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Glossary of Event Terms & Frequently Asked Questions

As the event experts, we've collected a wealth of questions and event terminology here to help everyone from fledging event producers to event industry veterans speak confidently and expand their knowledge around all things corporate events.

Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Virtual Event?

A virtual event is a formally organized event that is held online rather than at an in-person venue. Enterprise virtual events are often hosted on bespoke software platforms that can meet their security and compliance requirements. 

A hybrid event combines an in-person experience with a virtual audience that attend online at the same time. Hybrid events use secure event technology to connect both audiences through live streaming and interactive engagement tools.  

A webcast is a one-to-many style online broadcast that enables a single content stream to be seen by a wide audience simultaneously. Webcasts usually focus on one way communication, though enterprise webcasting platforms often feature integrated engagement tools for audience participation. 

An Operator Assisted Conference Call is a managed conferencing service where live operators help to initiate, monitor, and manage conference calls on behalf of an organization.  

Improving event programming starts with understanding your audience’s goals and delivering content that feels relevant, concise, and interactive. Best practice suggests mixing keynote sessions with live Q&A, panel discussions, engagement opportunities, and on-demand content to maintain engagement throughout the event. 

The most engaging virtual events prioritize interaction over passive viewing. Features like live polling, moderated Q&A and chat, polls, surveys, and personalized content recommendations help attendees stay involved and engaged throughout their event experience. Sorter sessions, strong presenters, and high production quality can also play major roles in keeping virtual audiences engaged.  

Virtual events and webcasts provide a platform for scalable, secure, leadership-led communications that can build trust and promote reassurance during times of change or crisis.

Yes. Video helps investor relations events to feel more transparent, engaging, and professional while improving message retention and audience trust. High-quality, branded webcasts enhance credibility while allowing executives to communicate tone, confidence, and authenticity more effectively than through audio or slides alone.

Hybrid events can increase reach, improve accessibility, extend event lifespan through on-demand content, providing event organizers with richer engagement data. They allow organizations to connect with global audiences while maintaining the impact of in-person interaction.

No. Hybrid events often improve ROI by expanding audience reach while reducing travel and venue costs. They also create additional opportunities for content reuse, on-demand engagement, and year-round lead generation. With the right platform and analytics hybrid events can deliver increased ROI across both in person and virtual audiences.  

Hybrid events reduce the environmental impact associated with travel, venue usage, printed materials, and onsite resource consumption. By allowing part of the audience to attend virtually, organizations can significantly lower carbon emissions while still maintaining live event engagement and global accessibility. 

To determine event success, tracked event metrics should be aligned with broader business goals. Common KPIs to track include registration numbers, attendance rates, audience engagement, and content consumption. By using a platform with integrated data tracking and analytics as standard, event organizers can track audience behavior, lead generation, and post-event follow ups more easily to determine event success and log areas for improvement in future events.   

Accessibility is important as it helps ensure that all attendees can participate fully, including those with disabilities, non-native speakers, and attendees in loud environments. It also improves engagement and supports compliance requirements.

Yes, webinars and webcasts are some of the most effective tools for B2B inbound lead generation. They combine education with engagement, allowing businesses to capture high-intent leads through registration data, attendee behavior, and post-event interaction. They also provide valuable first-party data that can be used for follow-up marketing and sales outreach.

Yes. When delivered via an enterprise platform like GlobalMeet that supports access controls, audit trails, and secure archiving, webcasts can align with core regulations.  

Glossary of Event Terms

Webcast

A one-to-many style broadcast over the internet. Usually for large groups.

A form of two way communication used to share information over the internet. Usually for smaller groups.

A business telephone call with multiple participants on the same line.

Event content that is made available on the internet to be accessed whenever it is required.

A simulated live event broadcast that is recorded in advance but released on a set date and time and treated as though live.

A measurement of interest for event audiences, usually tracked through features such as polls, question and answer opportunities, and surveys.

An event where a company’s leaders report on financials for a set period to stakeholders and analysts.

A comprehensive day event where an organization’s leaders present strategic updates, roadmaps, and targets to stakeholders and analysts. 

A company wide internal meeting where leaders communicate ongoing plans, progress, and strategy to employees. 

An event held at the start of a financial period that is designed to prepare sales teams for that period with training and an update on strategy and goals. 

A business to business event where organizations present on their products and services to other businesses and the media. 

The practice of building professional relationships with other industry professionals for the purpose of information and resource sharing.

An engagement strategy in virtual and hybrid events that encourages participation by making event elements feel more like a game. 

Short for Question and Answer Session. This is a popular method to increase engagement events by allowing the audience to ask questions of speakers directly. 

The central presentation of an event, usually delivered by an industry leader, or other notable parties who event attendees would be specifically interested to hear from.