Universities need robust virtual event management tools to host successful online events. Today, virtual events have become a big part of university life. Due to the rise in remote work and learning environments, many universities now host online workshops, guest talks, training sessions, interviews, and open house programs. As a result, event management teams need tools that support video streaming, live chat, breakout rooms, and easy check-ins.
This article shares 15 virtual event management tools tailored to universities’ needs. Below, each tool helps with teaching, student engagement, and clear communication.
Top Virtual Event Management Tools in 2026.
| Virtual Event Management Tool | Ideal for | Key Features | Skill Level |
| Dryfta | Research events and academic conferences | Handles abstracts, reviews, and check-ins | Easy |
| vFairs | Virtual career fairs and open house events | Virtual booths, chat rooms, and 3D halls | Medium |
| Whova | Student events and campus activities | Mobile app, community groups, and chat | Easy |
| Eventbrite | Campus workshops and student club events | Simple ticketing and RSVP pages | Easy |
| Airmeet | Orientation programs and virtual panel sessions | Stage streaming, breakout rooms, and lounge tables | Medium |
| Brella | Networking-heavy events and career fairs | AI matchmaking, meeting booking, and user profiles | Medium |
| Zoom Events | Guest talks and multi-session lecture series | Session switching, branded pages, and attendance analytics | Easy |
| GoTo Webinar | Online lectures and training sessions | Stable streaming, speaker controls, and recordings | Easy |
| BigMarker | Online seminars and virtual training | HD streaming, polls, Q&A tools, and screen sharing | Medium |
| Crowdcast | Guest lectures and online workshops | Chat, polls, replays, and simple live session tools | Easy |
| PheedLoop | Research conferences and poster sessions | Poster galleries, abstract uploads, and exhibitor booths | Medium |
| Swapcard | Alumni meets and virtual research fairs | Interest-based recommendations and networking tools | Medium |
| Accelevents | Open houses and recruitment events | Event pages, ticketing, live sessions, and expo booths | Easy |
| Cvent | Large university conferences | Registration, session setup, and detailed reporting | Medium |
| Hubilo | Virtual seminars and hybrid campus events | Engagement tools, live chats, and branded event pages | Easy |
1. Dryfta
The all-in-one Dryfta event management platform is designed to support university-based events, including academic conferences, research symposia, and student programs. The platform provides a single framework to help teams organize and manage abstract submissions, peer review, registration, and attendee tracking altogether. With all features in one place, staff can minimize time spent navigating multiple systems and maximize time spent managing the event.
Dryfta also provides universities with a flexible option: virtual and hybrid event support, which lets university teams run online meetings, stream sessions live, and conduct check-ins.
Pricing
Choose the pricing plan that fits your event size and budget. With the small annual plan starting from $1,499/year, you get full access to submissions, reviews, registration, ticketing, and the event website setup included. For larger or enterprise-level events, you can request a custom quote for medium and large plans that scale to unlimited attendees, abstracts, and full virtual/hybrid features.
If you prefer to pay only for what you use, the “Pay as You Go” option lets you scale based on actual registration or submission volumes.
2. vFairs
vFairs is a comprehensive platform that enables your universities to host all types of events, including campus-based, off-campus, in-person, and online. It offers a complete set of tools to help universities run open houses, virtual fairs, orientations, research showcases, student workshops, and large-scale academic conferences.
Pricing
vFairs provides customized pricing based on the number of attendees at your event and the features you select (for example, virtual booths, webinar tools, mobile app tools). You can reach out to the vFairs team to get a clear quote for your university event.
3. Whova
Similarly, whova is a cloud-based platform that offers virtual event management tools for universities. It combines schedules, check-ins, speaker pages, and student engagement in one place. Many academic teams use Whova because the app keeps event details easy to find and works well on any device. University events like orientations, seminars, guest talks, and career fairs stay clear with Whova’s simple layout. Students follow updates, save sessions, and view speaker information without confusion.
Pricing
Whova offers flexible pricing based on your event size, format, and the features you include. Costs depend on your expected attendee numbers and whether the event is virtual, in-person, or hybrid.
4. EventMobi
EventMobi is an effective virtual event management tool that supports both virtual and hybrid university events. It provides all necessary tools to manage your events, such as registration, event apps, check-in, and analytics. This tool can be used to manage all types of university events, like the orientation days, guest lectures, and academic conferences.
Pricing
EventMobi provides event-based and yearly plans. The event-based option starts at $3,000 per event, and the annual plan begins at about $8,900 per year for unlimited events. Final pricing depends on the event size, the chosen features, and the level of support required, so event teams can request a custom quote for accurate rates.
5. Bizzabo
Bizzabo is a modern event platform for webinars, hybrid seminars, and large multi-day university conferences. It offers registration forms, session schedules, mobile apps, and real-time engagement features in one system that event teams use.
Pricing
Bizzabo offers a plan starting at $17,999 per year, billed annually, for an event management package that covers unlimited events and registrations. For workplaces or universities with smaller needs, custom pricing is available, and the team must request a quote.
6. Airmeet
The most popular use of Airmeet by academic teams is to host virtual academic panel discussions, student orientation programs, guest lecture series, and virtual student workshops. One of the key reasons the platform works well is stage streaming, breakout rooms, Q&A tools, and lounge tables where students interact in real time. It also supports multi-track agendas, helping faculty manage full-day academic events.
Pricing
Airmeet uses custom pricing based on the number of attendees, event frequency, and required features. Universities need to request a quote from the Airmeet team to get a quote on the pricing structure.
7. Brella
Brella is a hybrid and virtual event platform used by universities to host career fairs, networking events, and showcases of university research. It leverages AI-powered matchmaking to create opportunities among students, employers, mentors, and faculty based on their areas of interest.
Pricing
Universities will need to contact the Brella sales department to receive a custom pricing quote.
8. Zoom Events
Meanwhile, Zoom Events is an extension of the regular Zoom app, which allows a university to offer multiple sessions as part of its program. It includes registration, branded event web pages, tracks, and the ability to switch between sessions. Many universities are drawn to Zoom Events due to their familiarity among both students and faculty. Additionally, Zoom Events provides analytics showing the number of attendees per session and their level of engagement.
Pricing
Pricing begins at $79/month per license and increases based on the number of event attendees and the additional features chosen by the organizer.
9. GoTo Webinar
For lectures, GoTo Webinar is a Simple and dependable platform for training sessions, and campus-wide virtual programs. It offers stable streaming and easy speaker controls, making it ideal for departments that frequently host online learning events.
Pricing
GoTo Webinar uses tiered plans based on attendee capacity. Final pricing depends on the number of people attending your events and the tools you need.
10. BigMarker
BigMarker is a strong virtual event management tool for universities that host online seminars, training programs, speaker sessions, and virtual conferences. BigMarker is ideal for academic event teams that require high-quality streaming without complicated setup.
Pricing
BigMarker provides custom plans. However, get in touch with the BigMaker team to get a customised quote.
10. Crowdcast
Crowdcast is a great option for online workshops, seminar series, and guest lectures. It has a clean and intuitive interface for attending live sessions and comes with chat, polls, and replays. Faculty members can use it for interactive virtual teaching and student discussions.
Pricing
Crowdcast offers tiered pricing based on audience size and streaming needs.
11. PheedLoop
For research teams, PheedLoop is an all-in-one event, learning, and community management platform that helps host conferences with speakers, poster sessions, and exhibitor booths. Many research groups like it because it supports poster galleries and abstract uploads.
Pricing
PheedLoop offers modular pricing based on the features required, including registration, virtual platforms, and mobile apps. A quote is needed for the final numbers.
12. SwapCard
Swapcard is a student-friendly virtual event management tool that focuses on engagement and networking. Event teams can use it for research fairs, alumni meetups, and virtual conferences. The platform recommends sessions to students based on their interests and helps them connect with speakers or peers.
Pricing
Swapcard’s pricing depends on the event size, type, and support level. Universities request a quote for exact pricing.
13. Accelevents
Accelevents is widely used in universities because it combines event pages, ticketing, live sessions, and expo-style booths on a single platform. It works well for open houses, recruitment days, and research fairs. Students and faculty can join sessions easily without needing extra setup.
Pricing
Accelevents has event-based pricing starting around a few thousand dollars per event, but the final cost depends on your event scale and preferred features.
14. Cvent
Cvent is a well-known tool that helps universities run large or complex academic events. It supports registration, check-ins, session setups, and post-event reports in one place. Many campus teams prefer Cvent because it handles big crowds without slowing down and keeps event details organized across departments.
Pricing
Cvent offers custom pricing based on the tools you need. Event size, features, and support level all influence the final cost. Universities can request a quote directly from the Cvent team.
15. Hubilo
Finally, Hubilo is a virtual event platform that’s well-suited for universities seeking strong engagement and easy session management. It’s great for hosting virtual and hybrid events for student orientations, guest speaker webinars, or alumni talks, and academic conferences.
Pricing
Hubilo provides customised pricing based on event size and the tools you choose.
The Takeaway
Overall, universities need an event tool that is simple, streamlined, and easy to manage. Since each of these platforms has its own objectives, the final decision will be based on what your campus event teams want for organization, communication, and student participation.
Dryfta’s virtual event management tool aligns closely with academic workflows. It handles all the aspects of an academic event, including abstracts, reviews, schedules, and registration within a single tool set. This makes it easier for your event team to stay organized without having to access multiple applications. Dryfta’s check-in tools, forms, and attendance-tracking features will make it easier for your event staff to collect the data needed for reporting and planning future events.
Overall, Dryfta would be an excellent fit for universities looking for a well-structured event management system with all the required features. To know more, check out our live demo every Friday at 11:00 AM EST.