513: Online Meetings & Virtual Events During COVID-19

What It Covers

Steli Efti and Hiten Shah examine the explosion of virtual conferences, webinars, and online meetings during COVID-19, analyzing attendance patterns, content quality factors, platform innovations, and whether the surge represents sustainable growth or temporary novelty.

Key Questions Answered

• •Timing strategy for virtual events: Launch online conferences immediately rather than planning for September or later, as current audience enthusiasm may represent a novelty phase that could face backlash within two to three months as fatigue sets in and competition intensifies across all virtual event formats.
• •Content differentiation drives attendance: Virtual event success depends on focused audiences, strong moderation, and compelling speaker selection rather than format alone. Companies with existing audiences and promotion capabilities will capture registrations, while generic events struggle regardless of platform quality or production value invested.
• •Conference economics remain sponsor-driven: Revenue models for online events mirror physical conferences where sponsors generate primary income and ticket sales provide secondary revenue. Organizers must adapt sponsorship packages for virtual formats while maintaining this fundamental business model to achieve profitability and sustainability.
• •Platform evolution enables better experiences: Tools like Hopin and Livestorm create backstage areas for speakers, staged introductions, and UI designs that mirror physical conference flows. These platforms deliver surprisingly effective virtual experiences when combined with quality content, though technology alone cannot compensate for poor speaker selection.