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Zoom is everywhere.
It may or may not be new to you, but Zoom has quickly become the dominant tool for meetings, webinars, live streaming for B2B companies, and even virtual conferences.
Today, as in this 24 hour period, 300 million participants will join a Zoom across the world. But, alone, Zoom just isn’t enough.
Webinar, conference, virtual trade show, even your one employees at an all hands event or your sales kickoff are demanding more from their online event experience.
How can you deliver that? Zoom alone can’t do it, so which virtual event platforms integrate the best?
Below we describe five of the best virtual event platforms that work with Zoom, outline their features, and give you steps it takes to integrate them.
Online Event Software Platforms That Feature Easy Integration With Zoom
1. SpotMe
Like we always say, we’re proud of the virtual event platform we’re building. And we’ve designed our Zoom integration so you can leverage the full power of both with ease.
Our complete integration with Zoom means you can track attendance metrics and analytics with Zoom in the SpotMe Backstage.
SpotMe gives you the ability to live stream or use recorded videos while hosting multi-presenter virtual events, meetings, webinars, and conferences using the video software tools that your event organizers and your presenters know. SpotMe’s streaming cloud helps reach thousands of viewers with minimal latency. SpotMe also allows hosts to expand their reach with parallel sessions.
SpotMe takes teams beyond the virtual venue to help create a digital space where marketing and sales teams can build an ongoing virtual experience designed to generate demand, capture leads, and start sales conversations.
With all the core features you need to run a digital conference to a consistent, webinar driven demand generation program, SpotMe’s virtual event platform is intuitive and flexible.
To livestream your Zoom meeting or webinar using SpotMe, take the following steps:
- Start the meeting/webinar as usual.
- Click the More button in the host controls.
- Choose Live On Custom Livestream Service.
- Enter the values as provided from Backstage when asked by Zoom.
- If you are using the Zoom webinar, click Start broadcast in Zoom.
- Go to Backstage and wait for the preview to start. It may take up to 30 seconds for the preview to appear in Backstage.
- Once you can see the preview in Backstage, you can click Go live to share the stream with your audience.
Looking for some alternatives to Zoom Webinar? Read our 5 Zoom Webinar alternatives and comparisons for virtual events.
2. Cvent
Cvent specializes in meetings, events, and hospitality management technology with a lean toward hotel specialization. It offers web-based software for meeting site selection, online event registration, event management, email marketing, and web surveys.
Using Zoom with Cvent allows you to automate sending Zoom meeting information to Cvent registrants. You can build microsites for meetings and webinars and associate a Zoom meeting or webinar to any event or session in Cvent.
Automatically synch attendees from Cvent to Zoom using contact information and meeting details. Based on Zoom attendance, you can ask pre-registration questions, collect payments, and mark participants in Cvent.
Find out more about Cvent in our 2020 Cvent Review: A Virtual Event Software Review.
3. Eventbrite
Eventbrite is an online booking system for local events. They describe themselves as an event management and ticketing website. Eventbrite is often used for non-industry-specialized events like meetups for informal clubs and social gatherings.
Eventbrite lets users browse, create, and promote local events. Organizers pay a fee in exchange for online ticketing services unless the event is free.
Using Eventbrite with Zoom means that once you’re established with Eventbrite, attendees get an email including a link to the online event. The link will take them to a countdown to the event page.
Once the event is ready to begin, attendees receive a secure link to the Zoom event. As attendees join they are checked in on Eventbrite.
Below we’ve included the steps to pair Zoom with Eventbrite:
- Go to Manage events in your account.
- Select Create event.
- Fill in the details for your event. Set the location to “Online.”
- Click Save & continue.
- Go to Online event page.
- Select “Connect Zoom” (under “Live video content”).
- Select “Add new account” and then log in with Zoom. If this is your first time using Zoom, authorize the Zoom app as well.
- Select a Zoom user. Then click Next.
If you don’t have a Zoom meeting or webinar created, Eventbrite’s integration will create one for you. Once added to an event, the Zoom integration can’t be removed. You can still change it to another meeting or webinar.
4. Aventri
Aventri is a cloud-based event management software servicer that handles integrated event management. They manage venue sourcing, email marketing, and survey solutions.
Aventri is a little different from the previously mentioned virtual event platforms in that they use a tool called LeadsBridge to interface between Zoom and Aventri. You can enable an integration between the services but it does involve an additional process by including the third party.
With Zoom Webinar and Aventri, you can create new contacts, events, and attendees, as well as update each of these with Zoom Webinar.
5. Accelevents
If you’re looking for an affordable all-in-one virtual event platform, Accelevents may fit your needs. The platform offers virtual hosting features including ticket sales, live streaming, live chat, and polling, as well as virtual exhibitor booths and breakout sessions.
The steps to integrate your virtual event between Accelevents and Zoom isn’t particularly difficult. Accelevents does not require a third party intermediary to toggle between Zoom and their platform.
To start streaming, simply follow the below steps:
- Go to Sessions & Speakers
- Create a Session
- On Session Details, select the streaming tool Zoom
- Copy the last part of your Zoom URL (Meeting ID) and passcode to the appropriate fields.
There are some limitations using Accelevents with Zoom, however. You can’t use the gallery view, translation feature, recording, or Zoom breakouts for example.
Accelevents is able to pair with Zoom but appears to prefer their own streaming service for hosting virtual events. Which would explain why some of the more useful features of Zoom are not available in Accelevents.
Interested in exploring what other virtual event solutions might be available? Check out our virtual events platform comparison chart for 2023.
Bonus! How to Host a Virtual Event on Zoom
Hosting a virtual event on Zoom is as simple as creating an account. Right now Zoom will allow you to host an event with up to 100 people for 40 minutes with their free account. This free feature is great for personal use, but realistically you’ll probably need more than 40 minutes if you’re scheduling a professional event.
If you’re planning a fairly large event or you’re planning to use the service more frequently, paid accounts begin at $150 for an annual license. Given the ubiquity and ease of using Zoom, this would be the base level of what you need to host a virtual event.
Once you’ve created your account, all you have to do is schedule the meeting and send the invitations.
Zoom has capabilities for Meetings or Webinars. Meetings are collaborative and allow participants to screen share, interact with audio, and see the list of attendees. Webinars on the other hand, are designed to give the host more control. Attendees are view-only unless otherwise designated by the host.
Part of the reason Zoom has become so widely used is because it’s an astonishingly easy-to-navigate interface and conveniently adaptable tool. One of the most convenient aspects of Zoom is that even if people are not able to sit in front of their computer, Zoom allows them to call in to the event using only a phone.
Zoom is also the first choice for a meeting place simply because everyone has already heard of it and many know how to use it. You don’t need a special email account just to access the service. Companies are making sure that they can integrate smoothly and easily with Zoom to make things as simple as possible for their customers.
Zoom also integrates across multiple platforms. The flexibility and efficiency this allows is another major factor in why Zoom has been such a prominent web service.
Other resources to help you find the best event platform and app for 2023:
We suggest reading our article about the 13 corporate event trends that will make your events stand out in 2023 and then checking out the following guides to help you succeed in the upcoming year:
