Since the pandemic, businesses, organizations, and institutions have relegated meetings, events, and conferences to the digital space due to the obligation to comply with health protocols enforced by the government. 

While events in the digital space certainly have their perks, such as being cheaper to organize and more accessible to everyone, there are social aspects that are undeniably missing from online-held events. 

In this article, we’ll be discussing the difference between offline and online events, and where each would have its advantages and perhaps disadvantages. 

Cost

We know that offline events cost more to organize. Offline events require a budget to rent spaces, equipment, catering, and even certain services. Not to mention the budget required to promote the event before it happens. 

Meanwhile, a large chunk of that budget is not required to host offline events, as offline events essentially can be organized with a device and an internet connection. However, it is also true that online events require just as much promotion as their offline counterpart. 

Accessibility

When it comes to accessibility, online events still hold an advantage. In order to attend an online-hosted event, attendees only need their personal devices, an internet connection, and a link. 

Offline events, on the other hand, require the attendees to be there in person, in big cities like Jakarta for instance, this can be a real downside to offline events, as potential attendees would need to travel, sometimes for hours, depending on the traffic, in order to join an event. 

Impact

Impact is where offline events have the upper hand. Whatever message you need to get across, whatever event or product you want to promote, will have more impact if audiences or attendees get to see it or hear it firsthand. 

While a company or institution may still get its message across through online means, the impact is simply lacking when it’s merely seen or heard through a screen. Furthermore, individuals are more likely to get distracted during online events, as they can simply open up another window and divert their attention somewhere else. 

Audience Experience

The experience that will be felt by the audience when participating in the event will also be different. When participating in offline events, the audience can freely get acquainted and network with other audiences. However, when participating in online events, it will be difficult for the audience to get to know each other due to the limitations of the digital platform.

Even so, when participating in online events, the uptake of knowledge that will be received by the audience is easier. This is because the audience can take part in the event wherever the audience feels comfortable.

Those are the main differences, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of offline versus online events. Since the pandemic is technically still ongoing across the globe, it's unlikely we’ll be seeing the end of online events anytime soon. However, at the same time, offline events are also making a comeback as society returns to normalcy.