In virtual events, gamification has become the key to keeping attendees entertained and engaged with the activities that are carried out and the information that is shared.
Although it was already being implemented in physical events; gamification in a virtual event has taken on an even more important meaning.
This is due to the fact that attendees of an online event do not interact with others as they would do in person. In addition to the fact that they are probably alone in front of a computer screen while visiting stands or attending conferences. Consequently, they are more likely to get bored and leave the event without having fully explored it.
To prevent this from happening, gamification takes traditional elements of games such as competition and rewards; and through different dynamics, it improves the experience of the attendees.
These strategies increase the participation, interest and engagement of users. And at the same time, it increases your rate of navigation time spent in the event platform.
The importance of gamification in a virtual event
The main advantage of implementing gamification in virtual events is to generate a more participative and compromised audience. There is no use in organizing an online event full of informative, interesting and thoughtful experiences, if attendees get bored and do not have the enthusiasm to value the event.
In a physical event, it is much easier to assess the mood and participation of the attendees through their expressions and body movements. Furthermore, it’s possible to make adjustments on the spot to improve your experience. However, in an online event, it is not so easy to monitor the reactions of the attendees.
For this reason, the smartest choice is to ensure an engaging and sticky experience that invites participation from the moment attendees enter the event. And this is achieved through entertainment (such as gamification).
Some of the benefits of applying gamification strategies are:
- Attendee participation levels arise
- More networking opportunities are created
- Greater brand awareness is generated
- Increase attendance at scheduled activities and sessions
- Level-up your customer loyalty rate
- More attendees reply to post-event surveys
Gamification options in a virtual event
The gamification strategies that can be applied in virtual events are varied, since most of them depend on the creativity of the organizers. However, some of the most commonly used are:
Team building
Many of the recreational alternatives that are developed in virtual events are based on the principles of Team Building. This concept encompasses a wide variety of activities that are carried out in teams and aim to strengthen relationships between attendees and make them feel motivated.
Although participants do not have personal contact as usual, they can see and hear each other through group video calls that allow them to connect, participate in activities and work as a team.
In these types of activities, it is essential to use a stable communication platform. In addition, the teams must have one or more facilitators or hosts willing to answer their questions, and trained to solve any technical problem that may arise.
It is recommended to keep groups limited to a maximum of 12 people.
Third party escape rooms
Escape rooms are great for promoting teamwork and getting team members to know each other.
In this dynamic, the team is challenged to solve a riddle or an enigma in a certain period of time. The answer will allow them to “leave” the room they are locked-in and receive a reward or hint for the next activity.
The best thing about escape rooms is that all attendees come together to achieve a common goal. At the same time, they develop bonds of trust and encourage communication while having fun.
In addition, during the activity, the personalities of each one come out and one can observe who takes the role of leader, who is the most creative, etc. Likewise, they can get to know each other better and generate links that transcend the event.
Treasure Hunt
The Treasure Hunt is a dynamic in which participants must find different objects to receive a reward in return. This activity can be carried out both individually and in groups, so it depends on the preferences of each organizer and the nature of the award.
In virtual events, a list is created with the items that attendees must collect and whoever finds them first wins or adds points to receive the final prize. These items can be found in different places like at the fairground / exhibition hall or in the showroom. Therefore, participants must visit each area of the event to win.
To make the activity more interesting, attendees can be guided to the next article with clues. This way, whoever is the fastest deciphering the clue and finding the item will be the winner.
It is worth mentioning that the clues can also be obtained through the fulfillment of tasks such as attending a conference and taking a screenshot of the first slide. Or, fill out a survey about the company or its products and services.
In the first case, the conference will have a higher attendance rate and in the second, you will be able to know the opinion of the attendees on a specific topic.
Leaderboard
The leaderboard is what is known as a leaderboard. It is a classic and simple tool for participants to feel involved and recognized in an activity.
The leaderboard stimulates the social satisfaction of the attendees, since they will be able to see themselves as winners in front of others. And when it comes to groups, it will allow them to appreciate the fruits of their teamwork and recognize the importance of each member.
To keep the mood and energy of the participants alive, the leaderboard can be displayed updated each time an activity is completed. It can even be emailed at the end of the day if the event lasts for several days.
Badges and Awards
People love to feel recognized and rewarded. For this reason, badges and prizes cannot be missing from the gamification strategy of a virtual event.
Badges are awarded to participants as a reward for their activities during the event. For example, by attending a conference, visiting a booth, obtaining downloadable materials or participating in the networking room.
In this sense, badges can be collected individually or can be part of different collections depending on the nature of the activity carried out.
In the first case, participants get a prize for having accumulated a certain total number of badges.
And in the second case, they get it for having completed a specific collection of badges. Thus, those who attend the largest number of conferences, those who visit the most stands or those who achieve the most networking contacts can be awarded.
In any case, gamification in a virtual event is one of the best strategies to ensure that attendees have a positive experience of the event. In addition, their results benefit not only them, but also the company, the sponsors and the exhibitors.