The demand for virtual events and meetings has gone through the roof in the past few months. And while Zoom remains the most popular webinar and meeting solution, other companies have wanted in on the action.
Step forward Google and its own business-oriented video conferencing platform, Google Meet. So, how exactly does this video-conferencing service work, and how does it compare to something like Eventtia? Let’s find out.
What is Google Meet?
Google Meet is a video conferencing software with the sole focus of making it easier and faster for people to start and join conferences. As the successor to Hangouts, Google has some extra features like larger group calling (up to 250 people) and live streaming (up to 100,000 live stream viewers), real-time captions, screen sharing, call mute and disabling video while on call.
Offered as part of G Suite (meaning that if you’re a customer you already have access to), the platform has a clean and easy to use interface that puts simplicity first. Unlike Zoom, there is no plugin or desktop app required and to get started on a computer all you need to do is go to meet.google.com and allow access to your microphone and camera.
Meet also has a number of default privacy protections in place, including host controls (like the ability to admit or deny entry to a meeting, and mute or remove participants), complex meeting codes and encryption in transit.
Provided you have a Google account, there is no time limit for meetings, and starting in September, the free time limit will be 60 minutes which is still a full 20 minutes longer than Zoom.
What is Eventtia?
Eventtia is a cloud-based event management system that makes planning and managing online events easy. With intelligent user interfaces and straightforward planning tools, Eventtia makes it easier to manage events with an all-in-one event software that covers each part of the lifecycle. By giving marketers and companies more control of their online events, Eventtia helps them to promote their brand, interact with leads, and grow their community.
Features:
- Use website builders and email campaigns to communicate with your ideal audience.
- Create your event in a few clicks and then manage all of your logistics through one dashboard.
- Connect people and businesses with one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many networking formats.
- Seamlessly integrate all of the major streaming and webinar tools into a main virtual stage and connect with a worldwide audience.
- Scale your online events and make informed decisions with real-time data and analytics.
Eventtia vs. Google Meet: The differences?
So now we’ve got a clear understanding of what Google Meet and Eventtia do as platforms. Let’s take this a step further by looking at the differences between the two.
You can’t build an event website with Google Meet
Google Meet is a platform that enables people to communicate online. It’s very good at doing that single meeting or webinar, however, you’re not going to be able to create the full online event environment which can be done with an online event platform like Eventtia.
One part of this is the event website which is the first glimpse that attendees have of your event. Without the tools to build this, and then integrate it into your virtual event, you will either have to do this manually or make the decision to not have a website. Either way, this is going to add some extra barriers when it comes to driving registrations and informing your attendees about the event.
In contrast to this, an event technology platform like Eventtia gives you your own website builder with different templates and structures to get you up and running in minutes, and more importantly, no technical expertise is required.
You can’t register attendees with Google Meet
Another important topic is event registration. Google Meet doesn’t offer this feature. Instead, it is done through the calendar application, just like scheduling any sort of meeting. From there, you’ll have the option to invite attendees.
This means that you’ll already have to have the email addresses of all of your attendees, so unless you have a form and then and then send them the invitation there’s no other way for attendees to register. It’s fair to say then, that this could cause some problems if you’re managing a virtual event with hundreds of attendees.
On the other hand, Eventtia’s own full-featured registration and ticketing module makes it possible to set up registration and better manage your attendees. You’ll have options to create multiple types of attendees, design registration forms, and communicate with your guests through email campaigns.
You don’t have a virtual stage with simultaneous sessions or online B2B matchmaking dynamics
Another important aspect worth discussing is the user experience. Google Meet makes it very easy to schedule and manage your meetings or webinar but it doesn’t provide attendees with a one-stop-shop where they can view everything to do with the event from.
Through Eventtia’s virtual stage, attendees can choose the sessions that they want to attend along with the agenda so that they know what is going on and when. The platform offers simultaneous sessions meaning that customised schedules can be created for each attendee. This means that along with keynotes and panel discussions, event planners can also offer networking and group meetings.
You can’t stream Google Meet to your Facebook or YouTube page
Because Google Meet is a video conferencing platform, you won’t be able to broadcast to other platforms. With Eventtia and the use of live streaming software like StreamYard or OBS, you can broadcast your video content wherever you want, including Facebook and YouTube.
Not only does this provide you with some much-needed flexibility, but it also means that you can reach new audiences across multiple streaming platforms. In other words, this means that you can run your virtual events outside any platform and share them with your website and community that you have complete control over.
With Eventtia you can engage your attendees and have access to the event analytics to evaluate the online event ROI
To gain valuable insight and create better virtual events for the future, it’s essential that you make the most of your data. Now when it comes to attendee engagement, Google Meet doesn’t offer a lot on this front and the reason for that is that it’s a video conferencing software primarily designed for meetings. In other words, it was never designed for managing all of your events data.
In contrast to this, Eventtia has its own reporting module, allowing you to track certain information about your participants as a whole and individually. From registration through to who is attending what session, all of this information gives you a clearer understanding of how your events are performing.
You can’t monetise people’s attendance with Google Meet
Google Meet was never designed with the purpose of creating and hosting powerful online events. Hence, why there’s no option to monetise your event. If you’re wanting to run free webinars or presentations then Google Meet can work, but this could potentially limit you further down the line as you look to start charging for your virtual events.
In comparison, Eventtia lets you monetise your event and not your live stream. In other words, you don’t have to rely on attracting thousands of viewers, nor do you have to detract away from the attendee experience by having ads. With Eventtia, you get to decide how you want to monetise your event. So whether that’s charging for attendance, for post-event content, or for specific sessions, the choice is yours.
Deciding what’s right for you?
This is a big question and the reality is that it all comes down to you and your needs. There is no one size fits all approach, and that’s why it’s worth asking yourself a few questions so that you can really identify what’s best for you.
- What are my business goals? Are these aligned with my marketing objectives and budget?
- What type of virtual event will I need to host? Will it be multi-session or single-session?
- Is the event going to be a one-off or part of a series?
- Am I looking for any specific features? Do I need engagement tools or integrations with specific technologies?
- How important is my events data? Do I need access to reporting and analytics?
To summarise, Google Meet is great for meetings and video conferences, especially if you want to do this at a low cost and with no charge for any of your online events. Whereas Eventtia gives you a more complete attendee experience, by providing all of the tools to manage your virtual events, making it much better suited to virtual events with multiple sessions and conferences.
