In-person events are starting to pick back up as we venture further into 2022, but never fear! Virtual events are still very much a thing.
Since competition for attendees has tightened further, virtual event organizers need to get creative to stay on top of their game. As we head into the latter half of 2022, we're looking at some innovative virtual events ideas to help you get those eyeballs on your content!
The pandemic taught us how viable virtual events are in the events space. We've also come to realize that virtual fatigue is real, and there’s a "been-there-done-that'' feel to many of the virtual events out there.
In light of those very real virtual event growing pains, organizers are coming up with fresh ideas by the buckets to draw attendees back, especially in light of in-person events starting up again.
Here are some we think are pretty awesome to add to your fall event programming:
Great for distributed teams, firing up some fun goes a long way toward keeping remote employees engaged and communicating. Next time you have a happy hour planned, look into some of these activities:
- Mixology Class - It is happy hour after all! A bartender-led online experience with mixing your favorite cocktails makes a great opening to your happy hour time.
- Virtual Escape Room - At a recent EventBuilder Happy Hour, we participated in this amazing virtual escape room. Working together to unlock the mystery made for a fun team-building experience.
- Scavenger Hunt (Free) - Your crew scours their homes for the items on your list. Speaking from personal experience and my two-story home, this can definitely double as a wellness activity!
Get 100% attendance at your all-hands meeting with exciting, live-streamed special features and events. Other ways to engage and cultivate a healthy company culture include:
- Virtual Live Concert - Spin up a Teams Live Event, add EventBuilder registration and security, and host an invite-only live streamed-concert.
- Health and Wellness Activities -Yoga, meditation, nutrition seminars...all great ways to encourage employees to take care of themselves first.
- Professional Development/Skill Building Seminars -Offer employees opportunities to hone their skills in an area of interest, such as leadership training, technical writing, etc.
Keep your sales team from "multi-tasking" (i.e., watching cat videos on TikTok) during your sales kickoff meetings. Gamification (adding gaming elements such as challenges, points, etc. to your events), expert discussions, and more are huge in virtual events right now, so draw in your audiences with these ideas!
- Gamification - This is a growing trend in virtual events and attendee engagement. Product bingo, perhaps?
- Virtual Roundtables - Choose a relevant topic centered around the problem your product solves, and invite seasoned, senior-level managers to the discussion. Leave time for Q&A!
- Awards Ceremony - Celebrate your company's successes! Salespeople work hard and a little recognition goes a long way.
Non-profits can take advantage of unique methods of engagement - an event can be asynchronous, but still raise the funds needed. A few to try:
- Virtual Auction - With so many options for mobile/online payments, a virtual auction can be done in conjunction with a live-streaming component to generate excitement and higher bids..
- Viewing Parties -Launch your campaign or initiative with a mix of pre-recorded content and live elements to keep engagement high; a perfect situation for the simulated-live format.
- Telethon Livestreaming -Also a mixed content type event, block an hour or two for live and recorded entertainment and content. Include live appeals, spots to introduce the charity's work and mission, even "commercial" breaks to encourage donations between content segments.
Commonly considered one of the more difficult virtual event types to pull off successfully, some creative tech solutions we're seeing:
- Like-Minded Breakout Sessions - Get creative with your registration questions and reports to create targeted breakout sessions based on common topic interests.
- Audio-only small group sessions - Beat webcam fatigue! Audio-only sessions can help attendees listen instead of look.
- Pre-event "lobbies" for casual attendee interaction - Open up communication channels prior to your event's start time and allow attendees an opportunity to mingle in a less structured setting.
The original virtual event is still going strong. Webinars are still relevant and useful, they aren't as complicated to put together as conferences can be, and they offer a familiar format for attendees.
Our advice? Research current topics of interest for the audience you are trying to reach, and tailor your webinars and content around them. Attendee data is a vital tool for helping you shape your webinar programming.
We offer professional event program management and production for all types of virtual events. You focus on content, promotion, and delivery, we'll handle the rest. Contact us for a consultation today!