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By Lauren Groff
Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels
March 3, 2021 (San Diego) - In recent years, virtual events have been more evident. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual events have been the saving grace for people looking to get together during periods of quarantine. Not only do such events save people time and money (when it comes to the planning), but they also make meetups easier for companies, organizations, etc.
Although virtual meetups pose a unique set of challenges, such events can still be engaging and exciting for everyone involved. By making a virtual event engaging, attendees are more willing to see what future events you’ll have in store next.
Here are 8 innovative ways to create a truly engaging virtual experience that attendees will enjoy:
1. Find the Right Hosting Site
“You can’t host a virtual event without knowing which platform you want to host it on,” says Francis Williams, a business writer at Assignment Help and Essay Services. “Choose a hybrid and virtual event platform that suits your requirements, and has the interactive features that you need to create an engaging event. Plus, make sure that all attendees are able to use the platform. And, have a responsive support team that can troubleshoot any issues that might transpire before, during, or after the event.”
2. Inform Your Audience Ahead of Time
Since you’re catering to an audience, it’s important to bring a specific level of intention to your virtual event. Be sure to help your audience understand how they can have the best experience possible when attending your event. Here are some examples to have them participate:
- Submitting a question in the comments section
- Raising their hand a certain way on-screen
3. Make the Event Relevant
For relevant topics, make them known to your audience in the virtual event. This ensures that you’re getting your attendees’ attention. When coming up with relevant topics to discuss, keep in mind these questions:
- What do attendees look for in a virtual event?
- What are they willing to spend money on?
- What can get them to turn on video chat after a long day?
4. Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are huge topics nowadays. In fact, those ideas are encouraged in the workplace, school, public places, etc. So, here is your chance for people to see you and your company, organization, etc. to practice being inclusive. When hiring speakers, find experts of different genders, races, and backgrounds. Also, add subtitles to a film, or hire an ASL translator for a livestream event.
5. Have Roundtable Discussions
Roundtable discussions have been most popular in virtual meetups. And with many topics to choose from, roundtables are ideal for such occasions. Needless to say, roundtables are meaningful ways to connect with one another.
To do this, have a designated facilitator in each room so that the conversation stays focused, and people can talk. And, make sure to have a list of questions to help guide the discussion.
6. Have On Special Guests
“People like to see reputable people, or special guests, on a virtual meetup,” says Thomas Sterling, a marketing manager at Ukservicesreviews and OX Essays. “If you want to drive sales and get attendees excited to show up to your virtual event, consider inviting an expert in an aligning field, a popular social media influencer that your attendees will recognize, or even a celebrity that can perform or run a Q&A.”
7. Utilize Gamification
Gamification is a great way to motivate people to truly get involved in an event, especially virtual ones. You can create icebreakers and games that will have attendees earn points, take part in live polls and Q&As, and so on. No matter the activity, points can go towards earning entries into a live prize draw at the end of the event.
8. Encourage Attendees To Give Feedback
Finally, it’s important to get feedback from attendees. This ensures that you’re listening to them, and showing that you care about them coming to your virtual events.
Here are some good questions to ask when collecting feedback:
- Overall, how would you rate this event?
- How likely are you to recommend this event to a friend?
- Which parts of the event did you like the most?
- Which parts can be improved?
Conclusion
While these are just a few ways to get the most from your virtual event, it’s still important to do your research ahead of time, and to accept feedback once the event is over. So, go ahead! Make your virtual event more engaging with these 8 helpful tips.
Lauren Groff is a writer for BigAssignments and Dissertation Writing. She is also a contributing writer for Simple Grad. Lauren helps set virtual events.
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