09 Jul 3 attendee engagement strategies to create meaningful virtual events
event managers are all too aware that achieving high levels of attendee engagement at physical events can be a difficult challenge however with the prominent emergence of virtual events, shifting the experience into an online setting can bring a whole new box of challenges but with this comes great new opportunities to elevate attendee engagement to a whole new level. event planning companies face the task of fighting a whole new level of distraction. social media, email inboxes, children in the house or online shopping are all distractions just within reach or a click away which means the way we create engagement at virtual events needs to be deeply considered.
for a virtual event company understanding the challenges to create meaningful virtual events is important from the primary decisions such as selecting the correct virtual event platform in the uk, all the way to the intricacies of an event that create meaningful and memorable engagement. in this blog, we discuss three attendee engagement strategies to create meaningful virtual events
consider the format
the internet and virtual world are a hotbed of distractions for attendees so it is worth paying extra attention to the format of your event. the routines and working styles of many have changed rather dramatically due to the emergence of working from home so event managers should consider this and plan accordingly.
a key aspect when considering the format is how to structure your sessions in order to create the best attendee experience.
here are a few techniques to consider when formatting your sessions:
offering on-demand sessions
for certain types of attendees with a lack of availability or being able to sit in a chair virtually and watch sessions all day, a great solution is to offer on-demand solutions available to view at any time rather than on an event schedule. not only does this help free up attendees to view and engage with content on their own terms but within a virtual world, this allows you to reach more geographic locations due to fitting into the all-time zone so if your event is for a global audience this could be a great tool.
keep your sessions shorter
the way in which meaningful engagement occurs for virtual event attendees is different than in live events. studies show that virtual events feel longer for viewers and due to easier access this also means it’s easier to drop ours online. to address this, a technique is to make sessions shorter and more dynamic.
make real-time interactions happen
one of the strongest attendee engagement strategies to create meaningful interaction and engagement is to promote real-time interaction. just like in a live event scenario, attendees should be doing and not just watching. techniques such as live q&a’s and breakout rooms should be used to deepen connection to the content and relationships with other attendees.
to ensure this is achievable virtual event companies must ensure they have the right software for the task. here at seven events, we have spent the past year researching the leading virtual event technology software to provide our clients with expert knowledge to ensure that they are set up for success. this has led us to develop our own virtual event platform “hubseven”. this tool has everything you need for successful virtual event engagement such as live group and 1-21 chat, q&a, live polling, and video meetings. selecting the correct software for the format of your event is critical to making real-time interactions happen at your virtual event and we are here to set you up for success.
value your content and production quality
the content is the skeleton of your event and going virtual means the possibilities are endless with the array of engaging and compelling content you can offer. in order to draw the attendee’s attention to the event and cut other distractions, this is a key aspect to consider. techniques such as using the registration process as an opportunity to ask attendees what they want out of the event can ensure you consider what attendees’ value from the event and curate experiences accordingly. this emphasis on content should be combined with a high standard of production quality to raise your event to the next level. considerations for the look and feel of your content and virtual event software can raise the bar.