What is virtual event production ? Virtual events are web-based events in which individuals gather to share experiences, enjoy a common experience and communicate with each other via the web rather than in real life. The Internet has allowed for many social and business networking websites that provide an interactive platform for groups to interact. This new medium of communication is the basis for virtual events. Many professional services now offer this service to groups interested in meeting locally or making presentations to larger groups, anywhere in the world. Virtual event production services allow companies to use the Internet as a resource for attracting potential clients or attendees. By registering at these websites and participating in the forums, online discussions or chat rooms provided, attendees can share their experiences and get to know each other. The production services then host the virtual events for attendees at predetermined times and locations. These services take all the hassle and stress out of planning an event for a company. Now all a company has to do is put together a few pieces of equipment and plan the timing and locations. There are many advantages to using virtual event production services. Companies can: hold virtual events in any location around the world; use the Internet as a resource for brainstorming topics or creating the layout for the event; use social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to create and manage the website; and create brand awareness with the use of graphics or videos. Furthermore, companies can also use these services as a first step in launching a promotional program or launching a new product or service. A company may choose to host a virtual event to kick off a media campaign, announce an initiative or promote an upcoming product launch. The company could also choose to host a virtual event in order to provide training for a select group or to conduct seminars or trainings in the home office or on site. Virtual events can be very beneficial to a company if done properly. Although virtual events are extremely beneficial to most businesses, they still have their disadvantages. Virtual events can be costly and time-consuming. Many companies need to partner with a production house in order to complete their production on a tight schedule. Virtual production often needs the collaboration of a graphic designer, a web designer, a makeup artist, a magician or an audio engineer in order to put together a successful production that meets or exceeds the standards set by their client. Furthermore, the virtual world of the Internet can be overwhelming and many entrepreneurs find it difficult to break into the virtual world. For these reasons, it is imperative that the company that is planning a virtual event invest in the services of a professional production company. With the advent of the Internet and the wide range of computer systems used in homes and businesses, virtual event production has taken on a new form of popularity. This new form of production typically incorporates technology into one aspect of the production, which makes it easier for the virtual event producers to incorporate other aspects of the production into their overall plan. Some virtual event production firms specialize in multimedia production and technical production, while others focus on producing one-shot, video-based events and other short events. In addition, some virtual event producers work exclusively with companies that produce and manage large event databases that they can access to provide their clients with information about past shows and various elements of the shows as well as data about their own virtual attendees. One of the advantages of hiring a high-quality virtual event production company to produce a high-quality production is that the company will have an inside view of what types of events their clients wish to produce and which elements they feel will help the production meet its goal and purpose. A quality producer knows how to approach each of the components of the production, knows the type of production needs to be produced to achieve the desired result, and can present those elements in a way that will best accommodate the company's needs. Additionally, high-quality virtual event production companies will provide their clients with a document, which is called a discovery meeting. The discovery meeting provides the producer with a look at the production set to see what works, what doesn't, and what makes the production more interesting and valuable for their client. When hiring a virtual event production company, it is important that the client find a company that can provide them with a document that will allow them to better understand their production needs and will allow them to better understand what types of events will work best to help them achieve their goals.