As the attendees in an event are tucked in, the biggest challenge for event organizers is to keep them engaged.
And, in the age of endless webinar invitations, it is overwhelming for the attendees as well as planners to keep this in line. Furthermore, the limited attention spans and distractions add to the frustration of event organizers, and they are always looking for new ways to keep their audiences interested.
It is important for the team of event organizers to tread the path of creativity and think outside the box. And that’s where gamification has a role to play.
One way to do this is through event gamification. Gamification is the use of game-like elements in non-gaming contexts to encourage engagement. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as adding quizzes, polls, and challenges to your event, or creating a full-fledged game that attendees can play.
The goal of event gamification is to create a more interactive and engaging experience for attendees. By adding an element of fun and competition, gamification can help to keep attendees motivated and engaged throughout your event.
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Why Use Event Gamification?
There are many benefits to using event gamification. Here are just a few:
- Better engagement: Gamification can help to increase attendee engagement by making your event more interactive and fun.
- Adds a Sense of Purpose: The strategy helps the attendees to be on their toes and count their achievements. As they have something to play and get rewarded, they can set their goals and move ahead.
- Increased brand awareness: Gamification can help to increase brand awareness by giving attendees a reason to remember your event and your brand.
- Enhanced lead generation: Gamification can help to increase lead generation by giving attendees a reason to interact with you and your exhibitors.
How to Use Gamification for Your Next Event?
An interactive gamification strategy followed by juicy prizes and rewards will make your event better and more memorable. We will share some tips to use gamification in your next event, but remember that gamification is not just about points or rewards, it is all about the experience.
Here is how to use gamification to succeed at your next digital event.
1. Creating a Gamification Corner
If it is a physical event, creating a separate gamification corner will do wonders in popularizing your event as well as keep the attendees fresh and engaged. The corner can be a space where the attendees can relax and unwind after a long session. Creating a small gamification corner with basic games is budget permissible as well. A few ideas are to set up video games, chess, football, and more.
2. Promote Attendee Interaction with Icebreakers
Whether it is an online event or a physical one, you can promote attendee interaction with some ice-breaking sessions. However, remember not to make your attendees anxious or overwhelmed as they might interact with each other for the first time. Some games that work very well with attendees are Truth and Dare, name tag stitch, and more.
There are ample fun ways to know people around in the event. In case you own your event networking platform, you can get the attendees to play games such as trivia or a quick rapid-fire round on it. Adding fun puns to know people around will add more interest in the games.
3. Keep some Early Bird Offers
Gamification not only helps attendees and stakeholders but it can also help planners. We are not just talking about valuable data that measures ROI, planners can use gamification to reward attendees that makes further event management a smooth experience. For instance, by keeping early bird rewards, you can ensure that everyone joins the virtual meeting at the right time. As everyone gathers for the event on time, they get a chance to become familiar with the platform and make themselves comfortable before the meeting starts.
4. Attract Exhibitors with Lead Generation
Attract the ones exhibiting in the event by boosting their lead generation. For each attendee who visits the booth, points, credits, and badges can be added to their carts. Encourage the exhibitors and sponsors so that they present themselves in a unique way and reward the ones who visit their event with their gamified competitions. Gamification is a go-to technique to increase engagement in virtual and hybrid events.
Pool in More Fun with Event Gamification
By utilizing gamification methods, organizers can influence attendee behaviour to increase event engagement to achieve specific goals. Gamification turns your attendees into active participants who enjoy the experience you designed for them. The better you make your event; the more people will look forward to it in the future.
So, the next time you are planning an event, be sure to consider event gamification as a way to make it more engaging and successful.
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