Almonds Ai Declares 27 November as “World Channel Partner’s Day” on its 5th Anniversary. Click Here

Category: Blogs

Categories
Blogs

How to Write an Email Invitation to Attract Hundreds of Attendees to Your Event

How-to-Write-an-Email-Invitation-to-Attract-Hundreds-of-Attendees-to-Your-Event

How to Write an Email Invitation to Attract Hundreds of Attendees to Your Event

So, you’ve worked hard and put together an unbelievable event. And whether it is hybrid, virtual, or in-person the next step is to bring in people. That’s who your event is for, isn’t it?

Out of the many ways to invite attendees, email still remains the most popular. In fact, most virtual event companies will vouch for its popularity. But why?

  • Emails can be tracked and you can use these insights into designing better email campaigns for the future.
  • People still check their emails a lot. And if you’re a top brand, chances are that you have an excellent email open rate of above 30 percent.
  • Emails are very conversational and personalizable. They give your audience the feeling that you are talking to them. And now that virtual events aren’t limited to COVID times, nobody minds a conversation.

Components of your email

Now that you know why email, it is important to know the crucial components of an email that can help you push your click and open rates higher.

  • It may seem laughable, but the sender’s address plays a big role in the click rates of emails. Nobody wants to open an email that comes from a generic email address. Try to personalize it with your event’s name.
  • Nearly 5 in 10 readers will decide whether to open an email based on its subject line. So, invest in a short, compelling subject line that plays into the reader’s mind. For instance, “Grow Your Business 5X by 2023 at {event name}”
  • Remember, a personalized greeting can go a long way. Use tracking metrics to design a cute introduction for a few of your clients. Everybody loves emails that are special. Most good virtual event platforms such as Almond Virtex, Eventcube, Airmeet, Hubilo provide integration with your email marketing software to make this simpler.
  • Use different emails for different lists. Again dig into your analytics to see who’s done what in the past. Find email lists of people who have an interest in your industry and read blogs/articles about it. Send them industry-specific emails that you know will get their attention.
  • The body of your email should be short and include information about your event in an organized manner.
  • The value of a good email signature is quite underestimated. Make use of titles, awards that your company may have won, etc.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when designing your invitation for events online.

1. Tell them why they should come to your event

People respond better to ‘why’. So, give them a list of benefits. It could be rewards, discounts, or better business growth- list it all out.

2. Don’t forget your call-to-action (CTA)

Every reader will need to interact with your email in some way. Is it buying a ticket, an RSVP, or going to the landing page to register? Make it clear and use a button that stands out.

3. Make it visually appealing

We love visuals. So, include graphics and visual aids wherever you can. Pictures, graphs, banners, timelines, embedded video clips- the list goes on.

4. Keep it simple

Nobody has the time to read verbose emails. So, keep your content to the point and instead present it in a visually appealing way. That way, even if you are saying a lot, you have the advantage of using a visual aid.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,396 Post views
Categories
Blogs

Why should people add virtual event components to their in-person events?

Why-should-people-add-virtual-event-components-to-their-in-person-events

Why Should People Add Virtual Event Components To Their In-Person Events?

Conferences are great. They bring people together, showcase some of the best that the industry has to offer, and can build up to a positive brand image. And when you make them virtual, they can do a lot more!

Hybrid event platforms are probably the fastest-rising business model in tech right now. Marketers want to host hybrid events. They look forward to blending in-person and virtual elements and making the most of both worlds.

While in-person events have their own charm, adding virtual elements to them can be a game-changer for most businesses.

You can save money

Budget is always among the top priorities for any event marketer. And if there is a way for you to achieve your event goals and more without having to expand your budget, you’re not going to refuse. Adding virtual sections to your in-person event can do just that. You can reach a wider audience, provide breathtaking experiences, engage with your audience, track their behaviors, and do much more without having to spend an exorbitant amount of money.

You have more flexibility

Imagine that you’re hosting an in-person event and the venue is suddenly unavailable. It would be prudent to have a backup but in case you don’t, can you imagine the struggle of looking for a new venue? On the other hand, if you decide to switch to a virtual platform and work with a virtual event company, you have the flexibility of choosing the date, time, geography, size, budget, etc. In other words, you have more control over your event.

You have more engagement options at your disposal

While the personal connection of in-person events cannot be effectively replaced, virtual events are a slightly better option if you’re looking to engage with a large group of people at the same time. The best virtual platforms, such as Almond Virtex, Hubilo, Eventcube, Airmeet, Hopin provide different options to engage every attendee. From games to quizzes, and chats to live polls, a lot is available to event marketers through a virtual setup.

With the rising popularity of hybrid events, platforms also provide the capability to connect in-person audiences with virtual audiences.

You can track your event performance better

Is the market benefitting from the virtualization of real-world events?

Most certainly.

Good event technology comes with robust analytics mechanisms that provide very meaningful insights to businesses. They can use this data to drive their objectives for future events or take market-related decisions.

Now that you understand why business can benefit by adding virtual components to their in-person events, let’s look at a few events that you can convert to hybrid ones.

  • Conferences where you have several speakers and attendees.
  • Trade shows and expos where you need to dislay a large selection of products. You can make use of the customization that platforms offer to make your own booths.
  • Award ceremonies that also have performances and family involvement.

In all honesty, any event can have virtual elements to it. And with so many companies doing it, it is time to experiment with hybrid event platforms.

Who knows? You might end up hosting the best event of your life.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,376 Post views
Categories
Blogs

Measurement of Event Satisfaction Using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Measurement-of-Event-Satisfaction-Using-Key-Performance-Indicators

Measurement of Event Satisfaction Using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Admittedly, planning and executing an event is a long and even arduous task. However, a lot of work still remains to be done once the event is done. In fact, most of the work related to an event happens after the end of the previous event. Today, with tracking and analytics, it is possible to evaluate and assess the success of an event and avoid repeating mistakes.

But what constitutes an event’s success or satisfaction? Is it growth in net promoter score (NPS), revenue generation, or better RoI? Here is where Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) play a role. If you haven’t ever set KPIs for your event, then now is the right time to start. Work with your virtual event company to identify KPIs and work backward from there.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of KPIs that you can use to evaluate your event satisfaction.

1. Attendance rate

It’s not registrations or the ones showing interest that count. What matters is the number of people who said they would attend and actually showed up on the day of the event. It will reveal how many attendees were genuinely interested in your event and how many remembered to attend. If your attendance numbers are low, then you can work back to improve your promotional campaigns.

2. Social media buzz

Your event is incomplete without social media promotion. In fact, posting teaser videos is an emerging trend shaping the future of event technology. It is here that you can identify how audiences are engaging with your brand, their awareness levels, and their likelihood to recommend it to others in their circles. You can measure all of this through the changes in the number of followers, the likes, shares, views for your videos, and so on.

3. Sales revenue

The amount of sales you make can also reveal a lot about the effectiveness of your event, especially if you were looking for monetary gain. You can monitor this through the quantity of sales happening through different channels in response to promotional campaigns before and after the event. You can also look at whether the sales came in from new customers or repeat customers.

If you have a lot of new customers, then your event has likely succeeded in raising brand awareness. Repeat customers means good brand loyalty and a higher NPS. If your numbers are low, then you can think of new virtual event ideas.

4. Satisfaction

One of the reasons why any business would want to organize an event is to bring value to its audiences. And one of the easiest ways to measure this is to look at the overall attendee satisfaction.

Create an online survey that captures important information about the attendees, their likes and dislikes with respect to the event, their expectations from the future, and so on. All of this can serve as great preparation for your next event.

5. Publicity

If other businesses in the industry are talking about your event, or if it has been featured in the press, then you know your event did well. Media coverage can also help your brand find more awareness.

By using the right virtual event platforms like Almond Virtex, Hubilo, Eventcube, Airmeet tracking different event metrics for your KPIs will be a walk in the park. From your side, just be sure of the KPIs and leave the rest to the event platform.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,365 Post views
Categories
Blogs

Is The Market Benefiting From The Virtualization Of Real-World Events?

Is-the-market-benefiting-from-the-virtualization-of-real-world-events

Is The Market Benefiting From The Virtualization Of Real-World Events?

Every time something new hits the market, the pain of making the transition from the old to the new is palpable. In a similar fashion, the event industry has had to move from the traditional way of conducting events to virtual and hybrid ways.

As is the case with most industries, new innovation always goes through its phases: starting from early adopters to growth to finally saturation. The so-called ‘virtualization’ of events that started probably even before the pandemic has finally found its rhythm for growth and expansion.

Virtual event companies are growing by the day and the business that they deal with might touch nearly $505 billion between 2021 and 2028. This figure could be arrived at if the market grows at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.7%, a very good number by any means.

The birth of the end-to-end virtual event platform

When it first had to be done, virtual event planning was not on the top of any company’s list. However, today they don’t just serve as an alternative to in-person events, rather they have become a catalyst for businesses’ expansion and growth beyond geographical boundaries.

Virtual events enable businesses to touch new markets while maintaining strong engagement with their existing markets. Moreover, they can be organized at a fraction of the cost of in-person events. These advantages have spawned a wave of new virtual event platforms that offer everything from subscriptions to their services to bespoke event planning and management. This explains the massive prediction of $500 billion that we spoke of earlier.

Newfound tracking and analytics mechanisms

For the first time, marketers and event organizers can track attendee data and derive actional insights from it. This is a huge step-up for businesses to bring more smart and targeted marketing to their customers.

At events online, businesses can measure the engagement of the audiences by identifying when they responded more, which booths they interacted with, what type of questions they asked, and so on. This development has encouraged more event platforms to upgrade their analytics dashboards, sometimes even by partnering with specialist organizations.

The new place for networking

The whole purpose of in-person events has been to create networking avenues for their attendees. What’s interesting is that with virtual events networking can be even better, thanks to smart technology. Platforms like Almond Virtex, Hopin, Eventcube, Airmeet, Hubilo are quickly developing to include topic-specific chat rooms, crawl attendee profiles and match like-minded individuals, generate ice-breakers to get conversations started, and so on. This is yet another emerging trend shaping the future of event technology.

Marketing repository

Virtual events are quickly becoming repositories of marketing collateral. With so much information being exchanged in such a creative and interactive manner, businesses are employing the best video editors and content creators to curate this content and upload it to their websites to be made available to attendees later. Doing so also enables them to reach out to those who could not or did not attend the event – yet another effective way to tap new markets.

Moreover, virtual events are much cheaper and faster to organize and the saved costs and time can be used to better marketing efforts. At the end of the day, marketing is about getting creative and there is no better opportunity than hosting a virtual event.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,603 Post views
Categories
Blogs

Six Different Ways to Blend In-Person and Virtual Events

Six-Different-Ways-to-Blend-In-Person-and-Virtual-Events

Six Different Ways to Blend In-Person and Virtual Events

For years now, events have been the go-to strategy for most businesses to improve their lead generation, engineer a sales pipeline, build brand awareness, and enhance their customer loyalty. Six out of 10 leaders believe that event marketing is the most effective marketing tool in their marketing mix.

Picture any in-person event you may have attended in the past and you will immediately remember the beautiful venue, the sponsorship videos, exhibits, coupons and other offers, interesting workshops, speeches, and the networking, of course.

After 2020, all of this moved to virtual event platform, but in 2022, it seems like the hybrid model (combining in-person and virtual elements) will be the mainstay for businesses.

However, what is the best way to make this happen?

We have not one but six ways in which you can blend in-person and virtual events. However, before we get started, remember that you must know the goal of your event. Only then will you be able to gauge the real need and effectiveness of blending virtual elements. It makes sense only if the blending of your in-person and virtual events is in alignment with your goals.

1. Stream your events

From music festivals and product launches to weddings and birthday parties, streaming events have become one of the easiest ways to promote an event to virtual audiences in different corners of the world. If your content is good and has always been, rest assured that people everywhere will attend. And that is the reason why big conferences like Salesforce’s Dreamforce have attendance rates that continue to soar.

2. Use good hybrid event technology

There are several hybrid event platform in the market now but you need to choose one that works with your strategy and goals. If that needs some research, account for it and get started early.

To make things easier for you, ensure that the platform has a single registration portal. Working with two separate lists is time-consuming and unnecessary.

In fact, a single page for all your audiences will serve as a good starting point to make them feel connected through the same event agenda, games, and interactions.

3. Engage with your audiences

Every event is an experience and while the in-person attendees are usually touted to feel it better, there is plenty of room for engagement even on virtual platforms like Almond Virtex, Airmeet, vFairs. What you need is to communicate with your service provider and together create opportunities in the form of chats, quizzes, interesting games, and so on.

4. Use social media extensively

If you are wondering how to use social media to advertise a virtual event, then we have news for you. You need to learn, fast. Nearly eight out of 10 attendees are on social media and you can leverage it not just to promote but also to foster that connection between your in-person and virtual attendees like we spoke earlier.

5. Use the same promotional material

A great way to bring engagement up is by distributing similar promotional content before your event and using it to ask questions, create polls and general conversation with your attendees. It could be in the form of blogs, pamphlets, videos, etc.

6. Continue after your event

Once the event is done, you must continue to hold conversations that engage both types of audiences. The event itself is a common factor and how you leverage it to attract your audiences matters. Share your event in the form of post-event snippets, audio, podcasts, blogs, and encourage your attendees to participate in dialogue.

Just like everything else, event marketing too, has changed. All you need is a little flexibility and innovation to catch up and make the most of it.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,619 Post views
Categories
Blogs

Prepare Your Speakers For Your Virtual Event

Prepare-Your-Speakers-For-Your-Virtual-Event

Prepare Your Speakers For Your Virtual Event

Even the best speakers tend to feel nervous before they need to get on stage and if they are not used to virtual events, then they might feel more so. So, as the virtual event planner, you need to prepare your speakers and ensure that they are comfortable for the big day.

One of the reasons why virtual events can be successful is the level of engagement that they are capable of bringing. And a major contributing factor to it is the quality of speakers and the content that they present. If it is creative, interactive, and holds the attention of the audience, that’s half the job done.

Keeping the above in mind, here are a few easy tips that you can use to prepare your speakers for your next virtual event.

1. Be in the know

Before you approach your speakers, let them know all about your event and how you intend to host it. If possible, carry a brochure or a presentation that explains the event and the virtual event you’re hosting. Once you have their buy-in, spend some time helping them understand the tool. Do a couple of demos and then ask them to use it for themselves and practice their segment on it until they feel comfortable.

Remember, your speakers should know how to share their screens, take chats, switch modes to games or polls, etc.

2. Make it fun

One of the best virtual event ideas is to be creative. It always works! Creativity is the best thing a speaker can possess because that will make their content all the more consumable. So, let your speakers know that since the audience is virtual, they should consider making their content more visually appealing and interactive.

The speaker has plenty of engagement tools at their disposal to make their segment more fun-filled onn platforms like Hopin, vFairs, Almond Virtex, Airmeet, Hubilo. So, advise them on how to use it and ensure that they do.

3. Be inclusive

Before you enter into an agreement, let your speaker know that the audience is going to be wide. This will allow them time to prepare for a large and diverse audience. Make sure you work closely with them on this because there will be people from different cultures and backgrounds and you want your event to be meaningful to all of them. A common blunder to overcome in your next virtual show is being oblivious to the cultural norms in different countries.

4. Be clear and audible

Surprisingly, speakers can be very fast when they talk at a virtual event. One of the main reasons is that they can’t ‘see’ their audience and so can’t gauge their reaction. So, let your speakers know in advance that they have a certain duration of time for their presentation and that they should utilize it completely.

Dry runs here might help. Listen to the speaker and if you think they’re going too fast, ask them to pause, take breaks, or include more interactive games in their segment.

5. Feel your audience’s pulse

Sometimes during virtual events, it may be more difficult for speakers to look at audience questions and respond to them. If they are well-prepared and well-versed with the platform, this may be avoided.

Your speakers should be able to promptly address questions from the audience through the chat feature on your platform. If for some reason, they are unable to do so, you could deploy a moderator who could take 30 seconds to a minute at the end of every slide to make your speaker address questions.

A well-prepared speaker can really change the entire rhythm of your event to make it exciting and rewarding for its attendees.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,443 Post views
Categories
Blogs

How To Use Social Media To Advertise a Virtual Event

how-to-use-social-media-to-advertise-a-virtual-event

How to Use Social Media To Advertise a Virtual Event

Organizing a virtual event? Great! We hope you have your social media marketing toolkit ready. With billions of people, social media is where you have to be if you’re looking to build attendance for your event.

Whether an in-person or an online event, promoting it on social media is a must if you want to see a packed house. Not every platform is going to get you the numbers, but that’s where we will help you pick the right ones.

Aside from the fact that a lot of people use it, social media also can help achieve several of your event objectives. Brand awareness, lead generation, engagement, and sign-ups can all be achieved through social media. You just need a great campaign.

So, what are the different ways that you can use social media?

1. Organic posts

By simply creating a solid page or profile and posting content regularly on it, you can gain a lot of followers. Just so you don’t run out of content, create a social media calendar with details of the format and type of content you’re going to post every day and what the theme of your content will be. You can also work with platforms like vFairs, Eventcube, Almond Virtex, Hopin which will give you ideas!

2. Collaborate with your sponsors/participants

This trick works very well if you are hosting an expo or a trade show. Create content that can benefit your and your sponsors’/participants’ audience and share it on both your pages or handles. Association with well-known brands can really boost your image especially if you’re lesser known or relatively new.

3. Pay-per-click and video ads

Online advertising costs money but is still more cost-effective than offline advertising. So, put together an ad campaign and share it across your networks and on websites where your potential audience is active. Social media ads are very effective because they can be highly targeted and visually appealing, especially if you’re using platforms like Instagram.

4. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is quickly emerging as one of the most reliable ways for businesses to advertise their products online. So, pick a relevant influencer and use a creative piece of content to let your audience know what’s coming. Influencers typically are very active on social media, post content regularly, and as a result, have sizeable followership. Leveraging their community for your event is another viable way to use social media.

Now that you understand the different ways to use social media, remember a few things.

Make sure your profile on social media is up-to-date. That means that the link to your website, landing page for the event, and videos should be functional.

Choose your social media platform wisely. If you have visually stunning content, you might want to promote that on Instagram. Use LinkedIn if your event is industry-specific, CSR-related, or if it is a virtual team event in the office. Facebook is where you will find people of all ages and backgrounds, so use it as a filter.

Remember to personalize your content depending on the platform you are using. Image-heavy on Instagram and Facebook works better. Pointed, direct messaging is a plus on LinkedIn.

Track and measure your ads/posts. Make use of analytics provided by the social media platform because it can reveal a great deal about your campaigns.

Almond Virtex have a feature of social wall where you can see the post about the event that people have posted on their social handles.

So, there you have it. Social media tips and tricks that you can use for any type of event. Try them and keep improvising for better results. You can also try Almond Virtex: The Most Trusted and Secure Virtual Event Platform for support on your event marketing campaigns.

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,843 Post views
Categories
Blogs

Glossary Of Virtual And Hybrid Events Terms

Glossary-of-virtual-and-hybrid-events-terms

Glossary Of Virtual And Hybrid Events Terms

If you’re new to this limitless digital world of events, fret not. It is very simple to navigate. All you need is to be aware of a few terms and how they affect event planning and organization. Here is a quick glossary of virtual and hybrid event terms that you need to know. 

AI matchmaking

It is one of the distinct advantages of using certain virtual event platform. AI matchmaking is a feature that makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) to connect attendees based on the information that they share with the platform such as their designation, previous activities, location, etc.

Breakout sessions

A breakout session takes place when a larger event allows for smaller interactions between people for a certain period of time. These sessions take place in ‘breakout rooms’ where attendees can interact and rejuvenate. 

Conference

A conference is a large gathering of people to discuss issues of common interest. It can be either in-person, virtual, or hybrid.  

Engagement tools

The backbone of any type of virtual or hybrid event, engagement tools help keep the audience invested in the event. Using these tools, they can consume content and share their thoughts with the business hosting the event. A few examples are chat, live polls, quizzes, Q&A discussions, etc.

Event app

Event apps are a great way to ensure high levels of engagement even before the event. These apps contain all the information related to the event, allow attendees to register and complete their profiles, connect with others on the app, play games, ask questions, and much more. They must be quick, easy to navigate and integrate with other systems. 

Gamification

By turning engagement activities into games with leaderboards and winners, businesses can make events more engaging and exciting for their attendees. 

Hybrid event

A hybrid event combines both in-person and virtual elements. Any event can be made hybrid using a good hybrid event platform, such as vFairs, Airmeet, Hopin, Eventcube, Almond Virtex. For instance, awards show with only 100 in-person attendees and the remaining joining virtually. 

In-person event

An in-person event is one where attendees physically come together at a venue. For instance, a conference or a book launch. 

Live streaming

Live streaming is the act of capturing in-person events and broadcasting them to virtual attendees. A close analogy would be TV viewers enjoying a match live. 

Networking

The main purpose of any event, networking is an activity where attendees or participants connect on common interests. They may continue to keep the connection alive long after the event is done. 

On-demand video

Most businesses, in addition to streaming their events, also record them and edit and ready them up for on-demand viewing on their websites. 

Registration

If you are looking to attend an event, you will need to register for it. This registration can be either online or offline depending on the type of event. Businesses will ask for basic information and may sometimes need you to provide more specific details such as your interests, professional qualifications, and so on. 

Virtual event

A virtual event is one that takes place virtually through a virtual event platform such as Virtex. These platforms have features such as chats, Q&A, games, and polls, and also address virtual events FAQs for attendees. Any event can be made virtual. 

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,427 Post views
Categories
Blogs

How Essential Is Networking For Hybrid Events?

how-essential-is-networking-for-hybrid-events

How essential is networking for hybrid events?

One of the biggest challenges of hybrid events has been effective networking. However, recent studies have revealed that marketers organize hybrid events for more engagement. So, there is a gap that needs to be bridged because networking is very essential for any event, including hybrid ones. 

Why is networking important?

Imagine the number of attendees at a regular corporate event. As an attendee, if you don’t have the opportunity to network with at least a few of them, you are likely missing out on opportunities to further your career. And as an organizer, you stand to gain a lot in the long run if you are able to create a good networking atmosphere for your attendees. 

If your event is known to be a networking ‘paradise’, you are more likely to attract top talent, better participants, sponsors, and the like. So, whether it is a virtual or a hybrid event, ensure that you have your networking capabilities set. 

How can you ensure better networking at your hybrid events? 

1. Choose the perfect networking platform

While there are several good hybrid platforms out there, the best hybrid event platform understands the power of networking and has in-built engagement and networking tools like a virtual lobby, chat, breakout rooms, matchmaking, etc. So, before everything else, make sure to research and find a good virtual platform. 

2. Push your attendees to complete their profiles before the event

Some smart hybrid platforms such as Hubilo, Almond Virtex, Airmeet, Hopin, vFairs can automatically match your attendees to other companies, and people of their interest. However, this can be achieved only if you have some relevant information about your attendees. So, make basic details like location, company, role, etc, mandatory so that the rest of it can be handled by your event technology. 

3. Use social media to its full potential

Create an event page and use an event hashtag. Make sure to invite as many of the possible attendees and then keep posting on the page. It can serve as a great networking spot before the event begins. You can continue to make use of this page and use event hashtags to identify who’s been talking about it and bring like-minded attendees together. 

It needs to be said that hybrid events are transforming the events industry. So, for your upcoming events, this page can continue to remain and be used to retain visitors, customers, and brand ambassadors. So, have a social media calendar for the page and continue to keep in touch and build a community. 

4. Create an app

Today, when there is an app for pretty much under the sun, you definitely need one for your event. It can be the perfect starting point for your attendees. You can upload regular updates, including information about your speakers, workshops, profiles, and much more. The app can also include chats, polls, quizzes, and other engagement abilities to add to your networking strengths.  

Businesses that understand the power of networking in hybrid events and ensure that it takes place in their events are more likely to have a higher attendance rate, better engagement, brand recall, and a stronger sense of community. 

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,465 Post views
Categories
Blogs

How to Use Gamification to Improve Your Virtual Or Hybrid Events

How-to-Use-Gamification-to-Improve-Your-Virtual-Or-Hybrid-Events

How to Use Gamification to Improve Your Virtual Or Hybrid Events

How do you think some businesses manage to host the most incredible virtual and hybrid events. Among other things, they use gamification in virtual event platform. Gamification doesn’t mean just playing games. It means creating a game-like setup by throwing in challenges, contests, leaderboards, or quizzes. Gamification allows businesses to leverage the competitive side in most humans and boosts engagement like no other.  

In other words, gamification can 

  • Boost audience engagement 
  • Enable networking among attendees and participants 
  • Even enhance sponsorship RoI
  • Create a lasting impression in the minds of the audience

Now that you understand what gamification is and why you should try it, let’s look at how you can use it effectively in your hybrid event platform. 

1. Goal setting

While we believe that rewards and competitions get attendees going, we also think it is important to decide the purpose of adding gamification to your event. Are you looking to do it for more brand awareness, or is it to increase sponsorship RoI? Identifying goals and introducing gamification that is in alignment with them is more likely to help you hit the jackpot. 

2. Knowing which game to pick

It makes more sense to have a game of virtual basketball at a shoe launch than an automobile launch. So, make sure that your game is relevant to your goal and to your event. For instance, at the shoe launch, you could have a virtual basketball tournament with different levels of difficulty. The winner’s reward could be the new shoes you are launching. 

You could also partner with a well-known gaming company and that can help you promote your sponsors as well. 

Similarly, if you’re hosting an employee night, then team-building activities like scavenger hunts, escape rooms, and group trivia tournaments are perfect. They bring people together and are fun. 

Along with the right game, choose the most suitable rewards too. When you know that the speaker at your event is in-demand, you could make time with him/her, a reward. Similarly, if you have a trade show, then discounts and coupons could be a reward. 

3. Involving your sponsors

Dedicate one or two of your games to your sponsors. Let them lead in deciding what the challenge and the reward for it would be. Sponsors could promote their products as rewards or offer heavy discounts to winners. This way, they will feel in control of that particular part of your event and will be happier. It also improves their chances of a strong RoI.

4. Rule setting

Every game has a set of rules and that’s what makes it all the more fun. Communicate with your attendees and keep them well-informed of the rules. You could make a slideshow or a video to make the rules easy to remember. Using the best virtual event platforms such as vFairs, Almond Virtex, Airmeet, Hopin, Eventcube can help take care of these little details.

5. Tracking your games for the future

Gamification may not always work. So, it is important to keep track of who’s enjoying what. So, make sure you are closely monitoring these activities. If the virtual basketball tournament didn’t go as well as expected, you could try something different in the future. That’s how tracking helps! 

At the end of the day, gamification is supposed to bring in that element of fun and help your attendees learn while playing. So, with that in mind, reach out to Virtex. 

Source by: Almond Virtex
2,429 Post views