Arena Virtual and Hybrid Events vs. Webex Events (formerly Socio)

From my experience, Arena works well for client events like entertainment, panel discussions, motivational talks, etc. with a drink and chat afterward. However, I can also imagine it working well for larger events like conferences as it was really easy to add additional rooms and stages. Attendees can easily navigate to the sessions they want to attend from the event's central lobby.

WebEx Events is a great tool for hosting both an event website and an onsite event app. If you are looking to integrate an on onsite and online event, they have this capability, as well. The staff is always very helpful and I am able to get answers to my questions in a timely manner

Incentivized

• Only pay for the attendees that show up.
• Moderated and unmoderated video breakouts.
• Easy to use.

• It has quite a few optional and customizable features that can be utilized.
• It's easy to integrate your existing tools like Zoom, YouTube, Vimeo, and streaming services.
• It's flexible in the way that you upload content in that you can enter things one at a time on the website, or use a spreadsheet to upload a larger amount of content.

Incentivized

• They haven't yet released all their features, like audience polls.

• Sometimes I feel like it uses too many resources and makes my computer go slower
• Chats of the webinar dissappear by default, but sometimes important info is shared and could be nice to have the option to save it
• The quality of the video gets chosen by webex by default, sometimes maybe it would be nice to get the option to fix manually what's the minimum quality you want. Just to not talk with pixels

Incentivized

Of course something could happen to our orgs ability to put on a conference or Socio could fundamentally change their product or their customer service - but barring any magor shift there is nothing that is even close to competing for our attention here.

Incentivized

Some Android users could not get the app to work, so they had to use the web-based version of our conference guide. Most functionality was still there, but they could not pull up the QR code, which impeded the registration process. The presence of the log in with Apple ID button caused issues because most work emails were not attached to Apple ID, which caused access issues.

Incentivized

Socio (now WebexEvents) is one of two products I use that gets customer service right. Not only can you get an answer from an actual person quickly during business hours - but if you are asking after hours, you know the response will be waiting for you in the morning. Not only are they fast, but they are also smart about their products and customers. There is very little back and forth trying to explain the problem I am having, or the new way I am trying to use their product, that may even be novel for them.

Incentivized

We have used multiple virtual event platforms in the past, as well as trialed several. We ultimately decided on Webex due to the aesthetics of the website, the incredibly easy build-out process, the 24/5 support, the user-friendly front-end interface, the multiple ways to monetize sponsorships, and ultimately... the price. The value for what you get is incredible compared to other platforms.

• Reduced costs
• Less risk
• Better client engagement

• By Webex Events (formerly Socio) supporting virtual events, a lot of resources are saved and chances of physical interruptions eliminated.
• The virtual events supported by Webex Events (formerly Socio) accommodates a multitude or huge audience, which makes the company known globally.
• The live streaming of the conducted event ensure a wide coverage and minimal resources are required.

Incentivized