5 Tips to Keep Audiences Hooked at Your Next Virtual Event

June 15, 2021

Ask event teams about their high-priority KPIs and good audience engagement is sure to feature in the list. But keeping the audiences engaged in a virtual setup can be hard. Great event teams do a few common things to up their audience engagement game. Here are five of those tips for your next virtual event.

  1. Create an engagement-first agenda: You get the audience engagement you plan for. So, start with creating an agenda that is conducive to driving audience participation. Plan for activities that need audiences to get involved during the event, and not just sit back and listen. Schedule time in the agenda for audience polls, dedicated networking sessions, contests, group video calls, etc. Or even plan a hands-on workshop to get attendees to collaborate.

  2. Get your session content & delivery right: Plan relatable and insightful content for all the sessions. Tell your speakers about various audience engagement options, such as live Q&As and audience polls, they can use to make their sessions interactive. Do test runs with speakers to walk them through the virtual event platform you are using. Familiarize them with all the features that may come in handy.

  3. Leverage personalized notifications: Virtual event platforms give you tons of powerful audience insights. And you can use these insights to send intelligent, personalized notifications to your audiences. Let attendees know the session they had bookmarked is about to begin. Or tell them about a breakout room sponsored by the exhibitor whose virtual booth they just visited. Send notifications your audiences care about.

  4. Gamify audience experience: Check out all the gamification features your virtual event platform offers and choose the ones that work best for your kind of event. Use a leaderboard to create a healthy competition. Set up polls and contests to get audiences involved. Start conversations using a buzzing event feed. Incentivize participation from attendees with rewards, gifts, and coupons to be won.

  5. Make time for networking and fun: People love to interact with industry professionals and like-minded peers. So, give audiences what they want. Virtual event platforms offer many networking options such as group video calls, scheduled meetings, theme-based breakout rooms, lounge areas, etc. Don’t only stick to formal networking. Plan for some fun breaks as well. Host a virtual music concert, a multiplayer jigsaw puzzle, or a quick Zumba session. These segments are your sure shot way of meeting your engagement goals.

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Get yourself hooked with a powerful virtual event platform that's built to deliver exceptional audience experiences. Use these tips to make the most out of it. And you will be set to achieve your audience engagement goals.

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact