When it comes to virtual events, I’ve become something of a frequent flier. In the last year, I’ve zoomed (and sometimes Zoomed) to exotic online destinations, including CES, Impressions Connect and our own ASI Digital Expo. I’ve also raised my emoji hand at a virtual journalism conference, snacked on popcorn while watching a pre-recorded awards ceremony (We won, by the way!) and conducted a session at last year’s virtual ASI Power Summit.

And even though none of those esteemed events required me to leave the comfort of my overstuffed armchair (er, home office), I’m exhausted. As a card-carrying introvert, you’d think I’d be thrilled to have the option to stay home, but even I can tell there’s something missing from virtual events – and it’s not just the jet lag and lukewarm hors d’oeuvres.

Those elements of serendipity, discovery and human connection that mark the best events have been difficult to replicate in a virtual forum, and maybe it’s not even worth trying to do so. Instead, organizers should perhaps lean into the ways that virtual events outperform their in-person counterparts.

The Cons

So, let’s start by looking at some of the ways that virtual conferences and trade shows can tweak their performance and platforms to be more engaging and user-friendly.

The booth experience is often lacking. Several of the online shows I’ve attended didn’t have real people staffing their virtual booths. There are photos, flyers, videos and perhaps a button to schedule an appointment via email or messaging, but how different is that than looking the company up online and clicking the “contact us” button on their site? When there’s a live element at a booth, you often get the feeling you’re invading someone else’s private Zoom meeting. It’s a tough needle to thread.

The sense of exploration and discovery is missing. Part of the fun of going to a show like CES, at least for a journalist like me, is roaming up and down the aisles of Eureka Park, where all the tech startups exhibit, and letting quirky, unusual and interesting products catch my eye. That simply wasn’t a possibility at this year’s show. The virtual booths were listed alphabetically, displaying just their name and logo in a grid. You had to click through the 2,000 or so listings to find out what the company was all about. It was cumbersome, to say the least.

It's hard to disconnect from everyday life. When I’m at a live conference or trade show, I feel like I’m in an alternate, if temporary, world. The regular rules of life are suspended. I’m not saying that “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” or anything like that, but when you’ve spent the time and money to travel to an event, it’s easy to immerse yourself fully into the experience. At virtual trade shows, I find it challenging to stay focused. I still have my regular workflow to keep up with, not to mention household obligations like taking the dog out, helping my kid with online school and planning dinner for the evening. Focusing my full attention on the virtual show can be tough when there are so many other distractions surrounding me.

When it comes to virtual events, we’re still at the beginning of the learning curve, and though there’s been a lot of improvement since the first online show I attended, there’s still a long way to go.

Product demos are a challenge. A virtual venue is simply not the ideal place for checking out new products and equipment. How can you tell how soft a supplier’s new shirt really is or get a feel for how the latest state-of-the-art decorating equipment works without your own two hands? How can you determine whether a tech company’s smart ring or voice-activated robot really does what they say it will without trying it out in real time? Videos and livestreams only go so far, and not all samples can be drop-shipped to your home.

Networking is stilted and forced. Part of the fun – and professional benefit – of going to a trade show or conference is the chance to connect with your peers, perhaps forging new professional and personal relationships in the process. Things like live chats and speed video networking during designated times are a pretty good compromise, but still lacking compared to swapping war stories over martinis or borrowing a pen from the person sitting next to you at a conference session.

The Pros

Despite the negatives, I think there are actually a few areas where virtual events shine.

Everyone gets a front-row seat. No need to worry about being seated behind a tall person wearing a hat during an education session or being stuck at the back of a packed auditorium for the keynote. Thanks to virtual events, I’ve been mere inches away from personalities like Katie Couric and had the opportunity to ask questions directly to tech gurus, business coaches and other professionals. What I’m saying is that I’m basically a VVIP – virtual very important person.

The slides are already downloaded. There’s nothing worse than attending a fascinating conference session and either scrambling to take photos of the slides as they pop up on the projector or hunting down the link to the presentation afterward with no luck. At virtual events, the process of sharing links, documents and other information with attendees is almost frictionless.

The travel time is sublime. You don’t have to book a subpar room at an overpriced hotel or endure the red-eye flight next to random weirdos chowing down on fragrant foodstuffs, hogging the armrest or expounding on the unique genius that is the band Phish. You don’t need to navigate bizarre cabbies and hostile rideshare drivers. Instead, your commute is only as far as your bed to your computer, and if you want to rock out in your sweats, who cares? Just keep your video off and relax! You can also ignore that well-worn trade show advice to wear comfortable shoes, since you won’t be clocking 20,000 steps a day walking aisle after aisle.

Attendance is democratized. With travel, food and lodging expenses out of the picture, the barrier to entry is much lower, so employees at all experience levels have an opportunity to attend. Virtual trade shows can also be a low-pressure way for a prospective entrepreneur to explore an industry they’re considering entering.

You can work at your own pace. Many virtual conferences spread their programming over a longer period of time than their in-person counterparts, lasting a week rather than two or three days. Plus, organizers will often keep their content online for weeks or even months after the show officially ends, giving you the chance to catch up on sessions you missed the first time around.

When it comes to virtual events, we’re still at the beginning of the learning curve, and though there’s been a lot of improvement since the first online show I attended, there’s still a long way to go. I’m not sure that virtual shows will ever fully match the experience of a live show; instead, organizers should explore creative ways to take advantage of the places where technology excels: the ability to connect a diverse group of people around the world and to disseminate information in novel ways. Perhaps that means incorporating interactive graphics, live polling and video game-like experiences – the kinds of click-friendly, data-rich ideas that work best on a screen. Perhaps it means building more ways for attendees to formally interact, whether via video or chat, into the programming.

Like so many people, I’m looking forward to a time when I can travel and safely gather en masse with my peers again, but I’m trying to make the most of these new opportunities online as well. And I don’t think we should abandon all the things we’ve learned about online events once COVID is in the rearview mirror. Let’s look for ways to incorporate virtual elements into in-person shows, perhaps creating hybrid events so that more people can attend and benefit from the format that works best for them.