29 Feb 7 Ways to Make your Virtual Events Stand Out
There’s no denying the value of face-to-face interaction, and in-person events have been used for years to create meaningful connections and bring people together. However, with lockdowns, social distancing and the lack of confidence amongst attendees of in-person events, virtual events have soared in popularity throughout the coronavirus pandemic and are set to be part of every event planner’s event strategy going forward.
Virtual events are often cheaper and less complicated to set up than in-person events, and they open your events up to attendees from all over the world. However, with so many other distractions vying for delegates’ attention, event managers must work harder to engage audiences and make the event stand out without the possibility of face-to-face interaction. Here are some techniques that are sure to make your virtual event stand out from the rest:
It isn’t enough to simply make a traditional physical event virtual instead. It’s important to make your virtual events as engaging for your audience as possible.
1. Have engaging speakers
With 49% of marketers saying that audience engagement is the biggest contributing factor to having a successful virtual event, it is important to hire a good, engaging speaker, one that will do more than read from a PowerPoint presentation. It is twice as hard to engage with an audience through virtual events, ensure your speaker interacts with your attendees, asks questions and fields questions. The unseen audience is still ripe for engagement if you reach out to them in the correct way. When selecting the right speaker, consider the cost reduction. You may be able to afford a better speaker because you don’t have to pay for them to attend in person.
2. Networking opportunities
One area of physical events that can be missed when going virtual is networking, so it’s important to create networking events within your virtual event to add the element of face-to-face or ‘screen to screen’ engagement for your audience.
Whether you’re offering your audience networking opportunities with your speakers or hosts through the form of a Q&A or are including break-out rooms to split up your audience and facilitate a discussion, you should encourage peer-to-peer communication and offer your virtual ticket holders the opportunity to engage.
Virtual event fatigue is a real thing, breaking up the event with some fun and engaging activities or entertainment can be a great way to keep your audience engaged.
3. Breakout sessions
Breakout sessions are a great way to break up your virtual event and can help prevent attendee fatigue. Whether they are structured or spontaneous, long or short, breakout sessions are good for engaging your audience. By providing interactive activities, your attendees will be more likely to participate than go and make a cup of tea in the breaks. Why not try speed networking, a yoga class or an interactive interview with an industry leader?
4. Live quizzes
The simplest concept for introducing an engaging element to your virtual event is to engage with your audience – and a fantastic way to do this is by incorporating a live quiz. You’ll encourage your audience members to listen along and participate and will be offering them the opportunity to win a quiz at the same time.
You could research a specific tool or platform to facilitate the quiz like SurveyMonkey, digitally choosing the winner, or could simply ask the questions out loud and invite your audience members to write their answers in the chat, selecting the fastest finger first! For an extra incentive, you could incorporate prizes, or you could simply include them to boost your audience’s entertainment.
5. Polls and voting
Another quick and easy way to engage a virtual audience is to incorporate polls or voting options into your event, allowing your audience to present their opinions and to directly get involved in any presentations or talks that might be happening during your event.
The most important thing to remember when utilising live polling or voting is to display the answers of the polls for your audience to see. Displaying the data in real-time will make your audience feel incredibly included and will allow you to gain feedback as the event progresses too.
Try to think about types of entertainment that lend themselves well to a virtual medium – like perhaps inviting a stand-up comedian to do a brief set, showcasing some exclusive video content or even live streaming a musician.
6. Entertainment
A live event isn’t complete without entertainment and the same goes for a virtual event. You could go classic with a band, a digital photobooth or a DJ, or you could think outside the box and plan a virtual wellness session, a magic show or a bespoke trivia game for all to enjoy; with the use of the correct technology, the sky’s the limit!
7. Goodie bags
Send out a pre-packed kit to your attendees to give them that VIP experience and simulate some of the perks of attending a live event. For example, incorporate a cocktail-making exercise in a breakout session; send out the ingredients and have the whole audience making cocktails at home! It is interactive, engaging and will also give attendees a break from the more serious content. Similarly, if the event runs over lunchtime, send out a promotion code for food; companies such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats are all offering this service. Having something physical to associate the virtual event with will not only remind guests to attend, but it will also give them something to look forward to.
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