Events that are conducted exclusively online were a far-fetched possibility for most event management organizations prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly for event professionals in regions where the larger industry still remains growing and emerging, taking the plunge meant risk. However, a global lockdown left the event management sector, like most other industries, with no other choice for the months to come.
Although charting into mostly uncharted waters, it is safe to say that today, almost 6 years after the pandemic, virtual events have become a popular format for hosting events and conferences. It is also notable that virtual and hybrid events are surpassing traditional, in-person events in some disciplines. Virtual event management has made significant strides such that it now has multiple types and formats under its wing, which event management entities are specializing in.
In 2026, knowing how to pull off a virtual event is hardly sufficient. Virtual events have evolved to settle into several different subtypes and hyper niches, with each demanding certain aspects be ensured in its event management. Virtual events began as a final resort, with no other option in the beginning. Fast forward to today, event management organizations and professionals are innovating within the field. Here are the 11 most common types of virtual events in the market today. If you read until the end, you may also perhaps find a few virtual events and conferences to look forward to in 2026.
1. Virtual Academic Conferences
Academic conferences going virtual was one of the first and most successful transitions post COVID-19. In fact, virtual academic conferences were among the few formats that were still around even before the pandemic, although not yet mainstream. It was common for organizations hosting conferences with participants from across the globe to adopt the digital format for reasons associated with geographic convenience. With a virtual academic conference, you are saving substantial overhead costs that organizations often incur when hosting a physical conference.
Upcoming virtual academic conference: AAC&U Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference (March 18-20, Online). This fully virtual conference from the American Association of Colleges and Universities takes on undergraduate STEM education reform head-on. The 2026 theme is ‘This Ain’t Over.’ It’s a call for justice and courage in problem-solving when it comes to STEM education.
2. Virtual Webinars
If you think of virtual academic conferences as one-off affairs, events that happen over a few days, then virtual webinars are those that establish continuity. In simpler terms, virtual webinars are often hosted in ‘series’ formats. Often adopted by universities and research-oriented organizers, webinar series explore specific topics over several weeks or even months. Virtual webinars are structured programs for which attendees do not have to do anything but tune in from the comfort of their homes. Or their universities. Or their favorite coffee shops. Anywhere in the world, provided that the individual has a stable internet connection.
Such is the magic of convenience afforded by virtual webinar formats. Formerly, attendees would be unable to attend follow-up sessions of webinars owing to numerous restrictions. However, today, attendees are able to finish what they started, all thanks to the democratization of virtual webinars open to the public.
Upcoming virtual webinars: OECD Education and Skills Today is hosting a webinar titled ‘Bullying in education: prevalence, impact, and responses across countries’ on the 13th of February. The organization also hosts numerous webinars across disciplines throughout the year, so this is a space worth watching.
3. Virtual Workshops
The basic rule of workshops is that they have to be hands-on. They have to indulge your participants. They have to pull your viewers in, push them to do something about what they’re viewing, and, in turn, contribute positively to the collective thought or discussion at hand. Workshops, in this capacity, distinguish themselves from linear conferences.
An obvious challenge when it comes to adapting workshops to the virtual format is with regard to interaction. When sitting behind a few hundred gadget screens, attendees can connect with their peers only so much. And this interaction can never possibly match in-person networking and collaboration. That being said, the virtual workshop format has consistently and religiously upgraded itself over the years. Host platforms and entities have invented new features to capture the attention of users and keep it throughout. A screen is no longer a significant barrier to collaborative engagement, the kind that is important in workshops.
Upcoming virtual workshop: International Baccalaureate (IB) hosts a number of educational workshops throughout the year, affiliated with renowned universities and professors from around the world.
4. Virtual Symposia
Academic symposia are events that host experts in a particular discipline, or in the case of a multidisciplinary symposium, across disciplines, to engage in structured interaction sessions. Common sessions involved in academic symposiums include panel discussions, roundtable conferences, and Q&A sessions for attendees. Unlike conferences with parallel sessions, symposiums typically feature sequential presentations that build a comprehensive understanding of a central theme.
When hosted virtually, a symposium is advantaged with regard to its hosting of speakers and professionals. Often from across time zones and countries, speakers are able to tune in for their specific sessions. Similarly, attendees are able to prioritize some sessions over others, depending on their interests, as opposed to having to remain for the entire day.
Upcoming virtual symposia: ISOPP International Symposium, scheduled to be held on March 20, is an excellent upcoming example of the advantages of a virtual symposium utilized to the fullest. Slated to run for 24 hours across time zones, this conference focuses on themes of diplomacy, youth leadership, and international relations.
5. Virtual University Lectures
Universities have been the vanguard of the virtual conference space. They’ve been among the first few entities to adopt the format, effectively embracing it, disseminating it further, and innovating around it. It is along these lines that global universities have now included virtual lectures as a part of their curricula, catering to the needs of international students.
Some of these distinguished lecture series have even found dedicated audiences among the general public. Universities now routinely offer trial lectures for students exploring their facilities as well as open-source lectures that can be viewed by individuals outside of the institution.
Upcoming virtual lectures: The British Academy Lectures, an organization dedicated to creating lecture content for the public, routinely ties up with prestigious UK universities, including the University of Glasgow and the University of Manchester, to produce its series. The British Academy has an outstanding lineup of lectures for 2026, as well as countless recorded lectures that can be accessed on their website.
6. Virtual Art Performances
Art breathes life into rooms. And now virtual event meeting rooms. It is often said that art finds its audience by itself, essentially flowing like water, taking several forms and routes. Art performance has, similarly, grown to embrace the virtual format too. Research poster sessions, for instance, are an important facet of research-driven conferences that have now gone substantially online. Digital posters let researchers present their work visually, and visitors can, in turn, engage with them via chat functions or scheduled video discussions.
Upcoming virtual art performance: The American Geophysical Union (AGU) hosts virtual poster sessions for its researchers to present their work on climate science, earth science, and planetary research to global audiences annually. Herein, attendees are allowed to visit virtual exhibition halls where they can click on posters to view detailed information and even request live conversations with presenters.
7. Virtual Research Thesis Evaluations
Research thesis evaluations are the final step in the academic research process and have now seeped into the virtual format. In essence, they are similar to virtual seminars and conferences. Virtual thesis evaluation facilities now allow aspirants to pursue research degrees and gain recognition for their work without having to face financial constraints associated with studying overseas. They allow faculty and graduate students to present their work-in-progress to colleagues for critical discussion and refinement, as well as their final thesis for evaluation.
Virtual research thesis evaluations are offered by research institutions globally. It is, however, not open for public viewing and discourse.
8. Virtual Hackathons and Competitions
Academic hackathons challenge participants to collaboratively solve problems within compressed timeframes. These events work across disciplines from computer science to social innovation. Several different types of organizations that concern themselves with technology, computer science, and cybersecurity routinely organize virtual hackathons that tech enthusiasts can participate in from anywhere across the world.
Teams form spontaneously across institutions and time zones and work together through video calls and shared digital workspaces as part of virtual hackathons. Judges evaluate projects based on their degree of innovation, their feasibility in action, and their potential impact. Virtual hackathons eliminate all geographic barriers that otherwise limit participation, especially allowing tech enthusiasts from underserved regions to participate.
Upcoming virtual hackathons to watch out for: HackerEarth is an organization that regularly hosts and lists virtual hackathons organized in different parts of the world. Its competitions are primarily focused on developing tech solutions for various challenges, including education, healthcare, and social good.
9. Virtual Film Screenings and Documentary Discussions
Academic institutions and other entities are now increasingly using documentary films as springboards for scholarly discussion. In order to do so, virtual screenings have emerged as a potential forum. These digital screenings are then often followed up with panel discussions or interactions with the filmmaking cast and crew.
Each screening concludes with discussions featuring the filmmakers, subject-matter experts, and community members. This format makes specialized academic content accessible to broader audiences and helps enhance scholarly research and public understanding of societal issues.
Upcoming virtual film screenings: AI For Good, a UN-affiliated forum on Artificial Intelligence, is set to virtually screen winning films in its AI short-film competition and festival.
Virtual Events Are Here to Stay
The 10 types of virtual events are among a few in a broader industry that is growing quickly. Virtual events are now mainstream, and it did not take mankind even a full decade to achieve this feat. Although its adoption was propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the format still remains because of its efficiency and convenience.
For event organizations building in the long term, the need to innovate in hosting virtual events is non-negotiable. The face of the industry is changing, but the verdict is that virtual events and conferences are here to stay. Investing in event management software that simplifies your virtual event hosting is a necessity. Dryfta offers purpose-built event management software, tried and tested in various kinds of virtual event formats. Sign up for a free demo today to see how your next event can get an upgrade.