5 Reasons Why You Should Host Your ERG Event Online

1) Greater Reach Across Regions and Schedules

Virtual formats remove the biggest barriers to ERG attendance: location and timing. People can join from regional hubs, client sites, or home – and if they can’t make it live, they can still watch on replay.

• On-demand matters. In ON24’s latest global benchmarks, 45% of attendees chose to watch webinars on-demand rather than live. Treat the replay as part of delivery: secure recording rights, publish quickly, and promote across internal channels.
• Follow-the-sun programming. Run the same session twice for EMEA/APAC and the Americas, then keep a central on-demand library so every ERG chapter can use the content later. For distributed teams, a follow-the-sun model is an established operating pattern (Source: Zendesk).
• Language access is easier online. Adoption of remote simultaneous interpreting and AI-assisted translation is rising. Industry analysis indicates widespread experimentation with AI in live translation while professional interpreters remain standard for high-stakes content (Source: Slator).

2) Accessibility by Design

Online ERG events make it simpler to offer accessible experiences that benefit everyone. In the UK, around 24% of people are disabled, and millions combine work with unpaid caring responsibilities (Source: Carers UK). Virtual delivery reduces travel stress and lets people engage in ways that suit their energy, environment, and needs.

• Captions help more than you think. In a multi-institution study collated by 3Play Media, 71% of students who use captions do not have hearing difficulties, 75% use them as a learning aid, and 52% say captions improve comprehension. Captions and transcripts also aid searchability and re-use.
• Multiple access routes. Offer live captions, transcripts, BSL interpreters where appropriate, variable playback speed, and chat-only participation for colleagues who prefer not to speak on camera.
• Meets legal duties. UK employers must make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. Captioning, transcripts, and accessible formats are visible steps that support compliance and inclusion.

3) Better Value for Money

Online ERG events remove venue, AV, catering, and travel costs — and they scale. If your organisation is watching spend, virtual delivery stretches the budget further without shrinking the audience.

• In-person costs remain elevated. The Global Business Travel Association reported average daily in-person costs per attendee of $162 in 2024, with continued modest increases expected into 2025. CWT/GBTA also flagged elevated event costs through 2024 (CWT/GBTA), while Cvent notes higher cost-per-attendee versus 2019.
• Virtual simplifies procurement. Fewer suppliers and fewer moving parts make it quicker to spin up regular ERG sessions, record them, and distribute clips to chapters worldwide.
• Content keeps working. Record once, repurpose many times: replay libraries, short clips for Teams, internal newsletters, LMS modules, and manager toolkits.

4) Cut in Carbon Emissions

For organisations with net-zero or ESG targets, virtual ERG events are an easy win. A peer-reviewed study in Nature Communications found that moving from in-person to virtual conferencing can reduce the carbon footprint by 94% and cut energy use by 90% when you account for the full life cycle (travel, food, accommodation, venue, and ICT). A carefully designed hybrid model with regional hubs still reduced emissions by roughly two-thirds (Source: Estes et al., 2021).

5) Rich Data & Proof of Impact

Virtual events make it easy to measure what matters and improve with every session. Track registrations, attendance by region, poll responses, Q&A themes, replay views, and employee feedback — then use those insights to shape your ERG roadmap.

• Engagement you can see. ON24’s recent benchmarks show polls are consistently top for interaction, averaging around 130 responses per webinar. You’ll also see how many people click resources, request follow-ups, or watch the replay.
• Live + on-demand. In ON24’s 2025 data, 45% of attendees opted for on-demand viewing. Treat the replay as part of delivery — send it the same day; chapter leaders can screen it locally to widen reach.
• Qualitative insight at scale. Chat, free-text polls, and post-event surveys surface questions people may not raise in a physical room, especially on sensitive topics. That helps ERG leads and HR teams prioritise action.

What this means for ERG outcomes

When you make attendance easier, provide captions and interpretation, and keep content available on-demand, more people feel able to take part — including colleagues with disabilities, caring responsibilities, and those working non-standard hours. That supports the conditions associated with stronger ERG impact: psychological safety, belonging, and practical learning people can apply the same day.

FAQs

Will a virtual ERG event feel “flat”? It shouldn’t. Choose speakers proven on camera, use polls and chat early, and keep segments tight. A short, well-produced session with high interaction beats a long in-person talk that many can’t attend.

Do we need subtitles and interpreters every time? Decide based on audience and topic. As a baseline, captions and a transcript should be standard. For global sessions or topics attracting multilingual interest, add interpretation.

Can we justify the investment? Yes — you’ll reach more people for less money, gather better data, and build a reusable content library. You’ll also reduce travel-related emissions dramatically.

How Can The Virtual Online Speakers Agency Help?

We source virtual keynoters who are proven online, not just on stage. Our team will help you:

• Match speakers to your ERG goals and audience.
• Build an inclusive run-of-show with captions, transcripts, and (if needed) interpretation.
• Plan follow-the-sun delivery across time zones and set up a replay library.
• Agree recording and repurposing rights, so your session lives on in toolkits, clips, and training.

Ready to plan your next online ERG event? Contact our booking team or call 0203 9317 391. We’ll send a tailored shortlist within one business day.