Blog | Virtway Events

Avatar-Based Event Platforms

The Metaverse has played a major role in companies and teams around the world looking for alternatives to traditional online events and meetings. And technology has once again become the answer to many corporative needs.

While it is true that apps such as Teams, Zoom, or Hangouts have been effective options for video conference meetings or webinars, they are not designed to hold events where hundreds of attendees take part simultaneously and aim to interact with each other. And let’s face it, how many of those “attendees” actually participate and interact with each other?

Value of Avatar-Based Platforms

This is precisely the value of avatar-based platforms: interactivity, immersion, and engagement. It’s simply not enough to have the events done via video calls. ‘Personal contact’ needs to feel as real as possible, where our relations are close despite being afar.

Here is where interactive avatars shine: they can mimic the experience of assisting a real-life event but in a virtual format. To achieve this, EACH participant creates their own avatar making it resemble themselves as much as they would like. They then can walk through the event, attend sessions, and even have a conversation and talk naturally through 3D spatial audio and voice. Spectators are transformed to attendees and give the power to speak up and stand up in virtual events.

These technological advances may still sound like science-fiction for some, but in reality, 3D avatars are our alter ego in the virtual world, a representation of ourselves that allows us to take part in a wide amount and variety of virtual events.

3D AVATARS: PROTAGONISTS IN THE CORPORATE METAVERSE

Virtual platforms have undoubtedly become the best alternative to 2D online events and ensure productive remote work. Nevertheless, technology is unstoppable, and it is time to upgrade to a solution that integrates gamification while ensuring real-time connections between users. The Corporate Metaverse is the perfect place to do so!

Virtway Events’ avatar-based event platform stands out from the rest due to various factors: the realism of their interactive avatars, the high level of interaction between them, and the 3D technology behind it.

In fact, the 3D spatial audio allows for natural conversations to take place in all kinds of events, from conferences to team building or breakout sessions, networking activities, online courses, or even webinars… everything is done in real-time and depends on the proximity between avatars.

As if this were not enough, these interactive avatars can also exchange any type of information in different formats, and even show emotions through animations (such as clapping or greeting).

The examples of avatar-based virtual events are diverse, but they can be applied to all types of virtual corporate events:

Avatars for Virtual Team Building Activities

This covers a series of activities for remote workers and online event attendees, designed to create interactive virtual meetings which feel real and look for closeness among the assistants. The 3D interactive avatars resemble each of the participants, both employees and activity organizers.

There are several Team Building activities available, from games to conferences and meetings. However, there is one that is especially active and requires a lot of communication between the participants: virtual Escape Rooms with avatars, an activity in which, without the need of using VR goggles, you experience a completely immersive environment with outstanding results.

Virtual Conferences with Avatars

Avatars have an extremely interactive role during these events… just as they would in person. For example, in a conference or an expo, businesses can set up their booths or information stands with 3D avatars that represent the companies staff. Attendees can easily contact assistants and network or ask questions in real-time.

Technology provides the possibility of organizing corporative events with realistic avatars that will not only meet the needs of the participants but also draw their attention to a virtual platform attractive enough that recreates these real-life situations with a touch of creativity.

Avatars for Virtual Meetings

Online training should not just be limited to employees taking courses with interactive content, it should go a step further and become a school that provides its assistants with a highly interactive virtual learning experience.

Artificial Intelligence in the Metaverse: Enhancing Avatar Experiences

As avatar-based events become increasingly prevalent in the corporate landscape, the infusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into these virtual gatherings is amplifying the potential for immersive engagement. While interactive avatars already bridge the gap between physical and virtual interaction, AI takes this a step further by integrating these avatars with intelligence and adaptability.

AI-driven avatars in the metaverse are not merely static digital representations; they are dynamic entities capable of understanding context, responding to queries, and even simulating emotions. This fusion of AI and avatars leads to more natural and meaningful interactions during virtual events. Imagine attending a conference where AI-powered avatars guide participants through the agenda, offer tailored suggestions, and create an environment that mirrors in-person dynamics.

One of the most compelling aspects of AI-enhanced avatars is their ability to learn and adapt. This enables them to personalize interactions, recommend relevant content, and even adjust their communication style to suit individual participants. Moreover, AI’s analytical capabilities provide event organizers with invaluable insights into attendee sentiment and engagement, enabling continuous improvement of future avatar-based events.

For that, virtual training systems based on avatars are the ideal tool to offer an authentic digital experience for collaborative learning. Each avatar can be personalized, which enhances the sense of being face-to-face. It is also possible to ask questions in real-time, have a conversation, as well as exchange information in different formats.

Virtual event platforms with 3D avatars give us the chance of recreating realistic situations as well as designing immersive experiences inside this virtual world. The technology behind each of these interactive avatars makes it possible to use them in corporate virtual scenarios which ensures fully interactive and realistic activities.

Virtual Events vs Hybrid Events vs Face-to-face

What's the Difference Anyways?!

Events are and will continue to be one of the best forms of communication for companies. The benefits are indisputable: construction and brand recognition, optimization of external and internal relationships, new contacts and lead generation, just to name a few.

There are many desired goals when organizing an event, as well as several options on how to carry it out. Many moons ago, there was only one possibility: face-to-face encounters. But while it is true that direct contact is an infallible method of connecting people, it has several limitations.

The unstoppable progress of technology and they way its being used has eliminated some of the barriers of physical encounters, fostering the birth of two alternatives: virtual events and hybrid events. The first of them is developed in a virtual online platform, while the hybrid events suppose a mix of physical and virtual, integrating elements of each one.

Like all things business related, the variety and the possibility of having several options is a plus. But, at the same time, creates a challenge for those who are responsible for planning and making decisions because, as we all know well, the more alternatives that exist, the more confusing the correct option appears.

While face-to-face, hybrid and virtual events all have their advantages, the big obstacle is to determine which of them is the most appropriate depending on the needs of a company. It’s extremely helpful to know each one in depth and study what each of these alternatives offers.

Face-to-Face Events: The Value of Direct Contact

Whether the objective is to present a product or service, attract and retain customers or develop a recreational activity for employees, personal contact is and has always been extremely important. Closeness and face-to-face are two powerful communication and connection tools.

This is the goal that is pursued when organizing an event: connect with people at various levels. And in this sense, the closer the contact is, the more opportunities we will have to achieve it. Or at least, in a more personal and close way.

But face-to-face events also have a number of disadvantages which affect organizations. Mainly they are:

Investment and high expenses

The profitability of these types of meetings, when compared with virtual events or hybrids, is much lower, since the costs of hiring to carry them out are multiplied: rent of the premises, insurance, hiring of personnel or displacements, among others.

Visitor limitations

Geographic and time barriers are a huge limitation when organizing a face-to-face event. Participants must travel and usually take up a lot of their time in order to be able to attend, while online meetings make it easier for a larger number of people to attend any type of event from any location. All you need is a computer or mobile device with an Internet connection. Therefore, the facilities increase exponentially.

Attendee Safety Protocols

Even as vaccinations continue to roll-out, there are still strict rules for face-to-face events. The CDC continues to recommend that people avoid large events and gatherings. Attendees that are from different households should always be able to maintain 6 feet between them. Event planners have to consider venue logistics to a T. For example, can doors or windows be opened throughout the event?

Less measurable and immediate results

Technology has allowed virtual and hybrid events to have real-time access to all the data related to the meetings. This offers the company immediate and accurate information on the ROI, which will allow them to study and improve the quality of present and future events.

Obviously, the results of attendance at a face-to-face event are also measurable, but the immediacy and the analysis tools are more limited.

Virtual Events: Innovation for Companies

The evolution of computers and mobile devices, together with the emergence of 3D technology has led to a paradigm shift in the organization of corporate activities. Virtual events provide an online platform in which all players connect in a virtual environment that completely breaks up the restrictions of physical environments.

They have become tools with extraordinary value if the company has delegations in several geographical areas, when the participation of a large number of attendees is sought or if their employees do not work in the offices, but in a remotely.

Its uses are endless: webinars, videoconferences, virtual training activities, webcasts, online conferences, Team Building activities… in short, it’s about adapting all the traditional formats to a virtual world.

But its advantages don’t stop there. Virtual 3D worlds allow to not only connect hundreds of people simultaneously from their mobile devices, but to also interact with voice and movements, positioning this technology as the indisputable future of online events.

This is possible thanks to the integration of online avatars, capable of simulating each of the participants, even imitating their physical appearance with great realism. They also allow recreating scenarios in which they can interact and communicate in a very effective way.

This reality is possible thanks to the contribution of companies such as Virtway Events, which puts the most advanced 3D technology in the hands of companies to open the doors to a “real” virtual world. One of the advantages of this platform is that avatars can hold conversations and speak through voice over IP in a very natural way.

In conclusion, the advantages of virtual events are multiplied if we compare them with other ways:

Greater participation of the attendees
Broader attendance
Important cost reduction
Higher profitability
Eco-friendly
Immersive and innovative experiences

Hybrid Events: The Union of Both Worlds

These types of meetings simultaneously offer physical and online experiences. The objective being that the attendees interact amongst themselves without any physical barriers, complementing that of face-to-face events with the infused power of the digital world.

In a hybrid event it’s possible to attend lectures, conferences, workshops or any corporate activity face-to-face, but also online. This is achieved by transmitting a conventional event online through live transmission or by configuring a virtual space that reflects the physical event.

The main advantage of this type of meeting is that it unites the benefits of virtual and face-to-face events, taking advantage of the best of each world.

But just as this can be taken as a benefit, it can also be a great disadvantage. And this is because when it comes to organizing a hybrid event, the logistics multiply. On the one hand, it’s necessary to have all the necessary elements for a physical encounter and the expenses that these imply (travel, room and material rentals), and at the same time the necessary infrastructure of an online event and many times VR tools must be added.

When taking all of these pros and cons into account, it’s generally safe to say that virtual events are the best option, since to carry them out, the physical barriers are totally eliminated and it is not always necessary to use VR glasses, as in the case of Virtway Events. Thus, expenses are greatly reduced without limiting the live experience of an immersive and innovative situation.

6 Creative Ideas for Virtual Corporate Events

Any kind of virtual corporate event, from conferences, business meetings or tradeshows to employee training or Team Building activities, should include elements specifically designed to engage the audience.

The recent digital transformation has changed the way attendees participate in events, allowing for the creation of new immersive experiences capable of turning events into powerful marketing and sales tools. If we manage to appeal to the assistants’ five senses, we will have, without a doubt, managed to present a memorable event, surely giving people something to talk about.

3D Virtual Technology to the Rescue

3D Virtual Technology has made this scenario possible. This technology was born within the videogame industry, but its potential made it cross borders. Nowadays, the number of ways and contexts in which it can be implemented has turned it into a great ally for companies in search of creative, profitable, and innovative alternatives.

Day by day, the number of companies that opt for virtual events increases, and the more popular it is to use this technology, the more creative its applications are. With that said, it is important to know that there are several immersive experiences designed for corporative environments, where participants feel close, even though they are connecting from afar.

The formula to achieve this is by facilitating 3D Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, interactive avatars, video, and chat applications, which make it possible for the attendees to immerse themselves, engage, ask their questions, and for them be answered in real-time.

6 ways businesses can incorporate virtual events:

1. Virtual conferences

Its benefits towards enterprises have allowed the video conference to become a very effective, fast, and innovative communication method. Either as an online video conference, a webinar or a web conference, it has the advantage of simultaneously connecting multiple people, no matter where they are.

The possible applications are endless, and very useful, either to organize meetings between the different headquarters of a company, establish an immediate videoconference system with workers from any part of the world, or to promote the services offered by a company without the need of occupying numerous physical spaces, but rather a single virtual meeting room.

VR conferences make it possible to efficiently make important decisions. This kind of encounters can immediately reunite the different people implicated in a project and fasten the process of reaching a decision, as it eliminates any possible schedule or transportation issues, even hour limitations.

2. Meetings with remote teams

Teleworking is gaining more and more importance, no matter if it is full or part-time, and is a way of working that is likely here to stay. Remote workers are fostering a change in mentality regarding the old approach on how to carry out professional tasks.

This change of paradigm has completely modified the interaction between the company and its workers, between which should exist an effective digital relationship. It is essential to depend on tools that help optimize remote communication, increase productivity and reduce costs.

The objective is to create common virtual spaces where employees and managers can meet, and for that, the contribution of virtual worlds is key.

3. Virtual classrooms

Digital transformation has also changed the way of gaining knowledge, and this affects companies immensely. Business training is one of the fields that has been facing more changes, and, nowadays, virtual training has acquired a protagonist position within the Human Resources department.

For that, online training is now one of the most used educative models within the corporative sector, regardless of the business typology or the market niche where the company is. The advantages of this system, such as time and cost reduction, as well as its flexibility and accessibility make it an essential tool for the learning of the employees.

In this sense, the use of virtual classrooms for business takes on a special importance as tools that create immersive and realistic experiences for the formation of employees. These are similar to virtual campuses but adapted for the training of the company’s workforce. Thus, offering their professionals more resources and less limitations than conventional methods.

4. Team Building

Team building is one of the most valued professional competences within a company, as cooperative working improves the performance of the employees and, consequently, of the company. For that, more and more organizations decide to include in their corporate policies activities exclusively designed for their workers.

In its origin, they were activities purely presential, but now, virtual reality has made possible the creation of online Team Building. These are virtual events that allow employees to live unique experiences with a remote access, participate in virtual games or interactive chats through which it is possible to share ideas and experiences.

From the different options available in the market, one of the most successful ones, oriented for corporative Team Building, are Virtual Escape Rooms, games in which employees can participate from any device. The only requirement is to have internet connection on their mobile phone, tablet, or computer.

5. Virtual speed networking

The power of networking as a corporative communication tool is unquestionable. It has been this way for years, and it will continue this way, as it is a powerful advertising tool, creates new contacts and facilitates reaching potential clients.

With this objective, Speed Networking was born: a record time business meeting which allows entrepreneurs to maintain several fast meetings to get to know possible clients and business partners. This initiative has become very successful since its implementation, as the sessions are short, they do not take much of the entrepreneur’s time and it is a reliable way of obtaining key information right away.

Nonetheless, we are now immersed in the digital era, whose maximum exponent can be found in the progress of 3D virtual technology. This setting has caused the emergence of Virtual Speed Networking: a concept that meets all the advantages of the presential format in a remote setting, eliminating the necessity of transportation, geographic barriers and causing a considerable reduction of costs.

This kind of networking allows its participants to assist quick business meetings without having to get out of the office.

6. 3D virtual avatars

An avatar is a unique way of giving life to a web, social network or digital channel. It is a graphic image that represents a person within a virtual world, and it is becoming increasingly common to find online avatars mimicking real-life work situations such as meetings, fairs or other kind of events.

The interaction possibilities are incalculable, and the number of applications grows at the same rapid pace as the advances made on virtual technology. In fact, avatars serve as a nexus of union between all the virtual events that have been mentioned before: they can be used for virtual conferences, meetings with remote teams, virtual classrooms, Team Building activities and Virtual Speed Networking meetings.

The interaction capacity of these interactive avatars is impressive. They can maintain conversations and talk in a very natural way thanks to a voice over IP. Thanks to the 3D technology in which they are based, avatars are also capable of automatically regulating the volume depending on their proximity with other avatars, interchanging any kind of information in different formats and even expressing emotions through animations – such as clapping or greeting.

Their facial and corporal movements are highly natural, and, when combined with artificial intelligence technology, the final result is astonishing.

The present and future of corporate communication is defined by a very clear tendency: virtual events. Their potential and the advantages that they offer, have turned them into powerful tools able to improve business visibility and encourage all kind of real-time encounters.

How to Make the Most of your Virtual Meetings

For the last decade, the number of virtual meetings has significantly increased. From an occasional videocall with a client to an event with numerous representatives from a company with offices in different locations, one thing is clear: remote encounters are the order of the day.

This increment has been fostered for various reasons, and each of these have a weight upon the company that cannot be overlooked. The most important are:

- Great mobility and telework

The way of carrying out professional tasks has drastically changed for decades, but the top of the iceberg of this change just became noticeable. Offices are not physical spaces shut between four walls anymore: working from home, or from any other place with internet connection, is a rising trend. And, without a doubt, teleworkers are defining the present of virtual meetings.

Market globalization and outsourcing are two other factors that impact the growth of remote events. Each day, more and more companies decide to rely on delegations located in different countries, and the managers’ time is money, so: no more long trips to attend a meeting. What would had previously required hours or even days, now can be resolved in a few minutes.

- Economic alternative

We live in a situation marked by the necessity of reducing costs. Companies look for a way to stretch its budget and reduce costs in every corporative area, and event planification is not an exception.

A conference room is enough to carry out a meeting or an online conference. Virtual platforms eliminate travel and lodging expenses, as well as the necessity of space rental, catering and other services.

- The power of immediacy

The success of most of today’s businesses is determined by the “here and now”. The answers are needed in the moment, and the decisions should be taken in a few minutes.

In this sense, virtual meetings optimize the use of our time. As there is not a need for displacement, it is easier to find a common ground and delimit schedules, so the hours spent are as efficient as possible.

5 best practices for virtual meetings

The aforementioned aspects are essential when going for remote meetings, and they are already plenty known by a huge number of organizations. However, we should not forget that, as most daily corporative activities, they need some preparation.

In fact, there are still a lot of professionals that consider that a meeting of these characteristics is not as effective as a presential ones. This is clearly reflected on the results of a series of surveys carried out by several organizations. These surveys also showcased that the different reasons why virtual events don’t produce the good results they are expected to are the following:

People are easily distracted by other matters, such as, email, instant messaging or social media.
The beginning of the meeting is often delayed.

There is a low participation and interaction between members.
Sometimes it cannot be known who is in the meeting or who is talking in certain moment.
The length of online meetings can be too extended, thus affecting the level of concentration of the assistants.

For that, it is key to follow these 5 tips to achieve a successful online meeting for the attendants to exploit its great potential:

1. Send reminders

To avoid delays and make sure that all the participants log in on time, it is advisable to send notifications to announce the meeting and inform of the time schedule in advance. Sending a reminder one hour before the meeting is also a good idea.

2. Share the content of the presentation in advance

It does not make much sense for the assistant of an online videocall, a webinar or an online conference to spend their time watching long presentations, as this prevents the participants from intervening and increments the risk of losing the interest on the event.

It is a good idea to share the presentation in advance, giving the participants the chance of knowing the content and preparing questions. This way, the interchange of information would be smoother, the attendees would intervene to ask their doubts, and the virtual meeting would be shorter and more efficient.

3. Maintain the attendees’ attention

To make the most out of a virtual meeting, it should become an innovative and immersive experience.

The objective is to prevent the attendee from getting distracted, and for that, it is advisable to count with technological platforms that offer innovative alternatives that assure the attention of the participants during the whole session.

4. Real-time interaction

Virtual technology allows a close interaction between participants of an online meeting. This can be achieved thanks to VoIP technology, and video and chat applications, which make it possible for the assistants to present their doubts and have them solved in real time.

Furthermore, there exist some interesting alternatives, such as the one offered by Virtway Events, that offer the possibility of using interactive 3D avatars that mimic each of the participants of the event. These unusual participants can maintain very natural conversations in these online videoconferences thanks to the use of voice over IP.

5. Online meetings require preparation

In order to know who is in the meeting and which assistant is talking at any given time, it is essential to plan the act. It is common sense: if we want something to turn out well, we have to put all our attention on it before, during and after its realization.

In this sense, we should prepare an agenda -strictly timed, if necessary- that we will share in advance and in which we would detailly present certain fundamental aspects, such as the roles of the assistants, their personal data or the way they will interact with each other. It can also include some basic rules such as the fact that each interlocutor should indicate their name before intervening, for example.

With an adequate planning strategy, virtual meetings become the best way of promoting teamworking and the collaboration between people, even if they are separated by long distances.

To make the most out of this kind of events, just keep these 5 aspects in mind and understand that an event can -and must- go beyond everything we knew until now. There are no limits, but the ones we put ourselves.

Benefits of Virtual Conferences

Advantages in innovation and opportunity

One of the main objectives that technology pursues is to improve communications as well as forms of collaboration of a company, both internally and externally. And it is a success. In this setting, technological advances have allowed for the creation of new alternatives, such as virtual conferences and meetings, whose main aim is to celebrate this kind of professional encounters without the need of a physical space.

The benefits they offer to organizations have allowed them to turn into very effective, fast, and innovative communication methods. And that is because virtual events, either as an online video conference, webinar or professional fair, have the advantage of connecting several people at once no matter where they are.

Their applications are endless, and especially useful for online conferences between the different headquarters of a company, establishing an immediate videoconference system with remote workers from any part of the world or promote the services of a company without the need of physical spaces, just of a virtual meeting room.

Additionally, their use is very simple, thus, any user can benefit from the advantages of virtual events on real time. Virtual conferences and meetings can be recorded, so, if an employee could not go to the live event, they will be able to access it at a later time at their convenience.

Benefits of events in virtual worlds

Nowadays, it is imperative for companies to have a virtual presence if they do not want to be left behind in this globalized market defined by technology.

Virtual events adapted to corporate meetings offer the same benefits as physical encounters but include a series of exclusive advantages that should not be overviewed to optimize the business and its productivity.

In fact, according to researches made on the companies’ different sectors, 94% of the employees consider that the main benefit of online videoconferences is the increase in efficiency and productivity; followed by an 88% corresponding to the increment in the impact of meetings, and finally, the speed of decision making, with a 87%.

These numbers showcase the impact that virtual events have on the business landscape, which are possible thanks to the advantages they offer. The most noteworthy are:

Cost reduction

The investment necessary for a virtual meeting is minimal if we compare it with the presential model. Travel or rental costs are entirely eliminated, and this savings are a direct and valuable contribution to the business development.

For that, if an organization does not have enough resources to organize physical events, or their employees do not have time to travel, a virtual conference comes as the most logical alternative.

Further assistance and event reach

As they are virtual platforms, you can access remotely from any computer or device with internet connection. This possibility ends with geographical barriers, allowing a further number of assistants and, consequently, higher visibility.

More communication in less time

Virtual meetings and videoconferences have two great advantages: speed and comfort. Thanks to that, any company has the possibility of communicating with the clients, partners, or employees on a record time, favoring the increment in communications.

Information always available

On many occasions, when carrying out an online conference, you do not dispose of enough time to calmly analyze the shared information. Virtual technology allows filming all the meetings, allowing the assistants to access these contents anytime.

Measurable results and a better tracking

Virtual meetings and the applications behind allow us to immediately obtain measurable results. Thus, the company has access to real time data referring to the participants and the development of the event, providing useful information about the return of investment.

On the other hand, it is possible to optimize the tracking of a virtual conference, something that can turn into a valuable tool in terms of customer loyalty strategies and client and employee satisfaction.

Agile decision-making

The use of virtual conferences allows making important decisions fast and efficiently. This kind of encounters can immediately gather the different people implicated in a project, offering the possibility of reaching agreements more nimbly, eliminating schedule issues, as well as transportation or hour limitations.

Essential key aspects to organize successful virtual conferences

Like any presential event, a strategic organization is crucial to obtain results, and it will define the success or failure of the project. For that, there are a number of key points that should never miss in a virtual meeting:

Attention set on the attendee

An event developed in a virtual world should turn into an immersive and innovative experience. For that, it would be impossible to carry out a similar event without the support of technological platforms that offer unique eye-catching alternatives, put the spotlight on them and make sure they stay connected.

In this sense, there are very interesting proposals coming from Virtway Events. These are alternatives designed with the most advanced technology to create unique experiences within a virtual world. For example, they allow the possibility of using 3D interactive avatars that mimic each of the participants of the event.

Real-time interaction

Virtual technology allows a very close relation between the assistants, even in the distance. The key to achieve this are the video and chat applications with VoIP technology, thanks to which it is possible for the assistants to ask any doubts and solve them in real-time.

Moreover, the avatar-based event technologies that appear in an online videoconference are created with avatars that can have conversations and talk through a voice over IP in a very natural way. In fact, the 3D sound tech integrated makes it possible to automatically regulate the volume depending on the proximity of the participants.

Virtual meetings or events set the trend for the corporative communications of the coming years. Their potential and the advantages that they offer make them strong tools that can be used to improve the visibility of a business, promote connections in real time, and easily connect users geographically disperse.

Virtual Events for your Online Product Marketing

Product Marketing is a process aimed for the promotion and sale of a product to a client. However, despite this being its final objective, its mission goes even further. The marketing of a product is the intermediate stage between the development of an article and the rise of brand awareness.

Very often companies invest an enormous number of resources in the creative process and the development of a product from the initial stage to its official presentation. And this effort will not make any sense if its presentation goes unnoticed or does not have the expected audience.

Here is where the planification of the product release becomes very important, one of the principal tasks of the Product Marketing process. This is not an easy job, as there is not anything like a magic formula. Each brand is a whole different world, as well as each of their products, therefore, it will be necessary to design specific campaigns for every kind of need.

It is true that the internet has opened an interesting picture for the marketing professionals. Online worlds, and specially, virtual environments offer alternatives with a higher impact and which need a lower investment, so it is essential to make the most out of them.

Nevertheless, as we said, although there is no magic formula, there are a set of guidelines that can greatly help when planning to launch a product and having a successful presentation which justifies all the effort and used means.

5 main actions for Online Product Marketing:

1. Social Media

To this point, there is very little left to explain regarding the influence of social media over a product’s launch campaign. Thanks to its infinite range and the possibility of accessing a massive audience, this media outlet is the best ally for promoting creative ideas, raising awareness and participation, as well as interacting with the target customers.

2. Actions with influencers

This new trend has become one of the most followed and respected sources of information. When it comes to Product Marketing, it is important to count with a strategy to gain their collaboration, getting them to talk about the brand. Their word carries great weight and assures us that, with their support, we will get a lot of audience.

3. Tests y videos

The impact of this kind of actions within online product marketing is outstanding. One highly recommended strategy is to film small videos that show some information about the product and share it on social media. As the release date gets closer, you can create more and share more information. The objective: generate expectation.

4. Event planning or inauguration party

Drawing audience and calling the attention of potential clients is an essential task within a well-defined online Product Marketing strategy. Organizing activities, live presentations or inviting lecturers are actions that get headlines, getting people to talk about our brand and product.

5. Go for creativity, be virtual

The market is full of proposals similar to the one we present. Thus, it is important to stand out, and we will not do it unless we think of an idea that really catches the attention of our target audience. In this sense, opting for virtual events has become a popular alternative when organizing any kind of activity or corporate presentation.

And not only because they are more economic, but because they attract a bigger audience, create striking scenarios, and allow real-life interaction between the participants attending from different parts of the world.

Virtual Product Marketing: Where the very present future is heading

The benefits and advantages that virtual worlds provide to companies and marketing specialists are something worth mentioning. Their consolidation within corporate environments has turned them into indispensable tools for product promotion.

However, like any other action that might be carried out, virtual events have its own characteristics and need strategies specially design for their promotion.

Essential aspects to allows include in a virtual product marketing campaign:

Organize high quality demos that impress

Our day-to-day life is full of events, presentations, and several corporate meetings. For our marketing actions to be effective, it is necessary to be original, and present proposals that add value and experiences.

Immersive activities are gaining more and more popularity within virtual events, it is all about creating real experiences within virtual worlds. The use of 3D avatar-based platforms is an example of how tech can be at the service of product marketing.

These 3D avatars are characters that realistically mimic each of the participants of a virtual event, which will be able to communicate live though a voice over IP app.

This allows a direct interaction with the attendees, who will have the opportunity of making questions and comments on real-time. Thanks to this type of bets, designed and started-up by Virtway Events, the products become real and close despite our audience being afar, geographically speaking.

Follow the Marketing Mix 4P guidelines

This term refers to one of the most classic marketing elements that are used to englobe its four basic elements: product, price, place and promotion. This way, the Marketing 4Ps, are the four variables a company has to achieve their commercial objectives.

For that, it is necessary that the marketing Mix 4Ps work together and complement each other coherently. And, although it is true that this strategy is still infallible in every marketing campaign, the actual market tendencies make it necessary to ensure a strategic approach focus, specially, on the client.

Thus, Marketing Mix 4P key questions, such as “what product should I get in the market?”, “at what price?”, “where can I sell it?” and “how should I promote it?” should be formulated differently:

“What do my clients need?”, “what is the cost of their satisfaction and how will it come back to us?”, “what distribution channels are more convenient to our clients?” or “which media should I use to share it?” are the questions that should guide the actions of an online product marketing campaign.

Thereby we will be able to, not only measure the success of our campaign, but also find out the expenses of customer satisfaction.

Should we eliminate traditional year-end meetings?

From the beginning of modern times, it is common to see big enterprises celebrating events, generally as annual meetings, attended by CEOs, workers, suppliers, clients and all kind of professionals directly or indirectly associated with the business.

The objective of these big assemblies is to unite people by creating spaces to share experiences, bond and foster team spirit. And, without a doubt, it is a very effective way to achieve these aims. However, the new rhythm of an increasingly globalized market, the irruption of technology and the uncertain economic situation are changing the mindset of the heads of the companies.

Thus, several directives have questioned if it is profitable to celebrate this kind of events and if it offsets the huge economic deployment and the resources necessary to carry it out. For that, more and more companies search for an alternative solution that can get the same results -or even better- with a lower investment.

As mentioned above, the last economic recession and the uncertain situation in which we are immerse are two defining factors of this recent change, and they have caused many companies to consider how to save money on event organization.

With this new perspective in mind, they have found their best alliance in virtual technology, a field that has strongly irrupted in numerous sectors that are key for business development, such as meetings and corporative events.

The benefits of virtual meetings are countless in comparison with presential events. And that is, setting some key factors aside, such as the increase in audience or a better measurement of ROI, events based on 3D virtual platforms achieve an essential aim: savings.

No matter if it is through an online videoconference, webinar or web conference, they have the advantage of simultaneously connecting numerous people no matter where they are. This allows great cost reduction regarding organization, and the complete absence of investment in transportation, travels, or space rental.

Sustainable Events: Your corporate social responsibility towards the environment

While it is clear that behind most decision making there is an aim for business optimization through cost reduction, there is another important factor that is responsible for this change in mentality and which promotes virtual events: sustainability.

And that is, when we take a look back and calculate the amount of resources invested in a big assembly or an annual presential meeting, the fact that most of them negatively impact the environment cannot go unnoticed.

As a fact, a statistic carried out by the MeetGreen states that in an event of a few days long with 2.500 assistants, 62.500 plates and 75.000 glasses were used (both plastic), together with 87.500 paper napkins, and 90.000 cans and bottles.

This consumption of paper, plastic, and glass entails a severe hazard for our ecosystem, and, for that, sustainability should be present when organizing an event. The good news is that it is possible, as long as we take advantage of the benefits that technology offers for our corporative needs.

Virtual meetings and events are a clear example of that, as they offer the companies a number of important environmental benefits, among which we can highlight:

Lower water, light and gas consumption: once we have eliminated the need of big physical spaces to organize these meetings, the expenses of these resources decrease drastically.
Reduction of environmental impact and environment preservation: we avoid producing tones of wastes that are usually generated during big meetings.
Decrease on CO2 emissions: presential events attract a great number of people and, with them, vehicles. This contributes to atmospheric and acoustic pollution.

Moreover, beyond the environmental benefits, virtual platforms are a key opportunity for development and benefit businesses visibility. These are emerging as the most effective tools for carrying out team building activities, formation for remote workers, webinars, or any other kind of online meeting.

Despite all these benefits, there still exist companies that think that event, congress, or assembly organization is already complex enough as it is to further assume additional compromises, but this is an erroneous belief. This should be approached from another perspective: changes are a great opportunity to support innovation and develop alternative action points, which at the same time, would directly and positively impact the reputation and the image of the company.

Likewise, nowadays we can find in the market suppliers in charge of the designs and start-up of virtual events, with innovative proposals that do not leave their assistants indifferent.

In the case of Virtway Events, which offers an advanced 3D technology for entrepreneurs, employees, and clients to reunite in a virtual space which allows an almost real interaction between them, despite the long distance.

Their applications allow maintaining real-time conversations with all the assistants, send messages, express emotions through animations, and even be represented by extremely realistic 3D avatars which mimic the physical aspect of each participant.

Without a doubt, now is the time to take advantage of technology in pursuit of a common goal: taking care of the environment and committing to sustainability.

Metrics to Measure the Success of a Virtual Event

Organizing a corporative event calls for a great effort from the organizers, as well as a significant investment of the company’s resources. For that, it is essential to have positive results and ensure ROI (return of investment). That is, events should guarantee the generation of an economic value that positively affects the company.

The best way to evaluate an event is by measuring the results, as without this analysis, all efforts could be in vain, and we would not have any information for future events.

With this objective, it is essential that all marketing professional, particularly the event organization specialists, count for their day-to-day tasks with a number of tools to help them analyze the data and the results.

Each action taken within the company can be measured, no matter the type, but, in the case of virtual events, this is multiplied. In fact, online meetings are considered strong tools able to quantify the return of investment achieved, they give us the possibility of obtaining valuable data during and after the events that can be later analyzed to make a real assessment of the results.

This is the objective of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). It consists in performance metrics that allow us to gather information and checks if our event had the expected success.

These indicators should have a leading role in the organizer’s agenda, as they offer all the key data to determine the return of investment. Furthermore, they would give us the opportunity of improving future events and optimize the projections of this.

Thus, the advantages of the metrics or KPIs can be summarized in:

Capacity of obtaining valuable information for the company
Possibility of carrying complete result analysis
Great potential for decision making based on objective and reliable data

Fist step in measuring virtual event success: Strategic Planning

When it is time to organize a virtual event, the fear of failure is present for the whole process, especially the fear that the audience will not appear or will disconnect early.

The best advice when planning a virtual meeting is to comprehend what the assistants need, what they expect and what they will obtain. In this sense, it must be borne in mind one fundamental premise: great ideas generate great experiences.

For that, during the planification phase, it is important to reunite all possible information about future attendees. This includes data about what motivates the audience and get to know how the conceive the event and what they expect from it.

By efficiently collecting this information, organizers can guarantee that the offered contents and activities meet the audience’s desires. And most importantly: they would be able to design an event that appeals to the assistant.

In this scenario, virtual worlds are the most favorable environments to create immersive experiences, and for that, they have become great allies for event planners.

8 Core Indicators to Evaluate Virtual Events

Once the event has been planned, it is crucial to use a series of metrics to measure it. Regardless of the stated goal, we should always count with objective reliable data obtained through these KPIs:

1. Check-in

Find out how many assistants have come to the event versus how many registered to attend.

2. Number of regular assistants

This metric allows us to analyze the customer trust and the value of our events.

3. New clients

An essential KPI that allows us to know the number of new clients obtained thanks to the organization of the event.

4. Interest in the activities

Within a virtual event, the activities that can be carried out are numerous. Webinars, Team Building activities, videoconferences, virtual classrooms, etc. For that, when trying to measure the success of our proposal, it is important to collect data regarding which was the most popular.

5. Satisfaction Survey

The best way to know if the assistants have enjoyed the event is by asking them. And, if we plan our questions in terms of numerical answers, the measurement will be even more efficient.

This technique is not only reliable to know the level of satisfaction, but to know to what extent they will recommend the event. The KPI Net Promoter Score provides this information: just by including the question, “From 1 to 10, how likely is it for you to recommend this event to another person?”, we can learn which assistants can be considered as promoters.

6. Interactions

Every virtual event stands out for offering different experiences that encourage the interaction between participants. This metric exists, for instance, to know the number of assistants who visited a company stand at a virtual fair or within an interactive chat, who was the most active, either by speaking with their microphone or by the number of messages sent.

7. Social media interaction

This method of communication is by far superior to the rest nowadays and its measurement is an excellent tool to assess the repercussion of your event. In order to measure it, it is necessary to think about an effective hashtag and follow it to see how many times it has been mentioned by the assistants.

It’s also important to count the number of ‘likes’, both in publications and in mentions or in the company’s profile during and after the event.

8. Gross and net incomes

One of the KPIs that should never be forgotten. It is essential to know the profits made by an event to measure the return of investment.

These are the most important KPIs, but, depending on the kind of business or event we want to organize, we could use others. In fact, in most cases, it is advisable not to choose between one or another metric, but to learn how to combine them to elaborate exhaustive reports that present us a global image of the event and make the appropriate decisions based on these objective data.

Tips to Effectively Manage a Remote Team

Teleworking is the order of the day. No matter if it is full-time or part-time, merging remote with in office work is a formula that has successfully spread in recent years, even before the situation caused by the coronavirus.

Companies that are opting for telecommuting are fostering a change in mentality contrary to the old perception of how and where to perform our professional tasks. Besides, this has entailed major changes in the relation between workers and their workplace, especially in the past few months, when companies were not able to find an alternative.

Even though the number of remote workers has significantly increased in all countries, there is still a lot of work to catch up with countries such as the United States, situated on the top of the list.

This is because, despite it was almost compulsory for companies and its workers to make this change, not all industries and people were, and are, ready to make this new approach part of their everyday life.

By contrast, some American companies have, for some time now, completely eliminated their physical offices, solely relying on remote communication platforms to work with employees located all around the world. Their excellent results show that it is possible to make teleworking the new basis of corporate culture and the foundation of future success.

These are not isolated examples, they are only the tip of the iceberg of a tendency on the rise and which meets the desires of many workers, especially millennials, the generation who has gotten to the business landscape to change the traditional perspective we had until now.

For it, a lot of enterprises are looking for a way of motivating millennials at work, and teleworking is one of the best possible offers, as it is an option increasingly embraced by these young talents.

But they are not the only ones that see telecommuting as a key asset when directing their professional future to one or other company.

It was thus asserted by a recent report on remote working, “State Of Remote Work” (2019), which presents some interesting results regarding the perspective and aspirations of remote workers.

In fact, the results are quite striking: 99% of remote workers plan to continue developing their professions for the rest of their working career. The reasons attributed to this mindset are: a flexible schedule (40%), the possibility of working from anywhere (30%), and having more time to spend with their family (14%).

How to maintain a good "digital relationship": Learn to properly manage remote teams

These and other figures highlight the rise of remote working, an option that will be chosen by even more people after the COVID-19 crisis. But which, despite opening a world of working possibilities, it also presents a number of new challenges.

Coordinating an employee team, involving and motivating them so that they feel as an active part of the organization, promoting the participation in virtual meetings and helping them to effectively manage their time are the main challenges companies have to face.

In a working environment like this, increasingly dynamic and open, it is essential to count with means that can not only help the communication and organization between “on-site” and “virtual” workers, but also enhance productivity and reduce costs.

In this regard, collaborative tools are the key to ensure that the intelligence and knowledge of remote workers is seized upon; but, how to do it? what is the most efficient way to manage this kind of teams?

To find the answer to these questions and help teleworking become a cornerstone of companies, it is essential to consider these 3 fundamental keys to run remote teams:

1. Promote teamwork

Being a remote worker doesn’t mean you have to feel alone. The philosophy of collaboration should be present in every process. Therefore, it is essential to create synergies between all the employees, and not just with them but also with the company as a whole, to build a strong team culture.

As neither the employees nor the employers are in the same physical environment, it is necessary to establish meeting areas. For this, new technologies will play a leading role, particularly those technologies related to virtual worlds, as they will procure close relationships, despite being afar.

The effectiveness of these applications come from the use of VoIP technology, video and chat, thanks to which it is possible to carry out virtual meetings and conferences for remote workers. These are events that allow direct interaction, as they use specific technologic tools that attain immersive experiences in which it is possible for the participants to ask any doubts and for them to be solved in real time.

2. Create learning and developmental opportunities

It’s essential that remote workers are trained continuously, despite not being able to partake in conventional in-person activities. It likely wouldn’t be coherent for the company to opt for the telework, and then, ask them to physically attend training courses.

Company executives should provide innovative training options to help employees strengthen their knowledge and build new skills. And, once more, virtual technology is one of the stand-out solutions. For example, virtual classrooms for businesses.

This is a system that presents a great deal of benefits, such as time saving and cost reduction, together with more flexibility and accessibility, among other things. Hence, these alternatives are considered as essential tools when dealing with the training of remote teams, since it is not necessary for neither of its members to move, just to have a device with internet connection.

These virtual events allow us to create personalized trainings since they give us the chance to install specific plugins and design each of the elements that will make up the virtual classroom. Moreover, its operation is remarkably simple, thanks to intuitive interfaces that allow us to rapidly access not only the platform, but each of the materials shared during the training, no matter the format.

3. Strengthen bonds between workers

In the work environment, no matter if it is presential or not, work is not everything. Interpersonal relations are essential, and they should always exist in order to share experiences and develop our human side together with our social and communicative skills.

To achieve this, virtual Team Building activities are the best option: Recreational proposals designed to encourage communication, integration, and fellowship, among others.

Nowadays, there is a large public offer on this field, but Virtway Events presents one of the most innovative ones. Our company has developed a way of providing, through an advanced virtual 3D technology, immersive experiences inside of a virtual world with interactive avatars.

There are countless options available, all of them designed to provide workers, both remote ones and those who work in the physical company environment, with stimulating online experiences. Virtway Events opted to create 3D interactive avatars, which mimic each of the participants taking part in the activity. These can be used for different group activities oriented to virtual training, from group meetings to conferences or interactive games.

Even if it is indirectly, businesses are greatly benefited by teleworking. They have more freedom of decision and organization, as well as for a real conciliation with the personal and familiar domain. All of this in the end leads to increased productivity. One only has to know how to use the means that technology provides us to efficiently manage a remote team.

Lead Generation with Virtual Events

Leads generation is the top priority for a company’s marketing specialist. After all, attracting potential clients and sparking interest in services or products is one of the most crucial parts of a business.

However, nowadays the market is constantly changing, and customer behavior does not scape this tendency either. As time goes by, users demand different necessities and search for alternative ways to find solutions.

For that, even if the marketing teams count with powerful tools to generate B2B leads, it is necessary to make the extra effort to find new strategies to generate potential clients. These alternatives should be innovative and give added value to the client’s experience.

Here is where virtual events and fairs have immense potential to attract leads and successfully make the final conversion. Without geographical barriers or time limits, these types of meetings ensure a wide information exchange and have become a gold mine for marketing lead generation.

The advantage of these tools to create leads is that a virtual fair can be used as a strategy on its own or as an extension of an omnichannel marketing strategy. That is, once the company has connected with its target audience through other methods, a virtual exhibition or some kind of online fair can help attract and consolidate potential clients. Thus, it provides an important competitive advantage even in a slow market.

Advantages of Virtual Fairs to Generate B2B Leads

Virtual spaces have opened uncountable opportunities for businesses to commercialize and present its products and services. The greatest exponent can be found in virtual fairs, an option considered as a very powerful marketing tool, able to optimize the engagement of the event attendants and to effectively generate leads.

Its capacity to create solid and lasting relationships between the users and the company, as well as the opportunity to increase the engagement between the brand and the consumers, has fostered the perception of virtual fairs as something positive, efficient and profitable, in comparison to other in-person marketing activities.

All these objectives can be achieved thanks to the advantages that it offers compared to in-person events. These are the main advantages:

Greater audience: Geographical and time barriers are a great limitation when organizing an event. However, virtual spaces facilitate the attendees to access them remotely from any computer or device with internet connection.
Great cost reduction: Saving money with virtual fairs is one of the characteristic advantages of virtual events in general. The profitability of these events is lower, as it eliminates recruitment and transportation costs, as well as anything related to the accommodation of the assistants.
Attraction over the assistant: Virtual fairs are designed to innovate and for innovation, thus, it would not be comprehensible to have virtual events which don’t provide unique alternatives capable of getting the attendees’ attention.

In that sense, the approach offered by Virtway Events is particularly interesting. These are platforms for virtual fairs designed using the latest technology to create unique experiences. Namely, they offer the possibility of using interactive 3D avatars to represent each of the event participants.

Increase in visibility: When it comes to promoting an event, digital environments allow reaching a bigger audience with a lower investment, and the divulgation speed of online media gives access to hundreds of people which will, later on, even become possible loyal fans of the product or service of the company.

For that, commercial virtual fairs are the best to get more followers, something that has an incalculable value for companies within their strategies to generate new leads.

Multiple virtual environments: Online fairs enable creating custom-designed events for the company to please future clients, and the environments where these events can take place are almost limitless.

Interactive chats, live webinars or immersive rooms are only a few examples of places where a virtual fair can show all its potential to provide attendees with exceptional experiences in digital environments.

Measurable results: Everything that happens in a virtual event can be measured during each of its phases. Real-time access to all the data regarding the participants enables the company effective information about ROI, which allows to study and improve the quality of present and future events.

How to Ensure Lead Generation in Virtual Events

Thanks to all the advantages given by an event of this kind, exhibitors are able to attract a larger audience and increase their chances of generating leads.

But, how do they achieve this? The following points will help you achieve this goal:

On-demand content: One of the most successful elements of a virtual fair is that its content can be made-to-order. This possibility allows creating a richer experience and generating interest

For this reason, it is important to present a great number of opportunities for them to get to know the products and services that are being exhibited through photos, videos, demos, leaflets, electronic books and all kind of digital materials that can be downloaded and checked at any moment.

Interactive chats: Live chats allow the exhibitors to interact with the fair attendees. Through real-time conversations, the company will be able to provide details about the product, answer questions and exchange commentaries.

This connection creates a closer relationship and exponentially improves the image of the company and its products or services, thus, being closer to its future clients.

Immersive rooms: Virtual fairs will always include spaces designed for their guests to interact, both with the company and with each other.

But it is not a traditional interaction, therefore, it is necessary to offer the possibility of participating in immersive activities aimed for training. This is the best way for all the attendees to actively collaborate and make their experience even more satisfactory.

Lastly, to ensure lead generation in virtual events, it is necessary to define a follow-up strategy for after celebrating the fair. Then, you will be able to follow potential clients that have attended and know their impression and experience. This is the last step to improve the client’s engagement and create effective leads.

Category: Blog