If Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet is your organization’s daily driver, you’re in good company. These platforms are exceptional for standups, one-on-ones and project work. But your flagship moments—product launches, customer summits, investor updates, recruiting showcases—aren’t simply another meeting on the calendar. They’re opportunities to move hearts and minds. That needs a different mindset and a different tool.
Why everyday meeting tools fall short for big moments
Tools like Teams and Zoom are brilliant for getting things done. But when the stakes rise, you need more than a grid of faces and a shared screen. You need brand control, story flow and real interaction—something that feels produced, not just scheduled. In short: Meeting platforms are built for productivity; standout events need one built for production.
The right platform is a combination of technology and a production approach that transforms these moments from basic video calls into immersive experiences. Modern virtual event platforms understand that engagement isn’t just about features—it’s about creating environments where authentic connection happens naturally.
When to move beyond Teams
If any of these ring true, it’s time to level up:
- The brand moment matters and you want a fully controlled, on-brand environment
- You’re running multi-session programming with tracks, sponsor spots and resource hubs
- You need interaction that goes beyond hand-raises through moderated Q&A, polls, quizzes or light gamification
- You want broadcast polish—multiple cameras, cut-ins, short pre-produced segments—so your event has momentum
- There’s no compromise on must-haves like accessibility, mobile-first design, flexible access/login and real engagement analytics
What “leveling up” an event looks like
Think of it as production + content + platform working together to create experiences beyond meetings. Your audience transforms from viewers into participants. Your presenters become performers. Your content evolves from slides to stories.
How to elevate your event production:
Treat it like a TV show. Put a human host in the driver’s seat, cut in content and change camera angles to stay away from a never-ending screenshare. Encourage the host to interact with the chat channel and presenters during transitions. If there is a live audience present, the host can play an essential role in connecting the live and remote people.
Staff the backchannel. A chat producer surfaces great audience moments and can get the energy moving before the cameras go live. A Q&A moderator groups questions by theme, and a dedicated Help Desk can address login and other technical issues to remove such distractions from the chat.
How to elevate your event content:
Set stakes and energy from the beginning. Open with a sizzle video or live scripted moment that captures attention and sets the mood. Mix live and pre-recorded elements to maintain energy and reduce risk. Short pre-produced segments break up talking heads, motion graphics and lower thirds add broadcast polish, and planned transitions keep momentum high. The best virtual events feel strategically choreographed.
How to elevate your event platform:
Your chosen platform is where the transformation can happen. The best platforms understand modern attention: They’re purposefully designed for multi-window engagement. Keep the main stage clean while participants interact in companion windows—chat, Q&A and polls should coexist without cluttering the content. Let mobile devices become natural second screens without requiring additional platforms or app downloads.
That smart architecture is just the foundation. You also need deep engagement tools that activate your audience. Think real-time polls that display results instantly, breakout rooms for intimate discussions, gamification that rewards participation. Add brand control from registration to recap, with custom environments that reinforce your identity at every touchpoint. And critically, you need intelligence about what’s happening: who’s engaged, what resonated, where people dropped off. The right platform doesn’t just host your event, it amplifies it.
The platform decision: Finding your fit
Not every platform fits every need.
When JPL created HuddleArea, our virtual event platform, we learned that the most successful virtual events don’t try to replicate in-person experiences—they lean into what makes digital unique.
Instant global access. Rich data insights. Parallel content tracks. Dynamic networking. Leverage these elements as superpowers instead of thinking of them as consolation prizes.
When evaluating options, consider your specific context. Massive keynotes need streaming quality and scalability above all else. Intimate workshops require collaborative features and breakout capabilities. Hybrid experiences demand equal participation paths for both in-person and virtual attendees.
Looking ahead: The events and experiences evolution continues
Virtual events aren’t a pandemic hangover. They’re a permanent evolution of how organizations connect with their most important audiences. The tools exist. The audience is ready. The only limit is our imagination in using them.
