If 2020 taught us anything, it’s just how expansive and valuable virtual events can be. Done right, these online components can really compliment your in-person events, whether that be live streaming your live concerts or offering virtual celebrity meet & greets to fans who may not be physically attending your event. Not to mention, having virtual content alongside your live events provides you additional revenue streams with no limitations regarding venue capacity, geographic location, or even time zones of at-home attendees!
Check out our top four reasons why you should keep a virtual aspect to your events, even as you return to in-person experiences.
Expanded Event Reach
Whether it be for the panels at your convention, concerts at your music venue, or sketches at your comedy club, the ability to offer access to gated live streams of your in-person show means travel is no longer a limiting factor to potential customers. While those who’ve always loved attending your events live and in-person will by and large continue to do so, think of online content as a way to extend your event’s reach and brand awareness further than ever before. This means your marketing efforts can be targeted to a wider audience as well, allowing you to increase the scale of your promotional campaigns. Your virtual audience can be attendees across different cities, countries, and continents, so those who otherwise may not have been able to attend your event now have a chance to engage and become new, loyal fans!
Offering virtual access to your event also means your venue size and its seating capacity will no longer limit how many people can attend. If your show sells out, fans who weren’t able to grab a seat can still purchase access to your live stream which will be great for your bottom line!
Additional Revenue Streams
Offering virtual experiences will open up new revenue streams for your business to accompany the revenue already generated from your in-person event. So, selling live streams alongside your in-person events can really make a huge impact on your business! To take it a step further, consider selling tickets to virtual meet & greets with your guest stars before, during, or after your event. Nothing beats being able to chat and take a photo with your favorite celebrity, artist, or creator in-person. Plus, virtual meet & greets also give your fans the opportunity to offer downloadable keepsake videos as a unique way for them to remember their experience for years to come!
You can also easily sell merchandise during your live stream, or streamline event donations with in-stream tipping. The convenience of these features makes it uniquely easier for virtual attendees to support your event. You can even consider selling the screen space around your virtual broadcast to sponsors on top of the sponsorship placements at your in-person event to further maximize your revenue.
Enhanced Attendee Experiences
Turn your completed live streams into videos on demand (VODs), or upload other pre-recorded videos to sell as stand-alone virtual experiences! Unlike live content, you can retroactively add closed captioning to your VODs in any language, making them accessible for those with hearing disabilities, or who speak another language. Plus, you can restrict VOD content so it’s only available for a short amount of time, increasing urgency and encouraging customers to watch your videos quickly.
VODs also allow your on-site attendees to reap the benefits too! Offering your ticket buyers access to recorded live streams means your in-person attendees can access panels, main stage performances, or content premieres they might have otherwise missed due to conflicting times with other event programming they wanted to see.
Content Opportunities
Recording a live stream gives you content to use long after your event is over. Use clips from your stream as social media content to share during and after your event. Create engaging content pieces from your videos for future marketing campaigns and posts until your next event. Or use these video snippets as a promotional tool to show prospective sponsors for your next event. The best part? With each live stream, you begin developing an archive of the performances or panels from your events for past attendees to relive and for your future attendees to discover.
Interested in learning more about how to incorporate virtual aspects into your live events? Contact us, and we’ll help get you started!