According to a survey by LinkedIn, the number of online events grew 8x in 2020. Have you ever wondered why this market is so attractive?
For anyone who has been an attendee, the answer is simple: events have always been incredible opportunities to meet people, learn new content, present scientific work, and even discover new companies.
That’s why event lovers always want these positive experiences to reach more people. And if you’re interested in joining that group, you should know where to start.
So today we’re going to explain all the basic concepts about:
- What is an event?
- 14 types of events you need to know
- How to organize an event?
What is an event?
According to the Oxford dictionary, an event is any occasion organized by specialists, with institutional, community, or promotional objectives.
Can’t quite picture it in practice? For example, just think of a party. There, all attendees are certainly gathered with a community purpose, and the specialized role falls to the organizer, even if they have no formal training in the field.
In this case, the more complex the event, the greater the need for expertise in the organizer’s role. And that’s exactly where we’re here to help!
To get started, how about understanding the different event formats?
What is an online event?
Online events, also known as digital events, live streams, and virtual events, are gaining more and more ground in the market.
Just like in-person events, they also bring people together around a common goal.
However, with online events, things change a bit: there’s no longer a physical limit on attendees, you no longer need to find a venue to accommodate everyone, and you don’t need to put together a huge team to help on the day of the event.
So you only need 3 things to cover the basics of your online event:
- Define the type of broadcast you’ll use;
- The platform or tool where you’ll host it;
- Get the equipment needed for a quality broadcast.
What is a hybrid event?
There are also those who want to try an increasingly popular format: the hybrid event.
As the name suggests, this event format is a mix of two types of events: in-person and online.
This means there are two distinct audiences connected, even though they occupy different spaces.
Basically, hybrid events include:
- Two distinct schedules to meet the specific demands of both types of audiences: in-person and online. This creates much more personalization and engagement in the event!
- At least some elements of shared experience, so each side connects and feels present at the event.
14 types of events you need to know
Once you’ve defined the event’s format, you also need to define its type — that is, how your event will be organized to convey its purpose to attendees.
For example, to spread knowledge to as many people as possible and promote the exchange of information, organizers usually invest in a congress.
So different types of events serve different purposes. There’s no single “right” type — only the one that makes the most sense for your event.
That’s why it’s so important to know your options:
1. Congress
A congress is one of the most common types of events.
Its goal is to debate and draw conclusions about a central topic.
“A congress is a gathering where specialists deliberate on matters of common interest or present studies, new findings, etc.”
Characteristics of a congress:
- It’s a formal event
- It’s held periodically
- It’s a highly complex event
- It has its own set of rules and bylaws
Congresses are usually promoted by associative organizations and bring together professionals and specialists who share a common interest and work in the same field.
Congresses can also be regional, national, or international.
And within a single congress, several types of activities can take place, such as round tables, conferences, symposiums, lectures, committees, panels, courses, and more.
2. Meeting
This type of event aims to discuss what’s happening in a given field and highlight what needs improvement, proposing solutions.
“It’s a gathering of people or specialists to discuss a particular topic.”
For example, at an academic meeting, people from the same professional category debate relevant, current, and sometimes controversial topics in their field.
That’s why the topics addressed at a meeting serve as a basis for change within that specific field.
So while a congress tends to be broader, a meeting is more focused on a single professional category.
Also, to expand your network, it’s important to encourage networking at your event!
3. Seminar
Unlike a meeting, a seminar is an event meant to discuss a situation, but not to make decisions about it.
It’s an oral event and requires a moderator (speaker) to take place.
A seminar usually brings students together around a topic presented orally, which is typically tied to research those students are developing.
In other words, it works like a debate, whose goal is to explore every aspect and variable of a central subject, discussed by two or more speakers.
So the debate isn’t centered on a single person’s opinion, and it allows for a greater exchange of experiences, since different viewpoints can be shared with the audience.
That’s why a seminar covers a topic more broadly, and this is what differentiates it from a lecture, since lectures address topics from just one angle and by a single speaker.
In seminars, it’s most common for attendees to already have prior knowledge of the subject.
The session is usually divided into three parts: the presentation phase, the discussion phase, and the conclusion phase.
4. Round table
You’ve probably already noticed that round tables are usually part of the schedule of larger events, such as congresses.
In this case, this type of event aims to promote debate and raise questions about a topic.
That’s why the subject discussed tends to be controversial and of public interest.
At a round table, audience participation is quite active. People are encouraged to defend their viewpoints and ask questions to the specialists.
That’s why having someone to coordinate the session is essential, to ensure order throughout the event.
This coordinator, who can also be called the table’s chair, acts as a moderating element.
They’re responsible for guiding the discussion so it stays focused on the main topic.
Round tables usually bring in specialists in the field being discussed who, besides presenting their point of view on the topic, often have to work within a time limit for their presentation.
In this format, it’s common to give the audience a broad view that stimulates reasoning and builds consensus around the topic being discussed.
There may also be a Q&A session, either between participants or from the audience, but usually the questions are directed at the panel members.
5. Symposium
According to Capes (Brazil’s federal higher-education agency), a symposium consists of a:
“Meeting organized by a given scientific community around a specific subject, aiming to bring together results and considerations in order to advance its clarification.”
In other words, a symposium brings together researchers who aim to study and discuss a particular topic in order to reach broader conclusions about it.
It involves the exchange of information (knowledge and experience), with the goal of decision-making.
Like a congress, this is one of the event types that requires complex organization.
A symposium can include several conferences and multiple parallel presentations, so it’s very important to take care when organizing paper submissions, especially online.
These presenters will share the research they’re developing in the symposium’s central field of study.
6. Panel
A panel is a type of event derived from the round table.
However, in this format, the specialists — who are usually well-known — discuss the topic while the audience only participates as spectators.
7. Forum
The main characteristic of a forum is audience participation.
That’s why its goal is to freely debate an idea.
It’s the type of event for people who like to speak up and want to hear different perspectives on a topic.
Active audience participation is also essential — attendees are generally encouraged and motivated to join the discussion.
8. Conference
This is a more formal event that brings together specialists to discuss a specific topic.
Conferences usually have a chairperson who acts as moderator.
Conferences tend to attract a specific audience that is already familiar with the subject being discussed.
That’s why it’s very common for congresses to include opening and closing conferences.
In this type of event, the audience can submit written questions to be directed to the panel.
Unlike a round table, where the audience has the right to speak directly, at a conference the questions are usually filtered by the moderator, who then chooses the most relevant ones.
9. Journey (Jornada)
These are gatherings of closely related professional groups, usually on a regional scale, that periodically discuss topics of interest to the group.
The conclusions reached can help define guiding principles for group work and for the profession as a whole.
A “jornada” can last several days, depending on the complexity and size of the event.
10. Courses
This consists of a detailed exploration of a particular subject or set of topics in order to “train” or “teach how to do” something.
It’s made up of presentations by people, usually with academic backgrounds, who aim to pass their knowledge on to attendees.
The event’s focus is more theoretical than practical, though it doesn’t rule out practice.
It’s also aimed at people with little or no prior knowledge of the subject, except for specialization courses, which aim to deepen the knowledge of those who already master the topic.
Nowadays, many courses happen online, reaching a much larger number of people.
11. Colloquium
According to the Aurélio dictionary:
“Colloquium [from the Latin colloquium]. N. 1. A conversation or talk between two or more people. 2. A gathering of qualified people in which a particular subject is debated.”
This type of academic event creates a space for conversation among several people to debate a specific, selected, and well-defined topic.
That’s why colloquiums usually include presentations of scientific work.
Also, in a colloquium, the topic needs to be well structured, since its main goal is presentation or debate.
In this case, papers can be presented in different ways: as a presentation, where one person faces the audience, or as a round table, where everyone debates at the same time.
12. Week (Semana)
Looking for the ideal event to bring attendees together? That’s the “week” format!
This type of event aims to promote greater integration and is characterized by offering a wide range of activities (forums, panels, short courses, etc.).
In other words, a “Semana” is a gathering of people from the same category who want to discuss topics of common interest.
In this case, the schedule can vary depending on the organizers’ choices, but one tip is to divide the extensive program into content tracks that attendees can prioritize based on their interests.
13. Workshop
Another very common type of event is the workshop — a class that covers specific topics, led by specialists who guide the subject matter and activities.
A key feature of workshops is that the topics are approached in a much more practical way than theoretical.
So a workshop fulfills its purpose when attendees leave actually putting into practice everything they’ve learned.
14. Webinar
Finally, thinking about the rising online formats, we couldn’t leave out the webinar!
The term “webinar” comes from English and means “web-based seminar.” In other words, it’s a seminar held over the web.
A webinar is a class, seminar, or conference held online and streamed to a specific target audience in video format.
It can happen either through pre-recorded content or as a live broadcast.
How to organize an event?
Now that you know the basic concepts about events, it’s time to put your planning into practice.
To do that, you need to organize every part of your event with great care. And we have exclusive resources to help you from planning to execution:
- How to organize an event: the complete guide
- Complete manual to organize an online event from scratch
- Everything you need to know about hybrid events
You can also start planning your event right now — quickly, easily, and for free.
Just create an event on Even3!
With just a few clicks, you can generate an online page for your event and start accepting registrations from attendees.
Plus, with Even3, you get access to every stage and activity of your event in one place: from registrations to issuing certificates.
