041. The Challenges SaaS Companies Have Faced with Lizzie Wannell

Online Events Made Simple

Have you been wondering how to make the big pivot to virtual events? Are you a complete newbie when it comes to event technology and the virtual event world? As we speak with guest speakers and discuss our own experiences with the virtual and hybrid event industry, we will be going through the challenges you may face along the way and how to overcome these.

With the current situation, the rise and requirement for virtual and hybrid events are definitely on the rise - have you made the move yet? Listen to our live podcast every week on our Facebook page, or you can listen to the podcast version to find out how you can make your online events simple.

Lizzie is currently an Event Operations Manager at SaaStock, a B2B SaaS events company. After completing her masters in Event Management at the University of Lincoln, she entered the world of events with a particular focus in international in-person conferences, managing events across Europe and Australasia. In 2020, after COVID-19 grounded the world, she helped pivot the company to take their B2B SaaS conferences online. In true events-spirits, Lizzie embraced the unexpected and the challenges that came with it, by learning new event platforms, such as Hopin and Streamyard, and the skills that went with it, in a matter of weeks. The company has now led 38 events online, many of which have been labeled the 'gold-standard of online events' by attendees.

Lizzie starts off by explaining what B2B and SaaS stands for and SaaStock. She speaks on what B2B SaaS companies can offer to event professionals and offers advice to those who are new to the SaaS industry. Lizzie talks about the challenges she has faced as an Events Operation Manager and where she thinks the future of events is heading. Lizzie discusses the pros and cons of virtual events and offers advice to those who have not yet made the pivot to virtual.

B2B & SaaS (1:19) SaaStock and the SaaS industry (3:10) Advice on setting up a SaaS company (4:37) Community building (8:11) Dashboard: The Directory (9:49) Challenges and sustainability (16:21) Pivot (18:20)

EVENTMIND is a market leader in the virtual meetings and events sector. EVENTMIND provides training, consultancy and delivery for businesses looking to engage virtually with their audience and community. You can give us an email on [email protected] or alternatively call us on 0330 133 3485.

EventMind does not endorse any particular virtual event platform or software. We review the platforms available on the market monthly (through a combination of client feedback, test events and demos). There’s no platform which is an ‘all in one’ or ‘all inclusive’ solution when it comes to virtual event platforms. Bear in mind, most virtual event platforms were originally live event apps or software. Covid19 accelerated many platforms to pivot into creating virtual event solutions. In the long run, this seems to be a smart move as hybrid events are likely to become standard (especially if you understand how to monetize hybrid events and maximise global audience reach).