When organising your next industry event or conference, you might want to integrate an online edition into the program to enable virtual attendees. There are many reasons for including an online session, such as increasing audience participation, attracting younger audiences, or engaging with attendees abroad who prefer not to travel.
Keep reading to uncover:
How to engage virtual event attendees
How to engage the audience in online screenings
How to keep your audience engaged during a virtual film industry event
How to integrate sponsors into your online event audience interaction
Virtual events have become increasingly popular recently, but keeping attendees engaged can be challenging. As an event organiser, finding creative ways to captivate your audience and maintain their interest throughout the event is crucial.
Votemo is an audience engagement platform dedicated to boosting engagement in film festivals, film industry events, and conferences. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies to enhance engagement during online screenings, virtual conferences, and industry events.
For more insights on event engagement and monetization, check out our related posts:
/1/ Understanding Your Online Event Audience
Before diving into engagement strategies, it's essential to understand your audience. By answering the following questions, you can tailor your engagement strategies to meet the needs and preferences of your audience. Consider:
Who are your attendees?
What are their interests and expectations?
What motivates them to attend your event virtually?
What channels do they use to find information?
/2/ Pre-Event Engagement
Engaging your audience starts well before the virtual event or online screening begins. Here are some ideas to build excitement and anticipation:
Send personalised invitations and reminders
Create a buzz on social media using event hashtags
Encourage attendees to submit questions or topics they'd like to see covered
Provide a sneak peek of the event agenda and speakers
Whether you're planning an online extension of a film industry conference or online screenings during your film festival, it's also important to consider:
Educating the audience about the technology used for accessing the content
Informing people about pricing and discount options
Enabling free community screenings for underserved segments, such as people in hospitals, disabled communities, etc., who are unable to attend in person
/3/ Audience Engagement During Virtual Conference
Keeping your audience engaged during the virtual event is crucial. Consider implementing these strategies:
Use interactive tools like live polling, surveys, and Q&A sessions
Make sure your virtual event and online screening audience can participate in the same activities as the in-person audience
Incorporate gamification elements to make the online event more fun and engaging
Encourage networking through virtual breakout rooms or chat features
Utilise visually appealing slides and multimedia content
/4/ Post-Event Engagement
Engaging your audience shouldn't stop when the virtual event ends. Keep the momentum going with these post-event strategies:
Send a follow-up survey to gather feedback and insights
Provide access to event recordings and resources
Encourage attendees to join your online community or mailing list
Announce upcoming events or initiatives to keep them engaged
/5/ Measuring Engagement Success
To determine the effectiveness of your engagement strategies, it's important to track and measure key metrics. Consider monitoring:
Attendance rates and duration
Participation in interactive elements (voting, feedback polls, Q&A, etc.)
Social media mentions and hashtag usage
Post-event survey responses
Conclusion
Engaging your audience during virtual conferences and meetings requires creativity, planning, and a deep understanding of your attendees. By implementing a combination of pre-event, during-event, and post-event engagement strategies, you can create a memorable and impactful experience for your virtual audience.
Remember, the key to successful engagement is to keep your audience at the centre of your efforts. Continuously seek their feedback, adapt to their needs, and strive to deliver value at every touchpoint.
Comments