Vırtual Conferences VS Physıcal Conferences

Let us have a look at the craze for virtual conferences that have been affecting event industry. Michal Tsur, Kaltura Co-founder and President, was one of the first entrepreneur who underlined this change. In 2013, he praised for virtual conferences in an article the Huffington Post called 7 Reasons Virtual Conferences Will Transform Industries Worldwide.

Obviously, IT revolution contributed to the craze for virtual conferences. In the past, people attended physical conference in order to get and share information in face-to face.  But, it costs money in terms of transportation, accommodations, venue, food & beverage and the most important thing, the loss of time. Visual conference has become more and more popular. It helps people to join to a conference online at home or any comfortable place. Thus, companies or association those are the source of the conference can save money and time. Usually, participants who registered to the conferences pay a registration fee. It allows them to connect with leaders, speakers. They only have to click and then they can download information they need. They can also discuss directly with the leader.

 Besides, the main cost for the virtual conference is to produce the content and the way it will to deliver to the audience. There are some marketing tools to do this. An industry leader may use webcasting system to appeal the audience. In physical conferences, attendees always need to find exhibition rooms and searching nametags. People waste more their time it makes them annoyed. On the contrary in a virtual conference, people only have to click of the mouse and they can reach to speakers and exhibitors easily. Reduction of waste production is also another aspect of the virtual conference. There are less and less brochures or data sheets which will become at the end trash at the end of the conference these all are becoming trash.  

Michal Tsur’s arguments are relevant and.  But, does it mean the end of traditional conference in few years?

Some industries or associations cannot be thought as a fully virtual appointment. We can have a look at European Society of Cardiology. This non-for-profit medical association gathers more than 85,000 members are used to organize conferences, congresses as well as meetings. To have an idea, last year they organized 8 congresses, for more than 50,000 attendees. The aim is to make medical professionals aware about new medical matters or innovations around the world.  That is why, they have to meet or assist a real operation. This is a part of the sector culture.

Then, event stakeholders (i.e. venue managers, hospitality, city Destinations Marketing Organizations etc…) have not spoken their last word.  This trend can be felt with the Coach Omnium survey. With the economic recession, French companies reduced their MICE budget by 37% in 2013. But, companies decided to adapt to their new situation. The same year, they spent in volume close to €9bn in MICE i.e. an increase by 1.1% in 2012. It seems these stakeholders are reacting according to this trend. Maybe they propose smaller (number of attendees), shorter (conference length) of hybrid conferences (half face-to-face aspect and half virtual one).

To conclude, virtual conference has advantages that are not negligible. However, we do not think it means the end of physical one even if some practices have to be rethought in the event industry.

Written by Kenan CETIN and Aurélie HONORE