Since the pandemic, one of the most common events we produce is the virtual event. We get asked about it a lot — what it is, how it differs from a livestream, and whether it’s right for a given organization. Here’s how we think about it.
A virtual event is one where your audience isn’t just watching — they’re actively participating. That’s the key distinction. A livestream is a one-to-many broadcast where viewers are largely passive. A virtual event is designed around two-way engagement: video, audio, chat, Q&A, polling, breakout sessions — whatever combination gets the people on the other side of the screen genuinely involved.
We deploy multiple platforms depending on what the event needs, and our goal is always the same: make remote attendees feel like first-class participants, not an afterthought audience.
3 Key Takeaways
1. Engagement Is the Defining Feature
The difference between a virtual event and a livestream isn’t the platform — it’s the intention. A virtual event is built around participation. People can join via video, contribute via audio, engage in chat, respond to polls, and interact with speakers directly. When it’s done well, the energy in a virtual room can rival an in-person one. When it’s done poorly, it feels like a webinar nobody wanted to attend. The production behind it makes all the difference.
2. Geography Is No Longer a Constraint
Your keynote speaker can be in New York. Your panelists can be across the country. Your audience can be global. Virtual events remove the geographic barriers that have historically limited who can participate in your organization’s most important moments. Combined with thoughtful strategic planning, this opens up possibilities that simply didn’t exist before 2020.
3. Platform Choice Matters — and We Handle It
There’s no single virtual event platform that’s right for every situation. Some events need breakout rooms. Some need large-scale broadcast capabilities. Some need deep integration with registration and ticketing systems. We’ve worked across a wide range of platforms and know how to match the right tool to your goals and audience. You don’t need to figure that out — that’s our job. And once the event is over, the recorded content has real value too — check out our thinking on getting the most out of your produced content.
Thinking about a virtual event? Learn more about our virtual event services or get in touch — we’re happy to walk you through the options.