

We found that engagement is higher during shorter events. Pre-pandemic, many one-day events were shunned due to the time commitment, but now, they’re outperforming longer events in terms of attendee engagement. As such, event organizers need to ensure that their programming is less about schmoozing, and more about substance.Īs virtual attendees emphasize content over camaraderie, they’ve also shed their hesitance to participate in one-day events.
#Smooze someone driver
In light of such results, it becomes clear that the primary driver of online event attendance is the content of the event itself. Meanwhile, 28% of digital attendees opted for chats and collaboration as key selling points, but only 9% reported making one or more connections while attending.
#Smooze someone professional
The top goals for virtual events are learning about a company or product and advancing one’s professional education, according to 36% of online event attendees.Īmong virtual event-goers, however, building new relationships is a lower priority than it is for their in-person counterparts, ranking third with 15% of attendees’ votes. A 39% plurality of in-person attendees go to an event to build relationships. in-person events over the past two years, in truth, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.Ĭase in point: consider the significantly different reasons someone would attend an in-person conference or a digital event. While marketers, attendees, and armchair observers have been discussing the pros and cons of digital vs. Here are three main takeaways from our research that highlight what marketers need to consider when planning their next digital event. What’s more, we can quantify it - not only from our independent research and surveys, but from proprietary data gathered by hosting these events. Having worked with dozens of global enterprises to create hundreds of digital events of various sizes, and having hosted several of our own online events, my team has seen the impact of this shift firsthand. As more meetings have gone digital, there’s been a marked change in how attendees and marketers derive value from events. This fundamental shift is about far more than event formats.

Even as some organizations begin hosting in-person conferences again, many are ramping up their online events in parallel, unwilling to pass up the convenience, engagement, and valuable audience insights now available.
