Many meeting and event planners and their teams have been forced to make huge decisions in a very short period of time on whether to cancel, postpone, or transform their normally in-person events into fully digital events. If you’re one of the many that are opting for the fully digital route, you’re probably in need of an online platform like yesterday. Not only do you need an online platform fast - you need one that is a good fit for your specific event. With an abundance of apps and platforms on the market, how do you choose which one is best for your tradeshow or event? We’re here to help; here are the top expert recommended free and paid apps plus seven 2021 additions for hosting virtual events.
1. 3D Virtual Experience
2. Interactive Webinar
3D Virtual Experience:
1. 6Connex
6Connex is a virtual events platform that gives users the ability to host entirely virtual trade shows, job fairs, summits, benefits fairs, and establish an e-learning program for your organization. The 3D virtual environment is cloud based, branded, and highly customizable. 6Connex is developed with HTML5 allowing attendees to access your virtual event from any device and browser. Since 6Connex is hosted in the cloud, its platform capacity is virtually unlimited, meaning you can host virtual events with anywhere from a few to a few thousand guests. Each license includes real-time analytics and reporting, which can be accessed at any time. Here is a brief overview of 6Connex’s virtual experience and platform:
Virtual Experience: (Custom pricing)
Administrative Tools
2. vFairs
vFairs is a virtual event platform that enables organizations to engage audiences online while reducing costs and maximizing reach. Through the vFairs platform, attendees can browse a virtual environment, visit virtual booths, view and download videos, images, and documents, interact with exhibitors through text and video chat, watch webinars, participate in Q&A sessions, and much more. A dedicated event manager is provided to help organizers with every detail. When the virtual event is over, you can access a detailed report to measure results. Learn more about the offered capabilities below:
The Virtual Experience (Custom pricing)
3. Swapcard
Swapcard features an event app, matchmaking AI, and lead capture in one platform. The Swapcard platform uses Artificial Intelligence to help attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors connect with the right people, content, and sessions. With Swapcard, organizers can customize branding, create agendas, track interactions, moderate content and participant access, live stream, access audience response tools, synchronize with over 20 registration platforms (Cvent, Eventbrite, Salesforce, Aventri, to name a few), and much more. A dedicated project manager is also provided to guide organizers before, during, and after the event. Currently, Swapcard is running a special coronavirus discount, which includes 30% off all virtual events. Here is a brief overview of Swapcard’s free and paid features:
Free Networking App
Event App and Matchmaking Powered by AI (Between $0.2 - $1.90 per attendee)
All features included in Free app plus:
3. Exhibitor Services
4. Simulocity SIM-EXPO
Simulocity’s SIM-EXPO is a virtual tradeshow and event platform that creates an interactive attendee experience with a ‘virtual-reality’ feel (minus the headsets). Through the SIM-EXPO platform, organizers have access to virtual exhibitor booths, live events, On-Demand recorded sessions, bookstore, media center, and more. The user interface is custom branded, fully accessible on multiple devices including PC, Mac, and mobile, and provides robust reporting and analytics. More capabilities include:
Virtual Experience (Custom pricing)
5. Whova
The highly interactive and engaging Whova app has been a leader in event software since 2014. Whova has received the Best Event App award four years in a row. This virtual conference app gives event organizers the ability to engage audiences before, after, and during the event through in-app gamification, discussion boards, session feedback, live polls, and more. Within the app, each attendee can create a professional profile and upload virtual business cards, which allows them to virtually socialize, connect, and network with other like-minded guests through in-app icebreaker and chat functions. Organizers can also showcase sponsors and exhibitors through mobile sponsor banners, virtual exhibitor halls, lead retrieving tools, company profiles, exhibitor coupons, and online raffles. Whova directly integrates with live streaming services, including Zoom, Google Hangout, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. More features include:
Whova Event App (Custom pricing)
2021 Additions
6. Bizzabo
Declared the market leader by G2, Bizzabo is an all-in-one virtual, hybrid, and in-person event success platform geared towards event professionals in the small to medium-sized market. Thanks to their constantly evolving software, Bizzabo offers the most advanced tech tools. Their innovative and easy to use platform features a drag and drop editor and embeddable widgets, allowing event organizers to build and host a custom event website without a developer or designer. Through the white label mobile event app, organizers can easily design modern and aesthetically appealing event agendas, showcase event sponsors, send out push notifications with event updates, see what people are saying through the live Twitter feed, encourage attendees to make connections through the interactive networking features, and much more. Here’s a more in-depth look into the many features Bizzabo offers:
Features (Custom Pricing):
7. Hopin
Hopin is a virtual events platform that excels in connecting and engaging with event attendees through its multiple interactive venue areas. Through the virtual venue, attendees are able to move in and out of rooms and encounter different content and connections just as they would at an in-person event. These virtual rooms consist of reception, stage, sessions, networking, and expo areas. Hopin offers four plans starting at different price points. Here’s what you get with each plan:
Starter ($99 per month)
Growth ($799 per month)
Everything Included in Starter plus:
Business (Custom Pricing)
Everything Included in Growth plus:
Enterprise (Quote Pricing)
Everything Included in Business plus:
Essentials (Starting at $25,000)
Expert (Starting at $50,000)
Everything included in Essentials plus:
9.eventScribe Live by Cadmium CD
CadmiumCD's eventScribe Live is made for three types of events. They accommodate hybrid events that have both face-to-face and online components, virtual events that are real-time events hosted entirely online, and digital events that allow attendees to explore recordings and enduring materials on-demand. The majority of the attendee-facing features listed below are available in both app and website formats. The online events platform offers solutions for conference and trade show organizers who want to take their events online. It addresses the following benefits for meeting planners:
Virtual Events Platform (Custom Pricing)
Interactive Webinar:
10. Workcast
Next on the list is Workcast. This cloud-based webinar software allows users to create unique experiences through webinars, webcasts, and virtual events. These virtual experiences offer video embedding, branding capabilities, audience engagement tools (polls, Q&A’s, surveys, and more), integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua and more, real-time analytics, and reporting. Workcast offers three packages as well as a 14-day free trial. These packages include:
Present+ ($145.00 per month)
Producer ($495.00 per month)
All features included in Present+ plan plus:
3. Enterprise (Custom pricing)
All features included in Producer plan plus:
11. Inxpo
Inxpo is a comprehensive live streaming solution for internal and external broadcasts. With Inxpo, you can deliver high-quality live or on-demand video content to your audience in real-time. You can also syndicate your content with one stream to Facebook, YouTube, Roku, and Apple TV devices. A few big name Inxpo clients include Disney, AT&T, Cisco, IBM, and more. Learn more about Inxpo’s capabilities below:
Inxpo Live Streaming (Custom pricing)
12. Engagez
Engagez is a virtual conference software that enables companies to host webinars, live broadcasts, multi-day conferences, virtual events, and online sessions on an all-in-one platform. The platform provides organizers with engaging tools to interact with event attendees, a number of customizable event rooms and embeddable panels, detailed analytics, enterprise level security, and more. Through the Engagez user interface, attendees will experience an entirely virtual event in 2.5D imagery, allowing them to navigate to different on-site locations such as conference and resource centers, exhibit halls, networking lounges, private offices, collaboration rooms, and more just as they would during an in-person event. Unlike most virtual event platforms on the market, Engagez offers a free starter plan. However, this plan only allows for up to 20 attendees. If you are looking to host events with larger audiences, they offer two paid plans with up to 200 attendees. You can also work with the Engagez team to build a custom plan fit for your virtual conference needs. Their three packages include the following features:
Starter (Free)
Pro ($399 per month)
All features included in Starter plan plus:
Enterprise (Custom pricing)
All features included in Pro plan plus:
13. RegFox
With RegFox, you can create and build an event page and register attendees for your livestream or pre-recorded content. The user-friendly registration page builder allows users to capture attendee data, set price points, and offer discounts. Your livestream or pre-recorded video can be custom linked, embedded, or uploaded directly to your custom built event page. You can also include PDFs and other assets for paid guests to securely download. RegFox comes with payment processing built in allowing you to set multiple price tiers and attendee workflows. RegFox is priced at .99 cents per attendee, giving you full control on the size of your attendance. A few of the many more features included with RegFox are:
RegFox Features (.99 cents per attendee)
14. ezTalks Webinar
ezTalks Webinar is an all-in-one webinar solution for live, automated, on-demand, and paid webinar hosting. ezTalks Webinar allows hosts to deliver seamless interactive experiences with HD video/audio and collaborative tools such as polls, surveys, whiteboard drawing, and one-on-one or group chats. Webinars are highly reliable with no data loss and can be hosted or joined from anywhere through web, PC, and mobile. From the webinar waiting and live rooms to the registration and thank you pages, the entire webinar process can be custom branded. Other features include screen sharing, cloud recording and storage, webinar, register, and participant reports, scheduling, YouTube and Facebook live streaming, and much more. ezTalks offers a free starter plan which allows one presenter and up to 25 participants. For more presenters and larger audiences, there are three upgraded paid plans as well. Here is a brief overview of these four offered webinar packages:
Starter (Free)
Standard ($10 per month per host billed annually)
All features included in Starter plan plus:
Pro ($32 per month per host billed annually)
All features included with Standard plus:
Business ($300 per month per host billed annually)
All features included with Standard plus:
2021 Additions
15. Big Marketer
Big Marketer is a browser-based video platform for webinars, summits, and virtual conferences. Rated #1 for its ease of use and popular integrations, Big Marketer is used by major brands including Google, McDonald’s, and Panasonic. Through the platform, event organizers can publish branded and interactive videos, post on-demand and recurring webinars, stream virtual events to Facebook and YouTube, and more. Depending on your needs, Big Marketer offers four plans:
Starter ($79 per month)
Elite ($159 per month)
Everything Included in Starter plus:
Premier ($299 per month)
Everything Included in Elite plus:
White Label (Custom Pricing)
Everything Included in Premier plus:
Lite ($49 per month billed annually)
Standard ($99 per month billed annually)
Everything Included in Lite plus:
Pro ($199 per month billed annually)
Everything Included in Standard plus:
Enterprise ($399 per month billed annually)
Everything Included in Pro plus:
Basic ($29 per month)
Professional ($99 per month)
Everything included in Basic plus:
Business ($299 per month)
Everything included in Professional plus:
For more information on these seventeen virtual event platforms, pricing, and their offered plans and features, you can visit their websites directly or contact their support teams:
As technology advances, virtual and hybrid events are becoming more normalized and accepted by meeting and event professionals around the world. Fortunately, the mentioned virtual event platforms have tools and capabilities that aim to help organizers engage with attendees and make digital events feel as close to in-person events as possible Check out our Tips for Keeping Remote Events Engaging or Engaging Attendees Through Virtual Events blogs for some tips and tricks on Immersive Activities for a Memorable Attendee experience. Whether you’re looking to give your attendees a 3D ‘virtual-reality’ experience or leaning more towards an interactive webinar, there are software solutions on the market for you and your event needs.
Like in-person events, a lot of work goes into planning virtual events. To make remote planning and collaborating easy and effective, check out our recent blog posts:
1. 10 Best Online Collaboration Tools of 2020
2. 10 Best Conference Call Services for 2020