Virtual Conferences Are More Than Just Presentations
How to Turn Your Virtual Conference into a Success
Make High-Quality Content Available
In addition to the live streaming format, you can also make the content of your conference available in the form of pre-produced videos. This is useful for speakers who don’t have previous streaming experience and ensures that organizers do not have to deal with any interruptions due to technical issues.
Prerecord presentations before your conference starts. After uploading them, attendees can hit the play button whenever they want. That way, you can make sure a more global audience can access the knowledge shared during the conference even if they’re not able to attend the live program due to different time zones.
Our platform supports live broadcasts, too. A recorded version of the stream can be made available to everyone afterwards.
During live formats, attendees can give direct feedback and help determine further topics to discuss in workshops or webinars.
Use the Virtual Venue to upload additional documents such as abstracts or materials for workshops or presentations so attendees can access them easily.
Create an Interactive Conference Program
Every conference format has its virtual counterpart: 1:1 meetings, lectures, workshops, breakout sessions, ...
Let attendees play an essential part in all of them by answering surveys, asking questions, contributing and discussing their ideas.
Attendees use the Q&A section to post their questions for the speakers. The questions that received the highest ratings will appear right on top. Presenters can also choose to answer the questions during a live Q&A session.
Use polls and surveys for direct feedback and get an overview of what attendees are thinking by letting them vote even before a session starts. Their answers provide valuable input for speakers and their presentations.
The chat feature enables a real-time conversation about the program – either as a text-based chat or in form of video chats with one or more people. All attendees available for chatting are always visible. If someone is unavailable at the moment, a suitable time can be arranged.
Small groups of attendees start virtual breakout sessions for discussing specific conference topics. During breakout sessions, participants collaborate and capture their ideas using a digital whiteboard.
Manage Online Registration
"Virtual conferences aren‘t limited to a certain number of participants and don’t run into room capacity problems."
Instead of reaching capacity limits, virtual rooms open up to a broad public without any expenses from renting a location. This also means you can sell more tickets. Combine our Virtual Venue solution with our conference management software Converia to process attendance fees and manage scientific abstracts and research papers.
Organize Virtual Poster Sessions
Let poster authors present their work virtually. There’s also a video chat feature to discuss their results.
After uploading them, accepted posters will appear as digital posters in the poster overview. Conference participants can either select individual posters by using the overview page or via the personal profile of the poster’s author.
To discuss the contents of the poster with its authors, attendees either make an appointment for a video meeting or add their questions and comments below the poster.
Control Access
Specify who can access what, define who can participate in which sessions and how the content will be moderated. You also have full control over the data belonging to your virtual conference as the Virtual Venue meets all GDPR requirements.
By adhering to the strict GDPR regulations, we are protecting the data of your virtual conference which means we’ll never pass anything on to unauthorized parties and by storing it on servers located in Germany.
To gain full control over who gets access to the conference’s content, you can divide attendees into different groups. And because the Virtual Venue is always linked to a user account, this also ensures that no one can join the conference without signing up. Participants can book to attend specific parts of the program or buy a day ticket and will only be able to access the sessions they have selected.
The settings for your conference also include a moderation feature so that all questions and comments have to be reviewed by moderators before they appear on the platform. Moderators can also give participants permission to share their ideas via microphone or webcam.
Offer a Platform for Sponsors
Sponsors and exhibitors have their own comprehensive profiles including space for text, images, videos, downloads, links and an option for participants to arrange video meetings.
With sponsored sessions, sponsors and exhibitors become part of the regular program and gain extra visibility.
Transfer Long-Term Knowledge
"Being able to store content which will still be available later is a big advantage."
The downside of an onsite event is the impermanence of its content. Most conferences, however, strive to archive knowledge in order to make it available on a long-term basis. With our Virtual Venue solution, it’s up to you to decide how long the content of your conference will be available.
Analyze and Evaluate Virtual Conferences
"It’s so much easier to keep track of the items attendees have interacted with."
Our solution offers you key figures to analyze your virtual conference. For example, you can find out how many people watched a video presentation and how they rated it. You may use these figures as your basis for planning future activities.
Actively Take Part in Discussions
Virtual conferences should always be about getting involved and abandon lecture-style presentations and passive watching experiences. Let attendees take part in surveys and incorporate the results into the session, or let them ask questions. Discussions and comments are always welcome.
Purposeful Networking
"The scientific exchange will get more intensive because more valuable contacts can be made."
Based on their own interests, participants will receive contact suggestions so it becomes easier to find and get in touch with others that share the same interests. In addition, all participants of a session are visible so that valuable new contacts can be made this way – and much faster compared to an onsite event.
When they log in for the first time, participants complete their personal profile by adding their research interests. You can provide a list for them to choose from or let them add their own interests.
Based on a person’s research interests, the system will suggest other like-minded attendees who can then be contacted.
All of our networking features are optional. Attendees are able to decide who can see their personal information and whether they would like to receive contact suggestions or explore the Virtual Venue anonymously.
Hold (Video-) Meetings
Sometimes it’s easier to discuss topics in small groups or in pairs. Participants can always start their own meetings and discussion groups or join separate breakout sessions. That way, you can also transfer coffee break conversations to the virtual space. Attendees use text, audio or video chats to connect.
Buy Customized Tickets
Attendees may choose between several offer packages when signing up for the conference. Let them book individual sessions or workshops optionally and only make them available to authorized persons. This can be achieved by connecting the Virtual Venue solution to our conference management software Converia that manages attendees and their data.
Arrange Your Conference Schedule
"Virtual conferences offer a more flexible experience with the option to participate in sessions that take part simultaneously."
Instead of making everyone choose between multiple sessions taking place at the same time, attendees can now participate in all of them. All sessions they are interested in can be selected and will be added to their personal conference schedule.
Keep an Eye on What's Happening at the Conference
Attendees use their personal area to keep an eye on their upcoming sessions, manage presentation documents and posters as well as view chat requests and upcoming appointments for video meetings.
As the Virtual Venue can be accessed via a web browser, nothing needs to be downloaded or installed first.
Sustainable and Flexible Meetings
"I’m able to attend conferences in other countries that I otherwise wouldn't have attended due to the great geographical distance."
By eliminating long travel distances, virtual conferences become more international and climate-friendly. If the content is available at any time, different time zones are no longer a problem as both time-shifted discussions and live exchanges are possible.
* The quotes are taken from a Converia survey on virtual conferences of over 200 conference organizers and participants.
Start Planning
Get to know our Virtual Venue platform. We will be happy to show you what your virtual conference can look like. Our team will accompany you before, during and after the conference and provide you with answers, support and useful advice.