Virtual & Hybrid Events in PrestaShop: Hosting, Streaming & Selling Access

Today, the relationship between a company and its customers is very different from what it was in the past. With the rise of remote work, distance learning, and digital-first marketing, virtual and hybrid events are increasingly becoming a cornerstone of e-commerce strategies. From marketing a new product to hosting online seminars, merchants use these events for virtual crowdsourcing to save on operational expenses and reach customers outside their stores.

Today’s businesses need a way to connect with customers easily, and online stores are no exception. The customer still shops online, but your transactions with them are guiding them toward an event-driven purchase process where the rules have profoundly changed. A fashion brand could present a new collection via a slick live runway show, or a tech shop could invite its customers to join in on an interactive Q&A session and product demo.

Speaking of which, this interesting blog post focuses on guiding Prestashop store owners about the virtual and hybrid events in Prestashop. So without further ado, let’s get started. 

What Are Virtual & Hybrid Events?

Virtual events are online only events. Attendees are able to participate via live streaming, and pre-recorded content is also common, utilising platforms such as YouTube Live, Zoom or Vimeo. 

It’s particularly easy to create virtual events for webinars, online workshops, product launches and online conferences. They eliminate geographical hindrances and save space costs for merchants.

The hybrid event covers both in-person attendance and virtual participation. Part of the audience attends in person, while the others tune into the event through streaming or with digital tickets. This setup is perfect for product launches, fashion shows or education conferences where some guests need to check in remotely.

By recognizing these differences, PrestaShop stores can adjust their events to how customers want to shop from them, serving up a combination of in-store activity and online foot traffic. 

Organising Online Events in PrestaShop

The Events Manager Module for Prestashop will allow you to publish events with all the features that you would expect from an event, including a fully responsive design.

Admins can now create digital events by choosing an “Online” venue option instead of a physical location for their capacity-controlled event.

Event details like date, time and category can be posted as if they were physical events, but instead with fields for streaming links or virtual access instructions.

Calendars and listing views show events in a neat, tidy format, and they even have an option so your customers can filter by category or by date. This can facilitate attending multiple online events and enhance findability. 

For Example, a Store that Sales how-to-course scenarios and products can offer various workshops with different topics. Every workshop lands on the calendar with a direct link to join as well.

The module also enables ticket creation for virtual events (free or paid). You can assign different types of tickets, like early-bird, VIP ticket or group ticket, to track your attendance effectively. Bookings are confirmed by email and give attendees immediate access from the web to your virtual venue.

With all the event creation, ticketing and attendee management living within PrestaShop too, admins can easily control multiple virtual events at a time, making life easier for your staff and attendees.

Hosting Live Events: Streaming Integrations and Tools

Live streaming is the cornerstone of virtual events. PrestaShop also has compatibility with popular platforms like YouTube Live, Zoom and Vimeo, enabling merchants to insert live streams directly into event pages.

To Host A Live Event:

• You are going to create your event in PrestaShop and choose the virtual venue option.
• Paste the streaming link or embed code in the event description.
• Set up ticketing if the event is paid.
• Set reminders for the meeting and confirmation emails to participants.

To Optimise Streaming Quality:

• Audio and video test before the session
• Ensure a stable internet connection
• Shoot with high-res cameras and pro mics
• Turn on live chat or Q&A to promote engagement.

Example Use Case: A store debuting a new product line could host a live reveal, stream it to online attendees and sell tickets at the same time for limited in-person access. 

All visitors, whether physical or virtual, are monitored and managed from a central dashboard, so you can communicate with your audience more effectively.

Monetising Access to Virtual & Hybrid Events

It’s easy to monetise virtual events with PrestaShop. The Events Manager Module lets you sell tickets for online or hybrid events.

To Sell Access:

• Create a ticket product associated with the virtual event.
• Spec prices, seating caps and categories (i.e., online-only, VIP in-person or hybrid).
• Allow payment gateways, PayPal, Stripe or Credit Card integration.

Send tickets to customers automatically by email, containing QR codes or digital confirmations.

Hybrid events can have multiple ticket types. For example, a conference could offer 50 in-person tickets and limitless online access. For virtual attendees, they are assigned unique links and login credentials or streaming codes and in-person at the event, they are checked into the stage using a QR code. Email reminders can be scheduled, so no one will forget the event.

This removes the need for manual registration, lowers potential for error and helps merchants to maximise revenue from both onsite and virtual attendance. With ticketing and streaming management integrated within the same platform, 

PrestaShop lets you easily manage hybrid events without the headache of separate solutions and provides all attendees with a smooth experience.

Marketing & Promoting Your Virtual Events

Because no one is showing up to a virtual event that they don’t know about, we’re going all in on best practices for promotion and marketing.

There are various marketing tools in PrestaShop; by using them, you can successfully market virtual and hybrid events:

• Use the event pages after setting up and share them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and even Twitter to attract an audience. 
• Try “Share & Follow” modules for a quick social network integration.
• Automate PrestaShop to invite, remind, and follow up. Segment your audience based on purchases or engagement.
• Compliance managers will love that you can leverage time-sensitive offers or offer groups access to more than one event.

Cross-promotion with other modules (e.g., PrestaShop Referral Program) may also help to increase the willingness to share and register. Powerful event promotion drives attendance and revenue while enhancing brand loyalty.

Hybrid Event Application Use Case: A use case scenario in the UK

Imagine a fashion brand organising a live runway show. They offer:

• 100 tickets for in-person seats to attend  the venue
• Infinite Maximum: unlimited virtual tickets for online viewing

With PrestaShop, They Can Serve Both Audiences Seamlessly:

Seating at ticketed in-person events is capped and tied to seating assignments.

Those attending will now receive a link to stream the performance and be able to download an event program.

For both Attendee types, you have automatic emails being sent out with the following details:

The admin can check on the registrations, use a QR code for in-person registration and see that there is a live stream for everyone participating online. This seamless workflow eliminates administrative hassles, keeps you compliant with accurate reporting and offers a higher standard of professionalism for every stakeholder.

Merchants can also plan additional promotions, like discounts on items featured in the runway show, to bring together event engagement and a sale conversion.

Why Do You Need PrestaShop Events Manager For a Virtual Event?

It is the best Event Management Tool and a perfect fit for virtual and hybrid events, including selling event tickets on PrestaShop. The key benefits are:

• Easy to Use Interface:  Administrators can easily create, edit, and manage Events.
• Event Calendar:  Show off your events in calendar, list or grid formats for easier navigation.
• Ticketing & Booking Management:  Sell, restrict and automate seat reservations without 3rd party services.
• Compatible With Live Streaming:  Add video streaming urls from YouTube, Zoom, Vimeo or any platform.
• Automation & Notifications:  Auto-confirmation of bookings, automatic reminders and attendee management help cut down on manual work.

With tickets, scheduling, streaming and attendee management all in one place, PrestaShop makes it easy for sellers to host a professional event online without worrying about tech problems.

Conclusion

Virtual and hybrid events are no longer a nice-to-have; they’re a powerful tool for e-commerce stores to get in front of customers, drive more sales, and reach people around the world. Prestashop Event Manager Addon enables store owners to host online events on their store easily, let customers buy tickets using a ticketing system and manage a catchy event page effectively.

PrestaShop makes it possible to mix physical with digital experience smoothly, monetise them effectively and get everyone involved in that for a professional and engaging time.