Why marketers and their companies should consider virtual events? The benefits are endless, virtual events are innovative, engaging, exciting, dynamic and most of all cost effective. There is no travel cost, travel time, booth set up, giveaways, shipping, paper collaterals, and the month’s long logistics and management of an event to deal with. Virtual events can be set up within hours and gives marketers the opportunity to create even instant events to adapt to the fast past corporate world and its needs.

If your CFO is like most CFOs than they will also appreciate that these events are measurable. While leads and related information collected at live events often end up under cubicle tables, information from events ran through a virtual event platform can be analyzed and shared with upper management. The system collected data tracks each attendee and what they do. Marketers can make changes to their events based on these collected information and optimize their next event accordingly. Registrations and live attendance at a physical event is declining and virtual events are proving to be top branding and lead generation tools instead. Unlike in person live events virtual events can be recorded, used as nurturing collaterals, and the on-demand version can be used for extended lead generation through downloads.

Because of the cost of in person events, the costs per lead of these events are generally the highest for marketers. Cost per lead for in person events can be several hundred dollars for a tradeshow lead versus as low as $5 per lead for a virtual event. The quality of leads not only can compete with in person tradeshow leads but most of the times virtual event leads are actually more qualified since many qualification type questions can be answered even before the events take place and the leads are not shared with competitors.

More leads can be generated also because attendees who would not be able to attend an in-person event because of budget, geographical limits, time, etc. are able to attend an online event that has less of these restrictions and limitations. No geographic limitations are also important for companies who are committed to decrease carbon and travel, as well as for companies who have a mobile and virtual workforce. No geographical restrictions also give companies the opportunity to have many of their experts speak during these events because while these experts can devote an hour to speak virtually they can’t travel two days for an in person event.

Many organizations are afraid to abandon their traditional events and go virtual. This is because they are unsure how attendees would feel about it, skeptical about the security, access, user interface, and do not know how to sell this new and still largely unknown form of marketing program to upper management. However, all data suggests that attendees consistently respond favorable to virtual events. They find it interactive since they can network with attendees and presenters, they can exchange ideas, download content, attend and leave presentations as they like, and get a personalized experience. They also report that they network more successfully since it is easier to walk up to an avatar than to a live person. In addition, virtual event platforms are completely secure and most organizations offering virtual events are handling all the software, hardware, and interface related matters, which is included in its cost.

Marketers who are new to Virtual Events should consider including Virtual Events in their 2010 marketing programs. Just like webinars, Virtual Events offer cost effective way of branding, nurturing, and generating leads. But because of their additional capabilities they can compete with live events and offer far more than webinars. Virtual Event cost start at $1,000 and a fully managed Virtual Event with attendance generation for up to 200 registrants would cost less than $5,500. Not many marketing programs can provide marketers with 200 pre-qualified leads, recorded content that can be used as a marketing collateral, and on-demand lead generation option for as little as $5,500. If you are interested to find out more contact us today at info@generationomarketing.com. For more information you can also visit www.generationomarketing.com/VirtualCollaboration.html