Virtual events: Events can educate, empower, and inspire the audience. Certainly, they can raise profits and build brand awareness. As the global pandemic continues to escalate, it has become apparent for many organizations that moving forward with an event calendar as scheduled would bear too many risks. In other words, many fairs and events have been canceled or postponed from local events and workshops to major sports leagues and business conferences. A lot of organizations, teams, and even educational institutions have switched to virtual events. SaaStock is a conference where software as a service (SaaS) founders, executives, and investors meet up all over the world. Recently the organization announced that they would postpone their physical events. Instead, they will hold their first-ever entirely virtual conference in June. The conference will “provide a safe and effective solution to address the need for knowledge in this time of uncertainty.”
Now, it makes sense that tech-related companies would readily switch to virtual events. After all, they’re already familiar with the necessary infrastructure. But what about other companies? Will virtual events replace physical events in the future? Can event organizers profitably sell virtual events? What about the environmental implications? Above all, virtual events allow for less air travel and reduced CO2 emissions. Will it be socially acceptable to hold world-wide conferences in the future?
Sergio Lobo is a well-known trainer and business coach, helping professionals reinvent themselves so that they achieve the success they deserve.
Aaron Krall is a hands-on growth consultant at SaaS Accelerator and will be one of the speakers at SaaStock’s first-ever virtual conference in June.
Oskar Hackett is a global startup manager at SaaStock. Inspired by creative thinking, hooked on strategy, and grounded by results. Hacket knows what it takes to move a global conference to the virtual space.
Josef Treml is the Austrian trade commissioner for Ireland at Advantage Austria and will give us insights into the Silicon Docks and Dublin’s status as a European technology hub.