Blog post

Virtual Events are the Real Deal

By Patrick Stakenas | October 02, 2020 | 0 Comments

New Customer Acquisitionmarketingchief sales officerChief Marketing Officer

As virtual events and virtual tradeshows continue growing in demand, tech CEOs must captivate audiences across various geographies by engaging and interactive content and tools. Hosting companies are creating successful and engaging virtual events that resonate with their audience, drive sponsorship and create lead generation.

Live, in-person events for many many years have presented a unique opportunity for attending industry leaders and practitioners to convene and connect around common goals or industry trends. They allow hosting organizations to showcase their thought leadership and build valuable one-to-one relationships with prospects and clients, serving as an important marketing vehicle for driving sales and improving brand perception. Although on-premises events will most likely remain popular over time, organizations are adapting to the growing demand (and in many cases, need) for hosting events exclusively online.

There may be some good news here however amidst the craziness. Virtual events are generally easier to orchestrate, better for the environment and more cost-effective (for both host organizations and attendees). Additionally, they provide some core benefits specific to a technology company’s purview:

  • Reach – The ability to extend your event to a much broader audience
  • Enhanced interactivity – Done right, sessions can be interactive and tailored to personas.
  • Cost – Virtual events are generally must less costly

Sponsorships are growing as well. Sponsor everything you can. Some ideas of sponsorship opportunities include:

Keynote

Marquee sessions

Breakout sessions

Roundtables

Awards sessions

Themed events

Concert

Cooking class

Panel discussions

Read more on Gartner.com – Tech CEOs’ Guide to Creating Compelling Virtual Events and Tradeshows

The Gartner Blog Network provides an opportunity for Gartner analysts to test ideas and move research forward. Because the content posted by Gartner analysts on this site does not undergo our standard editorial review, all comments or opinions expressed hereunder are those of the individual contributors and do not represent the views of Gartner, Inc. or its management.

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