactive 3D Immersive Virtual Event Is Key to a Successful Future
Traditional webinars are appropriate for some situations. Attendees typically view a live presenter, who may also use a slideshow to deliver information to a wide number of people. There may be some interaction through a chat window; attendees ask questions, and a moderator selects from them for a response from the presenter. These events have become commonplace but they lack the impact of a more immersive experience and fall short when it comes to disseminating complex and engaging information and concepts.
In contrast, an immersive 3D virtual event is interactive, with visually stimulating 3D graphics providing an environment they can explore and experiences that engage them. For example, an immersive 3D virtual event can mimic a real conference, where the user moves around the various areas of an event space, all with live or recorded content and options to set up meetings or see 3D product demos. They can easily visit:
- A keynote area
- Breakout rooms
- Sponsor exhibits
- Networking lounges
- And more
In addition, there may be exhibits with experiential activations, like a sponsored “escape room” that requires attendees to figure out clues relating to a sponsor’s product video in order to “escape” the room. An interactive event platform allows players to communicate with one another in-game, and the fastest escape times can be shown on a leaderboard.
1. Immersive 3D virtual events let users choose their own journeys.
Traditional webinars create passive experiences; users primarily listen to content in a serial format. An immersive 3D virtual event allows attendees to wander between many parallel activities per their interests and priorities. Like attending a real-world event, they can choose when and where to go. Even better than a real-world event, the experience can be recorded, so users can continue to explore even after the live event has ended. While live interactions would be limited to the live event schedule, the experiences and content on an immersive event platform would continue to bring them value and allow a much wider audience to attend.
2. Immersive virtual events make a lasting impression.
When you plan a traditional event, hours of creative thought and effort go into making it something attendees remember. You shouldn’t neglect that effort when you transition online—it will pay off for your event ROI!
When planning a virtual event, an experienced creative team can create mind-blowing 3D environments and activations that are far more memorable than a staid webinar. Clients who have embraced the move to virtual are thinking out of the box and setting events on tropical islands or in famous exhibition halls. When a talented creative team and 3D designers get involved, anything is possible.
Keeping your attendees’ interests in mind is what makes an event memorable. A professionally designed virtual event doesn’t transition what would be a live event into a boring education session; it harnesses creative planning plus 3D graphics plus content to create something your attendees won’t forget. And when you’re unrestricted by physical space, the world is your oyster.
3. Immersive virtual events facilitate networking and engagement.
On traditional web meeting platforms, it works best when one person speaks at a time, making it difficult to network, unless users want to do so in the chat box. But networking is one of the main reasons people attend events. Online event platforms give them exactly what they want through integrated communication systems like:
- Chat rooms according to interests
- One-on-one communication with exhibitors, sponsors, or other attendees
- 3D product demos with live video, voice, or chat
- And more
Attendees can go anywhere and choose to interact through video or chat. That means they can check out areas such as:
- Keynote speeches
- Breakout rooms
- Networking lounges
- Sponsor exhibits
- And more
All with their peers!
4. Immersive virtual events integrate educational content.
Educational content is a great way to inform your attendees about your brand and your company. An immersive 3D virtual events platform can use gamification and shared experiences to provide multiple (fun) opportunities for learning. For example, you can create a scavenger hunt, where users go to different sections of your event and answer a few questions to achieve points. This type of gamification encourages deeper learning, but it’s also fun. Points can be turned in to “purchase” swag items that are mailed to the attendee. Video conferencing platforms do not have the capability to engage viewers in this type of interactive experience. When educational content or a product demo is interactive, your audience is more likely to remember the important points.
5. Immersive virtual events collect valuable data based on your attendees’ behavior.
At a physical event, attendees wander around and pause in countless locations, checking out many touchpoints and activities in a day. Despite this engagement, you can only know so much about what they’re interested in.
A virtual event is different because it’s designed, in part, with data in mind. Clicks can be measured, and so can time spent in one place (dwell time). This gives you an incredibly valuable look into exactly the types of information, speakers, activities, etc. your customers are interested in, which allows you to finetune your product or service and produce an even better event—virtual or physical—in the future.
6. Planning and producing an immersive 3D virtual event has the benefit of a professional team
When you plan an event on a traditional webinar platform, like Zoom, you may already have the expertise to pull it off, if you’re not doing anything special. But if your goals are to create a professionally produced event that will elevate your brand and leave attendees in awe, then it’s time to work with a talented creative team experienced in how to plan and design an unforgettable event on a 3D immersive virtual events platform.
Working with professionals includes:
- Discovery sessions
- Design concepts
- 3D design work
- High-quality video production
- Technical support staff available during the live event to make sure it goes off without a hitch
These experts not only know how to build a real-world event, they understand how to develop an immersive virtual experience that engages your audience and leaves them excited for the next one.
The New Virtual World
Virtual events are here to stay long after the world recovers from COVID-19 because their benefits are undeniable. When you invest in an immersive virtual event that’s professionally designed and hosted, your investment can be reused and customized to deliver many events, spreading out the cost. Your upfront efforts will show attendees that you care about their experiences and stand behind the value of your product or service.
If what you’re planning sounds like a match for an immersive 3D virtual event, then ProGlobalEvents has the experience and expertise to help. Contact one of our experts to talk about how to plan and produce a successful event in the new virtual world.
