Please Don't Call Them "Virtual"

There is a tendancy to refer to online events as "virtual events".

Virtual is a term which makes it sound as though you are describing something that is not real. Like a virtual car as opposed to one sitting in my garage. A virtual car does not sound like one that could get me to the store to try on a shirt or to my office to meet a client. The fact is that Online Events are very real. Associations, companies, and event organizers are engaging real customers and prospects every day and banking real dollars at the same time. Now, I love physical events that take place in various venues like hotels and conference centers. I have made a living for more than 20 years creating and producing those events and I know their value.... and their limitations. That is why I advocate creating a balanced event marketing mix that includes physical and online events.

Here are some of the the key reasons for creating Online Events Online:

• The ability to launch events rapidly to respond to market forces
• There are no geographic barriers
• Attendee tracking reports are extremely detailed
• Leads can be qualified by attendee activity so they can be ranked for follow-up
• Extend the brand and the attendee community by creating a 24/7/365 enterprise
• Create barriers to your competition by maintaining a full time information resource
• Generate revenue - Generate revenue - Generate revenue

Did I mention that you could generate revenue?

There has never been a better time to extend your brand, create new revenue, generate quality leads and build larger audiences.