7 Key Lessons Learned from Virtual Fundraising Events in 2020

We can all agree, 2020 was a doozy of a year, bringing indelible changes to the landscape of fundraising. Yet, nonprofit organizations are resilient and have always risen to the occasion of helping those in need during difficult times. Even now in 2021, amidst continuing coronavirus restrictions, nonprofit fundraising is not only surviving, but thriving. That’s due in large part to the ability to pivot fundraising efforts from in-person to virtual. With a solid year of virtual fundraising under our collective belt, let’s take a look at seven key lessons learned in 2020 to help your nonprofit continue reaching those goals and fighting for its mission.

Read the full article at: www.nptechforgood.com

212 event-related martech companies. Make that 268. Wait, no, 316…

Wow how quickly this event tech company list in growing, more are being added weekly. 

The above graphic organizes 268 different tools for online event experiences, in 9-14 different subcategories, such as streaming, ticketing, networking, event marketing, and “all-in-one” platforms, including those with 3D virtual environments.

Read the full article at: chiefmartec.com

Microsoft Teams now offers AI-powered live meeting transcriptions

Microsoft Teams has got a new AI-powered feature that makes it easier to zone out during endless online meetings.

The app has launched a live transcription tool that creates a written record of what was said during a meeting.

It identities each speaker, captures audio in “near real-time,” and generates a live transcript on the right-hand side of the window. After the meeting, the saved transcript will be available to download.

Read the full article at: thenextweb.com

What Virtual Events Can Learn From Netflix and Tinder

The so-called virtual event revolution over the past year has taken place in a time during which we have never been more digitally connected and engaged as a society. Netflix has to ask its viewers if they’re still watching, and online dating platforms have become mainstream.

The Top News & Research in your Inbox
SUBSCRIBE
The pandemic has only heightened the success of the everyday online platforms we spend our time on, with video games and streaming services both experiencing massive surges.

However, virtual events as a whole have not yet been able to tap into this existing potential. While tech providers colloquially cite increased engagement on their platforms, over half of planners still cite engagement as their main frustration with virtual event tech. Virtual is undeniably unfamiliar to many in the event industry, but it’s not new, and it’s been succeeding in other areas.

What is being missed, and what can virtual events learn from existing formats that have been captivating online audiences for years? EventMB sat down with several visionaries from leading event tech firms to find out.

Read the full article at: www.eventmanagerblog.com

Unleashing the potential of virtual events

Brands, artists, businesses, entertainers have all traded in physical events with virtual ones to accommodate our new reality with the pandemic, with more or less success. It remains a place of potential (and necessity) for marketers to experiment and learn. 

That being said, events are now quintessential to the social marketing era where the places communities and individuals meet become more precious and their connections and sharing behaviour more powerful, branded or not. A good event is, more than ever, a social experience that puts its people first.

Here are our picks of virtual events that may be laying the groundwork for bigger and better socially-led events to come. 

Read the full article at: wearesocial.com

Most B2B Exhibitors Will Continue Virtual Events Post-Pandemic

Staff comment: Yes, but virtual events MUST provide engagement between attendees and the booth staff. This is no different from an in-person event. Be creative with your virtual booths and what you offer.

Some 4 in 10 B2B event organizers plan to hold a virtual event in 2021, according to a new report [download page] from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) on trends in the virtual event space. Based on a poll of more than 340 executives at organizations running or managing physical, in-person B2B exhibitions, the report suggests that virtual events are sticking around for now.

Some 62% of respondents held a virtual event in 2020, per the report, and 4 in 10 also intend to hold one in 2021. The vast majority (86%) feel that virtual events are a necessary short-term option due to the pandemic, agreeing that “COVID-19 forced the cancellation of our physical event. The only option at this time is running a virtual event to serve the needs of our communities.” However, nearly 7 in 10 (68%) also agree that virtual will be a bigger component of physical events moving forward, leading to more hybrid events.

Read the full article at: www.marketingcharts.com

This Startup Enables Human Connections at Virtual Events

Live events are all about connection. We all know that. Back before the pandemic, brands and publishers were increasingly investing in live events as a way to build their profiles and generate revenue. Sixty-five percent of business-to-business marketers in the professional services industry were hosting conferences by the end of 2019, and 87% believed in-person events were a “critical component” to their company’s success. 

Then the pandemic hit. In an instant, live events all but disappeared.

Conferences, seminars, festivals, and leadership courses were postponed, cancelled, or moved to online-only in 2020. Even the Sundance Film Festival was transformed into an almost entirely remote event. Although the virtual events industry grew at a steady clip throughout the year, brands struggled to reproduce what was traditionally one of the most important features of live, in-person events: human connections.

Networking and building connections with other industry leaders was one of the primary reasons why people attended live events before the pandemic. In a world where virtual events have become the norm, brands, publishers, and B2B companies are struggling to reproduce the human connections that people crave in an digital-first environment.

A new startup called Welcome is working on a solution. 

Read the full article at: streetfightmag.com

Why It Still Pays to Host Virtual Events in 2021

In 2020, virtual events became a necessity. COVID-19 resulted in lockdowns, closures, and strict social distancing requirements, quickly halting all in-person events. Event organizers had to adapt quickly to reimagine their events in a safe virtual space.

Fortunately, virtual platforms have allowed events to continue despite lockdowns. In 2021, people who are growing weary of lockdowns and social distancing need virtual events more than ever before. These events offer attendees an opportunity to connect, learn, and unwind, helping to build connections even when they’re still socially distancing.

Even as COVID-19 restrictions ease, virtual events will continue to be important. In the last year alone, the benefits of virtual events have become clear, and organizers have quickly learned how to run virtual events. While in-person events will be welcomed when conditions allow, virtual events are sure to stick around for these key reasons.

Read the full article at: www.eventbrite.com

Brompton Technology Helps XR Studios Create New Possibilities for Live Performance and Entertainment in XR 

With an impressive roster of productions such as the MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Movie & TV Awards, Katy Perry’s debut performance of her single ‘Daisies’ on American Idol, Billie Eilish’s ‘Where Do We Go? The Livestream’ concert, and a number of high-profile E-sports and corporate events, LA-based XR Studios constantly pushes the boundaries of XR technology to new heights. Founded in 2020 and collaborating with Fuse Technical Group for technical and equipment support, XR Studios provides two high-spec LED stages featuring top quality equipment, including Brompton Technology processing and ROE Visual LED panels, and offers a team of expert technologists and bespoke workflows to help bring XR productions to life.

Read the full article at: www.ravepubs.com