Virtual events have become increasingly popular in recent times due to the ongoing pandemic, but one of the biggest challenges organizers and speakers face is attendee engagement. It is difficult to keep an audience’s attention when they are watching a session from the warmth of their own homes, and distractions abound. Zoom fatigue is a real issue that organizers need to keep in mind. But do not worry, we are here to give you some virtual session ideas to help boost attendee engagement!

To keep people interested, get them to participate in the session.

Here are Five ideas that will help you draw in your viewers and get them to actively participate in your upcoming virtual event sessions:

1. Allow Attendees to Participate in the Sessions

Make attendees feel like they are part of the session by letting them join the virtual session. Instead of reading questions from the chat or pre-submitted questions, attendees join the session to ask their questions live on camera. This creates a more dynamic and engaging experience for everyone. With the Social27 Virtual Event Platform’s Social27 Stream feature, viewers can request to join the live session, and the speaker and moderator can approve or deny the requests. This format is like Instagram Live and should be familiar to attendees and speakers.

You can also have attendees join to share stories, opinions, or other thoughts on the topics being discussed. Speakers can ask questions during sessions to engage attendees and invite them to join the session to answer those questions live. This creates a much more engaging dialogue. Attendees can also share their personal stories or experiences on the topics being discussed to add multiple perspectives to the session.

 

2. Networking & Meeting Areas

A networking lounge with meeting areas is a wonderful way to encourage collaboration and interaction among attendees. You can group attendees into smaller teams and assign them tasks related to the session topic. This allows attendees to network and engage with each other while also learning from their peers.

Breakout rooms are also an excellent way to facilitate workshops or brainstorming sessions. Participants can work together to solve issues and generate innovative ideas. If you want to hold an online meeting, make sure it is engaging for the participants.

According to a LinkedIn poll, 53% of respondents preferred interactive workshops as their favorite type of virtual event session. while watching someone speak or perform can be engaging, giving your viewers the chance to actively participate will make the session even more interesting. Here are some ideas for interactive virtual sessions that can help you make your event a success.

 

3. Polls, Quizzes and Surveys

Polling is an excellent way to promote engagement and interaction during sessions. 81.8% of virtual event organizers use event polling to improve interaction. Polls can draw attendees back to when they have started to drift off by giving them an action to complete. They also help the speaker learn what viewers are interested in and what their opinions are. If discussing a topic with multiple viewpoints, a speaker can conduct a poll to see where attendees fall on the topic and encourage people to share their thoughts in the chat.

Polling can also be done in a quiz format. Instead of polling attendees on opinions or preferences, use them in a quiz to gauge the audience’s knowledge of the topic at the start of the session. Speakers can also use quizzes at the end to gauge whether the viewers understood or retained the information shared in the session.

 

4. Discussions in real time

Attendees love participating in Q&As! An interactive Q&A session as part of the online seminar session is desired by 92% of registrants. Integrating Q&As into sessions boosts engagement and allows the speaker to tailor their session content to the interests of the group. If you are using a Simu live approach, adding a live Q&A to the end of the pre-recorded session can also help draw attendees back in and boost engagement. And of course, you can use Social27 Stream to host a fun, live Q&A during live-streamed sessions.

• Workshops that are collaborative in nature

One wonderful way to get your audience involved is to plan interactive workshops. For example, if you are hosting a sales conference, you can have an interactive workshop on different selling strategies. You can have a speaker discuss these strategies and then integrate role-playing so that attendees can try out the strategies either with the speaker for demonstration or in breakout sessions.

Another idea is to plan activities that attendees can follow along with throughout the session. This is especially effective when the session is focused on skill-building or learning new techniques. Make sure to inform your attendees about the materials they will need, whether physical items, worksheets, or virtual programs, and let them practice their newly acquired skills by following along with the session.

 

5. Scheduled Group Discussions

Group Discussions are an excellent way to encourage your viewers to share their thoughts and ideas. Set aside some time for attendees to break out into smaller groups to participate in an exercise or share their thoughts. During these sessions, speakers can pop in to provide support, check-in, and have small group conversations with attendees. This allows every attendee an opportunity to have a more direct conversation with the speaker. Group Discussions also help break up the session, so attendees do not spend the whole session just staring at a screen. This allows attendees to engage with the content and each other.

• Open Roundtables

Roundtables are virtual video meetings that can be started by anyone, including speakers or attendees, at any time. Speakers can use these to host post-session discussions and supplement their sessions. Attendees can continue the discussion after the event, making it more engaging and interactive.

 

Network for Online Events Social27

Choosing the correct platform is critical when conducting a virtual event. The Social27 Virtual Event Platform give event owners and speakers the tools they need to create an interactive virtual event that attendees will not forget. With in-session polling, Q&As, and Social27 Stream, it is easy to get attendees involved in your sessions.

Furthermore, the platform enables participants to engage with one another, thereby creating the event more interactive and engaging.