Digital events skyrocketed in popularity in 2020, and with virtual event budgets expected to increase from 20% in 2020 to 36% in 2021, the industry shows no signs of slowing down.
Digital events are becoming the norm. And that means the novelty can soon wear off. “Zoom-fatigue” is already a coined term, and people are starting to get choosier with the online events they attend.
So, the question that follows is:
How can you keep attendees engaged in your event, especially when these types of events are all starting to feel more or less the same?
Answer: spruce them up. The following creative ideas will help you do just that.
1. Up the Tempo with a Live Musician
One of the easiest ways to turn a drab meeting into something that guests will love to talk about for months to come is to leverage music’s power.
Music has a long history of bringing people together. Use it to better connect to your remote audience, make your virtual event more joyful, and bring some toe-tappin’ energy to any virtual space.
There is a wide array of virtual musicians to choose from nowadays.
So, whether you’re looking for an energizing performance to kick off your event or a brief jam session to add moments of fun in between speaker sessions, you’ll be able to find the right performer for your event and up the ante with music.
Start browsing now through our top musical portfolio for the best musicians you can hire for your virtual event.
2. Incorporate an Element of Friendly Competition
The next in our list of creative ideas is adding an element of friendly competition. This will make your get-together seem more dynamic. Furthermore, your remote attendees will feel directly involved. And the best part is that this idea can be straightforward to execute.
For example, you can feature a virtual bingo game where guests mark their bingo card spots by choosing the title or artist of the song played by our DJ.
More details about this can be seen in the video below.
Find more creative ideas of games that you can incorporate to spruce up your digital meeting here.
3. Comedy is Always a Good Idea
Breaking up the day to give remote attendees a breather or closing the event with a virtual comedy act is an excellent way to reward attendees and get them pumped.
Guests will get to laugh together and bond over the shared experience. Furthermore, this type of entertainment can also be a great way to boost the attendance rate for voluntary events.
If this is an idea that caught your eye, start browsing through our top virtual comedians‘ portfolio to find the perfect one for any occasion.
4. Make Your Virtual Event Action-Oriented
Passive guests are often easily distracted, unengaged, and therefore more likely to perceive your event as dull.
An effective strategy you can apply to turn passive guests into active participants in a remote environment is to incorporate hands-on experiences that guests can directly participate in.
For example, you can book a virtual beverage making class and have a professional guide your guests on the steps they need to follow to make the perfect cocktail at home. Or take part in travel, food, and wine virtual experiences.
This approach to virtual events has a more relaxed, fun feel to it, making it perfect for occasions such as thanking your employees or celebrating the winter holidays.
5. Hype up Guests by Sending Swag Bags
Whether we like to admit it or not, one of the best parts of attending a live event is the swag bags. Those small gift bags can help spruce up any meeting, as they make guests feel welcomed and more connected to the event.
So, why not use this idea in a virtual context and send your guests a swag bag ahead of the virtual event to enrich their experience?
You can even take things one step further and add items that guests will need to use during the event in the gift bag?
For example, you can book a virtual cooking class as entertainment and send attendees some of the special ingredients they need. This way, you’re creating a story around your event while also giving guests something to look forward to.
Do You Need More Creative Ideas?
We can help! For more ideas on how to take your upcoming virtual events to the next level and keep guests engaged, be sure also to check out this article.