A virtual avatar is a unique way to give life to a web, social network or digital channel. It’s a graphic image that represents a person in a virtual world, and it’s becoming increasingly mroe common to use online avatars to recreate real situations in business meetings, fairs or any type of event.
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With so many virtual event platforms on the market, it can be hard to learn what’s right for you. Enter: Virtway Events, the world’s largest, most accessible, and most customizable 3D virtual platform on the market. Virtway has been building 3D communications platforms for over two decades, and the company’s unique in-house technology can be used to create fully personalized, engagement-driven gatherings ranging from virtual trade shows, conferences, and corporate meetings to employee training and on-boarding, webinars, and collaborative activities. Save time, increase your audience reach, and generate unique, one-of-a-kind experiences for attendees around the world.
Intrigued? Let’s learn more…
Deep into the era of social distancing, we’ve all discovered the limitations of virtual events. It’s become clear quite quickly that they allow for very little customization and engagement beyond a chat function—which means virtual event engagement is low, and users are quick to disconnect or be distracted by the usual activities of work and home life. What’s more, many virtual gatherings feel the same, and organizers aren’t always given the chance to bring their creativity or add value for the client.
Another major challenge? The lack of serendipity. Networking is often limited to pre-organized meetings, which isn’t as natural as in-person events where you have spontaneous connections with a variety of different people.
Virtway Events combats these challenges by focusing on engagement and entertainment in a 3D virtual world, complete with customizable avatars that allow you to talk to fellow attendees in real-time with your own voice. No more boring events with streaming and simple chat functions here.
With Virtway, event hosts can create fully personalized, fully interactive events. Want to host a simple presentation and networking break? Virtway can do that. Want to give the ability to explore and interact in a 3D conference with interactive booths, a variety of buildings hosting different talks, gamification, product presentations, and live concerts? Virtway can do that, too.
The online events can look as much like reality as the organizer wants, with realistic decorations, branding, product displays, information points, and so many more options. The 3D environment allows organizers to focus on fun, creating gamified and interactive activities for networking and allowing communication to be as natural as approaching someone and starting to talk—just like in real life.
And to make sure everything runs smoothly, experienced support staff is always on-hand to advise and guide participants, making sure guests enjoy everything the virtual gathering has to offer. An added bonus? Post-event, organizers can obtain data on average time spent per participant, activity, and more— giving you all the information you need to create more strategic, effective gatherings in the future.
Virtway’s cutting-edge software is easy to learn, making it simple for event organizers to unleash their creativity so they can deliver gatherings that are as interesting, exciting, and entertaining as they would be in the real world. The flexible technology allows you to design any digital engagements you can dream up, from branded and private virtual spaces to customized and themed onboarding spaces. Or maybe you want to engage current clients and prospects with a game show, a treasure hunt, or a digital swag bag? That’s all possible, too.
What’s more, Virtway’s top partners are reselling the software with multiyear service commitments to the world’s top companies and institutions—meaning Virtway partners receive exclusive inbound leads from some of the largest and most successful companies in a wide variety of industries, like financial, pharmaceutical, industrial, science, academia, and more.
To join the growing network of global event and training leaders who are leveraging Virtway Events’ technology, head to virtwayevents.com or email info@virtwayevents.com.
Retaining talented employees over a long period of time has become a bigger challenge for companies over the years, especially with job-hopping millennials constantly looking for change and something more.
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If we close our eyes and picture all the methods we use to communicate and interact with each other nowadays, surely one of the first thing that comes to mind is a mobile phone. And if not a phone a tablet, laptop or computer.
For years now, technology has marked the
course of our actions, and we use it not only as a means of communication, but
also for shopping, searching for any kind of information or as a means of
entertainment and escape.
Work certainly doesn’t escape this premise. Increasingly, we take advantage of technological advances to more effectively carry out all the tasks that our professional career demands of us.
In addition, data is becoming more and more
accessible at any time and place, and the greater the possibilities of
accessing them in real time, the sooner a future dominated by remote
participation will arrive.
This is no new news to most companies, and most have been adapting to this digital landscape for years. The objective is clear: not to lag behind in the technological race and to be able to offer valuable services that allow them to stand out from the competition.
Companies are constantly looking for innovative strategies when it comes to implementing different actions. Event organization is one of the sectors that is evolving fastest in this sense, and the trend is marked with evidence on how companies are betting on virtual rather than traditional events.
Although this a path that began some time ago, its growth has been exponential in recent years. And the commitment to online events doesn’t end here… the fun has only just begun.
The advantages that a virtual world can offer overcome many of the limitations marked by physical events. Virtual event technology allows hundreds of people to be connected simultaneously from any type of device, and when accompanied by 3D applications, the participants of a virtual event can also interact with voice and movements.
But the benefits of virtual meetings for the corporate environment go much further than that. For this reason, it is essential that event organizers know them and know how to take full advantage of their potential.
These are the 7 main reasons why any company, regardless of its size or sector, must face 2020 by investing in online events rather than traditional ones:
This data shows that live online events will mark much of the trends in holding webinars, virtual fairs or any type of corporate activity during 2020.
According to a recent study carried out to evaluate the behavior of social media users, regular Facebook consumers comment and interact 10 times more in live broadcasted videos. In fact, 80% say they prefer real-time online streaming over a company blog or traditional social networking posts.
The Bank of Spain confirms that the world economy in 2019 has faced a “clear phase of deceleration”. At the business level, it is highly recommended that companies not overlook this data if they want to keep up with their business evolution and to begin preparation for a possible recession.
As a result, more and more organizations are researching how to save money with virtual events. One of the advantages of corporate meetings is the great reduction in costs compared to physical events, as it eliminates the costs of renting spaces and equipment, travel and accommodation.
Geographical and time barriers are a major constraint when organizing an event. However, virtual spaces make it easier for attendees to access remotely from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection.
At the same time, they also make it possible to increase visibility: when it comes to promoting the event, the digital environment makes it possible to reach a greater number of users while simultaneously investmenting less money.
Any type of online event allows you to obtain measurable results. Real-time access to all participant data provides companies with effective information on ROI, allowing them to study and improve the quality of present and future events.
In addition, virtual events are great allies for event planners, as these professionals can survey participants and capture detailed information in order to collect valuable data from attendees to plan a personalized follow-up strategy.
To really involve the public in such a competitive digital landscape, it’s essential that companies offering valuable experiences, aimed at each of the participants. Long gone are the days when events were designed for a single user profile.
Today, companies are increasingly striving to provide personalized experiences based on on-demand content and spaces that allow attendees to interact. With immersive rooms and interactive chats, participants will be able to have real-time conversations and the company will be able to provide product details, answer questions and exchange comments.
The main challenge of any corporate meeting is to completely grab hold of the event participants’ attention and online events have been designed by and for innovation. But for these experiences to be truly immersive, virtual worlds (like that of Virtway Events) have created an essential element which tops techniques in business-education entertainment: 3D virtual avatars.
They are a unique way of giving life to any creative training event, as they are graphic images that represent a person in a virtual world. The ways in which a virtual avatar can interact are infinite, and they can even have conversations and speak through voice over IP in a natural way, exchange any kind of information and even express their emotions through animations, such as applause or greetings.
More and more companies are betting on Virtual Reality events, and the more popular the use of this technology becomes, the more creative their applications evolve. That said, there are many immersive experiences designed for corporate environments.
The formulas to achieve this are to facilitate applications of VoIP technology, video and chat, which allows for participants to ask questions and have them resolved in real time. Therefore, this type of event is the best alternative to conduct online conferences, virtual business classrooms, team building activities, meetings with remote teams or any type of corporate action.
The integration of the virtual world with corporate events is a guarantee for success, not only at the level of infrastructure and cost savings, but because it is able to offer innovative alternatives in immersive environments. This combination allows companies to recreate experiences out of the ordinary, something that will allow them to stand out from the competition and make a niche in an increasingly changing market.
Ray Cansick is a self-employed consultant and active member of Greenpeace, with considerable experience working at the global management level at EY (formerly Ernst & Young) for over 15 years. He volunteers with Greenpeace to help inform organisations about the issues facing the planet and actions they can take to help. On the 3rd of December at 7PM, Ray will be discussing the changes that businesses and employees can make to reduce their impact on the environment as part of Virtway Events’s Business Coffee Chat series.
In the 122 year period between 1880 and 2012, the average global temperature has increased by 0.85°C. Taken collectively, the past five years represent the warmest since modern records began.
We’re rapidly approaching several key thresholds within our climate system, which if broached could set the planet on apath to uncontrollable environmental change. Research undertaken by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggests that a global temperature rise of more than 1.5°C will lead to rising sea levels, impacted land, freshwater and coastal ecosystems, increased ocean acidity and decreased oceanic oxygen levels, reduced biodiversity, and serious risks to health, livelihoods, food and water supplies, human security and economic growth.
Willful ignorance is no longer an option. With the consequence of unhindered global warming being the catastrophic loss of life on earth, it’s imperative that we now alter the way that we live. While much of this change will have to be carried through policy and at the governmental level, this doesn’t mean we can ignore the changes which can be easily embraced by individual businesses and people.
Implementing a sustainability strategy can have tangible benefits for your organisation.
The contemporary stakeholder now prioritises sustainability for themselves, and this is driving a demand for businesses to operate sustainably too. Shareholders will now ask for sustainable business practices in addition to strong business performance. Employees will make career choices depending on the environmental credentials of the companies that they’re applying to. Consumers will choose where they spend their money on the same basis, and Governments now mandate that companies act more sustainably through regulation.
As such, not only can businesses who act sustainably separate themselves from the crowd and increase their market share, they may find that they become less prone to receiving regulatory sanctions and that they have gained a competitive advantage.
It’s also a myth that sustainability must come at the expense of business success. Many companies will also find that sustainable operations can also help to reduce operational costs. For example, reducing business travel will mean that a company saves on travel costs, and saving energy can help to slash your energy bills. Together, these will help to improve margins and drive profitability for your company.
There are a number of simple changes that your organisation can make to become more sustainable, these include:
We need to make changes to the way we live for the good of all life on earth, and the time to do it is now. If you’re lost at where to start, then this blog should give you some pointers. But please join Ray on the 3rd of December at 7PM where he’ll be giving out expert advice on how you can make your business more sustainable as part of Virtway Events’s Business Coffee Chat series.
Founded in 2014, Virtway privides virtual experiences such as conferences, fairs, webinars, escape rooms and training sessions, held in a completely immersive 3D world. Providing an innovative way to connect businesses with their stakeholders, Virtway saves money, eliminates travel costs as well as reduces CO2 emissions.
Webinars were more commonly used in the 1990s as a somewhat effective alternative to carrying out online meetings. Originally designed for small internal web meetings, we can clearly say that the evolution of webinars and webcasts has come a long way.
In fact, the development has been so rapid that nowadays the original concept has been diluted, and on many occasions, it is difficult to define exactly what a webinar is and what makes it different from other types of online events.
Let’s first have a look at the definition of a webinar. It’s the combination of two separate words, web, and seminar, meaning that it’s simply a seminar given via the Internet. So, a webinar is a type of conference, workshop, or seminar that is transmitted online, and its main feature is the audiovisual interactivity that occurs between the participants and the speaker. As in any face-to-face event, the speaker communicates live to the audience, and attendees can ask questions and comment in real-time.
The only difference with regard to physical seminars is that it is done via live streaming and that their method for sharing information is through a device that must have an Internet connection and be equipped with the specific webinar software.
Webinars are often confused with webcasts, but they’re very different. While the former allows interaction between its participants, a webcast is an event limited to one-way communication. That’s to say, the speaker speaks and the others only listen, without any possibility of interaction. And interaction is the key force driving engagement nowadays.
The reason why webinars became a unique and highly valued tool at the time was because they were the first online events that were able to be broadcasted live, rather than being recorded. Additionally, a webinar platform allows interactivity among all participants and the exchange of data and information in real time, making them highly effective alternatives for web meetings, leaving aside other more traditional and limited methods such as teleconferencing.
Technological advances nowadays have presented webinars with new possibilities, and are now considered essential communication tools to share experiences with a dispersed audience in a very efficient way.
Its evolution has been such that in many occasions a webinar is confused with a virtual event. And the reality is that the first is complementary to the second, but that’s where its similarity ends.
Webinars are excellent marketing and communication channels, but they should not be considered as events in the classical sense of what we know as such… and much less as a virtual event.
Virtual events are much more powerful tools, and go beyond a web meeting. In fact, they are the combination of several online tools, including webinars, but only as a small part of the experience, your participants will have.
In fact, a virtual event includes a large number of elements to recreate real situations in an online environment. Its applications are endless, and its assistants can not only attend live seminars but also chat in real-time with the rest of the participants, visit a stand of a virtual fair, hold a job interview or attend virtual classrooms for business.
One of the most innovative applications of virtual technology today is found in Team Building events. Virtual reality is capable of simulating very real situations adapted to different activities aimed at enhancing workers’ skills such as leadership, problem solving or joint decision-making. Virtual Escape Rooms are the best example of this trend.
Many companies often think that they carry out virtual events when in reality they are limited to doing a webinar or another type of more advanced online meeting.
A virtual event goes much further since it is capable of creating immersive and much more diverse experiences. This capacity allows companies to offer unlimited benefits, among which are:
Both in the organization of the event and in travel when compared to doing an event like this in person.
As it is a virtual event, it can be accessed remotely from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection. Forget room capacities!
Real-time access to all the data about the participants provides companies with effective information on ROI. Know who attended, for how long, what they interacted with, which sessions did they attend… and use this for remarketing post-event!
All these advantages are only possible thanks to the evolution of technology. The latest advances in virtual reality allow us to attend an event as if we were really present. For this reason, it is an increasingly demanded alternative for those companies that want to go one step further and offer unique experiences in fairs, product presentations, or training activities, among other types of events.
Here at Virtway Events, we put the most advanced 3D technology in the hands of enterprises to open the doors to a “real” virtual world. All its tools are marked by innovation and creativity, and with all this, presents the possibility of using 3D interactive avatars in any type of virtual event.
These online avatars with the ability to simulate each of the participants, even imitating their physical appearance with great realism. They also allow re-creating scenarios in which they can interact and communicate in a very effective way.
In fact, one of the advantages of Virtway Events avatars’ is that participants can naturally hold conversations and speak through voice-over IP in real-time, even regulating the volume depending on the proximity between them.
These and other applications make virtual events a unique communication experience, providing levels of interaction that a webinar can not achieve. It is undeniable that webinars are part of the day-to-day of companies, and that’s the way it should continue to be. But it is also true that companies seek different alternatives for their online meetings, and in this sense, virtual events are the most innovative current tools.
As one of the most valued activities in the business sector, corporate events and conferences bring opportunities for businesses to not only have meetings, but also generate contacts, create visibility and further develop communication.
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