12 Best Virtual Event Audience Engagement Ideas

Virtual events are more popular than ever. The events of the last year have proven that hosting engaging virtual events is possible and may prove more beneficial to your company than in-person events.

Keeping people attentive and interested in your event is important, and for this reason, Gillespie Productions has some top virtual conference ideas for you to consider.

Explore these ideas and think about the innovative ways you can attract new audiences and engage those who tune in to your event.

Create On-Demand Videos

When Gillespie Productions works with you on live, virtual events, we’ll create a high-quality video production that you may wish to make available to people after the event has finished.

Perhaps guests want to return to the event and see a specific portion again, or perhaps you want to make the video available to download or purchase for those who weren’t able to attend. This is another great way to engage a growing audience.

Involve Remote Guests and Speakers

Perhaps your event is being held in Green Bay, but you have guests and speakers from all over the world. By incorporating remote guests and speakers using teleconferencing software, you can bring together as large an audience as possible and connect people from all over the world.

Polls

Polls are a fantastic way to prove to your audience that you care about their opinion, and to drive event audience engagement.

When you’re discussing a particular topic, issue a poll to all of your virtual guests and ask them their thoughts. You may do this multiple times throughout the event to keep people thinking, engaged, and on their toes.

Hire an Entertainer

Hiring an entertainer may be wise for conference events, where large numbers of people are attending. An entertainer, like a singer or even a sketch artist, may provide entertainment during the breaks.

Event Present Bags

Gift bags are still possible with virtual events, but you’ll need to act before the event takes place. You may wish to send out gift bags via mail, or instead opt for virtual gift bags that include special promotions and resources from organizations and individuals speaking at or involved with the event.

Push Notifications Before The Event

This is one of the most important pre-event engagement ideas. Use push notifications through an application or via email to ensure that people know when the event is happening and are reminded that it is due to happen in the days running up to the event.

Push notifications can provide people with special offers or just remind people why the event is going to be so valuable to them. Don’t forget to tell people how excited you are to see them, too!

Q&A

Offering a question-and-answer session gives people an opportunity to ask questions if they feel that a certain matter has not been covered. It also ensures that people fully understand what is being said.

This isn’t the only way to engage your audience, however. Read on and see some more of our top audience involvement ideas.

Use a Mobile Event App

A mobile event app is excellent for virtual events as well as hybrid events. For those turning up to your event venue in person, the app may give them essential information about the venue, maps, and notifications to remind them when specific parts of the event are beginning.

For those tuning in online, the app can be the portal, allowing them to tune in via video feed or leave comments in real-time.

Develop Different Content for Virtual and Real-Life Attendees

Consider providing extra content for people tuning in online. This might be additional videos, resources, and data, perhaps a pre-recorded video or introduction, or an opportunity to take part in online-only polls and chat rooms.

Create Different Price Plans

A good way to encourage as many people as possible to attend your virtual event is to consider a structured price plan.

Provide an extremely affordable ticket option for people who want to simply hear what is being said and consider increasing the cost as you add more features – from taking part in chat rooms to quizzes, polls, and other extra content.

Personalize Content

If your online event has a large number of guests and breakout sessions, then consider using an app that allows people to make their personalized agendas. Give people an opportunity to choose what speeches and content they engage with.

Do Post Event Surveys

Finally, remember to send a thank you message to everybody who attends your event. Include in that message a form for people to provide feedback about what they liked, what they didn’t like, and what they would like to see next time you host a similar event. This data can be hugely valuable.

Gamification of The Event

This is one of the most creative audience participation ideas we have, and we think it’s a lot of fun. Whether you’re hosting a virtual trade show or a conference, inserting games into your event can keep people focused on what you’re saying.

Perhaps you wish to give attendees points for answering questions correctly or engaging in polls, or you may hide a secret message in the speeches you give. Fun ideas like this give people yet another reason to stick around for the event and carefully listen to what you have to say.

Quizzes

In the same vein as the above tip, quizzes are one of many interactive event activities that keep people listening to what you have to say.

Test your audience’s comprehension of the topics you’re talking about by hosting pop quizzes throughout the event, allowing people to answer on their mobile device or desktop. You’ll get metrics and data on who responded and who got questions right, allowing you to adapt your future events based on the information you receive, and you’ll also give attendees more of a reason to pay attention.

Wisconsin’s Video Production and Event Filming Experts

Need help putting on your next virtual or hybrid event? Want to discover more audience engagement examples and find out how we can create high-quality video productions for live events, streaming, and uploads?

‍Gillespie Productions can handle all your video production needs while you focus on implementing these great ideas for engaging the audience. We handle the recording and video production while you focus on creating the best possible event for your guests.

‍Call Gillespie Productions today, and we’ll walk you through the process of filming and hosting a virtual event.