A Guide to the Best Virtual Conference Platform for Educational Events (AI-Powered, 2024)

May 7, 2024

On the hunt for a straightforward virtual conference platform that won’t let you down? Look no further. This complete guide evaluates key players, unpacks essential features, and demystifies pricing.

In this article

On the hunt for a virtual conference platform that’s straightforward and won’t let you down?

Look no further. This complete guide evaluates key players, unpacks essential features, and demystifies pricing. Whether your event is for a dozen participants or thousands, you’ll finish this read with a go-to platform in mind, prepared to host an engaging and successful virtual conference.

What we will explore together:

An effective virtual conference platform involves streamlining operations and tracking event success. Tools like automation, bulk messaging, AI-assisted member management, and advanced analytics can optimize operations and provide valuable metrics for evaluating event success.
Disco emerged as the best choice for virtual conferencing in 2024, providing an all-in-one platform with powerful features that streamline operations, enhance attendee engagement, and provide valuable insights for future event planning.
Enhancing interactivity and replicating in-person experiences are central to engaging attendees in virtual events. Features such as live polling, Q&A sessions, networking opportunities, and immersive environments play a crucial role.

Expert Advice to Choose the Best Platform for Your Online Events

The success of a virtual conference largely hinges on the choice of platform. The best virtual conference platforms are those that offer a seamless, user-friendly experience for both event organizers and participants. They must be able to handle a multitude of tasks, including:

Video conferencing
Screen sharing
Creating engaging events
Managing large-scale conferences

Selecting a virtual event platform that aligns with your event needs is crucial, as it significantly influences attendee engagement. Whether you’re planning intimate virtual roundtables or large-scale online conferences, the right platform can make your event a success.

Identifying Your Event Needs

Identifying your event needs is the initial step towards selecting a suitable virtual conference platform. Are you planning a large-scale conference or an intimate roundtable discussion? The size of your audience can greatly influence your platform choice. For instance, a platform that can accommodate 8 to 10 participants may be ideal for roundtable discussions. However, for larger events, you’ll need platforms capable of supporting up to 200,000 people.

Apart from audience size, there are other specific event requirements to consider. These could include:

Networking capabilities
Audience segmentation
The use of pre-recorded material
Real-time analytics

Identifying these needs will ensure you select a platform that can create engaging events and keep your attendees informed and connected.

Key features to consider when selecting a virtual conference platform

As you evaluate virtual conference platforms for your educational events, consider these enhanced features for an optimal online learning environment:

AI-Powered Efficiency: Look for platforms that offer AI assistance to speed up event management tasks, such as duplicating events and setting up recurring sessions, to save time and effort.
Hybrid Event Support: Ensure the platform can handle both online and in-person events (IRL), providing flexibility to accommodate different types of learning experiences.
Engagement Tools: Seek interactive options like polls, Q&A, live chats, and surveys to keep participants active and engaged during sessions.
Feedback Mechanisms: A built-in feedback form is crucial for gathering attendee insights and improving future events.
Mobile Friendliness: Mobile accessibility is key for attendees to connect to events on the go using their smartphones.
High-Quality Video: HD video capability is essential for delivering clear and professional-looking presentations.
Community Building: Platforms with community tools like forums and group discussions can foster a sense of belonging and ongoing engagement among participants.

Use Cases to Create Engaging Events with Cutting-edge Technology

Cutting-edge technology has simplified the process of creating engaging and interactive virtual events. Today’s technology can help replicate the experience of in-person events, making attendees feel like they’re part of an immersive, interactive experience, even when they’re miles away from each other.

Cutting-edge technology for virtual events

From virtual reality and live streaming to contactless check-in, these technologies are revolutionizing the way we host and attend virtual events. They’re making it possible for us to connect in ways we never thought possible, regardless of our physical location.

Among all virtual event platforms out there, the best example of a modern tool is Disco, a virtual conference software and a powerful LMS where you can host educational events, including online events and physical event experiences, through digital events in the digital space inside the platform integrated into your courses to make interactive learning experiences.

Let's take a look at how you can use Disco to engage your participants without stressing yourself in hosting and organizing several events all at once.

1. Enjoy an easy-to-navigate interface and highly customizable event creation tool.

With Disco, you can host and organize both community and product events! Community events are mostly created for community-led learning activities, workshops, and webinars; while product events are for customer training, tutorials, and educational events. Try to create your first event and see the power of the Disco event tool in creating much more engaging learners:

Head over to the 'Events' section and click on the "+Add Event" button located at the top right corner of the page. Please make sure you have a Disco account.

Enter all the relevant details for your event, such as the title, scheduled date, and time. If your event is going to repeat, set the necessary recurrence options. If you want to connect the event to specific products, use the "Link to Product" feature.

Next, choose where your event will take place:

For a virtual event using Zoom, select the Zoom option and connect your Zoom account.

If you're using a different online platform (e.g., Google Meet, Whereby), pick the custom link option and insert the event's URL.
For an event happening in a physical location, choose the in-person option and fill in the event's address.

And then determine who can access your event to target the appropriate audience. When all the details are in place, save your work as a Draft if you need to make further edits. Once everything is set, hit Publish to share your event with the intended audience.

📺 Watch this tutorial for visual guidance:

2. Use Disco AI and automation features to create your educational events 10x faster.

You're behind if you're not using AI in your event creation process. With Disco, you can ask Disco AI to write the event brief for you, leaving your attendees a much more engaged description of your events. You can also duplicate and create recurring events inside the Disco platform, making sure it only takes you minutes to set up your event.

Just go to the Events section and click the “Add Event” button at the top. Enter the event's name, description, date, and time. Choose “Recurring Event” or any type of event depending on your preference.

For recurring events: set the starting date and time for the event. Select how often it recurs: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom. Specify an end date or several occurrences for the event. Then choose an event location (can be Zoom, custom link, or in-person), then determine who can access the event (members/private/public).

After that, save your event as a Draft if you need to make more edits, or Publish it to make it live for the intended audience.

📺 Watch this short tutorial to master the process:

The next stage is to write a brief event description. Use Disco AI if you cannot think of a brief description by typing "/ai" into the blank field. Choose "Write with AI", type in a prompt and add a reference link. Let AI write the content for you and keep you chill for seconds.

Want to send a message to those who attend your event? Automate it.

To set up a custom automation for your community, start by clicking on the 'Admin Area' in the sidebar. Navigate to the 'Automation' section. Instead of using pre-existing templates, you'll want to create a new automation by clicking the button at the top of the page.

For instance, if you want to track certain keywords in user bios to understand what members enjoy about the community, you'll need to set a trigger. A trigger is what initiates the automation process, such as when someone joins an event or completes a module.

In this example, the trigger will be set for when members attend a virtual event. The next step is to add an action, which could be sending an email or message. You can also use one of the more advanced features--the conditional branch, essentially an 'if-then' statement.

For this example, we will only send an email message. Write your message by yourself or you can ask Disco AI again to write it for you. Just type in "/ai" to access the AI tool.

This is just one way to utilize automation to streamline community engagement, whether it's for sending emails, direct messaging, or grouping members based on interests. Experiment with the various options to find what works best for your community.

If you want to see how the conditional branches work, here's a visual guidance:

3. Improve your educational events with a built-in feedback form and advanced reporting tool.

Once your event has concluded, you can collect valuable feedback from participants. To do this, navigate to your event page, click on the event, and access the settings. Here, you will find the option to add a feedback form.

You can take a look at the feedback form by clicking 'Preview'. This form enables members to rate the instructors, the video quality, and the overall content, as well as provide additional comments.

All the submitted feedback will be available under the 'Feedback' tab on your event page. To share the feedback form with participants, locate the dropdown menu and select 'Copy Feedback Link'. Please note that this option activates one hour before the event starts and remains available up to 48 hours after the event's conclusion.

📺 Watch this tutorial to master the process:

4. Make your events super accessible, anytime and anywhere with a mobile app

Disco's mobile app revolutionizes the learning experience by offering users the ability to engage with educational events on the go. It ensures that learners never miss a beat with push notifications for upcoming events and easy access to live sessions directly from their smartphones.

This level of convenience leads to increased event engagement and higher completion rates, as learners can seamlessly integrate education into their daily routines. The app's user-friendly interface and the flexibility it offers make it an invaluable tool for anyone looking to learn without boundaries.

The mobile app is not just about accessibility; it's about providing a consistent and connected learning environment outside the traditional classroom or desktop setting.

Download Disco's app on iOS and Android to increase your completion rates, learner engagement, and accessibility.

5. Create a social learning environment perfectly by integrating your learning events into your learning programs.

To add a social dimension to your course by incorporating events, start by selecting your course, such as "Mastering Zoom," where you'll find your current apps. To add the event functionality, click on the "+" icon, choose "Add App," and select "Events" from the list.

This will allow you to add events to your course. Next, click "Add Event," name your event (e.g., "Kick-Off"), and set a future date and time. You have the option to use the built-in Zoom integration, link to a third-party tool, or set the event as in-person.

Decide who should have access to your event: make it public, limit it to specific subgroups, or open it to all course participants. Save your progress with "Save Draft," where you can also add a description or modify the date and time.

Once everything is set, hit "Publish" to make the event live. You can then share the event with all course registrants, ensuring it appears in their calendars and they receive an email invitation. This step is crucial as it helps in tracking attendance.

📺 For more guidance, watch this video tutorial:

As we wrap up this section, remember that choosing the right virtual conference platform can transform your educational event into an immersive and memorable experience. Select wisely to ensure your event not only meets but exceeds the expectations of every participant. Here's a comprehensive list of the best virtual conference platforms for 2024!

10 Best Virtual Conference Platforms for 2024 (Free/Paid)

#1. DISCO - The Most Customizable, AI-Powered Virtual Conferencing Platform Perfect for Online Workshops, Live Classrooms, Webinars, and Coaching Sessions

Disco's virtual conferencing and online event tool stands as the #1 platform for community-based learning, integrating educational events directly into your online courses. It's the go-to solution for organizations aiming to enhance skills, empower customers and partners, and facilitate cohort training and accelerator programs.

With its AI-powered capabilities, Disco makes learning a collective, engaging, and seamless experience, bolstered by an advanced event management tool that simplifies operations.

Backed by GSV, a leading edtech investor, and crowned as Fast Company’s Most Innovative Edtech of the Year as well as Edtech Breakthrough’s Startup of the Year, Disco has earned a good reputation in the industry. Its client roster boasts names like the Toronto Board of Trade, Kaplan, Coursehero, MonitorDeloitte, XPrize, and Baptist Health, showcasing its widespread adoption and versatility.

At the heart of Disco's offering is the ability to create, manage, and host live events with ease, fostering real-time interaction, networking, and engagement. It's not just about setting up and going live; it's about creating an interconnected learning ecosystem that's both engaging and efficient.

Read feedback from our real users, and how Disco helped them to manage and scale their virtual academies:

"Disco has been extremely easy to navigate and build out. Every feature we could want has already been thought about, from scheduling recurring events for specific members only to the tracking and analytics of students' engagement with the curriculum. We have been extremely impressed with the ability to customize the look and feel of the platform to our brand and give our students a unique high quality experience that still feels like it is in Gigantic's ecosystem." - Gigantic

“One of the most important features is that we could build our entire infrastructure within Disco. We do not have to attach any documents, we do not have to explain where to find something, and we can really build and display the entire curriculum. So participants do not have to wait for the next email in order to know how to prepare, they can download their events, they can RSVP, and tell us when they will be able to join and when they won't. But being able to upload files, and display a curriculum—this is something that we couldn't do before. This significantly improves the customer journey or the participant's experience.” - Agile Academy

💡Sign up with a free trial account to start hosting your events inside the Disco platform!

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#2. Zoom - Free for Limited Features

Zoom is a leading video conferencing platform that has become synonymous with virtual meetings and webinars. It provides a seamless, intuitive, and high-quality platform for online communication, enabling users to host and join meetings, share their screens, and collaborate with others from anywhere in the world.

Whether it's a small team meeting or a large-scale virtual conference, Zoom's robust capabilities ensure smooth and effective communication.