Event marketers are certainly some of the most agile individuals in the industry and have revolutionized what a “virtual event” means, looks like, and how important it actually is to include in your strategy.
Take a journey with us as we look at the Virtual Event Evolution from Splash’s eyes.
The pandemic caught event marketers (those who usually have a plan A, B, and C) unprepared.
They quickly jumped into a brand new world of producing events online, discovered ways to keep their businesses afloat, and found technologies that allowed virtual events to be conducted from their kitchen tables.
It was the start of the modern-day virtual event.
Attendees received a link to a webinar platform and they entered the event to be greeted with a "Brady Bunch" screen of boxes and names.
That’s when we launched Splash Virtual, a solution that met marketers where they are. It leverages online meeting software to replicate the impact of in-person events. This solution allows customers to embed streaming tech like Zoom, ON24, BlueJeans, Slido, Pigeonhole… and more.
But audiences hit a point in the pandemic where they were feeling “Zoom” fatigued. Spending time in meetings and having multiple virtual events look the same became tiring.
The next challenge: how do you make virtual experiences different and engaging for attendees?
Ready to tackle this new challenge, companies created a vast amount of online engagement tools and they were being released left and right. From embedding polls to social streams and even VR conference floors, the event marketing world adapted to the “new normal”.
Event marketers were tasked with finding ways to create beautiful, engaging events while enabling connection through screens, keeping data synced between systems, and reporting event data in strategic ways.
We, specifically, listened to what our customers and prospects wanted and created our Virtual Event Page, a solution that allows you to embed multiple items (streaming platforms, engagement tools, and so much more) on a branded page.
This is still a great way to do events, but it's important to continue innovating new ways to take your experiences to the next level.
And in the middle of 2021 when the COVID-19 vaccine was being administered around the globe, it looked like returning to in-person events was a feasible option again. But, a new variant swept the country, and the IRL plans pivoted back to virtual.
At this point, event marketers discovered that virtual events aren't going anywhere and they are imperative to the success of marketing strategies moving forward.
With lower overhead costs, the ability to reach a larger audience, and access to more talent and experts, it's a no-brainer as to why virtual events are here to stay.
But a company can't only thrive on virtual, they must also diversify their portfolio of events. It’s about finding the right balance of virtual, in-person, and hybrid events; and one platform that can host them all.
Here’s where Splash Studio comes in.
Our newest solution allows host creativity so marketers can focus on meaningful programming in any event format.
Splash Studio spins up your events with high-quality streaming, built-in interactive tools, and networking capabilities. It provides teams with the flexibility and the opportunity to create memorable experiences. And no matter the size of your team, number of events, or scale of your programs, it is equipped to complement your marketing strategy.
When you look back at how far technology, specifically Splash innovation, has advanced over the last two years, put simply... It blows my mind. We now have a solution that meets the needs of our customers in any event format they need and can be created and scaled in a matter of moments.
