Virtual Event Planning: A Round-Up of 25 Need-to-Know Stats

When should I start promoting my virtual event?

What is the best time to hold a webinar?

Should I charge for my virtual event?

We’ve sifted through recent reports and new research that’s been pouring in to find the answers to these and many other pressing questions planners have when it comes to virtual events and meetings.

Covering everything from planning and budgets to promotion and attendee engagement, use this round-up of 25 stats to develop your virtual strategy. (BTW, we believe live events will be back – with many adding or keeping virtual components to create a hybrid virtual event or meeting experience.)

Planning

• Sixty-five percent of planners have never been involved in the process of planning a virtual event. (Source: Event Manager Blog)
• Seventy-four percent of brand marketers say they need to invest more in digital solutions – like digital/online marketing expertise – and 59 percent say they need to invest more in data solutions – like software solutions to connect data or better tools to measure ROI. (Source: Freeman)
• Sixty-nine percent of marketers say they plan their webinars at least three months in advance. (Source: ON24)
• Sixty-eight percent of event marketers reported a hybrid solution that can manage both virtual and in-person events will play a key role in the 2020 and 2021 strategies. (Source: Bizzabo)
• According to Intrado: The most popular day to schedule a webcast is Thursday, though webcasts scheduled on Friday tend to have the longest viewing duration
  • The most popular day to schedule a virtual event is Wednesday
  • The best time to run a webinar is 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST) as it avoids most conflicts on the U.S. coasts (though remember to schedule where your audience resides). (Source: ON24)

Pricing & Budgeting

• The majority (74 percent) of event marketers do not charge for virtual events. (Source: Event Manager Blog)
• Most of the virtual event budget is spent on the hosting platform. Speakers and moderators are the second-largest areas of costs. (Source: Markletic)

Marketing & Promotion

• More decision-makers are involved in the marketing strategy for virtual or digital events. Forty-eight percent stated their CEO is more involved. (Source: Freeman)
• For small virtual events, most planners need between 3-6 weeks to promote the event successfully. For large virtual events, 65 percent of marketers need more than six weeks to promote the event and drive the desired amount of registrations. (Source: Markletic)
• Sixty-five percent of organizers say they provide up to five marketing touches per webinar experience. (Source: ON24)
• Seventy-six percent of marketers say email is the single most effective way to drive registrations. (Source: Markletic)
• Mid-week emails — Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays – account for nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of webinar registrations. (Source: ON24)
•  The average no-show percentage of virtual event attendees is 35 percent. (Source: Markletic)
• As identified by Intrado, when it comes to attending webcasts:
  • 39 percent of registrants attend live
  • 12 percent of those registered and did not participate live, attend on-demand
  • 9 percent of those that attend live return to view on demand
  • 25 percent of attendees view on demand
• When it comes to attending virtual events, Intrado also found:
  • 45 percent of registrants attend live
  • 10 percent of those registered and did not participate live, attend on-demand
  • 17 percent of those that attend live return to view on demand
  • 20 percent of attendees view on demand
• Over one-third of marketers found it challenging to integrate sponsors into an online program. (Source: Freeman)

Attendee Engagement and Content Design

• Eighty-one percent agree digital events will need to include networking and engagement, in addition to learning. (Source: Freeman)
• Two-thirds of those hosting digital experiences find engaging audiences to be the biggest challenge. Top reasons include too many distractions, lack of networking, content adaptation for digital, and little to no interaction. (Source: Freeman)
• On average, 55 percent of registrant convert to attendees. (Source: ON24)
•  According to Intrado:
  • 46 minutes is the average view time of a live 60-minute webcast
  • 31 minutes is the average view time of an on-demand 60-minute webcast
• Fifty percent of top-performing marketers use simulive webinar features – allowing them to record first but interact live. (Source: ON24)
• Seventy percent of all webinars in 2019 offered resources for attendees to download or engage with. (Source: ON24)
• Eighty-six percent of online events are accessed on desktops or laptops, though access on mobile devices grew 2 percent in 2019. (Source: Communiqué)

Measurement

• Eighty percent of respondents report attendee engagement and satisfaction were KPIs used for measuring virtual event success. (Source: Bizzabo)

Looking for more insights to up-level your virtual events and meetings?

Registration now open for our next Virtual Event & Meeting Management Certificate Course. Online classes start August 10. Earn 20 CMP clock hours with weekly live classes, a community forum to ask and exchange ideas, and coursework to complete on your own schedule.