Many event registration forms have a way-too-long series of questions trying to figure out who the heck you are and what the heck might interest you. C-Suite? Investor? Developer? Academic? Aren't these work-focused constructs getting a bit tired? 

The Freeman Trends Report Q1 2024 looks at who attends through a different lens: age, gender, and socio-economic status. They say that these are all good predictors of attendee behavior. The study examines the four main reasons to attend an event: to have fun, to learn, to network, and to do business. But, based on which cohort you’re in, those reasons may be ranked differently. That’s where personalization comes in. Key factors are AI, more thoughtful registration flows, and understanding what each group wants. 

The one thing that unifies all event-goers? The need for experiences. The tricky part is that each group has its own expectations of a memorable experience, be it a wild VR ride or a private VIP club entrance. 

At the Virtual Events Group we spend a lot of time documenting event platforms but we occasionally have to choose a favorite from the list as we run our consultancy. It’s really hard to pick one. Event platforms have become commoditized. They have a laundry list of similar capabilities. What you need to test out are both the most important features for your event and how much extra lifting you’re going to need to do to make the platform work for you. 

Here are some of the gotchas we’ve been running into:

Practice and Pre-Show

Many platforms allow access a few weeks before and a few weeks after your show (these differ from platform to platform). We want early access to the platform so we can do some pre-show work, making sure the right folks meet each other at the event. More event tech platforms might want to think about nixing the “per event” pricing and giving you a longer window to prepare. 

One-on-one Networking

More and more virtual events will differentiate themselves because you can do real business with someone in another physical location and not rely on the serendipity. Many event tech platforms don’t have built-in one-on-one networking. They either use a third-party add-on, which can be painful, they do a randomized meeting (which can be equally painful), or they don’t enable enough networking to be truly useful. In one show that we’re planning, we want investors to meet startups but in different time zones and with different areas of expertise. These sorts of well-vetted networking aren’t common yet. 

Customization

Every headshot, bio and session description needs to look and feel the same or your event ends up looking like a ransom note. We’ve been digging deep into how much customization you can do to ensure your program has a unified look. 

Registration

A good registration system lets you ask for details. Not so many details that people give up on filling out the form, but enough to be useful to you while providing incentives to make it worth their while. You want to make sure you can include different levels of registration for students, VIPs, and others. Codes and discounts are also important. 

Integrations vs. All-In-One Platforms

I was once willing to pick the best-of-breed and then hope I could use my Outlook Calendar with my Gmail account, usually through a series of extensions. I’ve changed my tune. Life’s too short to integrate feature-packed third-party apps like polling or registration into a bare-bones events platform. I’m now inclined to go for a one-stop shop, even if there are some limitations. Et tu?

Pricing: Ouch

We’re finding that cleaner, more modern interfaces cost more. Hiring an outside production firm might be prudent, but adds to the cost. What you pay for, to a large degree, is customer support. 

What about you? If you’re hosting virtual events, what are your bugaboos? And if you’re a solution provider, tell us how you’ve solved some of your customer’s biggest issues. Write to me with your thoughts.