What if you could get attendees at your next virtual event to not only pay attention but actually ENJOY being there?

Gamification can do just that.

Whether you’re a 6-year-old playing cops and robbers or a 60-year-old playing golf, we all love to play games. In fact, the gaming industry is huge. Like really huge.

Visionary game designer Jane McGonigal describes just how big it is:

• 174 million Americans are gamers.
• 25% of said gamers are over the age of 50.
• 61% of surveyed CEOs, CFOs, and other senior executives say they take daily game breaks at work.
• People spend 3 billion hours a year playing video games across the globe.

That same love for video games can make your next virtual event significantly more enjoyable.

And having fun is just the beginning. Experts have found that games are a great way for us to socialize, learn new skills, and find motivation.

The enjoyment we get from games can be used to drive us to accomplish tasks that are otherwise challenging or boring (aka a virtual event. Sorry, but it had to be said).

In this article, we’ll show why gamification is a great way to increase engagement as well as some gamification ideas that you can easily implement during your next virtual event, meeting, or conference.

Disengaged attendees are every event planner’s worst nightmare — a nightmare that’s too often a reality.

In one survey, 85% of employees admitted to regularly multitasking during video meetings. But it’s not always checking work reports. 74% admitted to regularly checking news and social media during these same video meetings.

Why it’s a problem

Simple logic tells us that if you’re speaking but no one is listening, all the money you put into your event is wasted. This makes audience engagement by far the most crucial point to consider when it comes to online meetings, trainings, and events.

How gamification can help

Playing games has a real impact on the way we think and act. Used properly, gamification can be used in any activity to get a person more motivated to tackle difficult or otherwise boring tasks.

Gamification stirs up powerful emotions such as competition and curiosity by using game-like elements such as rewards, leaderboards, progress bars, loyalty points, storytelling, and problem-solving.

The result? Your attendees will be more engaged in your virtual event and will retain information far better than trainings or meetings alone.

Here are some top-notch ways you can gamify your next virtual event, meeting, or conference.

Trivia

You don’t just want people attending your virtual event. You want them actively participating in sessions and workshops. How can you do that? Trivia games!

Everyone wants to feel like they are at the ‘top of the class.’ Keep attendees engaged as they listen for answers to trivia questions. Trivia quizzes can increase learning and give you feedback that people have been paying attention.

Bonus Tip: Don’t miss this opportunity to offer prizes, whether for individual quizzes or a cumulative score if you choose to create teams.

• • For example, if your speaker will be giving a presentation, you can let your audience know that you will have a trivia session at the end of the presentation with prizes such as cash or gift cards awarded to those who scored the highest.
  • This strategy requires a little preparation, though. Make sure you collaborate with speakers ahead of time so that they are familiar with the Trivia strategy.

Virtual Event Bingo

Bingo isn’t just for retirement homes. The rush that comes from yelling “Bingo!” is extremely satisfying for everyone.

Likely, your attendees have spent a large part of their career in B2B and are very familiar with the lingo in their industry. On top of it, virtual events and online meetings come with their own set of jargon that your attendees hear all the time.

Why not turn these terms into a game? In almost every virtual meeting you’re sure to hear:

• You’re muted
• I think he’s frozen
• Can you see my screen?

Try creating a bingo card with some of the unique lingo you’re bound to hear during your conference. Virtual bingo helps people pay more attention during times they might otherwise zone out. As a bonus, instead of being bored with the same topics, they will be excited to talk about them.

Passport Stamps

Sponsors are a critical part of your virtual events. Encourage interaction between attendees and exhibitors by creating digital passports.

Multiple companies will be showcasing their products and services at larger events. Take advantage of this unique opportunity for gamification by giving each attendee a “stampable” virtual passport.

Attendees get a mark by every participating exhibit they interact with or each session they attend. Award points for each visit they make and create a running leaderboard for the leaders. This can be incentivized with prizes.

Bonus Tip: Visiting the virtual booth is not enough. You want people to actually interact with the sponsors.

• • Consider setting some parameters so that people don’t just make quick “border runs” just to get a stamp. For example, before their passport can be stamped, require that they show some kind of evidence of true engagement.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. What else can you do to gamify your next virtual event?

Scavenger hunt: Send out a list of actions that your audience has to complete throughout the course of your event.

Award points for actions: Set up a point system to award attendees for completing certain tasks that they can cash in later for prizes. These tasks can be anything from posting on social media with the event hashtag to simply registering for the event.

Contests: Set up contests and award points or prizes to the winner. For example, those who dressed up the nicest, those who asked the best questions, or those who visited the most sponsor booths.

The bottom line: Be creative and try to make your participants have fun. If possible, tailor your games to the theme of your event.

As long as you incorporate the elements of gamification such as rewards, competition, and curiosity, there are endless possibilities of activities you can incorporate into your event to encourage engagement.

Gamification is an incredibly clever tool to improve the way your participants learn and interact during virtual events.

Used properly, gamification can be a huge boost to your event, motivating your audience to stay engaged throughout your virtual event, meeting, training, or conference.

However, engagement through gamification is only part of making a virtual event a success.

Using the most up-to-date technology and a deep wealth of resources, we can help you deliver an extremely high-quality virtual or hybrid meeting, training, seminar, or event.

Virtual Velocity uses gamification services to create personalized learning experiences that are in harmony with your goals. Would you like to see how gamification can transform your next event? Contact us for a free conversation and we will happily answer all of your questions.