Ever since the pandemic, virtual events have gained a lot of popularity. About 74% of B2B event organisers see a ROI after a virtual event, and the cost of these types of events is typically 75% less than in-person events. Virtual events have evolved into a strategic way for businesses to connect, collaborate and engage with their audience worldwide - cost-effectively. We’ve hosted various virtual events for our clients and our team. This blog will share engaging and captivating virtual event ideas to wow your audience and your teams.  

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Virtual Event Ideas + Tips and Tricks  

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Virtual Round Table Discussions - To Save Busy People's Time ⌚

Executive roundtables are exclusive, small-group discussions where decision-makers and senior leaders gather. They are popular because they offer high-valued networking and strategic idea exchanges. However, bringing people from different countries together at one table can be quite challenging. Hosting a virtual roundtable event can be a great option if your audience is based in several overseas locations.  

Here are some of the reasons why:

• When the event is international, not having delegates commute to the event will save them stress and time.  
• You do not need to worry about venue rental, catering or covering travel expenses; you'll have a productive discussion without the added costs.      
• The best way to increase diversity is to have people join you worldwide.  
• Scheduling becomes more manageable when the location is no longer a problem.      

The best practice is to keep these small and have 8 to 10 prospects at most. You should also consider getting an external moderator for this virtual event idea. Someone experienced and who can ask the right questions while keeping the discussion lively and relevant.

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Industry Discussion Panels - A few Tips to Make Them Enjoyable 🏖️  

In these events several experts gather to talk about a specific topic regarding their industry. Virtual industry discussion panels are appealing to your B2B audience. At events like these, attendees can learn more about the industry and the latest trends. Events like these should be informative and enjoyable at the same time.  

Tips to make your panel stand out:

• Invite industry experts and choose an interesting and relevant topic for your attendees.  
• Invite people of all professional levels to speak (C-suits, tech leads, analysts, managers). The conversation becomes richer, and your audience will hear several other viewpoints.
• Get an experienced moderator who can steer the conversation in the right direction and keep energy levels high

Extra Tip - Break the session into segments (e.g., expert advice, audience Q&A, interactive exercises) to secure a longer attention span.

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Webinars - To Differentiate from Your Competitors 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

Web seminars (aka Webinars) are virtual events in which a speaker or several speakers present valuable information to an audience. Webinars are low-cost and attract professionals of all levels. About 85% of marketers see webinars as an important part of their lead gen strategy, making them one of the best demand gen marketing tools. But how can we make this virtual event idea stand out?  

Here are a few tips:

• The recommended webinar length is 45 min - have a 30-minute presentation and then leave 15 minutes for a Q&A part.  
• Incorporate a fun quiz to create engagement and a friendly competition.  
• Invite an (un) expected guest. Expected to you, of course, not your attendees.  
• Share case studies or personal stories to connect with your attendees. Don't forget to add some humour, but keep things professional.

Extra Tip – Use visuals. Break down your presentation with infographics, animations, and audio clips to keep your attention span. This way, the presentation is memorable even after it has ended.    

📖 Useful read: How to Increase Webinar Attendance Rates?

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Virtual Trade Show - Showcase your Products/Services 💻

Virtual trade shows are similar to in-person trade shows. They occur online and have become a good tool for B2B companies to introduce their products and benefits. With this virtual event idea, you can expand your reach and connect with highly valued decision-makers.  

They’re good because:  

• They offer most of the benefits of in-person trade shows, product showcasing, networking opportunities, and a live demo, but they also add a sense of flexibility.
• Generate some leads and reach a wider audience.
• The cost is lower. No flying out, no hotels to book, no booth shipping logistics.
• You can chat in real-time through live chats, video calls and Q&A sessions. Just like you would at a physical booth.  

Tip - Don't have a static presentation of your products or services. Think outside of the box. Create an interactive experience with live product demos, gamified contests and behind-the-scenes tours. And if you want to, you can personalise the experience for your top decision-makers!

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Lunch Sessions - For a Relaxed Atmosphere ☕  

Lunch sessions are perfect as a virtual event idea. They are an event where participants share lunch using video conference tools. Sessions like these make attendees more open to expressing their ideas and thoughts. An added benefit is that it helps you connect with your attendees on a more personal note.   

How to make them effective and when to host them:    

• Lunch is usually the time when people are free. Host these events around lunchtime.
• After a successful deal or pitch, follow up with your clients during lunch without having them commute. The personal touch will go long in securing a new client.
• A relaxed brainstorming session can benefit both you and the attendees. It can lead to creative ideas and open discussions.    

Extra Tip - Be respectful of your attendees' free time. Buy them lunch vouchers (for example, Uber Eats or DoorDash) so you can showcase how much you value their time and attendance.  

Virtual Event Ideas to Connect with Your Team Members  

Let’s talk about virtual event ideas that go beyond your typical workday meeting. Your team is often overloaded with tasks and can’t wait to finish the day to relax. That’s the truth. It’s 2025. Work is fast-paced, teams are hybrid or remote, and connection has to be intentional. We want to share some tips and tricks to help you connect with your team. These are some of the things that work for our team - and might work for yours, too.  

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Virtual Quizzes During Work Hours - They Are Fun 🎯

These are quick, interactive and fun quizzes which cover multiple topics. Have them during a scheduled break or just in between some downtime to stimulate your teams' brains.

How they work:

• Use platforms like Kahoot, Quizizz, or Slido to create a live trivia-style competition.
• The length of these quizzes should extend to half an hour.  
• It’s always fun to mix in light team-specific topics (for example, "Who owns the most pets?")  
• Track scores and announce a winner, and you can also reward that winner with something small but fun.  

Extra Tip - Pick a weekday when team morale is lower than usual and energy dips (Wednesday or Thursday work best)

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Music Mondays or Feel-Good Fridays – Boost your Team’s Energy 🎧

The team casually shares songs in a themed playlist each week. Use audio platforms like Spotify and YouTube to build these weekly lists together. Make this a tradition. It will help people start and end the workweek on an optimistic note. It can also help you learn more about your team.  

Ways to incorporate them:

• Choose a theme (for example, songs that keep your focus or a Monday mood booster)  
• Everyone adds a song or two of their choice.  
• Play the playlist during virtual check-ins.  

You can share the playlist on your team Slack channel if a virtual check-in doesn't happen that week.

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Virtual Show and Tell – Makes Team Members Feel Seen🎥

This virtual event can be a relaxed, optional virtual event segment during team calls. Everyone shares something personal - pets, favorite plant, favorite mug, a hobby or interest and it can go as far as book and movie recommendations. This virtual event idea builds trust and emotional connection, fostering openness and appreciation of each team member's personality.

When and how to incorporate them:

• Spare 5 to 10 minutes at the start or end of a call.  
• Have one or two team members share something. You can choose them alphabetically, so no one feels skipped or left out.  
• Keep it completely optional.

You can add themes to it if you would like. Pet names, favorite colours, a team member showing their desk set up, or sharing their favorite snacks sitting at their desks.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, these virtual event ideas offer dynamic and cost-effective ways to nurture your connections with audiences and team members. Businesses can maximise their outreach and collaboration efforts using creative and interactive formats such as roundtable discussions, webinars, industry panels, trade shows, and team-building activities. Key benefits include:

• Global reach and diversity  
• Significant cost savings compared to in-person events  
• Improved engagement with audiences through interactive experiences  
• Improvement of team morale due to fun and personal activities  
• Scheduling is no longer a problem via different time zones  

Virtual events are here to stay, even in 2025. MyOutreach is a B2B SaaS lead generation leader that can help you host and boost virtual event attendance.  

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