Making Virtual Events Interactive
Involving Guests in Virtual Events
Worcester | 2021
Anybody who’s ever sat down to watch yet another virtual event during the pandemic year will attest to the fact that they can be snooze-fests… unless they’re done right!
Virtual events can be extremely effective in fundraising efforts, provided that they get the viewers involved! For instance, UMass Memorial Health recently held their 12th annual Winter Ball virtually in 2020, contributing to nearly one million dollars raised! It can be done!
Read more about the UMass Winter Ball
So how do you make your virtual event immersive and fun for the viewers? There’s a world of options out there for those who think outside the box, but here’s a few tricks-of-the-trade that will keep your attendees engaged!
1) Event Pictures
Using various online services, you can ask your guests to text photos from ‘event watch parties’ and display their pictures in the live stream feed! These services provide individual events with custom phone numbers to use for texting photos which can be downloaded and saved after the event! This is especially fun when the event has a theme of some sort – for instance – if viewers of a breast cancer awareness event all wear pink and submit their photos, the resulting slideshow will be an interesting array of color!
2) Online Polling/Voting
Guests can be engaged by having to answer online questions pertaining to the event. These questions might include voting for elected positions on a committee, or, depending on the type of event, they can even be trivia questions to break up the flow of the show! The questions can be true/false, or multiple choice.
3) Word Clouds
Word clouds are fun ways of interpreting answers to open-ended questions. Event guests submit their thoughts and answers through their phones. As more answers are submitted, the word cloud changes and grows in real time. This is a great way to gain insight to popular opinions!
4) Online Auctions
Auction items are great opportunities to gain audience participation. Whether for fundraising, or for fun, the thrill of winning the top prize is not only engaging but also builds anticipation for the outcome!
5) Tutorials
During a virtual event, guests that are challenged to learn something new will gain interest and interaction! As an example, an event might have a ‘signature cocktail,’ and the steps to prepare such cocktail would be taught live during the show. If the viewers are supplied with the ingredients list prior to the event, they can enjoy their own beverage throughout the festivities!
For more “Virtual Event Hosting Tips,” click here