Are you struggling with gaining enough momentum behind your event? Even though it may seem you’ve done everything correctly in the planning process, there might be some small yet significant factors that inhibit the success of your virtual event. 

To help you optimize and fine-tune your virtual event to near-perfection, we at ifairs have crafted this list of useful statistics that you can use to maximize the success of your event. We will cover a wide array of topics such as planning, budgeting, marketing, and attendee engagement. 

Planning your virtual events

Planning your virtual event is one of the most important steps in the whole process. This is where you lay the foundation for your virtual event and it will serve as a guideline from start to finish. So what does recent data tell us about this?

It turns out that around 65% percent of event planners have never been involved with planning a virtual event. Lack of experience is an obvious obstacle in this crucial step, so make sure that everyone involved has the necessary experience. 

You also need to consider your current investments in digital solutions. 74% of brand marketers say they need to start investing more in digital solutions. And this can be anything from the virtual event platform they use to marketing tools and/or expertise. 

And lastly, you need to consider the day that you decide to host your online event. As it turns out, not every day is ideal to host your event. Statistics show that Wednesday is the best day of the week to kick your event off. The time of day is also important. For example, if you live in the US, 11 a.m. is the best time as it minimizes conflict between the continental time zones. 

Virtual event budgeting and pricing

The financial aspect of your online event is also incredibly important. You need to be aware of the areas that should have the biggest and lowest budget allocations as well as how you can price the event. 

According to statistics, event planners spend the most on virtual event platforms which is just ahead of the budget for speakers and moderators. Make sure to consider this as you lay down your budget.

And now for the pricing of the event. How high or low should you price it? As it turns out, the answer might just be: nothing. 74% of online event planners do not charge a cent for their virtual events. 

This is often a strategy used to increase the amount of attendees your event gets. If you decide to charge for your online event, make sure to adjust the price in a way that doesn’t frighten off potential attendees. Also consider whether your budget is reliant on ticket sales to function.

What to know about event marketing & promotion

A successful event needs to grab the attention of your target groups. That is where marketing and promotion comes into the picture. 

Keep in mind how much time you allocate for your online event’s promotional period. When it comes to small online events, event planners need around 3-6 weeks for successful promotion. With larger events 65% of planners say they need more than 6 weeks to reach the registration targets. 

Also consider your method of promotion and marketing of your virtual event. 76% of event planners say that email is the most effective and reliable strategy to obtain registrations.

Timing here is also essential. If you opt for the email campaign, keep in mind that mid-week emails account for 65% of registrations. Wednesday really is the golden day here. 

Attendee engagement for a virtual event

As it turns out, two-thirds of event planners find attendee engagement to be the biggest challenge when hosting a virtual event. This is caused by factors such as distractions, no opportunities for networking, and lacking interaction.

Related to this engagement issue, 81% believe that virtual events must include networking and engagement other than learning as the goals for an online event. Networking here is especially useful to promote engagement. 

Engagement is also measured in the conversion between registrations to attendees. Here, around 55% of registrations become actual attendees. And the average view time for an attendee for a 60-minute live online event is 46 minutes. 

A large majority of virtual events also produce materials for attendees that they can download and engage with. This can help boost interaction during the actual event. 

And lastly, where do people actually attend from? A large majority, 86%, attends web events through their desktops or laptops. However, keep in mind that the percentage of people attending from a mobile device is on the rise. 

Final thoughts on how to use these statistics for your virtual event

As these statistics will show, there are plenty of small things that need to be in order to get the most out of your virtual event. These small optimizations can, in the long run, be very effective if you are struggling with promoting your online event and gaining enough attendees.

While it may seem like you’ve planned the perfect event, these small things can bring the whole house of cards down. Therefore, you should use these statistics in all phases in the process of your web event to make sure it is as fine-tuned as possible. Happy planning, and good luck from ifairs!