Introduction
2020 turned to be the most disruptive year in the modern era, marked by the onset of pandemics and lockdowns. What this meant for organizations across the globe was widespread disorganization followed by a sluggish recovery period. While all industries experienced disruption, the least digitized ones suffered more. One such industry was the events industry, which was crippled by lockdown restrictions and physical distancing norms as early as February. A report in March estimated that the losses from event cancellations had exceeded $1.1 billion, and the numbers have only grown since. This was duly because of the pandemic which forced billions of folks to stay back at home, creating an immediate challenge for the events industry for business continuity. What followed was weeks of research and development and all the answers led to one pragmatic solution – digital adoption of conferences; marking the emergence of virtual conference platforms.
Virtual events, that began as an ad-hoc solution, have now turned into a full-fledged industry catering to billions across the globe. In fact, compared with just 2 years ago, 87% more people are choosing to use video conferencing as of today. While virtual events do not exactly replicate the experience of a physical event, they provide close to real experiences that fulfill the purpose of a business event, while also offering added benefits such as great ROI, insights and reduction in carbon footprint.
Features of Top Virtual Conference Platforms
Before we begin our rundown of the top virtual conference platforms, here are all the different factors that were considered while curating this list.
Video Conferencing
This is easily one of the most primal and basic components of a virtual conference platform. It determines how easy it is to stream conferences on the platform, bring the speakers, set up playlists for later viewing, upload on-demand & pre-recorded sessions and more.
Networking
It is the foremost reason why one attends any kind of business event. Provisions for networking will allow audiences to interact seamlessly with hosts and other participants in the event and form meaningful connections.
Engagement
It is one of the most important components that determine the success of the virtual conference, especially so because the audience is very likely to get distracted online. Hence, it is crucial to use the right technologies to hook the attendees and ensure that they were part of an actual community.
Data Analytics
Data analytics has been identified as an emerging trend in 2020 in the events industry, with an increasing number of companies realizing the infinite potential of analytics. Hence, virtual event platforms today are equipped with an in-built analytics dashboard that helps organizers analyze data and gain insights from it.
Top 10 Virtual Conference Platforms
Samaaro
Overview: Samaaro is one of the best and most complete virtual conference platforms out there today. Having started back in 2020, it has made quick strides in the virtual events market and has become the preferred virtual conference platform for prestigious brands like Informa Markets, Herbalife, P&G, IIM and many more. In less than 6 months since its inception, Samaaro was recognized among the top 30 best tech startups by YourStory.
Samaaro is built on the pillars of Engagement and Networking, and it is one of the very few platforms that’s loaded with 3D visual experiences. it is also platform agnostic, meaning virtual conferences can be hosted on any browser and on any device. Its feature stack also boasts robust security features like SSL Certification and Data Encryption, that ensure the security of the participants of the conference.
Top Features
- 3D Visualization
- Networking Lounge
- Custom branding
- Session Playlist & Ratings
- Gamification
- Breakout Sessions
- Reactions
- Live Polls & Quizzes
- Unlimited Attendees
- Analytics Dashboard
Pricing: Starts from $1000
Free Trial: Not available
Ideal For: Companies of all sizes looking to host large-scale, immersive and engaging virtual conferences spanning from hours to days.
Hopin
Overview: Hopin is perhaps one of the first virtual conference platforms that the world heard of after the pandemic triggered a seismic shift in the way we conduct business. It is a Series C funded company and is one of the most popular virtual conference platforms out there. It has helped numerous brands across the world reach billions of people through its innovative platform.
Top Features
- Networking Lounge
- Tickets
- Gamification
- Breakout Sessions
- Reactions
- Live Polls & Quizzes
- Analytics
Pricing: Hopin’s starter pack begins at $99 / month, and $83.25 per feature / month
Free Trial: Not available
Ideal For: Companies looking to host webinars and conferences for up to 100,000 attendees.
Run The World
Overview: Run The World is perhaps one of the simplest and most easy-to-use virtual conference platforms that allow event organizers to host virtual conferences straightforwardly. It focuses on delivering a personalized and interactive event experience to the attendees of the event, while also allowing organizers to customize the theme of the platform completely, effectively taking care of the branding. Its pricing model includes free, pro and sponsor packages based on the requirements of the event.
Top Features
- Happy Hours
- Live Polls & Quizzes
- Up to 10K Attendees
- Cocktail Party
- Round Tables
Pricing: Run The World offers a free plan which includes upto 50 free registrations and basic paid plan starts from $79 / month with upto 500 free registrations.
Free Trial: Not available
Ideal For: Small and medium businesses looking to host webinars for large audiences.
Hubilo
Overview: Hubilo is a Virtual Event Platform that’s helping organisations across the world host engaging & interactive virtual conferences. Although it started off as an event management company back in 2015, it pivoted to virtual events and conferences in 2020, when the pandemic took the events industry by a storm.
Its unique selling proposition lies in the fact that it allows event organizers to host interactive & experiential events that focus on the interactivity of the event.
Top Features
- Interactive Live Sessions
- Breakout Rooms
- Gamification
- Networking Lounge
Pricing: $1000.00 per feature and based on requirements
Free Trial: Available
Ideal For: Government Organisations and Associations, Event Management Companies, Educational Institutions, Private Organisations, looking to host virtual conferences.
Remo Conferences
Overview: As the name may suggest itself, Remo Conference is a platform that specializes in helping organizers in hosting simple yet interactive virtual conferences. Although not an ideal choice for large-scale events, Remo Conference thrives on delivering a stellar event experience to a limited audience with its unique User Interface (UI). It is a cost-effective event tech solution that is equipped with interactive tools and features that enhances the event experience
Top Features
- Attendee Management
- On-Demand Webcasting
- Polls/Voting
- File Sharing
- Alerts/Notifications
Pricing: Remo Conference offers a freemium version and a basic package starting from $100 / month.
Free Trial: Available
Ideal For: All types of businesses looking to host engaging and customizable virtual events
Accelevents
Overview: Accelevents is a powerful virtual event platform that caters to all kinds of virtual events. What makes Accelevents stand out is the fact that some elements of the platform are AI-driven, which only a handful of virtual conference platforms offer. For example, its AI-powered networking feature matches participants based on interests and previous interactions, which increases the interaction and ROI of the event. As far as engagement is concerned, it offers a gamification feature that can be used to immerse attendees on the platform.
Top Features
- AI-Driven matchmaking
- Live chat and polling
- Breakout sessions
- Real-time analytics
- Speaker Management
- Surveys & feedback
- Meeting Scheduler
Pricing: Prices start from $500 / event.
Free Trial: Available
Ideal For: Businesses of all types and sizes looking to host virtual conferences, summits and webinars
Vfairs
Overview: VFairs is perhaps one of the oldest virtual event platforms in the world, having started its service back in 2016, and it is among the most popular virtual event platforms today. The company currently has offices in the USA, Canada and Dubai. VFairs comes with a host of exclusive features that focus on enhancing the engagement of the event, and it is an ideal platform if you are looking to host a large-scale virtual conference for a global audience.
Top Features
- Custom Branding
- 3D Visualization
- Live Webinars and
- Breakout Sessions
- Analytics Dashboard
- Real-Time Chat
Pricing: Based on requirements
Free Trial: Not available
Ideal For: All companies looking to host large-scale virtual events with immersive 3D visualization
Go To Webinar
Overview: Go To Webinar is a full-scale video conferencing solution that helps organizations host highly interactive webinars, ideal for marketing presentations, training sessions and corporate communications. It also allows the addition of a range of integrations that enhance the entire experience of the webinar. GoToWebinar is specifically designed to help marketing professionals deliver impactful presentations, drive engagement and generate leads seamlessly.
Top Features
- Live Chat
- Screen Sharing
- Attendee & Speaker
- Management
- Multistreaming, moderation and screen sharing
- Audience Analytics
Pricing: Go To Webinar’s pricing starts from $59.00 / month
Free Trial: Available
Ideal For: Businesses wanting to deliver powerful presentations through virtual conferences for its employees
ON24
Overview: ON24 is another powerful yet simple virtual conferencing software that helps organizers host engaging webinars and conferences ripe with networking opportunities. It is known for its enterprise scalability, engagement through interactive webinars, and for offering immersive multimedia content experiences. It also known for customized experiences with code-less, intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
Top Features
- Personalised event tracks
- Networking
- Gamification
- Speaker chat
Pricing: Based on requirements
Free Trial: Available
Ideal For: Small, medium and large businesses looking to host large-scale, sophisticated and powerful virtual conferences and summits.
Airmeet
Overview: Airmeet is a high-end and all-in-one virtual conference platform that enables organizations to host immersive conferences, summits, meetings & more. The platform scalability allows the organizers to host events for a global audience that include panel discussions, round tables and industry presentations.
Top Features
- Social lounge
- Survey/Poll Management
- Reporting/Analytics
- Virtual Ballroom
Pricing: Airmeet’s basic plan starts from $99.00 / month
Free Trial: Not available
Ideal For: Communities & Enterprises of all sizes looking to host virtual events & meetups.
So, Which Is the Right Virtual Event Platform For You?
Digitisation is on the rise, and so are virtual conference platforms. And why wouldn’t they be? They allow companies to reach global audiences while maintaining safe social distancing, all at half the price of a physical event. They also make it easy to build brand awareness and authority on a global scale.
So, which is the best virtual event platform for you?
Based on different factors, such as budget, scale, engagement and networking features, and other factors, this is a decision you have to take. All of the above virtual event platforms have a value proposition that caters to specific pain points of event organizers and attendees, and careful inspection of your event goals and outcomes will guide you to the top virtual conference platform suitable to you.
About Samaaro
Samaaro is a powerful, customizable & the Best Virtual Event Platform that organizations around the globe have leveraged to host scalable and engaging events. Our reputed clients have hosted Virtual Exhibitions, Virtual Tradeshows, Virtual summits, Virtual fairs, Virtual conferences, Virtual awards ceremonies, and more on Samaaro. With a plethora of features, such as a powerful analytics dashboard, one-on-one and group chats/video calls, custom software integrations and more, Samaaro empowers you to host impactful virtual events that effectively connect you with your global audience and achieve business milestones.
