The benefits of virtual conferences for associations have become undeniable in 2025. Membership organizations are increasingly turning to virtual events to enhance member engagement, expand their reach, and reduce event costs.
In fact, 62% of organizations worldwide have now adopted virtual event technology, recognizing the value it brings in terms of flexibility, accessibility, and overall event success.
If you haven’t yet, you’re missing out. In this article, we’ll share the top seven benefits of hosting a virtual conference in your association.
At Glue Up, we offer all-in-one event management software that combines CRM, finance, marketing campaigns, and more—all in one place. Hence, the benefits of virtual conferences get amplified when everything is seamlessly integrated, making it easier for you to manage every aspect of your event, from registration to post-event follow-ups.
Key Takeaways
Virtual events increase attendance by offering flexibility and removing logistical barriers, making it easier for members to participate from anywhere in the world.
Virtual conferences eliminate venue, travel, and accommodation expenses, freeing up resources for content development, member engagement, and future event growth.
Use features like speed networking, direct messaging, and matchmaking to foster meaningful connections, allowing members to network efficiently, regardless of time zones.
Virtual platforms provide real-time analytics and engagement scores, helping associations refine strategies, understand member preferences, and improve future events.
Manage events, member data, finances, and communications seamlessly with an all-in-one solution like Glue Up, ensuring efficiency and smooth event execution.
What is a Virtual Conference?
In 2025, no one is a stranger to virtual conferences. These events are hosted entirely online, allowing participants to join from anywhere in the world. They typically feature live or recorded sessions, interactive discussions, and networking—all facilitated through digital platforms.
In the membership space, virtual conferences go beyond just connecting members. They offer a scalable, cost-effective way for associations to engage their communities, share valuable content, and strengthen relationships, all while simplifying the event planning process.
Here are examples of virtual conferences tailored for associations:
Annual General Meetings (AGMs): Engage members with real-time voting, presentations, and Q&A sessions, all delivered virtually for broader participation.
Industry-specific Webinars: Host virtual conferences focused on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in your association’s field, from legal updates to new technologies.
Membership Recruitment Events: Use virtual platforms to introduce your association to potential members, providing them with insights on your mission, benefits, and opportunities to get involved.
Regional Networking Events: Host virtual meetups for members in different regions, ensuring that local groups stay connected without the need for travel.
Educational Conferences: Deliver professional development opportunities by hosting workshops and seminars on topics relevant to your industry or community.
The Benefits of Virtual Conferences for Associations - Engagement, Cost Savings, and More
If you're an association leader looking to enhance your event strategy and provide more value to your members, embracing a virtual model is a smart move. Let’s dive into the top seven benefits of virtual conferences for associations:
Increases Attendee Count
Virtual events naturally attract a larger audience. According to Electric IQ, attendance rates for virtual conferences and events are 62% on average. In contrast, in-person events often see a much lower attendance rate, with many physical conferences only attracting less than 50% of registered attendees.
We live in a digital-first world, where physical barriers are no longer a limitation. Virtual conferences offer the ability to reach anyone, anywhere, and they come with the added benefits of on-demand access to materials and content. No longer are you confined by the physical location of your venue or the restrictions on attendee travel.
By hosting virtual conferences, you can significantly increase participation and engagement, making your events accessible to a global audience, all while offering a seamless experience for your members. However, while virtual events naturally boost attendance, the key challenge is still keeping those attendees engaged.
That’s where Glue Up comes in. Whether you’re hosting online or offline events, you can:
Create branded, personalized event pages that attract and engage attendees right from the start.
Keep your audience engaged by encouraging participation through live polls and interactive Q&A sessions.
Enable meaningful one-on-one and group interactions, connecting attendees and speakers effortlessly.
Monitor real-time data on attendee participation and session engagement to refine future events.
Provide attendees with the flexibility to access event materials and sessions anytime
Ready to try it out? Schedule a live walkthrough and see these features in action.
Saves Time
According to an industry report, traditional association event planning can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months on average. The process often involves managing multiple moving parts, such as logistics, registrations, travel arrangements, and venue coordination, which can be incredibly time-consuming and overwhelming for your team.
With virtual conferences, you can drastically reduce that planning time. No travel, venue setup, or accommodation logistics are required, allowing your team to save valuable hours. This means you can focus more on creating high-impact content and engaging with your members, rather than getting bogged down by logistics. For your members, virtual conferences also eliminate the need for travel, making it easier for them to participate without taking time away from their daily commitments.
And with Glue Up’s automated tools for registration, reminders, and post-event follow-ups, you’ll streamline the entire process, saving time for both your team and attendees, and allowing you to focus on what truly matters.
Helps You Expand Globally
Did you know 61% of associations anticipate an increase in net membership count in 2025? As associations expand globally, managing multiple chapters with their own member bases, workflows, and event schedules becomes increasingly complex. Hence, coordinating in-person events across different regions can lead to logistical challenges, inconsistent member experiences, and resource strain.
In this interconnected era, virtual conferences offer a streamlined solution by offering a streamlined solution for associations managing multiple chapters. You can consolidate event schedules across chapters to synchronize sessions and ensure consistent content delivery. Moreover, you can maintain cohesion, reduce operational complexities, and enhance member engagement on a global scale.
At Glue Up, our all-in-one platform supports multi-chapter management, offering tools for unified communication, event coordination, and member engagement. Whether you're managing chapters in different time zones or coordinating global events, our multi-chapter management software ensures seamless integration and efficiency.
Running multiple chapters and need a better way to manage events? Get in touch with Glue Up today!
Offers More Networking Opportunities
One of the standout benefits of virtual conferences is the ability to offer more networking opportunities than traditional in-person events. Virtual platforms eliminate logistical constraints, allowing participants to connect seamlessly and engage with a global audience. However, despite the obvious benefits, 68.8% of event marketers identify networking as the biggest challenge when hosting virtual events.
Challenges like lack of spontaneous interactions, difficulty in making personal connections, and managing large virtual crowds can hinder networking. Fortunately, the best virtual conference platforms have evolved to address these challenges effectively.
Here’s what you can do with Glue Up to enhance networking at your virtual conference:
Connect through direct messaging, speed networking, and virtual meetups for quick, meaningful interactions.
Engage with attendees across different time zones and industries, creating diverse and valuable relationships.
Use intelligent matchmaking to pair attendees based on shared interests or professional goals for more relevant interactions.
Host private chat rooms and breakout sessions for focused, intimate discussions.
Provide customizable networking options, fostering deeper connections and lasting relationships.
P.S. Check out our Speed Networking Software that allows attendees to meet in a structured way, facilitating 1:1 conversations in timed rounds and maximizing networking opportunities.
Offers More Insights than Just Attendance
Traditional events typically measure success by attendance and revenue, but these metrics don’t capture the full picture of attendee engagement.
Virtual conferences, however, provide deeper insights by tracking member behavior, session popularity, and interaction patterns. This data helps associations refine their strategies, ensuring future events are more aligned with what members value.
For instance, Glue Up allows you to track engagement scores, which measure attendee actions like session views, poll participation, and comments. These scores help identify highly engaged members and understand what content resonates most. This data-driven approach enables you to improve future events and drive more meaningful engagement.
Provides More Feedback for Event and Content Planning
One of the major benefits of virtual conferences is the ability to collect real-time feedback from attendees. Using surveys, polls, and post-event forms, you can gather valuable insights on everything from session quality to speaker effectiveness. This feedback is crucial for continuously improving your events and content.
By analyzing responses, your team can fine-tune event strategies, adjust content to better serve member interests, and identify opportunities for improvement.
The result? Events that become increasingly relevant and engaging for your members.
Expands Revenue Opportunities
Finally, virtual conferences also create new revenue streams for associations. Beyond ticket sales, virtual events can offer sponsorship opportunities, paid sessions, and access to exclusive content. With lower operational costs compared to in-person events, the potential for increased profitability is significant. You can offer premium packages for members to access exclusive networking sessions or premium content, creating an additional revenue source while delivering even more value to your members.
How to Host a Virtual Conference on Glue Up
Now that you understand the benefits of virtual conferences, let’s walk through the quick steps to launch your event on Glue Up.
Start by booking a demo and speaking with our team to discuss your needs. Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll go to the Events section where you can easily create and manage your virtual event. From there, you can build your event blueprint, customize the event page, and set up registration details.
Here’s a simple breakdown of the process:
Create Your Event: Choose from pre-made templates or design a custom event to suit your needs.
Customize Event Details: Tailor the event page with branding, session schedules, and speaker information.
Set Up Registration: Define ticket types, manage registration forms, and set pricing or free access.
Launch & Promote: Once everything’s set up, you can publish your event and use Glue Up’s tools to promote it to your audience.
Ready for a live tour? Get started today!
Reap the Full Benefits of Virtual Conferences & Go Beyond
With seamless event creation, powerful networking tools, and real-time data insights, Glue Up makes hosting a virtual conference simple and effective. But events are just one part of what we offer. Our platform also covers everything from member management and campaigns to finance and communication—all in one place.
As an association leader, you can streamline your entire workflow, ensuring that you’re not juggling multiple systems and software. Book a demo today and discover how Glue Up can help you manage all aspects of your association, elevate your virtual events, and improve member engagement.
