VIRTUAL EVENTS GROUP
Hot List
Hot tamales, hot peppers, and yes, hot virtual news all cooked up right here.
Event Platforms
6Connex
A brilliant 3D virtual space that can integrate with a wide range of other resources to create rich online experiences
Brella
A clean interface backed by intelligent networking matching and strong analytics, along with plenty of attendee-driven features
HopIn
Relative newcomer (founded in 2019) recently closed a $400m financing round for a $5.7B valuation after reaching $70m in annual recurring revenue.
Strong trade show features along with a solid conference foundation and good networking options
Everything from conference calls to trade shows, wrapped up in a rich virtual environment.
ON24
Built on a solid analytics foundation, this 20-year-old webinar/conference platform launched its IPO in February with an immediate 45% jump in stock price.
Emphasis on 3D VR graphics and attendee interaction with video, voice, and text.
Rapidly-growing service based on hyper-realistic virtual world platform providing versatile solutions
Virbela
Not just for conferences and trade shows, the virtual worlds can be used for education and training, as well as always-on office spaces where remote workers can interact and collaborate.
The bedrock of the experience is quality video — both live and recorded — on which you can add features from custom branding to a fun multi-person photo booth..
Webinar Platforms
BigMarker
Native integration with other automation tools, and can also stream webinars to Facebook and YouTube Live (Also has conference and trade show options)
BlueJeans Events
BlueJeans is owned by Verizon, and is known as a video meeting platform. Like Zoom, however, it also has its own webinar service suitable for training and other uses.
ClickMeeting
Full-featured webinar system from start to finish, including on-demand recorded sessions.
Live and on-demand browser-based webinars available with monthly and annual pricing plans, and email marketing integrations
Flat-rate subscription or per-attendee pricing for full-featured system that includes live and on-demand webinars.
LiveStorm
Designed to be simple to use, but integrates with many supporting services and is available in two dozen languages.
WebEx is a well-known video meeting platform, but Cisco also has a system for webinars and training that includes tools to manage large audiences and multiple speakers.
Has already hosted more than a half million live webinars; comes with soup-to-nuts support from paid registrations and email drips to detailed analytics (The companion service EverWebinar is for pre-recorded webinars.).
WebinarNinja
Lower cost than many competitors, but still offers many features including on-demand recorded webinars.
Perhaps the most successful video meeting software, it has an option for webinars as well with plenty of features and integrations with other services.
Hot VEG Tools
Scribe
Turns your video conferences into notes and makes them searchable.
Twine
Facilitates individual meetings inside of any video conferencing platform to provide the feeling of meeting new people at conferences
Zapier
Automates your workflow by integrating your productivity apps (no coding required). Integrate your Zoom meeting attendee list with your MailChimp or Eventbrite.
News Stories
SURREAL Events launches its events platform in a 3D virtual environment. It’s pretty glitzy.
Bloomberg tests tiered ticketing for virtual events. The end of the democratic virtual world looms near. Welcome exclusivity.
Is Virtual the Future of Concerts? LA businesses ponder the future of rock n’ roll.
Looped, a platform for fans and their followers raises 7.7 million. Billie Ellish, Shawn Mendes, BTS, Kevin Durant, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Usher, Sam Smith, Charlie Puth, Khalid, Dua Lipa, Luke Bryan, Bad Bunny, Maluma, Diplo and others can sell tickets, merch, and more.
Hopin raises a mind-blowing A £288 million funding round. The company is valued at around £4 billion and is now, one year, after launch, the fastest growing startup in Europe. It served 85,000 organizations and has gone from 23 employees to 400 in less than a year.
Ask Alfred
Q. How much does a virtual event cost?
A. That’s a lot like asking “How much does a car cost?” Are you getting a BMW or a Kia? A two-seater city car or a minivan? And like buying a car, how do you intend to use it? On our VEG site, we have categorized platforms based on the types of events that they support. Is your event a video meeting, webinar, networking event, conference, or trade show? MORE
Q. What is a “ring light” and why (or why not) should I use one?
A. A ring light is just what it sounds like; it’s a light for your camera that is shaped like a ring. You’ve probably seen them on TV if you watch any police procedurals. The crime scene photographers often have them on their still photo cameras as they provide a direct, even light on the subject. MORE
Q. What do I need to know about taxes for my virtual event?
A. The short answer is: “A lot!” Your virtual event may create a variety of tax liabilities. The most common on is the sales or service levied by most states. Thanks to recent court decisions, your liability is based on the location of the person paying for the goods or service. This means that if you are charging a … MORE