Recently, the rise in virtual networking for B2B events has proved to increase business revenues. The corporate sector greatly benefits from an online representation of its brand. Most importantly, these virtual meetings, webinars, conferences and workshops encourage global business connections. However, business meetings are at risk with the rise in Omicron variants. Saving the day comes virtual roundtables. Now, organizations can easily host a large number of people at a virtual roundtable meeting to discuss important business ideas. There is a debate as to what are the benefits of virtual roundtables? To begin with, let’s define a virtual roundtable.
Virtual Roundtables – The Online Meetings
Virtual roundtables is an online meeting event with video presentation, training, workshop, or seminar conducted through a virtual events platform. Here, a bunch of industry professionals gather to share and discuss new business ideas and strategies. The panel experts attending the roundtable come from different business backgrounds. So, what is it that makes virtual roundtables a success? Well, it allows discussion of some of the top business trends or ideas with leading industry experts, enables hosting global speakers online, and ensures quick audience interaction through video conferencing and chat options. Some of you must be confused on why there is a need to host virtual roundtables when you can easily host physical meetings and conferences post-pandemic.
Do not get caught up in your thoughts, and check out the following stances on the benefits of virtual roundtables.
Benefits of Virtual Roundtables
Get Top Ideas from a Global Panel
The best thing about virtual roundtables is that it allows global business professionals to gather at a single platform. Here, the abundance of ideas, knowledge and expertise shared is most valuable for business deals. However, a virtual roundtable gathers about 3-5 people on a single table, including a moderator. The restriction of attendees at each table is due to the logistics of engaging each speaker in the discussion.
Moreover, the webinars should be well organized, with time management and technical coordination to provide a remarkable virtual experience to its people. Above all, we prioritize speakers since they belong to higher ranks and take time off of their busy schedules to attend a virtual roundtable meeting.
Now, if you host a large number of people to a single roundtable, it will get tricky to let everyone speak, interact and share their valuable insights. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the panel size small and to engage them efficiently throughout the discussion.
For instance, at most 3-5 people go best at a single roundtable discussion. Most importantly, roundtable discussions help derive the top ideas from a global pool of panels. They have some groundbreaking ideas and approaches to help each other grow in times like Covid 19. Rightly so, there are a number of benefits the audience gets out of a virtual panel roundtable meeting.
- Offer different perspectives
- Provide quality information
- Engages audiences
- Helps reach conclusions
- Ensures implementation of ideas
- Supports through business projects
Start Detailed Discussion on Varied Topics
When hosting a webinar through virtual roundtables, one topic of discussion sparks audience interest. Attendees thoroughly participate in the discussion and honor the chairs with their valuable ideas. On the top, a virtual roundtable allows discussing subtopics ahead of one main topic.
The panel and the moderators ignite a successful discussion over varied sub-topics and encourage participation from all the table members. Be it audio or video chat features; an attendee joins in the roundtable discussion and shares ideas throughout the virtual roundtable.
Let’s consider; your meeting is set for a 1-hour duration. Now, to begin with, you pick the major topic and spark a discussion among the panel. Then, going further, you can schedule the sub-topic discussion for around 15-20 minutes each. This allows you to cover a number of topics within a single virtual conference. Surprisingly, it helps save time and resources not just for you but for industry peers who reside at the far ends of the world.
To spice up the discussions, moderators can schedule some time off for people to discuss the ideas. As a result, they shall come to a conclusion and then share their opinion and thoughts with everyone present. That is how businesses can make their official discussions interesting and fruitful.
Just to be sure, formal feedback from the audience is extracted by the end of the discussion. In fact, the feedback from one virtual roundtable discussion helps build the basis for another. It aids in the continuity of best practices and the discontinuation of ineffective ones.
Provide Equal Chances to Share Opinions
History suggests the idea of a roundtable discussion posits that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion. According to King Arthur, when the advisors gathered at the round table discussions to present their ideas, everyone got the turn to present. To illustrate, roundtables do not discriminate between the participants; each opinion has the same worth.
Similarly, the above-mentioned reference stresses the idea that everyone has an equal chance to present valuable opinions at a virtual roundtable. Here, the moderator plays his part by sparking a conversation, and the chairs take it forward.
When there are no specified leaders, the participants will take this as an opportunity to engage in a fruitful discussion and present their best to reach a conclusion. In contrast, in case there is a leader at the table, it might discourage some individuals from voicing their opinions. Would you want that for your virtual roundtable discussion? Of course not!
Establish Active Listening and Engagement Opportunities
Virtual roundtables offer a wide range of benefits. For instance, when hosting a small number of panel members, the roundtable encourages active listening and engagement among participants.
In intimate gatherings, roundtables allow each member to present and have listeners’ attention. Each individual takes turns in speaking and enjoys a healthy discussion. Particularly, when the individuals engage in sub-topic discussions, present arguments, alternate viewpoints and disagreeing beliefs, the entire panel learns to listen actively, prospect and then respond.
At the top, hosting a virtual roundtable over a virtual event platform facilitates people with advanced engagement opportunities. For example, the panel can engage individuals in discussions and carry out a Q&A session. The number of engagement opportunities virtual roundtables present is:
- Live chat option
- Private or group chat
- Meeting scheduling option
- Breakout rooms
- User profile matchmaking
- Live Q&A sessions
- Live polling
Once the audience engages in a formal yet valuable discussion, moderators hold the right to give direction to further debate.
Use Time and Cost-Effective Approach
Lanseria, a virtual events platform, allows businesses to organize virtual roundtable meetings in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. With senior executives gathered online, their travelling, accommodation, and food expenses are minimized. Also, these chairs attend the session for an hour or so and get back to their routines. They get to save a lot of time and resources through these virtual meetings and conferences.
In Conclusion
Roundtable discussions and meetings have always existed and dominated the business industry. However, now these roundtables are conducted virtually. So, now you know the benefits of virtual roundtables for businesses worldwide. Forget about the hassle of gathering people at a physical roundtable event and encourage discussions through virtual roundtable meetings.VirtualDays allows businesses to host global professionals at virtual roundtables at any time. So, get started today and begin networking beyrouond borders!
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