While the pandemic still runs rampant across the world, many of us are understandably hesitant to join physical events as before. And virtual events don’t exactly bring the same impact.

 

Although it’s difficult to contend with the former, the latter brings certain aspects worth looking into.

 

Virtual event planners do this through virtual event gamification. In short, it makes your otherwise non-interactive webinar more fun by introducing game elements to engage your audience.

 

What is a Virtual Event Gamification?

 

Basically, gamification refers to creating an interactive space between you and your attendees through incentivising engagement with certain aspects of your virtual event.

 

The flow of the virtual event is designed to emulate the feeling of ‘playing computer games’, and give your attendees a sense of accomplishment as they progress along it.

 

Why a Virtual Event Gamification Useful for Events

 

There are plenty of reasons why you should add a gamification strategy to your event planning.

 

For one, they promote audience interactivity. If you’re into creating educational webinars, then having game-based learning will certainly help with the uptake of information as opposed to them just passively listening to a keynote speaker.

 

But even if you aren’t, adding gamification elements to your event will still help facilitate networking and communication.

 

And the more positive the experience, the better your chances of building customer retention, and the more confidence you inspire in your virtual event to sponsors.

 

Virtual Event Gamification Examples

   

There are many games that can be introduced into your event, depending on your overall event goals.

 

For example, virtual escape rooms give your audience members a common objective to accomplish together, thereby facilitating communication and teamwork.

 

If raising sponsor awareness and engagement is part of your event KPI, then hosting a virtual scavenger hunt can help direct your target audience to exhibitor booths and interact with your sponsor brands to gain points, while learning more about the sponsor in the process.

 

How to Choose the Right Games for your Event

 

There’s no one-size-fits-all type of game for virtual events. Games like scavenger hunts tend to encourage team building and problem-solving, whereas virtual leaderboards facilitate competition between attendees.

 

Figuring out the different game design elements can help you better understand the context of the game and whether they’d be suitable for your event.

 

And you don’t have to go overboard with the planning either. Allowing users to receive points for something simple like checking in on their mobile devices can be more than enough to keep them motivated and engaged.

 

You can then build on that initial excitement with more complex tasks and bigger rewards.

 

You may be interested in What You Need to Know About a Virtual Product Launch

 

Things to Consider When Building Gamification Into Your Virtual or Hybrid Event Plans

   

Before you decide to implement a virtual escape room into your event, you should consider several things.

 

Firstly, how does it relate to the concept of your event? Your game should be relevant to the overall objectives of your event in order for it to fall in place naturally with all your other activities.

 

If you’re doing it just for the sake of it, then your game will achieve little beyond keeping your audience briefly entertained, without exerting a positive influence towards achieving your event’s primary goals.

 

Understanding that will help you design a game that is not only fun, but one that your participants can use to relate to the learnings of your event afterwards.

 

You should also think about the game mechanics you’re going to implement. Do you expect them to play in groups, or individually?

 

Realizing the extent of the effect each game carries will help you better decide if they’re suitable for your event or not.

 

Tips for Incorporating Virtual Event Gamification

 

Fortunately, when it comes to virtual events, there are very clear indicators when they’re done right. As organizers-slash-HR professionals, you will want to focus on certain aspects when talking gamification, including:

 

1. Incorporating a rewards system

one of the key game principles is that of crediting users for completing tasks. The task itself doesn’t have to be particularly difficult. What’s important is to continuously provide users with challenges, and to reward them for succeeding. The end result is increased attendee engagement.

 
2. Including your sponsors

sponsors can do much more than funnel capital into your event, and they usually are willing to do more. Involving your sponsors when it comes to prizes, or even as a game element, can help to raise brand awareness and keep your investors happy.

 
3. Tracking participants

when you facilitate your event through an app or a digital platform, you can gain insights into participant activity. Understanding how your participants are navigating through your virtual event space will help you plan for future events. It can also act as a benchmark post-event, which can be used to give your prospective sponsors a better idea of what to expect from your virtual events.

 
4. Having Q&A sessions
Having an open discussion with your participants will help you gain a deeper understanding of their experiences, which you can leverage when planning for future events.
 
5. Set a designated space for your games
whether you’re running a hybrid or a virtual event, having a specific corner for games is a great way to draw attention, as opposed to just having your participants run all over the place. You can further leverage on this by tactfully placing sponsor logos within the area.
 

Further reading: Best Way to Interact in Webinars

 

Benefits of Hosting a Virtual Event Gamification with MyVirtually

   

If you’re interested in taking up virtual event gamification in Malaysia, then Virtually is a good place to start. We’re a long-time player in the events industry, and have extensive experience when it comes to running virtual events, having participated in the production of large scale events such as TEDx.

 

MyVirtually boasts an award winning video production crew, and our expertise will no doubt prove beneficial when it comes to hosting some truly bespoke experiences.

 

Build an Engaging Virtual Event Experience with Gamification for Maximum Engagement with MyVirtually

 

You would no doubt have a lot of considerations when building virtual event gamification. Hopefully, the points we’ve described have helped shed some light on where you can start.

 

And if you’re keen on creating something that truly stands out, why not enlist our services here at MyVirtually?

 

If nothing else, we’d be more than happy to discuss with you on ways to bring joy to your event and take it to the next level.