Virtual events don’t have to be boring. Here are some ideas for engaging your community in a socially-distanced world. 

2020 has brought us a new genre of professional gathering: the virtual event.

The last thing that anybody wants to do is to attend a series of virtually identical online lectures with no personality, no rhythm, and none of the community spirit that drives people to attend in-person events year after year.

So how do you replicate that experience remotely?

Whether you are planning a party, meeting, fundraiser, conference, or retreat, your responsibilities now include making an impact on both attendees and sponsors while keeping everybody safely at home.

Here are some ideas to make sure attendees leave your event buzzing about the experience and eager to return next year. 

Swag It Up

Remember your last swag bag? Was it from a conference, a trade show, or a sports event? 

Either way, you probably enjoyed the experience of looking through it, sampled the products, and at least cast a cursory glance at the glossy promotional materials it contained.

Although they might seem like window-dressing, little goodies are a part of every event for a reason: people love them! Treasure hunting through a swag bag gives our brains a little thrill of discovery. And with many little thrills temporarily unavailable, those that you can still provide are even more important. 

Sponsors love swag bags too because they provide each organization the opportunity to have a say in exactly how their brand information and products are presented to attendees. 

Provide a Cohesive Brand Experience 

When you attend an in-person event, a lot of the consistency goes unnoticed. Of course all of the chairs are the same color, all of the signs were printed on the same template, and all of the speakers lecture from the same podium. 

Virtual events have to work a little bit harder to create the sense of attendees of having participated in one coherent event.

To combat this, pay attention to how your brand is presented. Your logo should be on everything attendees see, use, and receive in connection with the event. For example, rather than sending store-brand legal pads to participants, order personalized legal pads with your event logo. If you are having virtual presenters deliver slideshows, introduce each session with a conference-branded roll-in video.

This will go a long way to creating a distinctive event that attendees remember. 

Don’t Forget the Fun

Events are rarely all about the speakers—casual mingling is important. Include both structured and free-form options for attendees to connect around shared interests. For example, you might host casual breakout meetings organized by geographical proximity, or you might intentionally create groups to have a conversation about a professional interest. Either way, participant-to-participant experience matters. 

Create a Shared Experience 

Bonds are created through shared experience. 

Consider sending the same snack packs to each attendee, sending one piece of a team-building puzzle to each member of a group of four, or providing each participant with a pre-made cocktail kit (just add the alcohol of your choice!) to encourage people to stay online after hours and mingle. 

And of course, and of these items should feature your logo and branding as well as the logos of any relevant sponsors. 

Everyone Remembers the Food

Have you ever been to an event without food? If so, you probably hated it and the lack of food is probably the only thing you remember. Food brings people together. (Also, we hear that paying attention for hours on end uses up a lot of calories.)

When in doubt, send attendees ample supplies of snacks and caffeinated beverages. We can all still share in the joy of drinking coffee late into the afternoon and eating far too many cookies for a weekday. After all, the pandemic can’t take everything away. 

Speaking of Sponsors

All of these suggestions don’t only benefit businesses; they benefit sponsors, too. Sponsors need to be a meaningful brand presence at an event in order to be happy with their investment, and sending physical items ensure that sponsor presence isn’t limited to a logo at the bottom of an email. 

A vibrant, engaging, interactive event is the kind that sponsors—and attendees—dream about. 

Let us know how we can help you transition your event from in-person to remote without sacrificing the things that make it special.