In-person vs Virtual: which one is better?
In-person or virtual, there’s so much to be gained from knowledge-exchange events. But while both are great for finding solutions, learning, and forging new business connections, they’re not the same. Virtual and in-person events both have their own USPs and strengths.
The question is: Is one better than the other? Let’s take a look.
Click to see our full list of virtual and in-person Masterclasses here.
Reach and opportunity
One of the best things about virtual events is their reach. You can meet peers and industry experts from further afield at the click of a button. This creates an audience with a richer diversity of ideas and experience than you might find in a single location.
With virtual events, barriers to entry (time, money, physical limitations) are removed, making them accessible to everyone, wherever they are. This is a huge positive.
All attendees get to benefit from a wider range of perspectives and ideas, giving you more opportunities for forging partnerships and connections.
Which one’s better? It’s a gold star for virtual.
Getting the inside info
Virtual events are amazing for curated knowledge; planned content delivered in an organised way (panels, Q&As, keynotes). Of course these formats are also used at in-person events – but there are other types of information that can be found more readily at in-person events.
Impromptu conversations with other knowledgeable people can often be very revealing, and this type of unplanned, indirect knowledge can be priceless.
Just from being in a room with your peers, you can get a sense of the market; how other companies in your industry feel things are going, fears, hopes for the future, how they plan to navigate new regulations or legislation – it’s a goldmine of valuable information.
Which one’s better? It’s a big tick for in-person.
Time-efficiency
Although in-person events don’t have to be extra long (we keep all of ours as time-efficient half-days), there’s no two ways about it: they take up more time. Even if it’s just hopping on a tube or bus, you have to travel there and back – and the event itself is usually longer.
By contrast, virtual events are almost always shorter. Our virtual Masterclasses are two hours long – and because you can log on wherever you are, there’s no extra time needed.
Which one’s better? It’s a big round of applause for virtual.
Vibe and attitude
In-person events give you a change of scene. It’s something different; a day out away from your desk, meeting new people in a new space.
People turn up with a more relaxed attitude than if they were sat at a screen, so there’s a real buzz and sense of fun. Add to this a pre-event breakfast or post-events drinks and you’ve got the perfect recipe for relaxed mingling, networking and the chance to make valuable connections.
Most importantly, you’ll have a great time!
Which one’s better? It’s a gold medal for in-person.
So what’s the verdict? Virtual and in-person events may have slightly different benefits, but both of them give you a platform to find solutions, expand your knowledge and grow your business. So why choose one when you can have both? By mixing up your schedule with a combination of virtual and in-person events, you’ll optimise your results and get the best of both worlds.
Virtual or in-person, our expert-led Masterclasses are designed to help you find actionable solutions. Click now to see our full list of dates and locations.
