Virtual Trade Shows

A virtual trade show, or virtual trade fair, is a type of virtual event that enables exhibitors and visitors to interact in an online environment, rather than in-person.

Virtual trade shows are considered the online equivalent of traditional trade shows, but unlike traditional trade shows they are not limited by geographical location. Visitors can attend virtual trade shows by signing up via a registration page, which then takes them to the event auditorium where they can interact with exhibitors in their virtual booths. Visitors can attend anywhere, anytime - all that’s needed to attend is a computer or mobile device with a good internet connection.

30% of people are more likely to speak to a person in a virtual booth, so virtual trade shows are transforming exhibitor and attendee interactions. With interactive features, such as live chat, chat rooms, Q&A, webinars, webcasts and more, virtual trade shows are extending exhibitors’ reach and access to user behaviour data, without compromising on attendee experience. Keep in mind that most virtual trade shows are bespoke, so the amount of features and sessions run within them varies from event to event.

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Virtual trade shows have become more and more popular in recent years, as businesses are transitioning their traditional trade shows online to extend their reach, reduce costs and gain access to more in-depth audience insights. So, how do you host a virtual trade show?

Much like a physical trade hosting a virtual trade show involves a lot of planning. So, when it comes to running a virtual trade show, you can ensure it’s a success by following these easy steps: 

• Decide on your goals and KPIs for your virtual trade show

• Define your format and interactive content e.g. virtual booths, live webcasts, webinars, Q&A, discussions, live chat and more

• Choose the best virtual event platform to suit your goals e.g. WorkCast Stratus

• Select your team i.e. presenters, guests, moderators, exhibitors, sponsors etc.

• Select the best day and time to host your virtual trade show

• Create and customize your exhibitor’s virtual booths 

• Promote your online trade show with at least 6 weeks lead time on social media, email, landing pages, and more

• Run a test stream (if you’re streaming live) to test your internet and audio levels before going live

• Follow up with attendees by sending a thank you email and a link to any downloadable assets post-event

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If you’re wondering what the pros of hosting a virtual trade versus a physical trade show, then the primary advantage would be increased engagement and direct interaction between exhibitors and attendees - as 30% of people are more likely to speak to a person in a virtual booth and 47% of people are more likely to ask a question virtually, rather than in-person. 

Hosting your trade show virtually rather than physically allows people to attend the event at their leisure from wherever they are located, so even remote workers can attend using any device that has access to the internet. This means that you can extend the global reach of your event and make it more accessible to international and regional audiences. 

The virtual environment is also conducive to direct interactions between exhibitors and attendees, as attendees are able to interact with exhibitors and sponsors via live chat, Q&A, online polls and more - which is much less intimidating than approaching a stranger at a booth to ask a question.

Virtual events are becoming increasingly popular, as businesses are transitioning their traditional in-person events online, which is why it’s essential to understand the different types of virtual events.

Each virtual event type includes its own own unique features and provides various business benefits, but these are the main types of online events:

• Webinars: online seminars that enable presenters to connect with audiences and exchange information
• Webcasts: a high-quality, polished live video stream of an event or conference
• Virtual conferences: replicates a traditional conference in an online environment
• Virtual college open days: replicate traditional physical college or university open houses virtually
• Virtual open houses: property realtors host virtual open houses by streaming them online for audiences
• Virtual trade shows: allows exhibitors and visitors to interact online environment, rather than at a physical trade show
• Virtual careers fairs: allow employers to connect with job seekers in a virtual environment, rather than in-person
• Virtual benefits fairs: enable employers to communicate the benefits provided to their employees at scale through an interactive online environment

⟶ Learn more about virtual events 

So, you want to know how much the WorkCast online events platform will cost? Whatever your business goals, or budget, we have a price and package to suit your needs.

Firstly, we have the Present+ self-service webinar package, which costs £95 (approx $116 USD) per month and allows you to run up to live and on-demand webinars using our platform for up to 500 attendees. Features for this plan include having access to 3 events experiences per month, embedding events on your website, webcam & screenshare, polls, event reporting and HubSpot workflows.

The second tier of our online events packages is the Producer package, which costs £395 (approx. $480 USD) per month and enables you to run live and on-demand webinars and virtual events for up to 5,000 people. You’ll benefit from the ability to host on-demand recordings and upload video content with this plan, as well as having access to 5 event experiences, 1 custom experience, embedding, polls, webcam & screenshare and more. 

The third tier of WorkCast’s plans is the Enterprise plan, which is considered the “full white glove experience”, as it is fully managed and supported by our Events and Customer Success teams. It encompasses bespoke requirements, allows you run live and on-demand webinars, virtual events, live video streams and webcasts for up to 50,000 people. Features for this webinar package include multiple event experiences, custom experiences, advanced reporting and polling, integrations and much more.

However, the cost of this plan depends on your business requirements, so for a quote you will need to contact WorkCast to speak to one of our experts.

If you’re still in the deciding whether WorkCast is the right virtual events platform for you and your business, then you’ll be happy to know that you can try WorkCast for free with our 14-day trial. 

With our free trial of WorkCast Stratus, you’ll be able to run live webinars with no plugins, no downloads and no barriers for attendees, create custom, branded webinars and create bespoke landing pages and event emails.

With our webinar trial you can supercharge your lead generation, increase audience engagement and grow your business - all completely free of charge.

WorkCast has multiple packages to suit your business needs. The short answer is yes, you can pay per use. If you wish to purchase a one-off managed webinar you can speak to one of our experts to discuss your individual webinar requirements, so that we can give you a quote.

In the meantime, you can get a free demo of WorkCast Stratus to determine whether our platform is suitable for your business needs.

Yes, you can purchase an annual license for WorkCast. Whether you’re opting for our Presenter+, Producer+, or our Enterprise webinar package, each of these plans is offered as an annual license, which customers can pay per month. For more information about what features and capabilities are available within each of our packages, you can visit WorkCast’s full list of prices and packages.