At MeetingPulse, we talk to a lot of Virtual Event Producers.
Last year, companies depended on them more than ever to apply the art and science of creating successful online meetings and gatherings. We always ask, how will you know your client’s event was a success? It’s an intriguing question, and we found the answer could be different for every event they produce. Sometimes, event success can be defined by easily quantifiable outcomes, like gaining new customers, having higher attendance, or generating new leads.
But much of the time, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Event producers are no strangers to juggling multiple priorities, but above all else, the top priority is ensuring that they are creating events that count. Events that make a tangible, high-value impact on the client’s business. Meetings that have quantifiable positive business impact. Opportunities to build deeper connections with important partners, donors, or stakeholders.
These days, it’s more important than ever to host high-impact events — everyone is working remotely, industries are under pressure, and we’re all juggling competing priorities. So when someone attends an event, you better make sure it’s worth it. But how do they do that?
Interactivity + Engagement = Connection
To host meetings and events that truly matter, event producers focus on building deeper connections with participants. It’s true for all kinds of meetings. Take an external event, like a flagship conference or product launch, where leaders deliver important updates, answer questions from the audience, and engage with partners.
Clients want event attendees to feel special, to know that their contributions matter, and to freely share their opinions. We want them to feel and be connected.
Regardless of the occasion, producing impactful events demands intentional and thoughtful planning. Techniques to make your event platform more interactive are always emerging, as well as ways to drive higher levels of engagement among event attendees.
Here are some strategies that can be applied to your next event:
#1 Encourage Participation
Ever listened to a speech or presentation and found your mind drifting off elsewhere? You’re not alone. All too often, communication at events is one-way. We need to connect and contribute our thoughts and ideas — as humans, we build closer connections when we’re actively listening and engaging in thoughtful conversations.
Add interactivity to your event to keep your audience involved. Host a live Q&A, or run live audience polls and real time meeting surveys to check in with participants. You’ll keep attendees engaged longer, build closer relationships, and uncover valuable insights.
#2 Make it Easy to Attend
Maximize the success of your event by making it easy to attend. With the dawn of remote work, it’s easier than ever to attend events, and the technology exists to make digital experiences every bit as memorable as in-person events.
That being said, there’s more to a great virtual or hybrid event than a Zoom call. Make sure your event can be attended from anywhere in the world, on any device, without compromising on user experience.
Here at MeetingPulse, we’ve helped enable interactivity for thousands of events. Try us for your next event — we bet you’ll love it!
#3 Monitor Audience Sentiment
At in-person events, it seems pretty easy to gauge how your attendees are feeling. If they’re laughing, smiling, and having a good time, you know you’re doing a good job. But even so, this is anecdotal evidence — there are few data-driven ways to know how your attendees really feel. Fortunately, there are ways to monitor audience sentiment remotely.
One of our key features at MeetingPulse is Pulse for sentiment analysis, a tool to track how your audience feels at any given moment. You’ll be able to understand how audience engagement changes over the course of an event, which sessions elicit responses, and identify areas to improve.
#4 Gamify the Event
Keep your meeting attendees engaged by having some fun! From icebreakers to raffles and quizzes, there are a variety of ways to keep your audience entertained. You can use data from MeetingPulse to award points for activities and behaviors, post survey or quiz results, and celebrate winning participants.
For a double benefit, use raffles and quizzes to collect information. Collect contact details with email opt-ins, and ask quiz questions that help you segment your audience and understand your attendee persona.
#5 Measure to Improve
Every event you host can be better than the last. The only way to make that a reality? Data. After an event, spend some time reviewing reports and analytics to get a sense of what worked, and what didn’t. You’ll get key insights on your strategy and uncover how participants experienced your event. Use that knowledge to be even better next time, moulding your events into the perfect scenario for your business.
MeetingPulse automatically generates analytics and reports at the end of your event. Access detailed information and work with our Report Exports to create custom reports just for you.
Producing events and meetings that count is more challenging (and important!) now than ever before. As meetings and events increasingly move to digital or hybrid formats, event producers are leveraging new technologies to ensure that their meetings are successful.
At MeetingPulse, our whole business is helping companies host meetings that count. Learn more about Meeting Pulse here.
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