A virtual event platform is an online solution that facilitates remote gatherings, such as webinars, online events, conferences, and hybrid events. These platforms offer an array of interactive features that simulate the experience of a physical event, including video streaming, chat rooms, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities.
Virtual event platforms are ideal for reaching a global audience and have gained significant traction for their convenience, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility.
There are many virtual event platforms, and Airmeet is one of them. If you're evaluating Airmeet, you must also look at Airmeet alternatives – especially if you're looking for simple pricing or value guest experience.
A hybrid event combines in-person and online participation, allowing attendees to join physically or virtually. This format offers the advantage of face-to-face interaction while reaching a broader online audience. It's popular for conferences, trade shows, and meetings due to its flexibility and inclusivity.
It's controversial whether hybrid events are the most impactful kind of event or even if you can call an online event in addition to an in-person event experience a unified event. Although hybrid events can increase flexibility and inclusivity, they pose challenges regarding event complexity and creating a consistent event experience across mediums.
Because of the technical complexity and expense often associated with doing a true hybrid event — a simulcast of something happening in-person — a lot of companies opt to instead run hybrid programs. This means a mix of in-person and virtual events based on what the goal of the event is. Therefore, hybrid events are reserved for 1-2 biggest events of the year.
Suppose your business does host hybrid events. In that case, finding an event management platform that supports end-to-end event management and a great event experience for all attendees is crucial.
Real-time video conferencing (or live streaming) is crucial for virtual events and hybrid events. Video conferencing and screen sharing enhance the attendee experience by enabling interactive presentations and discussions. Cloud-based solutions make these features more accessible, allowing attendees to join from various devices and locations. Overall, these technologies collectively improve interaction and the overall event experience.
Seamless integrations with apps and CRMs like HubSpot support event management by automating tasks like attendee tracking, data collection, and post-event follow-up. These integrations help centralize information, making it easier for organizers to analyze attendee behavior and preferences. Having up-to-date data improves customer relationships by enabling more personalized and targeted communications.
A user-friendly interface simplifies navigation and interaction, improving the overall event experience by allowing attendees to focus on content rather than troubleshooting technical issues. It's also essential that the solution is available on multiple platforms, such as Android and iOS, to ensure widespread accessibility, letting attendees engage with the event regardless of their device.
Audience engagement and audience management features like messaging, gamification, polls, and matchmaking can help create an interactive event experience. These tools foster real-time interaction among attendees and sustain interest and participation throughout the event.
An efficient event registration process is crucial for the attendee experience for your event. It sets the first impression and can significantly influence overall attendee satisfaction. Event management software automates the ticketing process, enabling quick and error-free registrations. This automation saves both organizers and attendees time, allowing for a smoother, more enjoyable event experience.
Related: Ticketing for events has never been easier with Splash
A mobile app for an event management platform enhances accessibility, allowing organizers and attendees to manage and participate in events on the go. A mobile app can offer real-time updates and facilitate easy check-ins, increasing the attendee experience. Social media integrations are also crucial for event marketing, as they enable easy sharing and promotion, helping to attract a broader audience and generate buzz.
If you're looking at Airmeet alternatives, Splash should be at the top of your list. Splash is an event management solution that helps organizers easily create and execute beautifully on-brand and repeatable events. With Splash, customers are typically up and running in only a few hours, and virtual events through Splash are fully managed using its native streaming solution.
Hubilo is an event management platform and Airmeet alternative that supports virtual and hybrid events, with functionality including real-time analytics for tracking participant engagement.
Hubilo users have commented on a few downsides, including limited options from pre-made templates and issues with its email manager. Because of this, the design can impact the event experience. Hubilo offers a custom pricing model based on specific event needs.
Hopin is an Airmeet competitor and virtual event management platform with engagement tools like live streaming, real-time engagement, and interactive features, and it includes a free plan option.
Hopin has several drawbacks, one of the most significant being that event organizers do not own the guest contact info outright, which can make event management on your terms difficult. Another downside is that Hopin assesses extra charges for large events and has limited options for emails and event templates. Hopin is best suited for businesses not interested in in-person events and teams able to write custom code.
If your event team is stretched thin regarding budget and needs the absolute barebones of functionality, Zoom can loosely be considered an Airmeet alternative – albeit far from desirable. Zoom is more of a live video tool than a virtual event platform.
While Zoom's video conferencing tool is often used for live-streaming virtual events, screen sharing, or meetings, it falls short in branding customization, registration ease, and event engagement tools, resulting in a suboptimal organizer and attendee experience.
Cvent is an Airmeet alternative and a familiar name when researching event management software. Its best use case is in large, complex, in-person event experiences like conferences.
Although this event management platform does include features like a ticketing system, event registration, and integrations, Cvent has some drawbacks, like pricing complexity and event pages that are less customizable than other Eventbrite alternatives. Some businesses find it so difficult to use that onsite support from Cvent is occasionally needed - which comes with additional costs.
Cvent's pricing is substantially higher than Eventbrite, making it only a suitable choice for large businesses running complex events and conferences. Although Cvent's core license may look reasonably priced at first glance, obtaining essential add-ons like integrations, advanced badge printing, and event check-in options costs extra.
vFairs is a virtual event platform that allows organizations to host online conferences, trade shows, and job fairs. An interesting feature is that vFairs has 3D virtual venues for online events. It provides interactive features, including virtual booths, webinars, and chat functionalities, to simulate the experience of physical events. VFairs is one event management platform leaning heavily into virtual experiences and gamification.
As a result, some users mentioned that the attendee experience was confusing when figuring out where to go for the sessions. Some also note how long it can take to make simple changes on your event page in vFairs. vFairs’ pricing is only available upon request.
BigMarker is an Airmeet competitor and an event management platform focusing on webinars and other virtual or hybrid events. This Airmeet alternative offers audience engagement tools, analytics dashboards, integrations, APIs, and white-label services.
Since BigMarker focuses primarily on virtual events, only pursue this option if you have no business need for in-person events. BigMarker offers several pricing tiers, but pricing is only available if you request a demo.
Whova is an Airmeet alternative and event management solution that supports both virtual and hybrid events. Functionality like event reminder notifications, integration into Salesforce and other CRM tools, and event attendee check-in make Whova an OK option for event organizers.
However, users may find Whova’s customization capabilities limited compared to more flexible event management platforms, and users report that the mobile app can be challenging to navigate. Their pricing is only accessible upon request.
Accelevents is an Airmeet competitor and event management platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. It offers various features to help create and manage successful events, like integration capabilities, in-person check-in options, real-time dashboards, and event registration pages.
Although Aceelevents does have functionality that supports event management for virtual events, webinars, ticketing, and in-person events, some users mention the difficulty of using and customizing the event experience and lag time during live streaming.
Accelevents pricing is also only available on request.
Defining your event needs is critical for choosing the right event management platform and ensuring a great event experience. Understanding the type of event — virtual event, in-person, or hybrid event — helps you select a platform with features tailored to your format.
Considering the size and scope of your event will help you decide between platforms specializing in small meetups versus those designed for large, complicated expos.
Identifying core functionalities like live streaming, webcasting, matchmaking, or ticketing ensures that the platform you choose can deliver attendees the specific experience you aim to provide.
Evaluating an event platform's features ensures a successful event program experience. Features like real-time video conferencing, screen sharing, and audience engagement tools directly impact the quality of interaction and information sharing during the event.
Assessing a platform's integration features with other essential apps like CRM systems, social media, or email marketing tools can streamline various stages of event management, from promotion to data analysis. Ensuring the platform supports end-to-end event management gives you peace of mind that you have all the necessary tools for a great event, from registration and automation to post-event reporting.
Evaluating pricing and budget for your event management is essential because it ensures your event solution aligns with your financial constraints while still meeting your team's needs, increasing the likelihood of long-term event success. Examine the pricing structure of your Airmeet alternative to determine what it provides for the price, and be vigilant of any additional costs for extra features or attendee caps.
We'd also recommend you check for pricing flexibility, such as options for monthly subscriptions, per-event pricing, or flat annual fees, as this can significantly affect the overall cost and adaptability of the platform to your specific requirements.
Your events are only as good as your platform's user experience, so it's vital to ensure this is good before committing to an event management platform. A user-friendly and easy-to-navigate tool allows organizers and attendees to focus on the event itself rather than grappling with a confusing interface.
Even if the user experience is excellent, sometimes things can go wrong, which is why it's also crucial you are aware of your platform's customer support offerings. Strong customer support can be a lifesaver, quickly resolving issues that may arise during live events to maintain a smooth experience. The availability of a mobile app for Android or iOS can also significantly improve accessibility and engagement for attendees, allowing them to participate seamlessly on the go.
As you evaluate Airmeet alternatives, ensure you get perspectives and reviews from other people to understand the platform's strengths and weaknesses. Taking the time to do this can save you considerable headaches in the future. We recommend looking for reviews that mention your specific needs or concerns and considering whether businesses in your industry or your size trust the platform.
Most good event management platforms will offer some sort of Free Trial or trial period. We'd highly recommend asking about this during your evaluation and taking advantage of the available free trials so you can get a good idea of what it feels like to use the platform.
Related: Start Your Free Trial of Splash
Choosing the right event management platform is crucial for creating successful event-led growth at your company. Look for features like real-time video conferencing, seamless integrations with CRMs and other apps, a user-friendly interface, and robust audience engagement tools.
Various platforms like Splash, Hubilo, and Hopin offer different strengths and weaknesses, so it's essential to define your specific event needs, evaluate features, and consider factors like pricing and user experience before deciding.
Unlike other Airmeet alternatives, Splash stands out as the most user-friendly and flexible platform for in-person events, virtual events, and fantastic attendee experiences.
