We’ve been working in events for over 25 years here at Gravit8 – and in that time, we’ve been asked a lot of questions!
More recently, we’ve had several Events Managers and Marketing Directors quiz us about virtual conference hosting platforms in particular – which is unsurprising, given that virtual conferences have become increasingly in-demand over the last year, and are likely to stay popular in the long run.
Below, we’ve shared the eight most popular questions our team have been asked – and provided our expert answers!
8 questions (and our expert answers) about virtual conferencing platforms:
1. Are virtual conferencing platforms more expensive than hosting an in-person conference?
Not at all – in fact, they tend to be more cost-effective!
For an in-person conference, you have to take into consideration the cost to hire the venue (with insurance on top), the costs of refreshments, travel and accommodation expenses for any presenters or speakers at the conference, printing any documentation, such as brochures and branded signage, and so on.
When you add this up, it gets very expensive very quickly!
With a virtual conferencing platform, on the other hand, you only need to think about the cost of the platform itself, and hiring speakers/presenters.
What’s more, depending on the platform provider you choose, you’ll be able to work with the provider’s in-house design team or use a partner design agency – whichever suits your budget better.
This is actually a service we provide here at Gravit8, so if you’d like to discuss pricing for our virtual conference platform, feel free to get in touch!
2. How secure are virtual conferencing platforms?
In any conference situation, there will be several security measures to consider; and this becomes even more prevalent in the case of virtual conferences, with a number of regulations that your virtual conference platform providers will need to follow.
As an example, security lies at the heart of our platform at Gravit8. We actually use the most secure cloud computing environment available (Amazon Web Services) and ensure that all our client’s platform data is captured and stored in line with GDPR regulations.
So, if you were to work with us, the answer would be: Highly secure!
3. How many delegates is it possible to host on a virtual conference platform at once?
With a platform like ours, there’s no need to put a limit on the number of delegates you invite. What’s more, you’ll have access to a global (as opposed to regional) audience, as the conference will be accessible worldwide, which brings about a whole host of additional benefits.
4. …And will delegates need to download any special software to access the conference?
No – at least not with Gravit8!
With our platform, there’s no need to download any apps or plugins. All your delegates will have access the to the virtual conference platform via a URL (the same as they would when visiting a website), and they can join your conference from any web browser on any device.
Of course, if you would prefer them to pre-register for your virtual conference, that is possible too – just contact us to find out more.
5. What features can be integrated into virtual conference platforms to help with engagement
Delegate engagement and interaction is currently cited as the biggest challenge when it comes to virtual conferences and events; so this is something that we place a lot of emphasis on here at Gravit8, designing our platforms to give delegates multiple opportunities to interact live with presenters and speakers.
More specifically, we can integrate interactive polls and voting systems in our virtual conference platforms, as well as downloadable documents and live Q&A sessions, where questions can be privately submitted by delegates for presenters to answer. Delegates can even be invited to ask their questions via live video stream!
6. Is it possible to integrate virtual conference platforms in a separate, larger online event
Depending on your chosen provider – yes!
As an example, one of Gravit8’s greatest strengths is that it can be seamlessly integrated into pre-existing organiser platforms, or as a stand-alone solution should you wish.
So if, for example, you worked in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry and wanted to run a live talk on the latest developments in your company’s cardiology treatments at an existing virtual cardiology event, this can be done.
7. We have our own streaming technology – can we use this in a virtual conference platform
Video streaming is one of our greatest strengths here at Gravit8. In fact, we can build virtual conference hosting platforms to work with the majority of current streaming technologies.
What’s more, our inhouse technical team can professionally manage your streaming production should you wish, so that your speakers are able to focus fully on their presentation(s).
8. Of all the virtual conference hosting platform providers out there, why should we choose Gravit8?
Gravit8, the pioneers here, have been working in events for over 25 years – both hybrid and virtual. Since our inception, we’ve won multiple awards, and worked on some of the biggest and most innovative interactive virtual conferences!
Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, our virtual conference platforms can be designed to your precise requirements in order to help you achieve your goals – from branding to interactive elements and more – and we’ll be with you at every step throughout the process.
In fact, we even go as far as to say that nothing is impossible for us when it comes to the design and creation of your virtual conferencing platform!
Any other questions?
To learn more about our virtual conference hosting platforms and how we can bring one to life for your business, simply get in touch with our team today.