Droopy eyes, yawning faces, typing noises on phone screens and messaging alerts are often seen and heard at in-person events where attendees are not kept engaged..and if your event is virtual and the cameras are off, well in that case there is no way for you to know if the person across the screen is asleep, attentive, or not sitting in front of their screen altogether! Engagement, interaction and networking strategies are an integral part of an event. And this integral part matters more when you are hosting a Hybrid Event.
Hybrid events require attention to a gazillion logistical aspects to ensure a smooth and successful event, because of which attendee engagement often takes the side curb. Keeping your attendees engaged, both virtual as well in-person, is vital in creating a positive image in your attendees’ minds.
Hence, to knock the possibility of bored and sleepy minds out of the park, here are a few tips to boost engagement at your next Hybrid Event!
Make it simple and easy
Exploring how to promote hybrid events? Let's Make it simple and easy for you
Q&A sessions and Live Polls are a great way to get your audience to participate.
Hearing a speaker drone on for hours and hours without any attendee interaction is tedious. And after these small interruptions, your attendees start to lose focus.
Create an interactive schedule, and not a monologue one. You can even plan games to keep things upbeat and more interesting. Ensure that all engagement opportunities are available for your physical as well as virtual attendees. Virtually incorporate a scribble wall, a selfie booth so that your attendees can use it during, and after the event.
Smaller groups, better discussions
Some people are not comfortable interacting in large groups, so you can break up your physical attendees into smaller groups and your virtual attendees into breakout rooms to facilitate better quality discussions. Make sure to give your attention to all groups, and try assigning brand representatives to each group to oversee discussions.
Chatboxes for one-on-one discussions and opportunities for video calls between in-person and virtual attendees are great networking strategies as well!
Plan ahead
Plan your engagement strategies well in advance so that not only can you efficiently incorporate them into your sessions but also hold rehearsals and tryouts with your speakers, equipment and rectify any glitches. Your audience will appreciate the extra time and effort that you put into making sure to involve them.
You want your attendees to take back only positive notes from your Hybrid Event, and leave positive notes for feedback as well. Incorporation of efficient engagement tactics will help you achieve that. We hope these tips help get you there!
Read more | Virtual Conferences – The 2021 Guide
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