Is a Webinar a Virtual Event?

For many years now, businesses have been using webinars for marketing and training purposes. But suddenly, this has become a lot more blurred and that’s all thanks to the virtual event platforms.

Webinars are increasingly becoming a popular way to host virtual events, allowing participants to engage in live conversations from the comfort of their own homes.

What is a Webinar?

Webinar is short for web-based seminar. A webinar is a single online seminar that is typically conducted by a speaker or panel of experts and broadcast live over the internet. It is usually interactive, allowing participants to ask questions and provide feedback. Webinar platforms offer many components including live streams of the presenter talking, slide sharing, whiteboards, surveys, and live chat. The presentation is usually followed by a Q&A session where the audience can ask questions.

What is a Virtual Event?

A virtual event goes beyond providing just one component. Instead, it offers multiple sessions combined with other components over a much longer time frame (just like an in-person event). A virtual event involves people interacting in a virtual environment, rather than a physical space. Virtual events include other activities such as attendee networking, exhibit booths, gamification, breakout sessions, etc.

So, we’ve got a good understanding of what a webinar and a virtual event is, now it’s time to dive into the main differences that exist between the two.

What is the Different Between a Virtual Event and Webinar?

Webinars have a much narrower scope

Webinars can include a large number of attendees, but when we compare this to a virtual event there is a big difference. Virtual event participants attend the event for multiple reasons compared to webinar attendees who have one specific need in mind. Whether it’s for networking with peers or visiting online exhibit booths, the diversity that comes with virtual events opens it up to a lot more guests.

Webinars provide participants less freedom

With virtual events, guests can decide what content they want to experience within the overall agenda. Maybe they are joining for peer networking, or maybe they attend to experience exhibitor booths.

Conclusion

Webinars are excellent as a marketing and training delivery tool, but they aren’t events in the classic sense of what we know an event to be. Virtual events, on the other hand, are more like in-person events offering a wider scope of activities and opportunity to network. Organizers are better able to engage with attendees and provide them with a better overall experience.