What Is a Virtual Event?
What is a virtual event and how does it work?
A virtual event is an event held online instead of in a physical venue. Attendees register, then join live sessions, visit virtual booths and meet other people from their own devices, wherever they are.
Virtual events range from a one-hour webinar to a multi-day conference with exhibitors and networking. This guide explains the main types, how a virtual event works from registration to follow-up, how it differs from a hybrid event and what to check before you run one.
Updated by the Eventdex team
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Virtual event: the plain definition
A virtual event is one where every participant takes part online. There is no shared room. Speakers, exhibitors and attendees all connect through an event platform or video tool.
That is what separates it from a hybrid event, where some people attend in person and others online, and from a simple video call, which usually lacks registration, a schedule, booths or any way to track who came.
Live
Sessions happen at a set time, and attendees can ask questions and respond in the moment.
On demand
Recordings stay available afterwards, so people in other time zones or with clashes can watch later.
Both
Most virtual events run live and then keep the recordings available for a stated period.
Types of virtual event
Four types account for most virtual events. Pick the one closest to your goal, then add elements from the others if you need them.
| Type | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Webinar | One or a few speakers presenting to an online audience, usually with Q&A and polls | Teaching, product demos, thought leadership |
| Virtual conference | Several sessions, tracks, speakers, often with sponsors and networking | Industry gatherings, member events, company all-hands |
| Virtual trade show | Exhibitors in online booths that attendees visit and chat with | Product discovery and lead generation |
| Virtual career fair | Employers meet candidates in booths or one-to-one video rooms | Recruitment |
How a virtual event works
Every virtual event, from webinar to conference, follows the same sequence.
Register
Attendees sign up on an event page and receive a confirmation with the link or sign-in details.
Remind
Email reminders in the days before and on the day cut no-shows.
Join
Attendees open the event in a browser or an app and enter the lobby or the first session.
Take part
Attendees watch sessions, ask questions, answer polls, visit booths and book meetings.
Follow up
Organizers send recordings and a thank-you, collect feedback and review attendance and engagement.
Virtual, hybrid and in-person compared
The right format depends on where your audience is and what they need to do together. See the hybrid vs virtual events guide for how to choose.
| In person | Virtual | Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where attendees are | In one venue | Anywhere | In the venue and online |
| Venue needed | Yes | No | Yes |
| Travel for attendees | Required | None | Optional |
| Production load | Venue and floor | Platform and online content | Both, plus a stream between them |
| Networking | Face to face | Online matching, chat, video | Both, with effort to include remote people |
Checklist to run a virtual event
Work through this before you publish the event page, and again the week before it runs.
Virtual event checklist
VIRTUAL EVENT CHECKLIST PURPOSE [ ] One sentence on what the event is for and who it is for [ ] A date and time that works for the audience's time zones [ ] The type chosen: webinar, conference, trade show or career fair PLATFORM [ ] Registration page live, with a confirmation email [ ] Sessions, speakers and times entered in the schedule [ ] Q&A, polls and chat switched on where wanted [ ] A test of the whole attendee path: register, receive link, join [ ] A plan for attendees who cannot get in: a contact and a fallback SPEAKERS [ ] Each speaker has rehearsed on the platform they will use [ ] Slides and videos received and tested [ ] A moderator named for each session [ ] A backup plan if a speaker drops out PROMOTION [ ] Invitation sent, then at least two reminders [ ] Speakers and partners given a link to share [ ] Reminder sent on the day with the join link ENGAGEMENT [ ] A reason to take part in each session: a question, poll or task [ ] Networking built in: chat, meetings or matched introductions [ ] Exhibitors or sponsors briefed on how attendees find them AFTER [ ] Thank-you email with recordings or materials [ ] Feedback survey sent [ ] Leads passed to the people who will follow up [ ] Attendance and engagement reviewed against the goal
Running virtual events on Eventdex
Eventdex's virtual conference page describes registration and ticketing, workshops, panels and seminars, virtual exhibitor booths, roundtables and audio-video rooms, AI-matched video meetings, live Q&A and polls, gamification and reporting, with a hybrid option on the same platform. For a virtual career fair it has a dedicated page too. Eventdex does not state on those pages how many attendees a virtual event can hold, so ask when you plan a large one.
Virtual event management services
Help from the Eventdex team to set up and run a virtual event.
Virtual event management services
The Eventdex platform
What a virtual event needs
- Virtual conferencesSessions, booths, roundtables and AI-matched meetings online.Learn more about Virtual conferences
- Virtual event management servicesThe Eventdex team to set up and run your virtual event.Learn more about Virtual event management services
- Virtual meeting appOnline meetings, sessions and booths for virtual events.Learn more about Virtual meeting app
- Hybrid event platformAdd an in-person audience to the same event.Learn more about Hybrid event platform
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FAQ
What Is a Virtual Event?: common questions
What is a virtual event?
A virtual event is an event held online, where attendees, speakers and exhibitors all take part through an event platform or video tool instead of meeting in a physical venue.
What are examples of virtual events?
Webinars, virtual conferences, virtual trade shows, virtual career fairs, online product launches, virtual workshops and company all-hands meetings.
What is the difference between a virtual and a hybrid event?
In a virtual event everyone is online. In a hybrid event some people attend in person and others online, so it needs a venue as well as a platform.
Is a webinar a virtual event?
Yes. A webinar is the simplest kind of virtual event: one or a few speakers presenting to an online audience, often with Q&A and polls.
What do I need to run a virtual event?
A registration page, a platform for live sessions, a schedule, ways for attendees to interact (Q&A, polls, chat or meetings), reminders and a follow-up plan. The checklist above covers each.
Can people network at a virtual event?
Yes. Eventdex's virtual conference page describes AI-matched video meetings, speed networking, roundtables and audio-video rooms.
Can Eventdex run my virtual event?
Eventdex's pages describe a platform for virtual events and virtual event management services in which the Eventdex team sets up and supports the event. Contact Eventdex to confirm the scope for your event.
Run your virtual event on Eventdex
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.