Virtual events are here to stay. The good news is that virtual event software has taken major leaps over the last few years, enabling you to host enjoyable experiences for people to engage in wherever they are in the world. However, planning a virtual event is a challenging task, especially for those who haven’t done it before. For this reason, many choose to hire an event company to ensure that the event runs smoothly. If you’re confident that you can run a successful virtual event yourself, we’ve come up with some ideas to make it successful.
What Makes an Enjoyable Virtual Event?
Virtual events are still on the cards. If you’ve never run a virtual event before, you might be scratching your head, thinking of ways to make it as enjoyable as possible. Here are several ways to ensure your event goes off without a hitch:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of new and improved virtual event platforms have popped up. Choose from popular user-friendly platforms such as Webex Events, vFairs, Airmeet, Hubilo, Zoom Events and Webinars, Livestorm and more to ensure your virtual event runs smoothly.
It probably goes without saying that, to ensure attendees have a good time, you need to provide them with engaging, interactive content. Delivering important information is one thing, but making it engaging involves incorporating interactive elements. For example, encourage employees to participate in Q&As, chat windows, polls and other engagement-boosting solutions.
The beauty of virtual events is they cater to a global audience. This means considering different time zones and schedules, making on-demand content necessary. Choose a virtual event platform that provides attendees with on-demand content, replay options and sessions tailored to individuals across different timezones to ensure everyone feels included.
Finally, your virtual event must include several activities that are there simply to entertain attendees. So, what entertainment options should you include in your virtual event schedule? We’ve outlined some ideas for you:
Get your attendees thinking with fun trivia sessions! The trivia questions can revolve around your industry or, if you want to keep it light, test their general knowledge. With questions all the way from “What is a group of crows called?” to “Which country drinks the most coffee per capita?” The answers to these two trivia questions are “murder” and “Finland”, respectively, if you’re wondering.
Get your attendees chatting over a cup of hot coffee or tea by hosting a virtual coffee break. After long webinars and Q&A sessions, it’s nice for people to relax and unwind after hours of talks and other activities. This informal setting encourages event participants to share stories, discuss the sessions they’ve attended and network with peers.
Did you know that you can get involved in virtual escape rooms? This popular virtual activity provides attendees with puzzles and mysteries to solve, sometimes with a set time frame, sometimes without. Virtual escape rooms are ideal for boosting teamwork, collaboration and communication among event attendees.
Who doesn’t love a good game of bingo? Virtual bingo is an easy way to entertain attendees with minimal time and resource investment. To get more people involved, provide exciting prizes for bingo winners, such as gift vouchers for retailers, restaurants and experiences.
This virtual edition of the classic game is a great icebreaker for individuals who haven’t crossed paths before. Attendees take turns asking yes or no questions to work out the identity of a given character. Not only is Guess Who entertaining, but it also promotes active participation in the virtual event.
Break out the cocktails, it’s virtual happy hour time! Hosting a virtual happy hour gives attendees a relaxed environment to unwind, chat and network with others in their industry. You could even have a virtual mixologist teaching attendees how to craft delicious cocktails and discover new concoctions.
It’s thought that there are around one billion pets worldwide. With so many people owning pets, such as cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters and other furry friends, why not host a pet party for those who want to sit and chat about their animal companions? There’s nothing quite like bonding over pet ownership, even at a virtual event!
A great way to encourage virtual event attendees to collaborate and problem-solve is to host a virtual hackathon. This intensive challenge will push participants to solve problems by being creative and thinking out of the box. It’s a great way to bring people across the world together, combining their expertise and experience to come up with innovative solutions.
Fireside chats are a popular virtual event activity, and for good reason. These sessions are designed to create an inviting atmosphere that encourages open dialogue and reflection between individuals with different ideas, skillsets and experiences. To enhance the experience, you could integrate a Q&A chat feature to make it easier for attendees to ask questions and impart their wisdom.
A popular virtual event format is a live Q&A with a renowned industry leader. Event attendees will jump at the opportunity to pick the brain of someone whom they revere, asking relevant questions and gaining valuable insights into their given industry. At a virtual event, this might involve questions submitted in advance or a chat function that allows attendees to submit questions as they listen to the talk.
Final Thoughts: Engaging Virtual Event Ideas
Virtual events are here to stay. Not only do they allow people from across the globe to learn about the latest developments in their industry, but they also present a fantastic opportunity to network with peers. But it can’t all be work work work—there needs to be fun activities in there, too!
Besides webinars and keynote speeches, successful virtual events incorporate entertaining activities such as trivia, fireside chats, virtual coffee breaks, happy hours and even pet parties. Finally, if you’re not keen on the idea of planning a virtual event yourself, consider hiring a corporate event management company to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.