While businesses have been steadily shifting their traditional in-person events to virtual and hybrid formats over the last few years, many of them still struggle to find ways to engage their attendees effectively. This is where a virtual event platform comes into action, with a range of attendee-centric features, designed to boost engagement and make your event more interactive.
Did you know that with the Airmeet event attendees stay engaged for an average of 68% of the session during a virtual event?
If attendee engagement and participation are important to you, here’s a checklist that includes a list of all the high-value engagement features to consider when purchasing a virtual event platform.
1. Virtual Exhibition Hall:
A virtual exhibition hall is a digital version of a traditional trade show. This is a place where people engage for the first time. Similar to a physical exhibition, this feature enables you to design interactive booths to provide a visually appealing experience for attendees.
Attendees can visit these booths and view your company’s products and services as well as interact with representatives to learn more. A virtual exhibition booth usually includes videos, images, and other multimedia content so that participants can better understand the exhibitor’s offerings.
2. Networking Tools:
One of the most effective ways to keep participants engaged is to tap into your virtual event platform’s networking tools. If you want your event attendees to maximize the value derived from attending your event, your platform needs to have a wide range of networking features. It plays a crucial role in providing guests the opportunity to connect with peers, industry experts, and professionals.
Event platforms typically offer networking features like one-on-one meetings, group meetings, and more. These powerful tools help participants interact in live discussions, share contact details, schedule meetings, and establish professional connections.
3. Gamification Elements:
Gamification aims to provide more engaging, and delightful virtual event experiences. It includes games in the form of challenges, contests, leaderboards, and creative quizzes that promote active participation and healthy competition among participants.
Gaming lets people have a good time in virtual gatherings. Attendees feel a sense of achievement when they earn points, badges, or rewards for completing activities or reaching targets. If you want your event to be fun, highly engaging, and entertaining for attendees, make sure the platform you choose has gamification features.
4. Interactive Sessions:
Virtual events lack the same level of energy as in-person events because guests are not physically present to experience the vibe and the surroundings. Therefore, interactive sessions like polls, Q&As, and breakout rooms are essential if you want to give attendees the feel of an in-person event, so they can actively participate in the gathering.
Plus, interactive sessions bridge the gap between the audience and speaker by allowing them to communicate with each other in real-time. The two-way connection keeps attendees engaged and attentive throughout the entire event.
5. AI-Powered Recommendations:
AI-powered recommendation is a feature in virtual event software that uses artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze attendees’ interests, preferences, and behaviors. It gives you smart suggestions on personalizing content like sessions, exhibitors, and networking to enhance the attendee experience.
Virtual events often include multiple sessions and activities, which makes it tough for attendees to discover relevant content and information. With AI-powered recommendations, virtual attendees can quickly find sessions and activities that are most relevant to them. It ensures that attendees stay engaged, maximize their participation, and get the most out of the session.
6. Social Media Integration:
Leverage the power of social media to appeal to attendees in remote meetings. Social media allows attendees to share event details, and update it on various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others.
Thanks to the social media integration feature, event organizers can also generate a unique hashtag for their event and tell participants to share event pictures, and videos on various platforms.
7. Mobile App Integration:
Mobile apps integration permits users to access the event from anywhere and at any time. This feature is beneficial for those businesses that want to make it easy for their large audiences to engage in online conferences.
Using mobile devices, attendees can simply access event content, attend sessions, and network with peers from any location, making it possible to stay focused and engaged for longer periods.
8. Customizable Avatars:
Avatars are usually 3D characters or objects that users can use to match their unique identity in a virtual environment. Customizable avatars allow attendees to personalize their digital representations according to their personal styles and personalities.
This is a fun way for attendees to enhance their connection and social interactions. This feature empowers individuals to express themselves and engage with others in a more immersive manner.
9. Content Sharing:
Content sharing is essential for fostering interactive discussions and exchanging valuable information digitally. With the ability to share various types of content like documents, images, videos, and multimedia files, participants can easily access important data, insights, and resources.
The content-sharing feature not only encourages deeper conversations but also promotes collaborative learning. Speakers and presenters can deliver captivating keynotes by sharing materials, making the event more engaging for attendees.
10. Live Streaming:
Live stream allows attendees to have live discussions in virtual events. It means attendees can have face-to-face conversations with the presenter or speaker. They can ask questions, provide feedback, and engage with them.
Along with live streaming, some virtual platforms also offer on-demand viewing options. For example, if an attendee is unable to attend a keynote speech due to timing issues, they can watch the recorded live stream of the speech later, ensuring they don’t miss out on valuable content. This flexibility encourages continued engagement even after the live event has ended.
11. Live Applause:
Live Applause is a feature in virtual event platforms that creates the sound of applause from a live audience during a virtual meeting. Creating a dynamic atmosphere of support and appreciation in a virtual event is very important.
Live Applause adds a human touch to virtual events and maintains reciprocity and participation among participants. Plus, it motivates attendees to engage with the content, speakers, and other participants.
12. Audience Analytics Tool:
So far, we have discussed a range of virtual event engagement tools. But to evaluate the success of all these key features, you need a strong analytics tool. So when you choose a platform, make sure it includes powerful analytics and reporting functionalities to track participant engagement levels.
Analytics will make your work easier. It gives you detailed insights into crucial aspects of the event like – what sessions were popular, which features engaged attendees the most, and which elements did not engage viewers. By analyzing attendee behavior and understanding attendee preferences, you can better plan and execute your next event.
What Attendee Engagement Features Does Airmeet Offer?
Airmeet is a comprehensive solution for hosting engaging virtual events. It offers a range of attendee engagement features that not only fascinate audiences but also encourage attendees to develop genuine interactions with fellow participants.
The following are some standout features that Airmeet provides to enhance attendee engagement:
| Feature | Uses | |
| 1 | Virtual Expo Booths | Organizations can showcase their product or services to participants through virtual expo booths. Attendees can explore the virtual booths multiple times and interact with exhibitors through live chat or video demos. |
| 2 | Breakout Rooms | Breakout rooms are small group discussion meetings that occur after a keynote speaker or live learning module. Participants are usually divided into smaller groups to facilitate more intimate interactions. |
| 3 | One-on-one Chat | This feature provides a space for attendees to connect with each other in a more personalized and focused manner. Users can start one-on-one conversations by sending messages or requesting a meeting. |
| 4 | Live Polls and Q&A | Live polls allow for collecting instant feedback from attendees, while Q&A enables attendees to ask questions directly to speakers or presenters. |
| 5 | Kahoot Quizzes | Kahoot quizzes are game-based learning experiences created to make learning more fun. It has a diverse set of educational quizzes on various topics, allowing team members to test their knowledge and compete with others. Kahoot quizzes promote active learning, critical thinking, and retention of information. |
| 6 | Networking Lounge | This feature enables attendees to connect with others via text, audio, or video chat. It means they can exchange ideas or simply have casual conversations with other attendees. Overall, they can discover individuals of mutual interest, collaborate on similar projects, and make new connections at the event. |
| 7 | Interactive White Board | Virtual whiteboarding allows people to visualize things, sketch diagrams, and brainstorm ideas in a digital space. It is the finest tool that can help attendees be more creative and find solutions to problems. |
| 8 | Speed Networking | Airmeet’s speed networking feature allows participants to connect with multiple individuals in a short amount of time. This dynamic system encourages valuable interactions between a variety of people, within a limited timeframe. This feature is especially useful for those who are looking to grow their professional networks. |
| 9 | Icebreakers session | Icebreaker session is an activity that immediately engages participants in virtual events. It warms up interaction among people and creates a comfortable environment for all. |
| 10 | Business Card Exchange | With virtual business cards, attendees can exchange contact information digitally. It allows each person to share personal information like pictures, location, social media profile, and other details. Thanks to this feature people can stay in touch with others even after the event is over. |
| 11 | Gamification | Airmeet offers robust gamified elements such as leaderboards, badges, and challenges to elevate the attendee experience. With the event app gamification feature, you can engage your participants in interactive challenges and friendly competition. They can earn rewards, compete with peers, and unlock achievements through this top feature. |
| 12 | Invite to Stage | Airmeet’s “Invite to Stage” feature is fantastic. It allows you to invite attendees as speakers to the virtual stage. It means you can invite interested participants to share their experiences directly with the audience. |
| 13 | Engagement Analytics | Airmeet provides event planners with a real-time analytics dashboard to gain deep insights into attendee engagement, track participation rates, and monitor their behavior during the entire event. Plus, it generates detailed analytics reports on attendee activities like attendance, session participation, engagement with virtual tables, raised hands, Q&A, polls, and more. |
Conclusion
In 2024, choosing the right virtual event platform should be your first priority because virtual events have become increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. Keep in mind that the effectiveness of virtual events depends on the active participation and interaction of attendees.
Investing in event management software with high attendee engagement features not only makes your event successful but also sets the stage for future events growth and innovation in virtual gatherings.
FAQ
Airmeet stands out from other virtual event platforms because of its focus on maximizing virtual attendee engagement, ROI, and brand reach, making it the preferred option for virtual and hybrid events. Additionally, Airmeet allows you to host unlimited events without added costs and provides 24/7 support through chat, video, and call.
Airmeet is a versatile event platform that allows businesses to host various types of virtual events such as conferences, seminars, workshops, product launches, virtual job fairs, networking events, and more.
Yes, Airmeet can accommodate up to 100K participants at the same time, making it a powerful platform for hosting large-scale events.
Airmeet aims to recreate in-person networking in a virtual space. Unlike other platforms with limited interaction options, Airmeet includes noteworthy features like virtual lobbies, tables, direct messaging, and speed networking to encourage natural conversation and connection.
Airmeet is the top choice of many businesses for hosting highly engaging online events. This is the preferred platform because it provides powerful interactive features like networking lounges and breakout rooms along with seamless integration options that ensure attendee engagement and participation are consistently high.
To decide if Airmeet is right for you, consider your event size, budget, and desired features. In addition to this, set the goal of your event and determine what you want to gain from holding the event. Understanding these factors will help you determine whether the Airmeet platform is suitable for you.
