In the age of social distancing, virtual events are the new normal. With an increasing number of businesses relying on virtual events to showcase their products and services, hosting a successful virtual vendor event is essential for creating new relationships and building your brand.
Here’s how to get started while we see 2023 arriving fast.
Table of Contents
Create a Budget For Your Online Event
Your budget is the foundation of success for any online event.
Calculate your total costs such as software, promotional materials, platform vendor and catering.
1. Know your event’s purpose
Before you begin creating your budget, it is important to have a clear understanding of your event’s purpose. What are you hoping to achieve with this event?
Once you know the answer to this question, you can begin to allocate your budget accordingly.
2. Set a realistic budget
It is important to set a realistic budget for your event. Keep in mind all of the costs that will be associated with your events, such as venue rental, catering, entertainment, decor, and marketing.
Make sure to leave some room in your budget for unexpected expenses as well.
3. Stick to your budget
Once you have created your budget, it is important to stick to it as closely as possible. This can be difficult, but it is important to resist the temptation to overspend.
Remember, every dollar that you save can be used towards another aspect of your event.
4. Review your budget regularly
Your event’s budget should not be set in stone. As your event date approaches, review your budget regularly and make adjustments as necessary. This will help ensure that you are on track and on the budget for your event.
Secure A Virtual Vendor Events Platform
The most important step in hosting your virtual vendor event is finding the right platform.
At Resolve Collaboration, we have a powerful in-house platform that will propel your online event to a new level. It can either be hybrid, in-person only, or fully virtual, we will walk you thru the whole process from top to bottom.
Why Resolve Collaboration Virtual Vendor Platform?
“It is an industry-leading video broadcasting system for delivering the highest quality virtual events, providing maximum flexibility for branding and content delivery, and a feature-rich interface to help ensure the highest level of success and engagement with viewers.”
You’ll need something that is both secure and easy to use, with features like screen sharing, chat boxes, recording options and more.
The platform you choose should be able to accommodate all of your attendees without lagging or crashing during your event.
Resolve is also platform-agnostic, meaning it is compatible with any device, operating system, or browser and can join from any streaming application
Find Presenters & Invite Guests For Your Online Event
Once you have secured your virtual event platform, it’s time to start finding presenters for your event and inviting guests.
For presenters, look for individuals who can provide interesting and valuable insights into your industry or product line—these are the people who will draw guests in and make them want to attend!
For guests, try reaching out via email or social media, letting them know what they can expect from the event and why they should attend.
Create a Facebook page group and a Facebook event, advertise on LinkedIn, reach out to all your contacts, and connect with as many people as you can. You can even ask your friends to pass the word to you about your online event.
With your list of presenters and guests finalized, it’s time to figure out how you want to structure your virtual vendor event.
Consider designing an agenda ahead of time that outlines topics that will be discussed during each session as well as scheduled breaks throughout the day for networking opportunities—this way everyone knows what to expect when logging in!
Additionally, consider offering incentives like discounts or giveaways as an additional way to draw attendees in and keep their attention throughout the day.
Alternative Ways To Announce Your Virtual Event
If you own a website, it is time to use it. Have an engaging landing page created with all of the details about your event and provide the registration link and the dates of your upcoming events.
It is a good idea as well to put pictures of yourself and participating vendors to create an exciting advertisement.
Use a mailing list application such as MailChimp, HubSpot or ActiveCampaign to get the word out about your event.
You can also utilize influencers in your industry to help spread the word about your event.
Follow-Up With Your Attendees Post Event
Once your online event has come to a close, make sure you follow up with all of the attendees.
Send out an email thanking them for attending and providing links to any post-event surveys or feedback forms.
Additionally, consider offering discounts or exclusive offers as a thank you for participating in the event.
This will help boost repeat attendance in the future.
By taking time to perfect your virtual event strategy and utilizing Resolve Collaboration’s powerful platform, you can create an engaging and productive virtual vendor event that your attendees will remember for years to come.
In A Nutshell
Hosting a successful virtual vendor event takes a bit of planning but can be incredibly rewarding when done right!
Remember—choose a secure platform that meets all of your needs; find knowledgeable presenters who can provide valuable insights; invite potential customers with enticing offers; design an agenda ahead of time; and offer incentives throughout the day so everyone stays engaged!
Don’t neglect to follow up with your attendees post-event. This is a crucial step.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to host a virtual vendor event that helps grow relationships with potential customers while also expanding upon existing ones! Good luck!
