Virtual Events – Where’s the Wow?
Is Cirque Du Soleil the most fascinating show on Earth?
Though it has been several years since I first witnessed Cirque Du Soleil, I still remember it like it was yesterday. From the second the performance started, I found myself completely immersed in a cacophony of sights and sounds – a magical world, meticulously planned to look spontaneous and natural. The emotions that I felt that night could be described by one word – “Wow”. In a way, this is the feeling that all event planners want to bring out in their attendees. Whether you are planning a tech conference or a corporate moral event, you want to wrap your guests in a context relevant theme that puts them in the right emotional state to get everything possible from the experience. From a virtual events perspective, it is completely possible to create sensational experiences that get people talking. Following are a few suggestions regarding how to make your next virtual event more engaging.
Are you not entertained? Excite your audience with entertainment-based music and video
Compared to in-person events, virtual events are an extremely efficient way to share information between attendees, partners and presenters. That said, when it comes to entertaining visitors, virtual events still have a long way to go to catch up with their physical counterparts. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to use music and video to entertain your guests, even without a physical location. For example, why not partner with a music artist to give attendees exclusive (pre-release) access to a new music video? Another option would be to organize a chat session with an industry guru or celebrity. Remember to think big. Getting an A-list guest to join you for a 30-minute chat is infinitely easier than organizing an in-person meeting. Or, why not organize a comedy video presentation, linked to the theme of your event? Regardless of the option you choose, creating a sensation online will be much cheaper than at a comparable in-person event.
Expect the unexpected. Fascinate your audience with game dynamics
Properly organized virtual events run like a well-oiled machine… so much so that attendees often jump from one video to the next, barely pausing to experience the other aspects of the event. Game dynamics provide a solution to this challenge by gently guiding customers through the entire event experience, ensuring that they have the opportunity to network, ask questions and provide feedback. Game dynamics can help you to create the “wow” factor at your next event in three ways: First, sufficiently impressive prizes can create buzz in and of themselves and can encourage attendees to work together to increase their chances of winning. Second, game dynamics can encourage attendees to take advantage of multiple aspects of the event, including any entertainment options that your event offers. Third, and perhaps most importantly, they can introduce unexpected elements into your event, making it more fascinating. Check out my previous post for three reasons to embrace randomness, unpredictability and the unexpected.
Lights, camera, action! Immerse your guests in an environment that gets them talking
One of the most important aspects of any event (virtual or physical) is the theme. Unlike physical events, which require shipping, construction, union negotiations and adherence to fire-codes, virtual events provide almost limitless customization options. If your company is presenting its vision for alternative energy sources, why not structure your virtual event around a “City of the Future” visual theme? Regardless of the product, service or cause that your organization represents, creating a unique look and feel will draw your attendees in and will help them to connect on an emotional level with your brand. In a virtual setting, the only limit is the limit of your imagination. So, go on. Put a little wow in their world.
Building emotions with 1’s and 0’s
At no other point in human history have people had access to so much information and so many options. At the same time, perhaps due to an overabundance of information, people have never been more prone to distraction. As a result, if you want people to actively participate in and talk about your next virtual event, you need to create an immersive experience that draws them in… you need to create the “wow” factor. Accomplishing this requires three steps: First, you should excite your audience with entertainment-based music and video. Second, you can fascinate your audience with game dynamics. Finally, you must immerse your guests in an environment that gets them talking
Host your own virtual event:
Interested in hosting your own virtual event? Social27 has been enabling organizations across all industries and sizes to host their own engaging virtual events since 2010.
The Social27 Virtual Events Platform brings the best of content streaming, networking with rich profiles, virtual sponsor pavilions, lead generation, gamification with points and badges, AI chatbot support and deep analytics powered by machine learning.
