People are still trying to figure out how to run engaging virtual events. To be honest, that’s why they risk being a little… boring. 

But yours won’t be. It’s all about mindset. Virtual events are a chance to explore new opportunities (as opposed to limiting them). To help you, we’ve prepared a virtual events idea bank for you to feast your eyes on. 

At Eventbrite, we know a thing or two about planning events of the online kind. We’ve broken down our 53 best virtual event ideas into categories. To refine your search, we rated each idea for complexity, cost, and popularity. Remember, one with a lower popularity rating isn’t necessarily unpopular but might appeal to more niche interests.

So pour yourself a coffee, and get ready to plan virtual conferences, contests, virtual corporate events, expos, fundraisers, and so many more. 

Virtual event ideas by event category

Virtual conference ideas

Virtual contest ideas

Virtual corporate event ideas

Virtual expo ideas

Virtual fundraiser ideas

Virtual party ideas

Online performance ideas

Virtual promotional event ideas

Virtual social event ideas

Virtual workshop & webinar ideas

Virtual event best practices

Virtual conference ideas

Looking for virtual event ideas? Move your next conference online, and allow speakers, presenters, and guests to participate worldwide. With less venue space required, you can reduce costs and expand your reach. 

Send swag and treats to attendees beforehand, and make recordings of sessions available to participants after the event.

Two people talking in front of an exhibition booth
Renegade San Francisco / Renegade Craft / San Francisco, CA

1. ConfEx: Combine conferences and exhibitions   

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

A ConfEx is part conference, part exhibition. As you can imagine, the emphasis is on talks and learning, with many exhibitors offering smaller presentations and opportunities for connecting either in-person or online.

Doing it well: FluXPO hosted the 2nd edition of the Virtual NFT Confex, covering the future of non-fungible tokens in entertainment, business, and even the metaverse.

The virtual format of the FluXPO conference brought in attendees from around the world and saved costs for venue hire and travel, making it cheaper for everyone. 

The online format also aligned perfectly with the conference’s theme of digital assets.

2. Congress: Bring together everyone who’s anyone

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Congresses generally refer to formal meetings between politicians, government representatives, and professional organizations. Many conferences also use the term “congress” to sound more official. Turn your conference of business professionals into a congress to underline the importance of decisions to be made.

Doing it well: The College of Animal Welfare had a great virtual event idea with their Nutrition Congress for veterinary nurses to advance their knowledge of animal nutrition. 

The virtual format was a perfect fit for busy veterinary nurses. The schedule was much more flexible than an in-person event and allowed attendees to only participate in the sessions they were most interested in.

3. Unconference: All the flash, none of the formality

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Unlike conferences, unconferences focus on a specific virtual event theme but with no pre-formed agenda. Attendees usually decide the topics for discussion at the start of the day (or virtual session) and then self-regulate as the event progresses.

Doing it well: Check out Lean Portland’s “Lean for Social Good Virtual Unconference,” devoted to bringing NGOs, government agencies, and non-profits together for a “participant-driven” event where the topics and agenda are made by those who are there.

The virtual conference was a great fit to reduce travel expenses for the volunteers and nonprofit employees. People who would struggle to afford travel costs can be there virtually, opening your conference up to a much larger audience.

Virtual contest ideas

Fun virtual event ideas can happen over several days or months — especially challenges or competitions. Organize a virtual race or exercise challenge where participants log their activity for a set number of days. 

If they hit certain goals, they get a fun prize! Create challenge merch, like t-shirts or exercise bands, that guests can use during the event.

4. Endurance race: Take it off the track

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Endurance events involve individuals racing against their opponents to test their endurance. The most common forms involve running, cycling, and swimming (or all three). For a virtual format, they could also involve:

  • Dancing at home for 24 hours
  • Yogathons, with participants practicing yoga for as long as possible
  • Exercise biking or treadmilling for a set number of miles

These all make excellent virtual event ideas because they require less time and money to set up since you don’t need to provide exercise equipment. Plus, more people can enter without being limited by the physical space available. No need to rent a venue if everyone can be in their home! 

This is also great for shyer participants who might not want the pressure of others being right next to them. And everyone can customize their environment (do it indoors, outdoors, by the beach, with your pooch, playing music full blast, etc) to fit their preferences. 

People speaking at an event
Re.Mixer LA / Eventbrite / Los Angeles, CA

5. Debate: Let the sparks fly

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Witnessing talented, passionate debaters can make a huge impression. Virtual debates lend credibility to causes and get spectators questioning their assumptions.

Doing it well: Magnetic hosts a variety of debates on hot topics. With the virtual format, they can reliably bring in true experts from all around the globe, and people worldwide can tune in to the virtual debate.

6. Hackathon: Build-your-own-anything

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

When you bring together programmers, designers, and other digital professionals and ask them to build a prototype within a set period, you’ve got yourself a hackathon. The stereotype for this virtual event theme is that they’re fueled by pizza, caffeine, beer, and a little know-how. So why not collaborate with a local food supplier or restaurant to sponsor your event?

The participants spend the whole time on their computers anyway, so taking it virtual simply means they can do it from the comfort of their own homes, in their PJs. A hackathon is a perfect virtual event idea — more people can get involved, and you can have some fun with a virtual awards ceremony afterward.

7. Pitch: Swim with the sharks

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

The format is usually a rapid-fire session of startups or speakers pitching to the audience or a panel of experts, usually to win a prize. Try one of these formats:

  • Product pitch, similar to the TV series “Shark Tank,” in which new product ideas are pitched to a panel of venture capitalists
  • Movie or TV series pitch, where aspiring filmmakers present ideas for the next blockbuster to Hollywood insiders
  • Real estate pitch, where realtors learn about properties about to hit the market and offer valuations to lenders and title companies

With the virtual format, you can gather real business leaders more easily to judge the participants, as there’s no travel involved. It also gives your attendees flexibility with how they present their pitch — they can prepare a video or multimedia presentation well ahead of time!

8. Talent show: Let everyone show off 

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Let entrants compete to demonstrate their unique talent in front of an audience and judging panel. Hold it through a virtual platform like Zoom or Vimeo. Talent can include but isn’t restricted to:

  • Musicians performing solo or in small ensembles
  • Dancers in a studio or on stage
  • Magicians, illusionists, and mentalists
  • Standup comics, improv acts, and comedy sketches

This format presents an opportunity for participants to get creative with digital tools and effects to enhance their performances. They can use filters, different camera angles, or even interactive components to add layers of added fun. It’s also pretty nice that your participants can use the equipment they have at home and are used to —  no need to worry about lugging a piano to your venue. 

Virtual corporate event ideas

Many corporations have offices or employees across the globe, so virtual corporate experiences bring everyone together no matter where they are. Use them to reinforce company messaging, keep teams in communication, and offer a change of pace to the workday grind. We put together some fun virtual event ideas for work that feel more like play.

9. Breakfast briefing: Start the day right

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Organize a morning event when there’s a big announcement or launch to present. It’s great for reaching a business audience that’s unavailable during office hours or after work.

Consider sending a gift card for a meal delivery service or even a breakfast food basket to all your participants to make sure they’re eager to attend, despite the early hour!

A person speaking in a forum
Ladies Get Paid / Get Money Get Paid / New York

10. Forum: Learn from the best

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

A forum works well for debates and airing opinions — it’s associated with legal and political proceedings and often imbues a sense of importance. Corporate events that might fit a forum format include a discussion of corporate strategic goals among top executives or a “state of the industry” debate with outside experts. 

The virtual event theme lets you bring experts, executives, and influencers together, even if they live far apart.

Doing it well: FIU Global’s “Global Learning Forum,” unites educators and administrators to discuss internal education initiatives. Because this event looked for a global reach, the virtual format was perfect: It brought people together from around the world without having to worry about travel time.

11. Interview or fireside chat: Get a unique perspective

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

For those who want a keynote speaker but can’t invest the time in creating a presentation, organize a simple chat or interview. Set up a microphone and camera, and ask questions from you and your audience.

Doing it well: Product management training organization Product School hosts regular fireside chats with industry experts. With frequent chats, you can quickly build up a reputation for consistent, quality events like they have.

This type of event allows you to significantly widen your options for interviewees or speakers since you don’t need to add travel costs on top of speaker fees. Plus, it’s a lot easier to fit the virtual event idea into a busy executive or influencer’s schedule.

12. Panel discussion with industry experts

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Bring together a group of influencers or experts to have a discussion about a contemporary topic. Throw in a moderator and a series of questions from the audience, and you’ve got yourself a panel. 

Doing it well: The Arts Club of Chicago hosted a panel discussion about Black abstraction in conjunction with an exhibition of the painter Suzanne Jackson; a panel of renowned artists joined moderator Camille Bacon. The value of this event was in the guests they brought on, so consider who you could bring on to a virtual panel that might not be able to come in person.

The virtual format also makes collecting questions much easier: You can have attendees write in a chat and put the best ones in a queue for the experts to answer in order. That’s part of what makes a live chat one of the most important offerings for virtual platforms.

13. Q&A with an industry influencer

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Invite an expert in an interesting field, join up with an influencer your guests would love, or host a celebrity for a Q&A. Booking big-name talent for online events is easier than ever, no matter where you’re located, so this is a great option to do online.

Doing it well: Theater-focused creator Play Cafe recently featured a Q&A with The Kibanes — a theatrical rock band and Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award finalist — to discuss their creative process in depth. By putting the spotlight on how they work, the virtual event idea reflected the interests of Play Cafe’s target audience of theater and playwrighting aficionados.

14. Roundtable: No knights, but plenty of insights

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Similar to a panel discussion but typically including audience participation, a roundtable gathers field or industry leaders to discuss current hot topics. Before you host, though, make sure you know how to run a successful roundtable discussion. Those leaders are certainly easier to gather online than in person, which makes this especially appealing. You can even break the conversation into smaller virtual meetings through breakout sessions.

Doing it well: The ECR French Nineteenth-Century Art Network recently hosted a roundtable focused on how nineteenth-century art is exhibited and curated. 

The roundtable was led by curators and researchers at institutions, including the Museum of Fashion in Paris, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. 

A network of Ph.D. students, researchers, and recent graduates were invited to ask questions and partake in the conversation, letting worldwide experts participate through the magic of the internet.

Virtual expo ideas

A virtual expo is much like an in-person expo, with a focus on introducing and showcasing new products in a particular industry or sector. These events tend to center on the latest trends and developments and often include product premieres, thought-leader Q&As, and teasers of upcoming attractions.

A booth at a consumer show
CUESA / First Bloom: Spring Cocktails of the Farmers Market / San Francisco, CA

15. Consumer show or fair: Get an industry overview

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

These are usually big events featuring vendors selling their products or services, all linked by specific event themes or related to the same industry. Online shows are perfect for marketing homeware, travel opportunities, or electronics.

Doing it well: Take inspiration from Must High-Tech Expo’s Consumer Electronics Day event when you plan this virtual event idea. They built a space in the Metaverse where attendees could design their own avatars and explore a virtual show in 3D. This virtual reality experience upgraded what would’ve been a simple video call into a full-blown fair. It’s worth looking into incorporating VR into your own event, as it’s a top events industry trend.

To do this, you’ll want to rent (or invest in) a specialized camera setup to stream 360° video for your VR audience.

16. Fandom gathering: Build a community

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

This type of event focuses on fans of a particular part of popular culture — usually referring to subcultures such as science fiction, anime, gaming, or cult TV series. With niche fandoms, there might not be a large audience in any single location for an in-person gathering. That makes virtual events especially appealing: You can bring people together no matter how specific their interests are.

Doing it well: The Guardian Live’s recent Book Club featured Neil Gaiman, author of the groundbreaking graphic novel “The Sandman”. Dr. Leigh George’s WIMPIII Nation: Fans on Fandom event gathered authorities on the rock group Haim, for a discussion of fanhood from the fans’ point of view. 

In both cases, those speakers were a huge attractor that brought a lot of value to the event, but they might not have been able to fly to attend in person. Letting everyone do it virtually added value and opened the doors for more attendees.

17. Digital tour: Non-tourism tours

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Share historical sites, museums, or other attractions with a virtual audience through an online tour. Put together a slideshow with high-quality photos, stream a live video tour, or pre-record a tour video you can reuse and repurpose. Give attendees the option to donate to your organization or tip their virtual tour guide.

Doing it well: World Virtual Tour has explored destinations including the Salvador Dali Museum, Nairobi National Park, and the Tomb of the Pharaonic Queen Meresankh III outside Cairo, among a host of other tours. While traveling to those locations might be cost-prohibitive, the virtual event idea is much more economically viable to put together.

18. Exhibition or trade show: Show off the cutting edge

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Trade shows are similar to consumer fairs but are directed toward professionals selling high-value B2B goods or services. These can vary in size and complexity, depending on the industry. A virtual format lets exhibitors bring in multimedia presentations that would either be complex to do in person but are totally feasible through a video call.

Doing it well: The Washington International Trade Association (WITA) hosts virtual trade shows and conferences frequently. They often combine these with in-person trade shows, letting exhibitors choose whether they want the personal touch of an in-person event or the convenience of showing their stuff virtually.

19. Fashion show: Couture for the community

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Showcase the latest styles and trends. Recreate a runway with music and flashing lights, or lean into the intimacy of an online event with a quieter, closer look at what’s new. How about putting the spotlight on historical fashion?

Doing it well: The trio of women known as History Wardrobe celebrated the teamwork of painter Gustav Klimt and dress designer Emily Flöger with historical dressmaker Meridith Towne. This is a pretty niche topic, but by bringing the show online, they made sure they could reach an international audience large enough to appreciate the beauty of the work they created.

Virtual fundraiser ideas

Plan a fun virtual event idea that also raises funds for your nonprofit organization. You can incorporate all kinds of fundraiser ideas into your event, whether it’s interactive, informational, or for pure entertainment. If your organization isn’t a nonprofit, why not donate a portion of your profits to the cause of your choice or give attendees the option to donate?

A woman looking at a screen at her desk

20. Charity awareness webinar: Lift up the cause

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Teach guests about your nonprofit organization and cause with an informational webinar. Tailor your content to educate attendees about what your organization does and how they can support you with their time or donations. Remember to include a post-event suggestion to donate to your cause, helping to raise funds.

Webinars are a great way to raise awareness around your virtual event theme because they’re relatively low commitment. That means that people who are less aware of your cause are more likely to come and find out what it’s all about.

21. Silent auction: Raise funds and fun

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Virtual or in-person bids are placed in a closed box, with no one knowing how much anyone has bid. The box is unlocked, and the highest bid wins. 

These events can be stand-alone but are commonly part of larger fundraising and celebratory events. As you wait for results to come through, take advantage of the online format to play videos, open breakout rooms, or invite attendees to play a virtual game.

Doing it well: When the Senior Services of Alexandria holds a silent auction, they also bring in a raffle, games, and dinner. Bring the same experience to your virtual attendees with online games and a gift card for a meal service or a scheduled meal delivery.

22. Film screening: Put art in others’ homes

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Virtual screenings can be a surprisingly diverse and flexible way to raise money for charity, from “Saturday nights at the movies” events to exclusive documentary screenings. 

While an in-person movie night might be hard to put together because of all the equipment, seating, and refreshments you’d have to bring in, a virtual screening lets you set it all up with relative ease, and your attendees get to watch from the comfort of their couches.

Doing it well: The reforestation-focused group ForestPlanet, Inc.’s innovative streaming of the films “From Seed to Seed” and “Farming the Sky” meant 50 trees could be planted, providing habitat for wildlife and income for locals. The virtual format fit the theme well since it allowed everyone to participate without burning fossil fuels and adding to their carbon footprint by traveling to an in-person screening.

23. Virtual gala: Rub elbows and raise awareness

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Raise funds for your charity or cause by letting attendees bid on auction items or shop. Consider adjusting your ticket prices to account for the fact the event isn’t in person, and organize an online auction for donated products and experiences.

Doing it well:

Nova Scotia College of Social Workers‘ Annual Awards Gala included a specially selected speaker and awards for exemplary service. With this virtual event idea, the organizers got the latitude to invite whoever they wanted — while important industry figures might have busy schedules, a virtual event lets them be more flexible or even make a pre-recorded speech without throwing off the event.

Using pre-recorded speeches as part of your event can add the excitement of celebrity and a speaker that fits your virtual event theme perfectly, without you having to worry about the speaker’s schedule. It also prevents technical difficulties that can result from speakers being in charge of their at-home setup.

Looking for a tool purpose-built for hosting virtual events?

Virtual party ideas

Bring friends or strangers together to have fun, relax, and celebrate. Attendees don’t even need to leave their homes — they can party virtually. Try something similar to the following or explore more party ideas.

24. Dance, ball, or disco: Boogie in comfort

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Ballroom dancing or clubbing? The number of events revolving around a dance floor is limitless. By hosting it virtually, you make this event much more accessible for people who might not be up for cutting a rug in person. 

Virtual dances are more accessible for people who require accommodations they aren’t sure they’d get from an in-person dance venue, so you can make sure your event is inclusive of as many dancers as possible.

Doing it well: When iLose2Gain hosts their dance party virtual event ideas, they even incorporate a health and wellness component to the events. That helps keep people focused on getting a move on and not get self-conscious about their dancing skills, and it helps them hit their fitness goals, too!

People dancing with headphones on
We <3 NYC / Daybreaker / New York, NY

25. Silent disco: Dance to your own rhythm

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Hold a virtual house party with no complaints about the music volume! Instead of blaring out dope beats from speakers, each attendee uses headphones and dances to the tunes only they can hear.

Going virtual is perfect for this because people will be wearing headphones anyway. At the same time, they don’t have to worry about annoying the neighbors!

26. Masquerade: Mask on, party on

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Most common around Halloween, masquerade parties are a great excuse to get dressed up — less Michael Myers gore and more Renaissance-era mystique. Revel with others in equally outrageous, amusing, and esoteric clothing.

Doing it well: Love Coach Shina used masquerades as a fresh twist on her Let’s Pick a Boo speed-dating events. With a virtual format, she can rotate partners on a regular schedule and truly randomize the experience for some exciting and fully blind dates.

27. Adult Prom: A little less awkward this time

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

An American staple and movie classic, a prom gives attendees the chance to relive their high school experience — with (legal) drinks. Go online by providing attendees with home decorations and asking them to dress up.

Breakout rooms can help people find where they’re most comfortable, whether they want to make small talk around the virtual punch bowl or dance to any genre of music. This virtual event idea can be welcoming for anyone, no matter what they’re looking for.

28. Rave: Just don’t wake the neighbors

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Feel-good vibes, dayglo necklaces, electronic sounds, and trippy light shows. Invite virtual ravers to turn off the lights to set the mood and include lighting effects along with a setlist of the best house, acid, and techno beats.

Doing it well: At Crewtify, Inc.’s Cyber Raves, attendees’ screens are shared, creating a real party effect. At the same time, they’re dancing in the comfort of their homes and can take a break whenever they want, without having to worry about the discomfort of crowds.

Encourage your guests to bring energy-boosting snacks — or even think about mailing them some — to make sure they have the stamina to keep the party going and really get into the virtual event’s theme.

29. Festival: Bring the fans together

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Festivals are often music-focused but can be on any topic. An organized concert series, screenings, or plays can happen over several days. The virtual format lets people avoid the major downsides of in-person festivals: Finding accommodation, camping in the rain and mud, dealing with crowds, and paying for expensive food on-location, for example.

Doing it well: FilmGate Miami’s monthly Short Film Festival showcased up-and-coming local filmmaking talent. With their focus on short films, they bring their attendees movies that they wouldn’t be able to watch on major streaming services. That adds value to this virtual event idea.

When you plan your festival, think about how to incorporate something truly unique in the same way — whether it’s a band that doesn’t tour much, a movie that isn’t online, or something else that’s hard to find.

Online performance ideas

This can include comedy, cabaret, concerts, and even events that don’t start with C! Yes, we’ve lumped five major types of events into one because they share a common factor: a center stage occupied by talented artists, appreciated by an attentive online audience.

A person leading a book reading for children
Storybook Maze / Storybook Maze Book Bus Adventure / Baltimore, MD

30. Book reading: Share the joy of stories

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Choose an author or book and host a virtual read-along. Remind attendees to bring a copy of the book to read along with. With the virtual format, they can enjoy their books from the comfort of their couches, wrapped up in a blanket, with a warm drink.

Doing it well: Octavia Butler’s Slow Read brought together people interested in that specific author. While that might be a little niche for an in-person meetup, the broader audience of a virtual event can bring together fans from across long distances. That makes book readings uniquely suited to be great virtual events.

When you plan your reading, consider using a two-camera setup. You can have one camera focused on the page while the other is on the reader. That makes it easier to follow without missing out on seeing the speaker. With that kind of setup, you can take full advantage of this virtual event idea.

31. Cabaret: Just as fun as in the 20s

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Cabaret is an exciting virtual event theme that combines music, song, dance, and drama with an overarching theme. It’s normally more suited to adult audiences. Stream the performance live to the online audience — and use more than one camera so you can mix up the visual compositions.

You can take advantage of the virtual format by encouraging performers to take requests and interact with the live chat. A live chat is less intrusive than in-person interaction, and it lets performers receive recommendations or answer questions at the pace they prefer. 

32. Immersive events: Enter a new world

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Immersive events normally follow a tight narrative, leading the participant through the story with the help of actors who always stay in character and settings you might find on a movie set. 

Fans of zombies and apocalypse scenarios love these events. How about livestreaming a handheld video feed of the experience for a “found footage” vibe?

33. Improv show: Spontaneous laughter for everyone

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Improvisational comedy is where the performers have no set script and instead develop ideas from the audience into jokes and sketches on the fly. For a live stream, make a few adaptations to instill the same sense of immediacy:

  • Encourage participation with chat rooms for scene and character suggestions
  • Include breakout rooms for cast members to confer with small groups of attendees
  • Use high-quality microphones and sound equipment so online guests hear well

The virtual event idea can give you some unique advantages for improv. Experiment with special effects and filters, and make sure to use the chat function to gather audience suggestions in a much more orderly, less disruptive way.

34. Open mic: A talent show for all

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Let attendees be the stars of the show. Open mics usually focus on poetry, music, and comedy and allow aspiring artists to showcase their skills and get comfortable performing in front of people (even if they’re virtual). Keep the focus on one particular art or open it up to any and all performers.

A virtual format can be much more welcoming to amateur performers because they don’t have to look at the crowd. Take advantage of this by personally inviting people to perform, and emphasize the low-stakes, low-stress format.

Doing it well: At Open Mic NYC’s “At Your Service, Isolation Be Gone!,” the mic was open to poets, rappers, comics, and others — the feeling is, if you’ve got something to say, say it! To recreate the feel of a live audience, participants are asked to keep their cameras on so everyone can see the performance as well as hear it.

People painting under ring lights
Art Battle International / Art Battle SF / SF

35. Paint jam: Unleash creativity on canvas

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Grab some brushes, paint, and a canvas, and hop online. People love watching amazing art come to life. Consider taking advantage of the virtual event idea’s format by responding to questions from the online chat about technique, using their real-time suggestions, or making it more interactive with some games.

Doing it well: When Art Battle hosts their events, they bring in multiple high-quality cameras and mix a live audience with a virtual one. That creates an engaging virtual event theme for everyone, and the multi-camera setup makes sure there’s always something exciting to see.

36. Virtual comedy night: Plenty to laugh about

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Host a curated comedy night online and introduce a roster of comedians to a broad audience. Sell merch as an add-on during the ticket-buying process or offer it for purchase during the event itself. Keep track of up-and-coming comedians to showcase via comedy streams on YouTube and at local clubs and college campuses.

The virtual format means that you can bring in regionally-famous comedians who haven’t made it to the national stage. That means nobody has to travel, but you get to highlight acts your audience probably hasn’t seen before.

Doing it well: NextUpComedy.com’s “Suspicious Cheap Comedy” streaming events featured a master of ceremonies to keep the show flowing, introduce the comedians, and offer comic takes and entertainment.

37. Virtual concert: All the music, none of the crowd

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Organize a virtual concert that lets attendees be close to their favorite musical artists, no matter how many people are attending. Add behind-the-scenes or VIP options to create a truly memorable experience.

Doing it well: The Jackson Room in Queens, NY, featured a monthly jazz livestream show featuring the Ed Jackson Quartet, so guests worldwide can experience the band. World-class music isn’t always next door, so the virtual format is especially appropriate for this. 

Virtual promotional event ideas

Find a ready audience online, where retail shopping and browsing come together. Whether you’re offering unique experiences or looking to introduce a new product to the marketplace, an online promotional event can get the word out.

38. Flash event: The hype is the event

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

A flash event is typified by a sudden announcement of your event, usually the night or two before, to create excitement and anticipation. These work well for businesses and social media accounts with large followings, influencing a crowd to turn up and generating additional excitement to trigger impulse buying. 

Because the performance is virtual, record it before time, then promote it on social media. Consider these flash possibilities:

  • A product pre-release — making a small volume of your new product available for a limited time
  • A flash theatrical performance of a scene or two from a new stage production to gain publicity and generate word-of-mouth
  • An impromptu live or pre-recorded mini-performance before tickets for a full-length show go on sale

No matter what you go with, this virtual event idea is sure to get people excited and ready for anything!

39. Launch your new product and show it to the world

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Organize a party to showcase your company’s latest release. Don’t forget to involve a demo, lots of cool branding, and VIPs such as company executives and celebrity spokespersons. 

Offer guests a discount or special gift with their purchase, or set up a giveaway for customers to enter and win the product. 

Encourage participants to post about the event on social media, using your event hashtag to enter the giveaway. That can turn a regular virtual corporate event into a viral sensation!

Virtual social event ideas

Offer a virtual venue for people of similar interests to come together when an in-person event isn’t possible. A variety of formats are adaptable to a virtual setting. Try one of the following ideas:

Two women looking at a laptop

40. Start a meetup to create new friendships

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Whatever your interest — punk rock, property investment, book club — it’s great to connect and enjoy conversation with those who share your passion. Keep the event moving by providing a point of discussion or topic of conversation.

Doing it well: Independent bookseller Bel Canto Books in Long Beach, California, hosts a free, regular online graphic novel book club. Each month’s graphic novel is listed on Eventbrite (along with links to where guests can buy hard copies, e-books, and audiobooks of the graphic novels). 

That way, people meet up with others who are interested in the same subjects, give each other recommendations, and read ahead of time to enjoy even more interesting conversations. This virtual event idea truly brings people together through a meetup of mutual interest and appreciation. 

41. Online games: Creating communities since the 80s

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Gaming is a big industry to penetrate. Some gamers play socially, while others play for cash prizes. Online gaming events can help you target a niche audience. And since video games already involve the use of a digital screen, they work well as virtual events. Make sure your technology is up to date and working smoothly — nothing ruins an online gaming event like tech issues. Popular online games include:

  • First-person and third-person shooters, with classics like Call of Duty, Halo, and Doom, where the player takes on the role of a gun-wielding hero. Games that involve teamwork are ideal for social events.
    They can, however, be violent and may not be appropriate for young children (or easily grossed-out adults). Battle Royale is a subgenre where up to 100 players or more go up against each other. The last person standing is the winner.
  • Sports games such as soccer, basketball, and football, where players often take on the role of an entire team. Why not try a tournament format?
  • Racing games, where players race against each other in virtual vehicles. Games like “F1”, “Gran Turismo”, and “Mario Kart” can include many players at one time, so work well for social events.
  • Sandbox games are where players roam and interact creatively within the game environment without establishing any preset objectives or rules. “Minecraft” and “Second Life” are two of the biggest titles.

As you can tell, this virtual event idea isn’t just for hardcore gamers. You can and should open the event up to as many people as possible by providing a variety of levels of experiences that could appeal to people of various interests. 

42. Networking evening: It’s about who you know

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Gear this virtual corporate event towards professionals and bring like-minded people together to chat, share experiences, and find common ground — this can lead to mutually beneficial business relationships. They can be as simple as eating pizza and having a drink together — even if virtually.

Doing it well: Alicia Beatrice’s Black Family Business organization, which focused on assisting POC entrepreneurs, hosted a monthly meetup where those who might sometimes have “felt out of place in other spaces” come together and provide support moving forward. The virtual format lets them bridge gaps and ensure attendees know they’re part of a thriving community.

43. Puzzle or escape room: Solve problems, win prizes

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Solve puzzles in a group within a certain amount of time, creating the right mix of excitement, curiosity, and agitation to make this event a stand-out success. With breakout rooms, you can have multiple teams competing alongside each other without having to worry about them giving away any secrets to the puzzles.

Doing it well: Twists N Turns hosts “immersive escape rooms” for kids, teaching and testing logic and problem-solving. The virtual format affords the opportunity to create interesting puzzles that wouldn’t be possible in person. 

Just as video games provide opportunities for settings, tools, and imagery that might not be possible in real life, this virtual event idea can break the laws of physics and immerse attendees in a whole new world.

44. Quiz: It doesn’t have to be in a pub

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

Bring teams together to compete against each other with a “quizmaster” posing questions. Don’t forget a prize for the team with the most correct answers! The digital format makes it easy for teams to see how they’re stacking up against others, and it means you don’t have to grade everyone’s answers by hand.

Doing it well: The TanSuo Cultural Travel group, dedicated to travel in China with an emphasis on culture and traditions, first opened its Christmas Quiz event with a discussion of Yuletide customs in China. Then, it held a quiz competition on general knowledge of China. Each round grew in difficulty, reinforcing the organization’s mission of expanding cultural knowledge.

A person doing a tasting
Renegade San Francisco / Renegade Craft / San Francisco, CA

45. Virtual tastings: A guided tour of the palate

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Introduce new brands or flavors to your audience with a virtual tasting event. Send the drink or food to attendees or make sure they know what’s on the menu beforehand so that everyone can prepare and follow along at home.

Doing it well: The Virtual Tasting Society changes things up while sticking to the same virtual event theme; one event may feature bourbon, and another may put rum in the spotlight. By mailing their attendees samples of what they’ll be tasting, everyone can participate, no matter where they are. Not only does this add convenience, but it also means they don’t have to worry about having a designated driver!

46. Scavenger hunt or treasure hunt: Searching for something special

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

This scavenger hunt-based virtual event idea is an enjoyable way to get people working together. They have all the fun socialization and puzzle-solving of a scavenger hunt without having to run around a city, making this virtual event more accessible.

Doing it well: Check out the New-York Historical Society’s “Virtual Museum Scavenger Hunt Across the US”. With the virtual format, the Historical Society could bring people to museums without having to pay for admissions or spend time traveling between all of them.

Virtual workshop & webinar ideas

Workshops and webinars let us build skills and expand our knowledge — and they rely on engaging instructors. Make sure there’s proper lighting, clear sound, and any supplies the instructor needs (follow our virtual event production checklist to help). And stay up-to-date on the latest tools and features; streaming platforms frequently upgrade their services.

47. Cocktail-making class: Drink and learn

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Send participants a list of ingredients and equipment they’ll need before the event. Or consider offering a kit as an add-on when they purchase their tickets — and send it right to their home. Teach participants to mix up a refreshing, fragrant, or classic cocktail, then let them socialize while they sip.

By hosting this virtually, attendees can learn how to make the cocktail with the equipment they have at home. At the same time, this virtual event idea gives them the freedom to portion out the contents to their own taste, creating a more personalized experience.

Doing it well: Consider following the example of Made4MORE, which brings in true experts to help their attendees make the best cocktails they can.

48. Digital crafts class: Pick up a new skill

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Online crafting classes engage both children and adults — parents and children can even work on something together. The presenter demonstrates how to make the craft and provides tips to the virtual crafters along the way. With the virtual format, you have the opportunity to teach a much larger group while still giving individual attention to struggling attendees through breakout groups.

Doing it well: The family-oriented event organizer Inform Your Community hosted a Lunar New Year Celebration for kids. Crafting kits were sent to registered participants at least a week before the event. As the kids enjoyed crafting, they also learned about the Chinese culture and experience in the United States. By hosting the event virtually, the organizer could reach out to communities that might not otherwise have known about the Lunar New Year.

49. Educational workshop: It’s never too late to learn something new

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

If you can promise to teach participants a skill, your virtual event idea will have a clear value proposition. How about a leadership seminar for a corporate event or a virtual guided meditation for a wellness event? Workshops are engaging because the audience is focused on learning something they’re interested in.

Doing it well: Writer and professor Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, for example, hosted a writing workshop with a virtual event theme designed to help participants “explore [their] creativity… move through a creative block, or try writing as a practice to release some of what’s piling up and circling inside of you.”

Because it’s a virtual workshop, attendees can come in from anywhere in the world and get advice from an expert in a range of fields. They also get the benefit of a diverse group at every session, meaning they can benefit from each other’s examples. It can also help people concentrate more, away from the distractions of a busy event.

A trap yoga class
Trap Day / Trap Yoga Bae / Los Angeles, CA

50. Health and well-being classes: Your home is your gym

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Many yoga studios, personal trainers, and other health and wellness professionals have successfully launched virtual classes and offerings. One sports-medicine practice made the most of this virtual event idea by bringing all its wellness classes online so patients can stay fit and take care of their health in the comfort of their own homes.

For some people with health issues, it might be difficult to attend an in-person class. Doing it online significantly lowers that barrier to entry and lets you reach out to the people who might need your help the most.

51. Virtual bake-along: A fun class with a treat at the end

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Host a bake-along virtual cooking workshop with specialty ingredients or tools included in the ticket price. Send these items to your guests before the event or provide ticket buyers with a list of the ingredients and tools they’ll need. Cooking classes are fun virtual events that appeal to both adults and children.

While in-person baking classes often require a large space with multiple ovens, you don’t need to worry about that with a virtual class. At the same time, you don’t need to clean up after the students!

Just make sure to send your students the recipe you’re baking so they can keep it and use it again and again when the class is over, like Boston Bonbon does.

52. Wine-tasting workshop: Sip, savor, and learn

  • Complexity: 🧩🧩
  • Cost: 💰💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥🔥

Food and drink events work well as virtual event themes. Host a wine-tasting workshop to teach attendees about the wines while they sip at home. Provide them with a list of wines they can buy or offer packages as part of the ticket price.

Doing it well: The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity invited a professional sommelier to teach guests about wine-tasting techniques in a monthly series. Participants enhanced their enjoyment of wines and learn to distinguish the varieties — not to mention impress their friends. 

Consider combining wine tasting with another virtual event idea, such as a “wine-and-paint” event. You could also host a blind tasting, so your guests have to blindly guess the wine and its flavor profile before learning the details. 

53. Webinars: Teach others without in-person logistics

  • Complexity: 🧩
  • Cost: 💰
  • Popularity: 🔥🔥

For anyone looking to spread knowledge, try a webinar. Online seminars feature an instructor or lecturer who covers a particular topic with support from presentations, videos, and other visual content. Webinars can cover any topic. The more mainstream the subject, the more engagement you’ll likely see.

Doing it well:

  • Digital Main Street’s “Grow Your Small Business on Instagram” looked at how to put the photo-focused social media app to work for you.
  • Dallas-Fort Worth realtor Paula Sanders discussed the peaks and perils of homebuying as buyers prepare to hit the market.
  • Anthony Atapattu covered everything Bitcoin and Ethereum in his “Crypto Basics to Crypto Advanced” webinar, complete with thoughts on the metaverse for good measure.

Each of those examples had true experts present specialized knowledge to a broader audience than they’d be able to access in person. 

A person dancing at an event
Open Air / four/four presents / New York, NY

Virtual event best practices

No matter what kind of virtual event you’re organizing, some best practices are helpful during your planning. These apply to all virtual event ideas.

Create a meaningful virtual event

To grab people’s attention, make sure the content you’re delivering is useful for your target audience. What do participants want from a virtual event? What will they spend money on? And what will make them want to turn on their video app after a long day of remote work? Learn exactly what your audience wants from your webinar or online workshop. We asked them for you.

Pick the perfect platform

The platform you use to stream your event will rely entirely on what you’re providing. If you’re hosting a webinar and want to moderate attendee participation, Zoom might be a good option. Looking to live stream a film? Vimeo offers password-protected streams, so you can ensure only ticket holders can attend.

If neither of those options is right for your event, there are  dozens more virtual event platforms to choose from.

Live stream your event with true event experts.

Camera set up in front of stage at event

Price it right

Online events often have fewer overhead costs than traditional events, but that doesn’t mean you should undervalue the experience you provide. Ticket prices for online events vary widely between categories. Music events average $17, while the average professional development event is $91. 

You can even offer donation-based or sliding-scale pricing so more people can attend. To help you decide how much to charge, we spoke with some Eventbrite creators about how they priced their events. You may also vary your pricing depending on your audience — are you hosting artists and students, or is this a corporate virtual event?

Promote your virtual event

Marketing is different for an online event compared to an in-person event. Eventbrite data shows that stepping up your marketing efforts one week before an event sells 47% more paid tickets than starting marketing a month early.

It’s easier than ever to promote virtual happenings through social media, and you can schedule and automate most of it with our simplified marketing tools.

Be inclusive

Making your virtual event idea diverse and inclusive doesn’t have to be difficult. If you’re hiring speakers, find experts of different genders, races, ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Add subtitles to your film, or provide an ASL translator for a seminar or workshop. Offer scholarship tickets for professional development classes or networking events so people from a variety of socioeconomic levels can attend.

Remember to add all of this information to your event listing so guests feel welcome from the start.

Keep your attendees safe

Guests expect their financial information to be safe when they purchase a ticket, and they expect to be safe socially as well. Using your platform’s highest security options will ensure your guests’ personal information isn’t at risk. Make your event password protected, set participation guidelines for your attendees and personnel, and have staff moderate chats and interactions during the event.

Ask for feedback

Getting feedback from attendees is like getting free business advice from the people who matter most: your customers. Take advantage of your guests’ fresh points of view and send out a survey shortly after your event. We’ve compiled 30 survey questions to ask after an event. Your attendees’ genuine feedback will help you make your next event even better.

Two people painting at a workshop
Shop Made in DC / Wine and Watercolors / Washington, DC

Virtual event ideas FAQs

Still have doubts? Here are some of the most common questions that come up when people start planning out their first virtual events.

How do you host a virtual event?

Engaging your guests and having the right technology are both key when hosting a virtual event. Think about your audience and what kind of event will appeal to them. Choose the right platform for hosting or streaming the event, and consider technological limitations. 

Most importantly, provide value to your attendees.

How do you make a virtual event interesting?

Don’t overcomplicate your virtual event. If you try to cram too many virtual activities or topics into one event, it can be difficult logistically and may be overwhelming for participants. Offer an event that’s interactive for all guests, with some activities that require them to get involved. Rehearse for your presentations and test your technology to avoid glitches on the day.

What’s the best day to host a virtual event?

No perfect date or time will work for every virtual event. Consider your audience demographics when planning, and take any major holidays or religious celebrations into account. Track engagement and attendance across all your events to get a sense of what days work best for your audience, or ask potential attendees what their preference is in a survey.

Make Your Virtual Event One to Remember

We’re all looking to bring people together, and hosting a virtual event is a unique opportunity to engage a diverse audience from the comfort of their homes. 

Whether planning a webinar, a fitness class, or a wine-tasting workshop, using a purpose-built tool like Eventbrite’s virtual events platform will help you create a seamless and memorable experience for your event attendees. 

With Eventbrite, you can offer high-quality virtual event ideas that resonate with your audience, promote inclusivity, and ensure the safety of your attendees.