In today's dynamic business landscape, agility and adaptability are paramount. Virtual events have become indispensable to shaping communication and sales strategies, especially for companies looking to both enhance their business opportunities worldwide and act more consciously about their carbon footprint. 

Virtual events have evolved from temporary fixes to a permanent fixture in the business calendar. Forrester research has found that only 11% of event professionals don’t host their events online.

This is because they offer unparalleled opportunities for engaging colleagues and customers alike, regardless of geographical boundaries. Global connectivity creates more business opportunities worldwide, so virtual events are a crucial tool for businesses intending to grow.

Virtual events offer excellent return on investment as they are more cost effective to produce, and they can reach a larger audience. The video-based nature of virtual events means their content can be reused and repurposed for new people and campaigns.

According to Forrester research, “virtual events are arguably one of your best sources of zero and first-party data. […] 95% of B2B buyers say they’d be happy to submit personal data when registering for an event. First-party data is vital for modern businesses. It empowers them with direct, reliable insights to drive personalized marketing, stronger customer relationships, and smarter decision-making".

Customers are increasingly demonstrating that they’re willing to vote with their feet if they feel the businesses they interact with aren’t operating in a sustainable way. With increased pressure on organisations to take a greater focus on sustainability, the benefits of being able to offer virtual events to complement or in place of in-person ones become clear. By using virtual meeting and collaboration tools, organisations can reduce carbon footprint from travel emissions.

The Kaltura platform sits at the heart of the virtual events revolution. It is a comprehensive solution designed to empower businesses with the tools they need to succeed in the digital realm.

From on-demand streaming which allows users to view content anytime, anywhere to inclusive accessibility features like subtitles in multiple languages, including British Sign Language, Kaltura offers a suite of functionalities tailored to enhance the virtual events experience.

Kaltura has one of the market-leading white-label interfaces and deep customisation features to help the customer create unique virtual events that keep their brand centre-stage and deliver their audience an immersive brand experience they won’t forget.

It also integrates with social media apps, marketing CRM systems, learning management systems (LMS), and video conferencing solutions. This gives your business the edge it needs to succeed.

With Kaltura, businesses can consolidate their event management efforts into a single, user-friendly platform that’s full of lean-forward viewing experience features such as polls, questions, and gamification.

So, if you’re hosting live webinars, broadcasting leadership town halls, or curating on-demand content, Kaltura provides the flexibility to adapt to diverse event requirements. Kaltura’s scalability is also key. The platform can host events of all sizes, whether it be in the hundreds or the thousands of attendees.

Moreover, Kaltura makes use of artificial intelligence to support event quality. AI on the platform provides hosts with real-time analysis of how content is performing and makes recommendations on how to improve event engagement on the fly.

And once the event is over, you’ll receive insights through reporting and data, which lets you take actions away from your event about what resonated with your audience and how you can improve elements next time.

BT’s collaboration with Kaltura represents a coming together of expertise, innovation, and global reach. With our extensive network infrastructure and Kaltura's cutting-edge technology, businesses gain access to a powerful ecosystem that unlocks new possibilities.

We’re a global leader in managed network IT services, ensuring strong connectivity and reliability for virtual events of any scale. Plus, our connectivity enhances your network’s performance and efficiency due to lower electricity consumption, resulting in reduced Scope 3 emissions. So, when you’re running your applications over our network, you’re on the road to accelerating your net zero targets.

A common problem organisations face when running digital events is that many people join the same event at the same time. This can lead to network capacity being exceeded, and event experience suffering. That won’t be a problem if you work with BT.

We leverage innovative technologies such as Kollective Enterprise Content Delivery Network (ECDN) solutions to address network capacity issues. This solution optimises network consumption, ensuring a seamless user experience, even during peak traffic periods.

And if you’re struggling to find the people or resources to run your virtual events – don’t worry. From planning and production to post-event analysis, we offer end-to-end support to streamline the virtual events journey, allowing you to focus on delivering your message effectively.

By embracing the BT-Kaltura partnership, businesses can unlock the full potential of virtual events, driving engagement, fostering collaboration, and achieving their strategic objectives in the digital age.

To find out more, please contact a BT Sales Specialist.