Event organizers need better tools to create engaging virtual events
Virtual events often feel boring and disconnected compared to in-person experiences. Organizers need tools to create more interactive and engaging online events that keep attendees interested.
FL score
out of 100
Verdict
high confidence
Competition
19
competitors found, emerging market, funded players
Trend
8 community mentions
A solo builder could create an AI-powered engagement tool for a hyper-specific virtual event niche, but must deeply validate the unmet needs of that niche before building to cut through a crowded market.
The pain
The gap
Build angle
Strengths
- Real and severe pain: Virtual events are often disengaging, impacting organizer reputation and ROI.
- Growing market: The virtual events market is expanding rapidly with demand for better experiences.
- Willingness to pay: Organizers are already paying high fees for existing, flawed solutions.
- AI trend: Leverages a current technological trend for personalization and interactivity.
Risks
- Extremely crowded market: Dominated by many funded players (Bizzabo, Hopin, Cvent) making differentiation hard.
- High complexity for solo builder: Building a truly competitive event platform, even for a niche, requires significant engineering.
- YC graveyard: A team of 50 failed in this space, indicating potential systemic challenges.
- Broad problem statement: 'Engaging virtual events' is still too general, risks building a 'me-too' product.
- Switching costs: Users are already locked into other platforms; the new solution must be significantly better or easier to integrate.
Next steps
- Identify a truly underserved, hyper-specific niche (e.g., 'virtual scientific poster sessions' or 'remote company onboarding events').
- Conduct in-depth interviews with organizers in that niche to pinpoint precise unmet needs and specific engagement failures.
- Validate the most critical 'AI-powered' feature for that niche and assess willingness to pay for *that specific feature*.
- Focus on building the absolute narrowest MVP that solves one specific, painful engagement problem for the chosen niche.
- Explore integrating with existing platforms rather than building a full-stack solution to reduce build complexity.
Fly Labs Method
Is the pain real, is there a gap, is it the right time, can one person build it.
- Problem clarity
- 21
- Solution gap
- 10
- Willingness to pay
- 19
- Buildability
- 10
The problem of boring virtual events is real and severe, driving a rapidly growing market. However, the space is extremely crowded with funded incumbents, making it difficult for a solo builder to find a viable whitespace without hyper-specificity and strong differentiation beyond general AI features. Buildability for a single person is also a significant concern.
Value Equation
Dream outcome and how likely it feels, against the time and effort it costs.
This idea has strong market potential and a clear value proposition for enhancing engagement, but faces significant challenges in differentiation and solo builder feasibility within a crowded, funded market.
One-Person Business
Curiosity pull, identity fit, and a path from free value to paid for a solo creator.
The problem is clear, and monetization exists, but the high complexity, crowded market, and lack of a truly anti-niche angle make it challenging for a solo builder.
Viral Frameworks
Hook strength, shareability, and how cheaply it can be tested.
The value proposition and business model are sound, but the crowded market, high build complexity for a solo founder, and significant assumption risks make it challenging for a micro-SaaS.
Builder Lens
Evidence the problem exists, timing, defensibility, and a model that fits on a napkin.
There's a clear, growing demand for engaging virtual events, but the crowded market demands extreme specificity and a very narrow, observable wedge to succeed.
Why this verdict
Five lenses, one composite. How scoring works
The angle
This weekend
- Identify a truly underserved, hyper-specific niche (e.g., 'virtual scientific poster sessions' or 'remote company onboarding events').
- Conduct in-depth interviews with organizers in that niche to pinpoint precise unmet needs and specific engagement failures.
- Validate the most critical 'AI-powered' feature for that niche and assess willingness to pay for *that specific feature*.
- Focus on building the absolute narrowest MVP that solves one specific, painful engagement problem for the chosen niche.
- Explore integrating with existing platforms rather than building a full-stack solution to reduce build complexity.
Who is already there, emerging market
Bizzabo is an enterprise-grade event and webinar platform designed for teams that view webinars as part of a larger event and engagement strategy, powering immersive in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences.
Pricing: Unlimited registrations and events with per-user pricing, allowing for customized packages based on organizational needs.
Hopin, now RingCentral Events, is an online events platform that provides tools for virtual and hybrid events, including ticketing, registration, event rooms, an expo hall, chat, and networking.
Pricing: Not explicitly stated, but RingCentral Events offers various plans and a free trial.
vFairs is a virtual event platform that helps event organizers create memorable connections with their target audience through online conferences, trade shows, and job fairs.
Pricing: Custom pricing, not provided by vendor.
Goldcast is a B2B webinar and virtual events platform primarily used by mid-market and enterprise marketing teams focused on brand-driven webinars and virtual events.
Pricing: Not explicitly stated, but implied to be on the higher end due to its comprehensive functionality.
Hubilo is a webinar and event marketing platform designed to help companies drive pipeline through branded, interactive experiences.
Pricing: Pricing is based on annual attendee limits, including live and on-demand viewers. Starting at $800/month.
Airmeet is an engagement-first virtual event platform designed for hosting large-scale conferences and community events with features like customizable virtual spaces, interactive sessions, and networking lounges.
Pricing: Starts at $167/month.
Bizzabo is an enterprise-grade event and webinar platform designed for teams that view webinars as part of a larger event and engagement strategy, powering immersive in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences.
Pricing: Unlimited registrations and events with per-user pricing, allowing for customized packages based on organizational needs.
Cvent is a robust event management platform known for its wide range of tools for event registration, attendee tracking, and on-site event management for events of all sizes.
Pricing: Usage-based pricing, and charges annual fees, admin user fees, and requires upfront payment.
Accelevents is an event management platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events that strikes a balance between ease of use and robust features.
Pricing: Affordable, transparent pricing plans.
Whova is an award-winning event management platform that emphasizes attendee engagement and networking, offering a comprehensive virtual event platform with session streaming, digital booths, and engagement features.
Pricing: Not explicitly stated in the provided snippets.
Splash is a top-tier event marketing solution that helps organizers create and execute on-brand and repeatable virtual, in-person, and hybrid events with robust ticketing, registration, and management features.
Pricing: Offers different plans depending on the complexity of the event program, providing options for a wide range of budgets.
Zoom Events expands on Zoom's video technology to offer an all-in-one event management platform with event hubs, customizable registration, ticketing, and attendee networking.
Pricing: Starts at $124.17/month for up to 100 attendees for both Webinar and Events features. Starts at $149/month.
What they charge
What people say, 8 mentions
I built a mobile IV therapy company from $0 to $2M in 12 months, merged it into a competitor I ran as CEO and scaled from $2.4M to $10M, stepped down, and started completely over. 3 months in 2026 and we're doing $250K/month.
r/Entrepreneur
I made a lot of mistakes with my first SaaS startup. I'm sharing them here along with the solutions I have in mind – are they correct?
r/SaaS
PE is dumping billions into home care despite 79% caregiver turnover. Heres why.
r/Entrepreneur
I analyzed 847 successful startups and found that 90% of startup advice is backwards. The companies that won violated every rule. Here are the 10 foundation truths nobody tells you. (Part 1/5)
r/SaaS
I analyzed 19 Starter Story interviews to find what actually gets founders to $10K MRR - here are the patterns
r/SaaS
Stop making stupid SaaS and start solving real niche problems
r/SaaS
Spent $5,000 on marketing to get my first $17/month customer - my reality check as a solo founder
r/Entrepreneur
Graveyard of bad ideas (long)
r/Entrepreneur
Recent news
15 best virtual event platforms for 2026 (reviewed and compared)
Guideflow Blog, March 19 2026
390 Event Statistics Shaping the Industry in 2026 | Cvent Blog
Cvent Blog, March 09 2026
The future of virtual events: Trends and innovations - RingCentral
RingCentral, March 13 2025
Top 10 Ways to Create Engaging Virtual Events in 2025 - Kaltura
Kaltura, March 26 2025
Virtual Event Engagement and Interaction Tools | RingCentral Guides
RingCentral Guides, February 27 2025
Market signals
The global virtual events market is large and growing rapidly, valued at USD 7.88 billion in 2023 and projected to reach USD 23.11 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 16.6%. Other reports indicate market size estimates ranging from USD 98.07 billion in 2024 to USD 297.16 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.0%. This growth is driven by the widespread adoption of digital platforms, cost savings compared to physical events, and the demand for engaging global audiences. Key trends include the integration of AI and machine learning for personalization, the rise of hybrid events, and a focus on attendee-centric, interactive experiences.
What frustrates people
- Bizzabo's high fees are robbing event organizers of thousands of dollars better spent on their event.
- Bizzabo is missing a few key features, including event tracking, conferencing, and meeting management.
- Cvent experienced 7 weeks of partial or complete system outages or degraded performance in H1 2025.
- Hopin's networking offers a roulette-type experience where attendees are randomly matched, which may not be tailored to their interests.
- Hubilo is more complex than traditional webinar tools and may require significant onboarding.
I found a way to turn your competitors' angry customers into your customers. Here's the simple trick
This one is almost too effective to share. Every SaaS has unhappy customers. Those customers go to Reddit and vent publicly. And those complaints are your best sales opportunities. **Here's why this is so powerful:** these people already understand the problem space (no education needed), already have budget allocated (they're paying a competitor), are actively unhappy (ready to switch), and are publicly asking for alternatives. That's the highest-intent prospect you'll ever find. Higher than any ad click. Higher than any cold email response. **The method:** **Step 1:** List your top 5 competitors. **Step 2:** Search Reddit for "\[competitor name\]" alternative OR "\[competitor name\]" issue OR "\[competitor name\]" pricing **Step 3:** You'll find dozens of frustrated users describing exactly what they wish was different. **Step 4:** Write a genuinely helpful comment. Don't trash the competitor that looks petty. Instead, acknowledge their frustration and offer objective alternatives: "I've used \[competitor\] too and had similar issues with X. Depending on what matters most to you, here are 3 alternatives I've tested: \[tool A\] for Y, \[tool B\] for Z, and \[your tool\] if you specifically need W." **The key:** be honest and balanced. Recommend competitors when they're genuinely better for that use case. People trust someone who gives objective advice over someone who only pushes their own product. **My results from last month:** 3 customers in one month (high ticket niche), started this strategy since Jan. 2026 + this will compound over time the more I find posts to comment. The hardest part is finding these conversations across 50+ subreddits consistently. I use AI Reddit tools like Reppit AI to monitor competitor mentions in real-time, which surfaces opportunities I'd never find manually. Try it this week: search your #1 competitor's name + "alternative" on Reddit. I guarantee you'll find warm prospects over time, as these posts already rank on goog
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You're not struggling to find customers. You're struggling because you skipped the step that comes before finding customers.
I've been lurking in this sub for a while and I keep seeing the same post over and over, just with different product names. "Launched 3 weeks ago. Less than 20 users signed up. Zero paying customers. What am I doing wrong?" Or "Built for 8 months. Finally launched. Crickets. Help" Or the most painful one: "Gave it away free to 50 people. Asked them to pay $29/month. All 50 ghosted me." I'm not writing this to be harsh. I'm writing this because I've watched talented technical founders waste 12–18 months of their lives on a problem that has a clear, learnable solution, and nobody in this sub is talking about it directly. So here it is. # The real reason you have no paying customers isn't your product, your pricing, or your landing page. It's that you're trying to sell to people who don't yet trust you, don't yet know you, and haven't told you with their own words that they have the problem you're solving badly enough to pay money to fix it. You built something. Then you went looking for someone to sell it to. That order is the problem. # What the amateur approach actually looks like (most of you will recognize yourselves here) You had an idea. You built it, or you're building it right now. You put up a landing page. You posted on Product Hunt, posted here on reddit, maybe posted on Twitter. You got some upvotes, some "congrats on the launch" comments, maybe a few hundred free signups. Then silence. So you started tweaking. Changed the headline. Lowered the price. Added a free tier. Posted again. Maybe ran some Google ads. Still nothing. You're iterating on the wrong variable. The problem isn't the headline. The problem is you don't actually know — with evidence, not assumption — who is in enough pain to pay you, what words they use to describe that pain, and what would need to be true for them to hand over a credit card to a founder they've never heard of. You skipped the step where you find that out. What that step actually looks like Before your first
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