Today, virtual event platforms are quite popular, and everyone is aware of conducting events using a digital venue. But, the question is, with the availability of numerous virtual event solutions hosting events every day, how to make your online event the most exciting one?
It’s 2021, and we need to be more creative and productive to lure more attendees and sponsors.
Let’s go through some creative ideas that you can include in your next virtual event to make them more engaging and memorable:
Virtual Concert
Hosting events in a virtual space does not signify that you need to exclude entertainment elements. It is a great virtual event idea that can help deliver remarkable experiences. While devising a virtual concert, remember to compose it in a way that resonates well with the virtual venue. Adding a live concert or performance to your virtual event can make the event a successful and engaging affair.
Live Games
Planning a virtual event with continuous sessions and no breaks or fun factors is sure to expect attendee drop-off. Hence, if you wish to have engaging events, consider including live games and competitions to keep both attendees and sponsors hooked throughout the event. You can also choose to keep sponsored games to help the exhibitors promote their brand among the attendees. To name some, spin the wheel, crosswords, word games, or shooting games are great options.
Real-time Illustrations
You can think of hiring a skilled artist who can create real-time illustrations during a session. Later, your audiences can navigate to their sessions to check whichever exotic art was designed. Maybe they draw a portrait of the speakers or comic cartoons of attendees or some lovely landscapes. It is a creative and artistic virtual event idea that can be included in your event to promote engagement among the attendees.
Hashtag Trends
Hashtags are a prominent way of interacting with potential participants while the event is ongoing. Planners should think of some event-specific hashtags to be used by the attendees to build new connections. The hashtag may earn awareness from more experienced event professionals, or it can be an excellent means to share that virtual event’s information. Either or the other way, it is an excellent way to encourage engagement. With the right virtual event platform, you should be able to link your online event to the brand’s website and social media pages.
Virtual Photo Booths
Virtual photo booths allow the audience to capture a photo virtually with the photo frame being imprinted into the virtual event theme. This photo can be effortlessly downloaded & shared over different social platforms. It will promote brand awareness and spread the word about your virtual events. Including this feature in your virtual events adds a factor of photographic memory that is an excellent takeaway for your attendees.
Pre-event Chat Rooms
Choose a virtual event platform that facilitates you to have chat rooms that are easily accessible by the attendees even before your virtual event has started. It will empower your attendees to connect with other participants before the event. Pre-chat rooms give them ample time to talk and interact freely. Getting familiar with each other before the event paves a way for better interactions and discussions during the virtual event.
Social Media Challenge
There are several challenges that organizers are trying to include in their virtual events. You can think of a trendy video challenge that will promote your brand and let people know about your products and services, make a reel for Instagram or tik-tok. When we talk about virtual event ideas, there are multiple options to choose from, but the social media challenge is indeed a good one! Ask your audience to share a pic on their personal social media handles along with the event-specific hashtags. The one that has the maximum number of likes can take away an exciting prize.
Trivia Night
Keeping a trivia night is a great way to add a fun element to your virtual event, discover new things and examine your knowledge. It is one of the prominent ways to make virtual events more interesting. You can think of a theme to get the event stage set right. Then, you can split attendees into teams to help raise excitement among everyone. This way, they’ll identify who they have been teamed with and who are their opponents. It is an ideal method of interacting with everyone and knowing each other through healthy competition.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Online treasure hunts are an excellent way of making your virtual events more engaging. Sitting in front of the screen for long hours can be very tiresome at times, so try and include a treasure hunt that keeps the attendees active and hooked throughout. A scavenger hunt can be a great example of an amazing team-building exercise. You can include this virtual event idea as a component of your gamification approach. Add incentives or rewards by granting points for steps taken and a bonus for the first attendee who finishes the scavenger hunt.
AI-Generated Recommendations
It is a great way to connect and interact with like-minded people. Like physical experiences, you cannot run into each other at virtual events. However, using AI-generated recommendations help you with a list of people who share the same interest. It increases the chances of attendees staying engaged and getting more qualified leads during the event.
Branded Breakouts
Depending on the skills of the virtual event platform you prefer, you could help sponsors with their live-stream requirements for value-based breakouts or for random chats between sessions, where guests would have the opportunity to engage or connect seamlessly. These unique streams could be utilized as break areas to promote networking.
Consider these unique rooms as activities you would like to keep if it had been an on-site event. Furthermore, try recreating the experiences of in-person events using virtual environments by giving numerous options to the attendees to pick from.
Planning to host a creative virtual event? Get in touch with Dreamcast today!