How software for hybrid events creates an engaging experience for your virtual attendees

Out of sight, out of mind. That’s what they say. And while you’re out tending to your attendees in person, your virtual attendees are out of sight, but don’t for a second keep them out of mind! 

Attracting and engaging virtual attendees is one of the biggest challenges for the modern event planner. Here is some humble advice software for hybrid events to get you ahead of the pack. 

Hybrid Events and The New Challenges They Bring

The no-show rate for virtual events is 35%. That is a damning indictment of the respect these events are given. However, it’s still early days for hybrid events. As planners continue to improve them through technology and experience, these events will surely see the no-show rate fall. 

And even after getting them to log on, the battle for hearts and minds isn’t over. Attendees in person are not likely to get their phone and headphones out in front of you because that’s rude. But your virtual guests, for all you know, could have their Play Station on in the background. They could be romping through entire seasons of their show on Netflix. 

So you get the point, your virtual attendees need to be wooed and enthused. In this article, you’re going to get 10 direct and actionable tips that can increase your engagement and connection with them at your next hybrid event. 

1- High Production Value 

For in-person events, you put a lot of effort into making your venue look professional, exciting, and you treat it as a reflection of your business as a whole because that’s how your guests will see it. 

The same reasoning has to stand for the virtual realm. If your attendees log into an uninspiring zoom call to see people having fun in real life, they’re going to be disheartened and feel like second-string guests. For your guests logging in, they need to feel like they’re attending a special occasion. 

2- Creative Ice-Breakers

Laughter is like magic when it comes to breaking the tension between newly acquainted strangers. Speaking to Spacehuntr CEO Dietrich Moens, he said, “my team loves ice-breakers, especially for our brainstorming sessions. It changes the whole dynamic of the session. Traditionally, these games are quite generic and cringey, but with a bit of creativity, they’re really fun.”

To experience a bit of the magic yourself, check out the Spacehuntr teams favourite Creative ice breakers for conference networking here. As well as being great for setting a great tone for your events, they’re delightful! 

3- Gamification

It’s easy to get poetic and philosophical about things, but to be as concise as possible, gamification works because it’s fun. 

It doesn’t hurt to dangle a carrot to your guests every so often either; the promise of a prize draws focus like nothing else.  

4- Quality Content

This seems like common sense because it is. You should always strive to produce quality content. But considering the new challenges faced with the nature of this event, the stakes are higher than ever. 

The future of quality event content should follow the timeless maxim that less is more. So cut the fluff, kill your darlings, as they say. Focus on shorter sessions packed with value. 

5- Quality Software for Hybrid Events and Networking Tools

The chance to network is a major part of the allure of corporate events. That allure has been lost in hybrid events. You can address that right now by investing in quality software for hybrid events. 

And business is booming in the event technology industry too. There are new apps all the time, and with stiff competition, you can guarantee there will be quality and innovation out there. 

For instance, we’re very proud of our new virtual networking platform. Users will build an attendee profile with their photo, job title, company, social media profiles, and email address. Of course, this feature is optional, so you can pick and choose how to build your profile to your taste – or not at all if you prefer privacy. So get in touch with us to arrange a free demo for our all-in-one event planning platform. 

6- Live Polling

Real-time information on how your attendees feel is great. It gives you a warrant to be adaptable as your event rolls on. It’s also a mechanism that requires attendees to be in the moment and focus on what’s going on. What’s more, it’s also great for collecting invaluable data. 

7- Live Q&As

The strength of your Q&A is largely dependent on the quality of your content. If your attendees are bored, they’re not going to have questions. So, in short, a live Q&A is a way of sustaining an already existing engagement. 

8- Exciting Guest Speakers and Entertainers 

Getting in entertainers for your event isn’t essential. But it really does make a difference. Imagine your event is french fries. Everyone loves french fries. But you know what makes them so much better? Sauce. Think of entertainment as the sauce to your event. 

A big name can be a big part of your marketing too as for what kind of guest, that’s an exciting question. It could be a well-known figure in your field to deliver a keynote speech; it could be a comedian, musician, or influencer; it could even be a magician. 

9- Virtual Event Bags 

Virtual event bags can be physical swag bags sent to attendees’ homes before an event or electronic ones. Both are always appreciated because everyone loves a freebie. An attendee is less likely to no-show if you butter them up with a goodie bag. 

Branded merch, event programmes, event-related activities, you can be creative here. Here are some ideas you can use. 

With an electronic event bag, you can include things like gift vouchers, discount codes, free trials, and so on. 

10- Don’t Lose Them in The Breaks. 

It’s tragic to see hard work going to waste. It’s all well and good to engage your virtual attendees, but don’t lose them in the breaks. 

You can do this with three simple tricks:

• Leave them wanting more. As in, trail something exciting they’ll be doing when they come back. 
• Give them stuff to do. Is there a feedback form, a game, a task, something entertaining you can offer to keep them occupied? 
• Don’t leave them for too long! 

Wrapping up 

And there you have it, 10 ways planners can engage and connect with virtual attendees during hybrid events. As noted before, the no show rate to these events might be daunting, especially considering the wide consensus that hybrid events aren’t going anywhere. 

But take this article and the small fact that you’re reading it to the end as proof that event planners are determined to figure this thing out. And if you happen to have some genius ideas of your own, we’d love to hear from you!

PS: Looking for software for hybrid events to support both your in-person and virtual event needs? Check out Attendease’s hybrid capabilities and talk to our team to see it in action!