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15 Best Virtual Event Platforms to Use in 2022

Online meetings and event organisers must have benefited most over the last two years (vaccine makers excluded). Zoom reported $2.65 billion in worldwide revenue in 2021, more than doubling its earnings from the previous year. It’s easy to understand why. These platforms have developed into a vital lifeline for both work and education since so many of us have been compelled to work or study from home during the past two years. When it became hard to have in-person events, individuals started using online event platforms to hold birthday parties, conferences, seminars, and other Virtual Event Platforms. Humans are social creatures, and even when forced to live in isolation, we will find ways to interact.

Over the past few years, the characteristics of virtual event platforms have changed. The global adoption of Virtual Event Platforms by brands and companies has been driven by the COVID-19 epidemic. Due to the vast reach, ease of use, and low cost offered by such events, it is anticipated that Virtual Event Platforms will dominate the events business in 2022. Although there are several virtual event platforms to pick from, Virtual Event Platforms technology is still under development. By choosing the best platform with a full range of capabilities, you can get the most out of a Virtual Event Platforms.

15 Best Virtual Event Platforms to Use in 2022

Here are some of the important characteristics of virtual event platforms that are essential for achieving audience engagement and event success. Even after COVID-19, the hybrid working model seems to be here to stay. One in three of the 3900 remote workers in the GitLab research who participated would leave their jobs if the option of working remotely was eliminated.

Of course, you need a strong platform for diverse individuals in various locations to get together in order for hybrid working and remote events to succeed. This is where today’s list comes in; we looked at 15 of the top Virtual Event Platforms. Events are being seen in a variety of ways, from a single video conversation to a large conference. But before we start, we need to pay closer attention to our requirements.

What qualities should a virtual event platform have?

A practical platform for Virtual Event Platforms must possess a short but essential list of characteristics.

  • Except for the following, everything else is optional or “good to have”.
  • It is simple to connect and share across several geographical areas.
  • The least amount of lagging or glitching possible.
  • Simple controls for raising hands, muting mics, and chatting.
  • a “stage” or something comparable for distinguished speakers.
  • Sharing presentations and video assets is possible.
  • It has the ability to broadcast several live streams at once.
  • The platform’s price should be reasonable and open.

A virtual event platforms costs how much?

Regarding the last issue, it’s crucial that you can budget your monthly spending on a platform and avoid getting unexpectedly high costs. Other than that, the features offered by the platform will greatly influence how much you spend. From Zoom’s free service to some expensive (tens of thousands of dollars) large-scale event platforms, the spectrum is extremely vast. When in doubt, always request a detailed price from a sales representative, and make sure the platform has everything you want.

#1. Gather Town

Gather Town

The Gather Town focuses on gamification to build a fun, engaging, appealing, and surprisingly intuitive platform. However, it won’t work for a serious conference on the future of superconductors. By portraying conversations as virtual event platforms in a virtual world populated by cartoon avatars, it adopts a Sims-like approach to the now-outdated chatroom paradigm (which you can design yourself). Different tables, chambers, and break-out areas arise as you wander about the immersive environment you’ve constructed, each having a few empty chairs that you can choose to fill. When you do, the screen displays the video pictures of the participants in each chat.

You are free to participate, come in, or go out as you like. With this technology, you may designate several areas for more private interactions, and moving your avatar between discussions simulates how people interact in social situations. A party, a virtual meet-up, or a freelancing network would all be appropriate uses for Gather Town.

Although this isn’t mainly a formal workspace, you can interact using virtual whiteboards and papers. It encourages audience participation during webinars and may appear a little childish to older users. However, Gather Town could provide the event expertise you want if random encounters and serendipity are important aspects of your company strategy.

#2. Airmeet

Airmeet

Airmeet’s pitch is highly serious, in contrast, to Gather Town’s. “The most customised hybrid events platform” is how they describe themselves. Using tables and empty seats, the platform can manage many breakout rooms at once, letting you set your own attendance restrictions. Due to this, Airmeet is a fantastic option for setting up a virtual event platforms conference. The video windows of Zoom are combined with the chat feed of a YouTube broadcast in Airmeet (but with a much glossier design). In addition to text, you can utilise emoticons to give real-time input and customise the screen as you choose.

There is also a version that is mobile-friendly. Airmeet, Volvo, Walmart, and Accenture are some of the high-end clients of Airmeet, and it can hold massive events like hackathons and trade fairs with thousands of attendees all at once.

With little to no latency for up to 100,000 people, RTMP broadcasting, configurable “booths,” and presentation and collaboration features are all available. In terms of pricing, Airmeet might use some improvement. The only price information provided is for a version that hosts webinars for up to 100 people for $99 per month. You’ll need to get in touch for a quote for larger events. However, a simple version is available for free.

#3. Jumbo

Jumbo

Events platform Jumbo clearly has a presentation focus, with the host and guests at its core. It features a sophisticated, minimalist design and a speech bubble method of chat that connects comments to speaker images so you can see who is commenting more clearly. Unusually, they refer to themselves as a partner rather than a platform, which means that they have a team of events coordinators on staff (in the US and Canada) that can help you create the ideal virtual event platforms seminar, webinar, or conference.

If you want to start a challenger to the TEDx event empire, Jumbo could be the right platform for you. It includes amazing tools to highlight sponsors and apply differential ticketing to events, allowing you to operate a for-profit event or recover part of your expenses.

#4. Zoom

Zoom

Maybe you’ve heard of this one before. Zoom has up to 300 million daily participants, which is close to the population of the USA even though it has only been in operation for ten years. Despite its enormous popularity, Zoom has maintained latency levels at or below 150 milliseconds. The fact that you can still have a 40-minute Zoom video conversation for free may possibly have contributed to its success. Early in 2020, this generous deed rendered Zoom’s archrival Skype irrelevant and helped it become the household name it is today.

Zoom has an easy-to-use interface for those of you who are new to it. Users are emailed a link to a meeting that goes live at a certain time. Users do not need to pre-register. Users can mute or unmute their microphones, and there are several linked audio-visual streams. Zoom recognises the person speaking and enlarges their screen. To manage a session, Zoom hosts can choose to have access to participant microphones as well.

#5. Filo

Filo

A “collaborative workplace,” Filo combines the capacity to hold small videoconferences with productivity features like shareable papers and the option to convert to a one-to-one chat. You may construct your virtual event platforms area to include several breakout rooms and auditoriums, much like the other systems mentioned here. Filo should function well under duress because it interfaces with Zoom’s event system and is based on it. With a dedicated event space to store downloading papers onscreen while a webinar is in progress, it’s especially useful for training and user onboarding.

You may create a general networking space using only chat, hold a large video event, or run a Livestream. The look of Filo is professional and sleek (if a little uninspiring). Among its clients are Unicef, Techstars, and Purdue University.

#6. Brandlive

Brandlive

Brandlive’s home page is a riot of acidic colour with a cartoon TV monster clutching a clapper board, in dramatic contrast to Filo’s solemnity. Your live events will resemble TV programmes instead of stuffy seminars thanks to their USP. Schedules are provided in place of event URLs, and speakers can now appear in front of polished, green-screened backdrops rather than dimly illuminated bookcases. Even the platform’s aesthetic is reminiscent of well-known streaming websites like Netflix. It’s understandable why they have drawn customers like Levi’s, Adidas, and GoPro.

There is also a virtual event platforms reality in the Meta-style with avatars that have screens for heads (although this wacky idea is in Beta testing). BrandLive is the best option if you want your meetings and webinars to create material that can be seen and rewatched. It could initially seem a little intimidating to those who are more camera-shy. However, it is everything but dull, which can only be a positive thing in the realm of hybrid work.

#7. Hubilo

Hubilo

Hubilo, whose clients include Coca-Cola, Deloitte, and MIT, is still geared toward major companies but is far more sombre than BrandLive. Hubilo specialises in marketing conferences and business events, and it provides spaces for both physical and virtual event platforms. Similar to BrandLive, Hubilo has a broadcasting studio and offers support for all types of business gatherings, including meetings, training sessions, and marketing events. Unusually, there aren’t many screenshots on their website, but the ones I did see are polished and professional, like Airmeet.

Everything may also be branded. With over a million event participants across more than 100 countries, Hubilo receives good marks from customers for service and return on investment. Analytics is a particularly excellent feature, offering sponsors simple-to-read engagement dashboards. Hubilo’s professional aesthetic would work well for both prestigious enterprises and non-profit organisations.

#8. Hopin

Hopin

Hopin describes itself as an “all-in-one event management platform,” and it has a strong connection to the virtual event platforms studio programme from StreamYard, allowing you to produce appealing, branded broadcasts with replayability. There are seven pre-set configurations and support for up to ten onscreen participants for multi-person seminars, which is a touch more constrained than Zoom but looks better onscreen. An appealing aspect of Hopin’s website is a connection to upcoming events that will make use of its technology, including (at the time of writing) the Festival of UX and Design and the Sustainability Solutions Exchange.

Speaker bios, event descriptions, and simple “add to calendar” buttons may all be found on event sites, which are clean and well-designed. To ensure that the live video from your conferences can be viewed by a large audience, there are several engagement tools and event solutions available. It’s understandable why major companies like Slack, Twitch, and Glassdoor employ Hopin given the large number of customers who have reported having a favourable attendance experience.

#9. Pheedloop

Pheedloop

Since it launched in 2015, Pheedloop has provided a lot of assistance for a hybrid event’s in-person component, such as badge printing, floorplans, event registration, and touch-free check-in. Since its start, they have provided assistance for over 3000 events. They specialise in trade and recruiting fairs, and among their clients are General Electric, Orange, and other prestigious colleges. A fantastic feature that might be hit or miss with other providers is a well-designed mobile app for events.

Pheedloop’s advanced assistance for sponsors, customers, and other stakeholders—instead of simply speakers and event attendees—is one of its USPs. Among the crucial elements, they have taken into consideration call for abstracts, booth reservations, and sponsor branding.

Additionally extensive, Pheedloop’s virtual event platforms offering includes real-time chat capabilities, concurrent broadcasts, and video networking. Additionally, file-sharing is supported. Almost everything you may want to host or attend a hybrid event does appear to have been considered.

#10. Accelevents

Accelevents

Accelevents, another so-called “all-in-one events management platform,” is aggressively looking for clients for live events so they may switch to a hybrid or virtual event platforms model. The platform is fantastic if you want to draw in a sizable audience because it supports third-party streaming on sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Zoom, and more (they can stream to over 100,000 viewers at once). They have settings for everything, from one-on-one conversations to “drop-in lounges,” where you can host up to 25 people on camera with many more connecting via audio.

The virtual lobby, which functions as a conference registration desk, is a cool feature. Contacts formed and one-on-one meetings held are among the important insights, along with metrics for exhibitors and information on ticket sales.

#11. On24

On24

On24 provides a user-friendly, highly effective platform if your company model relies heavily on webinars. Its event plans are intended to maximise interaction per participant and mirror the personal feeds of websites like YouTube or Vimeo. Impressive results were achieved by Microsoft, which had a 7.2 per cent conversion rate from participant to customer, and by LexisNexis, which used the platform and witnessed an 81 per cent boost in income.

The platform is the top-ranked webinar software on G2. Because webinar sites may be significantly customised, it will appear as though you have developed your own streaming platform. In addition to webinars, there are videoconferencing capabilities and support for one-on-one conversations with hosts. However, this platform is heavily dependent on webinars.

#12. Whova

Whova

Whova is a different event management platform for both hybrid and virtual event platforms, and it includes all the features you could anticipate, such as sponsor and exhibitor support, networking portals, and seminars. They claim a time reduction of up to 60% and promise to make planning and organising an event easier. The engagement capabilities of this platform, which include targeted event notifications, surveys, Q&A assistance, and special event invites, are one area where it excels. Their customer roster is among the most exclusive in the industry and includes American Express, Ikea, Lego, and HBO.

Whova’s website features a number of notable case studies, such as the UN World Data Forum, which resulted in more than 18,000 views of attendee profiles and more than 400 social media posts. One of the greatest event apps available, it is frequently praised by guests as an excellent networking tool. It should come as no surprise that you’ll need to contact them for a quote given their high-end clientele and major event focus, but user evaluations are overwhelmingly excellent and emphasise the comprehensiveness of the product offering.

#13. Spotme

Spotme

This is a “B2B Event Marketing Platform,” not a weightlifting programme. Spotme focuses on providing businesses with the means to connect with their clients because it recognises that hybrid and online events are more suited to B2B sales than any other sort of client. They have inside professionals that can assist you in creating your event and the crucial mobile app that goes along with it. With virtual event platforms breakout rooms and bookable one-on-one sessions, Spotme expands on the crucial lecture. There are interesting elements like spot tests and virtual applause (which could be useful for training sessions).

Attendees may communicate with one another using excellent technology, which should aid in follow-ups and sales conversions. Engagement, viewing duration, and other analytics are available in a YouTube-like format. There are handy connectors, such as Mailchimp, Stripe, and Zapier, given its B2B focus. Resources and assistance are rated highly, and templates have even been set up to assist you in creating an event that is optimal.

#14. Splash

Splash

This platform is a little unusual since it places a strong emphasis on promoting your event, realising that getting attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors is just half the battle. The platform’s main goal is to assist you in effectively branding your event platform so that it is visible on a mobile app, on social media, via email, and on other marketing platforms. Splash offers pre-made templates that you may customise to your use case, much like a web design platform would, and they’ll automatically produce variations for various marketing channels.

There are tools for managing guests as well as analytics for conversion and effect. Expedia Group, Sharp, and ThoughtSpot are a few of the clients. Splash’s templates are lovely and incredibly versatile, and they come with a wealth of options for making useful registration forms, smart guest lists, and recruiting guests.

Marketo, Hubspot, and Salesforce are just a few of the many helpful marketing connections available on this sales-focused platform. Splash gets bonus points for being transparent about prices, but you might want to take a seat before reading their rates. However, if you’re promoting a large event, this might not seem like a prohibitively expensive marketing expenditure.

#15. Socio

Socio

Socio emphasises the comprehensiveness of their all-in-one platforms, which they define as being all-in-one for physical, hybrid, and virtual event platforms and encompassing everything from registration and ticketing to post-event marketing. They utilise cutting-edge technology more than some other platforms, such as Q-codes for check-in, a completely optimised mobile version based on straightforward iconography, and virtual attendance via users’ phones. One of the most well-thought-out platforms, Socio seeks to assist you in creating communities around your content.

As a result, participants continue to interact with your event through the relationships they have formed on the platform. Numerous well-known companies, such as HP, as well as charitable events and trade shows, including MAD/Fest and the Lupus Foundation, are among Socio’s many clients. One minor criticism: live streaming and video hosting are extra services that might drastically raise your price.

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