5 Reasons It Might Be Time to Change Your Virtual Event Management Platform

Your virtual event management platform is at the heart of creating amazing experiences. With the rapid development of new technology, event planners and organizations need to stay up to date with the latest advancements to ensure the best possible experience for your attendees. So naturally it’s important to continually evaluate whether your current platform can provide the functionality needed for hosting successful virtual events—both today and into the future.

In this blog, we’ll explore five key reasons why it may be time for you to consider switching to a new virtual event management platform.

1.   Your current virtual event management platform is outdated

In the past several years, virtual events have undergone significant changes. Developers shifted their focus to virtual event platforms in response to the pandemic and, in its wake, the tools available for hosting virtual events are more advanced than ever.

If you invested in a platform prior to the pandemic and it hasn’t kept up with the changing needs of the industry—or if your platform received half-measure, bolt-on features throughout to try and compensate—you may be at a disadvantage. Many of the original webinar platforms have not evolved into true virtual event platforms and are still only suitable for hosting basic webinars. Even with a “basic” webinar these days, attendees expect more than they did pre-pandemic.

Evolved platforms provide streamlined, seamless virtual event experiences from end-to-end and have been developed with today’s industry in mind.

2.   Attendees have come to expect first-class virtual or hybrid events, and won’t accept anything less

During the pandemic, organizations quickly discovered the benefits of transitioning to virtual events. In fact, 84% of organizations who ran virtual events during the pandemic stated they spent less than in-person events prior! 

With more organizations making the switch and having extra room in their budget to innovate and push the boundaries of virtual events, expectations have increased for both attendee experiences and the virtual event platforms that provide them. The landscape is constantly changing.

With fierce competition in the virtual event management platform industry, some companies are working hard to create tools that stand out from the rest and address everyone’s pain points. However, other legacy platforms continue to rest on their laurels even though they may not offer all the features and functionality that people need, all because it can be difficult for organizations to adopt and integrate new technology.

The reality is that people on all sides—from your team to your attendees—now expect an elevated experience. This includes an easy-to-build and easy-to-navigate event website, professional marketing tools and automation, and a seamless ticketing experience. 

3.   Your platform might not be as secure as it needs to be

When it comes to hosting virtual events, the security of your platform should be a top consideration.

Many modern virtual events management platforms allow you to require registration prior to an event and have security measures to ensure only those users attend an event when the time comes. Registration enables the host to have an accurate attendee list and control who can (and cannot) attend. As an added benefit, it also allows for better planning and organization of the event. By being able to restrict the event to only authenticated users, you can prevent unauthorized access and allow only individuals with login credentials or pre-approved access to attend.

Security measures often extend into the event environment itself via passcodes and waiting rooms. By setting a passcode, the host can prevent uninvited individuals from joining the event. Waiting rooms are yet another useful security measure that allow a host to vet attendees before admitting them into the event. These are particularly useful for large events where it may be challenging to monitor all attendees effectively.

By selecting a platform with these security features, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your virtual event is safe and protected from potential disruptions or unauthorized access.

4.   Your platform might not follow accessibility best practices

If you’re considering shopping for a new virtual event management platform, it’s important to consider the accessibility needs of your attendees. Audio descriptions, captions, and transcripts are three aids often featured in modern platforms that can greatly improve the experience of attendees with hearing or visual impairments during your event.

Captioning is an important accessibility feature that provides verbatim written text of your event in real-time. Offering a similar functionality to subtitles in film and television is crucial for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing. They can also be helpful for non-native speakers or in noisy environments!

For attendees who’d like to read your content after the event vs. watching live, transcripts are another great accessibility feature. They allow attendees to take part in your event at any time.

Accessibility features should not only be limited to people with hearing loss, however. Your next virtual event management platform needs to also accommodate attendees who are blind or have low vision. For these attendees, audio descriptions can provide narrations that describe crucial visual details in a video. This allows everyone to feel they are a part of your next inclusive event.

5.   Your attendee engagement tools might be outdated

Engagement tools are a crucial piece of a modern virtual event. They enhance audience participation, interaction, and overall experience, making virtual events more engaging and effective. On the flipside, outdated tools can result in disinterested attendees who may complain about your event or not return for future ones.

Offering a fully branded experience from end-to-end, today’s virtual event management platforms are built to wow attendees at every turn. Older platforms may have a few basic tools to engage your audience. You’ll find it’s easier to build excitement and drive engagement when your event offers streamlined tools like 1:1 Chat, Polling, Q&A, and Lucky Draw features to keep your audience active.

Conclusion

A modern virtual event management platform is essential for delivering epic meeting and event experiences over and over again. If your current platform is outdated, lacks comprehensive security measures, fails to meet the latest accessibility requirements, is missing up-to-date tools for audience engagement, or doesn’t meet attendees’ first class expectations, your organization could be missing out on crucial features that elevates event experiences from “meh” to “wow”! 

If you’re considering a new platform, look no further than Attendease.

Attendease helps you deliver modern, exciting virtual event experiences with all the security and accessibility features your organization needs.

You’ll be able to:

• Host single or multi-session virtual events
• Choose between live, pre-recorded, or on-demand sessions
• Provide a seamless attendee experience using the fully integrated Attendease Virtual Studio
• Deliver branded online sessions with fully featured set up and in-session tools

Book a call today and discover how Attendease helps optimize your event management!