5 Best Virtual Conference Platforms to Streamline Your Events
Virtual conference platforms have the ability to increase your profits from events by 34%, whilst decreasing costs by over 150%. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that hosts and events companies are jumping over to the virtual experience.
But how do you ensure your virtual event is a success? Having the best virtual conference platform is certainly a place to start!
Below, Superevent has put together a list of the best virtual conference platforms available for every need. No matter what kinds of events you’re managing, there’s a platform suited to your needs.
What is a Virtual Conference Platform?
A virtual conference platform is software that allows event managers and meeting hosts to create virtual, hybrid, or in-person events and conferences easily through an online platform. A good example would be Superevent, which provides an effective platform to manage just about any event.
These platforms enable hosts to launch pre-recorded events and offer live streaming, offering flexibility in how you deliver your conference. They also allow for multiple speakers to interact with guests at specific times – something you can’t always achieve in-person.
It’s due to this flexibility and diversity of options that 79% of event planners are now going virtual. Online conference platforms are a perfect alternative to in-person events and offer fulfilling experiences for guests.
Why These Tools are Important?
Virtual conference platforms offer a lot of benefits to event planners, organizations, and hosts looking to engage with guests more effectively.
They Faciliate Networking
Through various features, virtual event platforms make it easier than ever before to discover people of interest and spark conversations.
Money Saving
Online virtual platforms cut the cost of traditional in-person meet-ups by nearly 75%. This is because physical events come with large costs, including venue hire, staff, and various other costs.
It Improves Attendance Rate
As people can join the virtual event from any location and any device, it’s much easier for users to attend whatever their location. This results in virtual conferences producing higher attendance rates, which is great news if you’re looking to increase your ticket sales.
Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Virtual Conference Platform
When considering a virtual conference platform for your event, you need to consider several factors. This will ensure you get a platform that works for your needs.
Factors include:
- Ease of Use – As an organizer, it’s important to have a platform thats easy to use. You don’t want to be mid-event without any clue how to operate the platform you’re hosting on.
- Mobile Compatibility – People will be joining from a range of devices, so make sure you choose a platform that can cater to this. Not everyone will be joining from a laptop or computer – some will be joining from their phones.
- Real-Time Interactivity and Engagement – What makes a virtual event special is the personalized and immediate interaction hosts can have with their guests. Therefore, considering real-time interactivity and engagement is essential.
- Reports and Insights – Data and insights from your virtual conference or event can drastically improve wider business and future marketing opportunities. It allows you to see important stats like which conference had the highest engagement or which one had the best show-up rate. Thus, Helping to improve future conferences.
The Best Virtual Conference Platforms
Key Takeaways:
The best virtual conference platforms available on the market include:
- Superevent – the best for professional event organizers
- Zoom – the best for in-house meetings
- WebinarJam – the best for freelancers
- vFairs – the best for beginners
- Bizzabo – the best for enterprise-level companies
#1: Superevent – Best for Professional Event Organizers
Key Takeaway
If you’re looking for the best, all-in-one events platform as a professional organizer, Superevent should be your first choice.
The platform supports and facilitates all event types, including virtual, in-person, and hybrid. Whether you’re looking to create a powerful in-person experience or a cost-effective online event, Superevent can handle it.
Relevant Features
- Interactive Social Wall – Allows you to create an engaging social experience similar to having your own, personal social media platform.
- Unique Branding Opportunities – You can create your own branded app for both IOS and Android
- Live Streaming Capabilities – Easily stream your speakers live
- Data-Entry Service – Superevent team can help with the whole setup – inputting data and configuring the entire platform for your needs
Pricing
Superevent starts off free for up to 50 attendees. The price then increases as you add more attendees to the conference, as this tends to require more software resources. No matter what price you’re paying, you still get access to all the features Superevent has to offer.
- €499: 51 – 100 attendees
- €999: 101 – 250 attendees
- €1999: 251 – 500 attendees
- €2999: 501 – 1000 attendees
- €3999: 1001 – 1250+ attendees
Pros:
- They don’t exclude features based on price
- Easy to use
- Built for engagement
- Completely customizable app and user-experience
Cons:
- Less suitable for big expo’s or tradeshows
- Branded apps can take longer because of Apple and Google review time
#2: Zoom – Best for In-House Events
Key Takeaway
Zoom has been around for a long time and easily connects teams online. It’s a cloud-based conferencing software that allows businesses of all shapes and sizes to conduct engaging meetings with HD video and high-quality audio.
Whether you want to incorporate virtual meetings, screen sharing, or webinars into your business, Zoom has what you need.
Relevant Features
- Create and Schedule Meetings – Easily create virtual meetings and schedule them for when you need them.
- Livestream Meetings – Livestream your meeting to a range of platforms, such as Twitch, Facebook, and Youtube.
- Simple and Minimalistic – Zoom doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, making it easy and straightforward to use.
- Live Group Chat – Enable a live group chat on any conference or call so attendees can share resources and discuss points without interrupting the speaker.
Pricing
Zoom has a wide range of different prices and products. For the flagship product, Zoom One, they offer a free plan which allows for 100 attendees and 40 minutes of call time. Price then increases as you add more attendees and call time.
- Free: Up to 100 attendees & 40 minutes of call time
- $149/year: Up to 100 attendees with unlimited call time
- $199: Up to 300 attendees & unlimited call time
- Custom Pricing: Up to 1000 attendees plus unlimited call time
Pros:
- Superb for simple in-house conferences
- Cheap, and offers a free plan for small businesses to get started
- Has a range of additional products, including an internet phone, calendars, and webinars
Cons:
- Not suitable for larger event organizers looking for more features
- Suited to in-house meetings and conferences, not large events
- Users report poor connection issues despite having strong internet
#3: WebinarJam – Best for Freelancers
Key Takeaway
Webinarjam is a great virtual conference platform. Especially if you’re a freelancer looking to reach a wider audience with events and webinars. You can reach up to 5000 people around the world and include up to 6 hosts at once, teaching your classes, broadcasting live streams, and holding workshops. All whilst presenting in HD on several device types, including mobile, tablet, and desktop.
Relevant Features
- Automated Recordings – No matter how long your event is, you can record every second automatically. This helps you check on your performance during events, allowing you to pinpoint areas where you can improve.
- Live Chat – Even with 5000 people on the call, there is a live chat your guests and hosts can interact on.
- Attendee Spotlight – You can bring out one of the attendees at any point onto the “main stage” where they can speak and even share their screen.
- Stream Directly to YouTube – Stream directly from Webinarjam to your YouTube audience with ease.
Pricing
WebinarJam offers several plans which vary in price and features. The most basic plan comes with unlimited webinars, 1 host, 1 hour of meeting duration, and some other features like live chat. Price then increases as you add more attendees (up to 5000). They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all plans.
- $39/month: 100 attendees
- $79/month: 500 attendees
- $229/month: 2000 attendees
- $379/month: 5000 attendees
Pros
- Integrates perfectly with other marketing platforms, such as email marketing
- Perfect for freelancers looking to bring webinars to their audience
- Top-notch customer support
Cons
- No free plan
- Only a maximum of 5000 attendees. So, it’s not suitable for larger events or professional organizers
- No hybrid or in-person event options
#4: vFairs – Best for Beginner Event Organizers
Key Takeaway
If you’re just starting to get into events and conferences, vFairs is a beginner-friendly platform that offers award-winning features. If you’re looking to dive into virtual, hybrid, or in-person events organization, vFairs could be a good choice.
They offer a wide range of easy-to-use features, including events marketing tools, sponsorship management, check-in options, and everything else you need to run a successful event.
Relevant Features
- Easily Create Landing Pages – vFairs has a custom landing page builder that anyone can use to create captivating pages.
- In-Depth Data Recording – Use their reports and data-collection software to learn valuable audience insights.
- Built-In Payment Integrations – Connect payment gateways like Stripe to collect sales and sell sponsorships.
- Multiple Engagement Methods – You can use gamification and other lightning-fast methods to engage your audience effectively.
Pricing
Unfortunately, there are no concrete pricing structures, so you’ll have to contact the team for a direct quote.
Pros:
- Tons of enterprise-level features for both virtual, hybrid, and in-person events
- Creative methods for upselling, engaging, and capturing sponsors for events
Cons
- Hidden pricing that requires a consultation and a demo
- Many features that are not relevant for small event organizers
#5: Bizzabo – Best for Enterprise-Level Companies
Key Takeaway
If you’re an event professional looking to utilize a lot of data, reports, and powerful features, Bizzabo is one to try. They’re a hassle-free virtual conference platform that uses a new-age operating system to empower event organizers and professionals to do what they do best.
They provide useful insights from a single dashboard and can be used for something as small as a one-to-one, or a 10-million-attendee summit. They’re a very flexible platform.
Relevant Features
- Hybrid-First – They focus on human experiences and have created a hybrid-first virtual conference platform to reflect that.
- Tons of Engagement Methods – They utilize data to produce captivating and engaging events.
- Event Intelligence – They’re big on data and provide a range of useful insights pre- and post-event to help you make better decisions.
Pricing
Bizzabo starts from $15,000/year but has a free trial and gives you access to everything to experiment with the platform. For more pricing details, you can contact their team.
Pros
- Provides rich data for improved decision-making and events management
- Offers an API for seamless third-party integration if you have other apps in use
Cons
- Very expensive, so are best suited to large companies with bigger budgets
- Not ideal if you’re looking to perform exclusively virtual events
Conclusion
Virtual conference platforms have opened up the experience of events to individuals around the globe. With the right platform, you can provide an engaging and captivating experience for your audience.
More and more people are moving to virtual platforms to host events, and it’s something you should start considering.
Superevent is by far the best platform to use if you’re after a virtual, hybrid, or in-person conferencing platform. We offer all the same features as many of our competitors for a much better price, especially when compared to Bizzabo. To jump on the wave early, get in touch with us today or start for free with our platform here.