Is the word "webinar" holding you back?

Yesterday I attended the Renewd Summit in Arlington. Renewd.net is the free open community for professionals dedicated to sharing best-in-class practices for increasing subscriptions, building communities, and enhancing live and virtual events. In a way it’s the modern manifestation of the newsletter publishers association.

In one of the first talks, Diane Schwartz mentioned that how you name something can have a big effect on the perception of an event.

For example, is it a webinar or a seminar?

Is it a summit or a meeting?

Is it a trade show or a conference?

How you label your event can be very powerful.

Let’s start with formality. Some words – like conference, summit, or symposium – might convey a sense formality, professionalism, and importance, while other words – like workshop, training, or meeting – suggest a more interactive, hands-on approach.

Then we have audience expectations. A seminar or workshop might attract people who are seeking practical skills or knowledge, while a symposium or conference might seem more academic.

You also need to consider the emotional appeal of the words. “Summit” or “forum” may evoke a sense of collaboration or leadership, while colloquium or roundtable implies more intimate and intellectually stimulating discussion. I also wonder if words like “workshop” might alienate introverts, who might be afraid they’re going to be called on to participate. Some people don’t like that.

The words you choose can also affect perceived value. “Summit” or “symposium” might imply higher value or prestige while “meeting” or “training” sound more routine.

The name you choose can affect your position in the market. It’s probably a good idea to do some testing to see which words work best for your event for your audience. Don’t just stick with something boring like “webinar.” I’ve read a couple articles suggesting that the word “webinar” is a turnoff and depresses response.

Here are some other words to think about.

Panel discussion
Think tank
Forum
Lecture series
Retreat
Meet-up
Boot camp
Seminar series

There are a lot of words out there. Before planning your next event, you might consider doing some research. A thesaurus. ChatGPT. A keyword tool. “Answer the public,” etc. And when you roll out the idea, do some testing.