Online conference

What is an online conference?

An online conference or symposium is a knowledge event in which the programme is delivered online. This can be fully online, or in a hybrid format where an in-person conference is also organised, giving participants the choice of attending physically or online. An online conference is also known as a virtual or digital conference, and is sometimes part of an online or virtual trade show.

As with an in-person conference, there’s a great deal of organisation involved. An online conference is therefore not quite as simple as setting up a Zoom or Microsoft Teams call. In this article we explain the benefits of a digital conference and how to organise one.

Why organise an online conference?

An online conference offers many advantages, the most significant being lower costs and greater reach. Here are all the benefits of an online conference:

Save considerably on costs

The biggest difference when organising an online conference is the lower cost. Holding a large in-person event involves substantial facility costs. If you need a smaller venue — or no venue at all — this saves a significant amount of money. This often means online tickets are cheaper, which in turn attracts more participants. Which brings us directly to the next advantage: greater reach. 

Reach a global audience

By holding the conference online, you can reach a much larger group of people. The conference becomes more accessible because attendees who otherwise wouldn’t come — due to time constraints, cost or physical limitations — can now participate. When the programme is also offered in multiple languages and participants from different time zones can watch sessions on demand at their own convenience, you can achieve a truly global reach. 

Elevate the content of your programme

Because speakers can also dial in online, you can now involve speakers in your programme who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to attend due to distance or the cost of travel. This allows you to bring more knowledge and expertise into your conference. 

The tight runsheet of an online conference allows you to build in smooth transitions between programme segments. Critical moments that don’t need to be broadcast live can be pre-recorded and played during the conference, ensuring everything runs flawlessly. 

Generate a promotional tool for the in-person conference

Every event has them: the fence-sitters. Time and money are precious, and anyone who’s even slightly unsure about the added value of your conference may decide to stay home. By organising a hybrid conference where attendees can participate physically or online, you can win over even the undecided. Online participation is low-barrier and can lead someone to decide to attend the conference in person the following year.

Make your conference more sustainable by going online

An in-person conference requires significant resource consumption and generates corresponding emissions — a large number of journeys take place during setup and breakdown, and speakers and attendees often travel considerable distances to attend.

Since transport is one of the largest sources of CO₂ emissions, holding an online conference is the more environmentally friendly choice. It also eliminates mountains of individually packaged meals, disposable cups and marketing materials that are typically used for in-person conferences. 

How does an online conference work?

An online or hybrid conference is slightly different from an in-person event. How does it work if you want to broadcast multiple sessions simultaneously? And how can online attendees switch between concurrent lectures in the programme? Can you still network at an online conference?

Streaming multiple sessions simultaneously

With the right streaming software you can offer multiple stages. When there is parallel programming — with several sessions running at the same time — attendees can choose which session to join, just as they would at an in-person event. 

Breakout rooms

Sometimes you want to offer a small-scale workshop or networking group. This is possible using so-called breakout rooms — small discussion rooms with a limited number of online participants. In these breakout rooms, online attendees can get to know each other personally via chat and video calling.

Networking

Beyond networking sessions in breakout rooms, a virtual conference is an excellent opportunity to network even more efficiently. Share links that allow participants to schedule one-on-one meetings in each other’s calendars, or organise the 1-on-1 meetings in advance by connecting the right people via a business speed-dating session.

On-demand viewing

The majority of an online conference is broadcast live, with attendees watching along in real time. If you want to reach an even larger audience, you can record all sessions and make them available on demand for later viewing. Attendees can then watch back sessions that interest them at a time that suits them. Tickets with on-demand options are sometimes offered at a higher price, and online attendees are happy to pay a little extra for the flexibility this gives them.

How do you organise an online conference?

Event marketing

Good promotion is essential for making your online conference a success. Time and again we see great, professional events achieving disappointing attendance because no event marketing was done. It’s a shame to invest in a conference and then fail to reach your goal due to a lack of promotion. You can promote your conference through social media content and advertising, among other channels.

Get registrations right

As with an in-person event, the organisation of registrations and the communication around them is crucial to getting off to a good start. Choose online event software with an integrated payment system, or a payment system that integrates with your software. Think carefully about the types of tickets you offer, what access each ticket type should grant, and how to set this up technically.

Online event software

An online or hybrid conference is a different proposition from simply setting up a large Zoom or Teams call. We recommend setting the free programmes aside — for an online conference you really need a stable platform. What features do you need? Livestreaming multiple sessions simultaneously? Breakout rooms and one-on-one networking options? Online voting rounds? Do you want to sell sponsorship space or add calls to action? Choose a platform that meets your needs and makes organisation straightforward.

Integration with your website

For an online conference, you’ll probably want to handle registration and livestreams through your own website. Choose software that can be integrated with the technology used for your website. Valo can advise you on this.

Professional livestreaming partner

For the live broadcast of a conference, your best option is to hire a professional partner who takes full care of the technical side so you can focus on the content. At Valo we have been delivering professional livestreams for over 10 years, and we find that clients really appreciate having that burden taken off their hands. That’s why we handle all the technology and provide media training for speakers and presenters, so that everyone goes into the broadcast with confidence.

We put together a tight runsheet, and on the day itself we make sure everyone knows exactly what to do at every moment. We broadcast sessions live with professional picture and sound, switching live between multiple cameras — a kind of live editing. The livestream is usually recorded, and thanks to the live editing it can be published on demand almost immediately afterwards so people can watch it back.

Setting up a physical location or studio

If you’re hosting a hybrid conference, your livestream partner will need to set up the technology on location — probably across multiple rooms or halls. If you’re running an online conference without physical attendees, bear in mind that you’ll need to hire or have a studio built somewhere. Valo helps with studio builds and can take care of all the equipment and décor (staging) on your behalf.

After the conference

Imagine: your conference is over, you’re delighted that everything went smoothly and you’re basking in the positive feedback. Understandably you want to sit back for a moment — but don’t forget your attendees! It’s worth having a plan in place in advance for how you’ll continue communication after the conference. Think about making on-demand content available, or producing and sending out an aftermovie as a thank-you. Build this into your marketing plan from the start.

Your online conference organised from A to Z 

Need help setting up an online or hybrid conference? That’s completely understandable. Most organisations have limited experience of livestreaming themselves and don’t have an in-house technical team. We’re happy to help. Feel free to drop us an email or give us a call and we’ll walk you through the possibilities!