What makes a good virtual event?

In a conversation with a potential new client this week, I was asked a question that we do not hear quite as often as we did a few years ago: what makes a good virtual event?

 

For a while it felt as though virtual conferences were going to replace everything. In reality the market has settled into something more sensible. In person events remain the gold standard for connection and experience, but virtual events still have an important role to play. They can reach wider audiences, they remove travel barriers, and they are often a very efficient way to share knowledge. A good virtual experience as part of a live event also casts your organisation in it’s best light possible: both providing member value to a much larger proportion of and, done right, serving as the best advert for in-person attendance in the future.

 

However, the difference between a good virtual event and a poor one is usually very obvious to the audience. In my view, the most important principle is to keep it simple.

 

The biggest mistake organisers make is trying to replicate the entire structure of a physical conference online. Long presentations, complicated virtual environments, and overly ambitious agendas quickly lead to fatigue. People behave very differently when they are sitting at their own desk. Competing distractions are everywhere, from emails to colleagues walking past the office door. The best virtual events focus on interaction rather than broadcast.

 

Conversations tend to work far better than one way presentations. Panel discussions, interviews, and moderated interactions create a more natural dynamic and help maintain attention. Strong speakers who understand how to communicate through a screen make an enormous difference. The real aim should always be to convert as many passive listeners (those who are logged but not really present), as possible into active participants.

 

Simple tools help with this. Polls, Q and A sessions, and live audience questions can all be very effective when used well. They give the audience a reason to stay engaged and make the event feel less like a webinar and more like a shared experience. I find that a good rule of thumb is comparing the number of attendees at the beginning of a session with those left at the end.

 

Choosing the right platform is also crucial. If you are investing in a virtual event platform, insist on seeing a full demonstration of both the front end and the back end of the system. The attendee experience matters, but so does the speaker and the organiser experience. A platform that looks good but is difficult to manage behind the scenes can create significant operational headaches.

 

Equally, resist the temptation to simply buy the cheapest option available. When virtual platforms fail, they tend to fail publicly and very quickly. Reliability, support, and security should be priorities.

 

At the same time, it is important not to be seduced by every possible feature. Many platforms offer a huge array of tools and functions that look impressive in a sales demonstration but are rarely used in practice. Choose the functionality that you genuinely need rather than the longest list of features.

 

Security and compliance should not be overlooked either. Make sure that any platform you use is compliant with UK and EU GDPR requirements, and ideally look for providers with recognised security credentials such as Cyber Essentials Plus or similar accreditation.

 

One feature that I remain sceptical about is gamification. While it often looks appealing in marketing materials, it rarely leads to meaningful engagement. In many cases it simply adds another layer of distraction rather than encouraging genuine participation.

 

Similarly, the idea of a virtual exhibition has never quite delivered on its promise. In my experience very few delegates actively visit online exhibitor stands, which makes it difficult to demonstrate real value for sponsors. If commercial partners are involved in a virtual event, they tend to benefit much more from speaking opportunities, panel participation, or moderated discussions where they can contribute directly to the content.

 

Ultimately, successful virtual events are not about technology. They are about good content, good speakers, and genuine interaction.

 

If organisers focus on those three things and resist the urge to overcomplicate the experience, virtual events can still be a very effective part of the events toolkit.