Webinars have grown in popularity as a way to develop skills and knowledge, hear directly from industry leaders, and stay up-to-date with trends, systems, and standards. If you have had the opportunity to attend a webinar, you may have noticed that other attendees remain private to you. While this may appear to be a networking disadvantage, you may find that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and that there are still ways to meet and connect with others. This article will identify six key advantages related to attending webinars.
- You are investing in your own professional development. C.O.I. Executives hosts free webinars, allowing anyone to gain insights from guest speakers. With the convenience of no commute, the option to take live notes or review recordings later, and all this at no cost, webinars add substantial value to your knowledge base. These sessions often dive into the latest innovations, systems, and best practices that can be seamlessly integrated into your current or future companies, enhancing efficiency and driving revenue growth.
- You have the ability to interact remotely. Given popular webinar features, you are not limited to listening to a host and speaker without being hands-on in the conversation, despite the distance between the speaker and audience. Webinar tools have been increasingly useful in allowing you to engage by setting up polls and quizzes, creating breakout sessions, and allowing for Q&A.
- By attending a webinar, you will have insight into the past, present, and future. Panelists often touch on what their experience has been, what is going on now in the industry, and where they are going next. Whether you are a competitor, working your way up in an organization, or in a different industry altogether, there is always something to learn that can be applicable to you and your personal or professional goals.
- Webinars are one of the most valuable resources for leaders when considering accessible demonstrations, idea sharing, training, and nurturing interests. Whether in your area of interest or a new space for you to dip your toe in, you will walk away with understandings and data you may have spent years otherwise seeking.
- You will likely have the ability to network before, during, and after attending a webinar. This can be a major incentive for professionals. You may be able to connect with the guest speaker and hosts on LinkedIn, see who else is attending the event, or have a breakout session to engage more directly with other leaders.
- Even though your camera may be off based on the event’s settings, your voice is not silenced! In smaller, more intimate webinars, you can actively participate, noting information tailored to your interests and asking questions to enhance your skills. Especially in camera-on Webinars, as held by C.O.I., you have the opportunity to introduce yourself to others and connect with them personally to follow up. While webinars can host up to 100,000 attendees, smaller-sized sessions benefit from interactive feedback sharing, deeper questions and discussion, and use cases from audience experiences during the Q&A.
Emily Davies, the Vice President of Recruiting Operations at Career Opportunities International shared, “C.O.I. strives not just to support organizations with their future leadership and executive recruitment needs, but inspire existing leadership as well. We have the opportunity to bring leaders from companies all over the world together to be inspired by someone in our network.”
C.O.I. Executives offers small-to-medium sized webinars, which offers advantages to attendees through a more personalized conversation, a heightened ability to interact, and in some cases, the ability for networking and introductions.
Our next webinar will be held on June 26, 2024 at 1:00 PM EST with guest speaker, Jim Landers. Davies added, “This is not just a presentation, rather a dialogue amongst attendees to gain ideas on how this inspiration can be actively used in the context of organizational leadership. If you have any leadership or HR responsibilities in your organization, this will benefit you greatly!”
Author: Mia I. Brandon, Account Manager