Virtual events have become a crucial part of every business professional’s marketing and communications toolkit. Whether you’re planning a webinar, virtual conference, or a team meeting, you have options for how you’ll host them online. One question that often arises is whether to handle the event internally with platforms like Zoom or seek the expertise of a professional virtual event services company to deliver a polished and engaging experience. Let’s explore the factors to consider when making this decision, so you can confidently choose the right path for your online event’s success.
The DIY Approach with Zoom
- Simplicity and Cost-Effectiveness: If you’re looking for a quick and budget-friendly solution, handling the event yourself with Zoom is a viable option. Zoom is user-friendly and readily accessible to most participants, making it convenient for both hosts and attendees.
- Familiarity and Control: When you manage the event directly, you maintain full control over the content, format, and scheduling. This hands-on approach can be beneficial if you prefer to oversee every aspect of the event personally.
- Small-Scale Events: For internal team meetings, casual low-stakes webinars, or small client interactions, handling the event on your own with Zoom might be sufficient. These events typically require no additional production elements and can be managed with Zoom’s limited tools like screen sharing.
When to Bring in a Virtual Event Services Company
- Large-Scale Conferences and Summits: If your event involves a broader audience, multiple sessions, or keynote speakers, then a professional production/virtual event services company can ensure seamless coordination, sophisticated transitions, and a polished delivery.
- High-Stakes Investor Meetings: If you need to impress investors and other high-level stakeholders, it’s a good idea to hire a production company to create a more captivating virtual environment than is typically possible with a basic Zoom meeting.
- Enhanced Visuals and Interactivity: Production companies have the expertise to incorporate advanced graphics like branded picture-in-picture screen content, video animations such as motion graphic title bumpers, animated lower-thirds/name banners, dynamic custom countdowns, pop-up schedule teases, and much more, all of which elevate the overall event experience and help keep attendees’ attention.
- Technical Support and Troubleshooting: During live events, technical glitches can occur. A dedicated and seasoned production team can troubleshoot and resolve issues swiftly, minimizing disruptions and ensuring a smooth experience for participants.
- Audience Engagement Strategies: Production experts know how to keep audiences engaged throughout the event. They can implement polls, Q&A sessions, networking opportunities, and other interactive elements that enhance participant involvement and satisfaction.
What a Virtual Event Services Company Brings to the Table
- Robust Virtual Event Platform: Virtual event services work closely with you to understand your event goals and create a tailored strategy that aligns with your objectives. This strategy often requires the use of a professional event platform such as Hopin (of which, Pixl is a certified partner) that offer all kinds of features for elevating virtual events that Zoom doesn’t have–great features like a reception area, built-in schedule, user profiles, expo area, sponsor branding opportunities, private virtual backstage, and multi-tier chat. Plus, Zoom can’t sell tickets or automate 1:1 meetings or have multiple concurrent broadcasts and sessions like Hopin.
- Professional Technical Directing and Moderation: Skilled technical directors and moderators from the production company ensure technical aptitude, offer seamless transitions between sessions, keep the audience engaged, and manage Q&A segments efficiently.
- Custom Branding and Design: With a production company, your event’s branding and design can be in line with your vision, creating a consistent and professional look that aligns with your business identity…not to mention helping make sure your virtual speakers look their best, from the lighting and sound quality to camera framing and the overall look of the shot.
- Post-Event Analytics: Production companies who use professional event platforms like Hopin provide valuable post-event data and analytics that can help you gauge the event’s success and plan improvements for future events.
- Lightening Your Load: You have enough to worry about when it comes to planning virtual events for your company (not to mention all your other job duties when Event Manager isn’t necessarily your main responsibility!), so why not bring in an experienced production team to handle the parts of the project you either lack expertise in or just don’t have time for?
So the decision to handle a virtual event with Zoom or hire a production company depends on your event’s scale, complexity, and importance. For simple small-scale events, Zoom can be a suitable choice. However, when aiming for a polished and professional virtual experience that impresses a larger or higher-stakes audience, a production company brings valuable expertise to the table.
At Pixl Production, our years of experience helps us understand the unique challenges of virtual events, and we have a team of seasoned professionals ready to make your vision a reality. Whether you’re hosting a webinar or a large-scale virtual conference, we have the tools and knowledge to deliver a seamless and unforgettable event.
Remember, the success of your virtual event can have a lasting impact on your business’s reputation, so choose wisely. Connect with us today to discuss how Pixl Production can help you deliver impressive virtual events, as well as the all-important positive ROI.