7 tips for more interactive events

Why is interaction especially important for online events?

The definition of an interaction is the mutual relationship that can be expressed in communication or an exchange. First, elements of interaction encourage audience attention. This is particularly important because, in contrast to face-to-face events, participants in online events have to withstand significantly more distractions in the office or at home.

In addition, interaction adds variety, engages viewers, and creates a sense of community. Opinion polls can happen by answering questions or voting, with subsequent viewing of the results.

Interaction has a positive effect on the exchange of knowledge. If the knowledge carriers have their say, the event creates added value for all participants.

How to choose the right virtual event format?

‍

The choice of format depends on who the event is aimed at. There are formats that are especially suitable for communication with employees, such as

• Workshops
• Town Hall Meetings or
• Virtual team events
• Live Events

For external stakeholders, on the other hand, the following formats are suitable:

• Panel discussion
• Keynote
• (Press) conferences
• Virtual general meetings
• Trade fairs
• Hybrid events
• Roadshows
• virtual showroom
• Online After Work Event
• Corporate Events

Digital event formats can be divided into four categories. They differ fundamentally in the number of participants and moderators, their roles and interaction possibilities.

Reading tip: Digital event formats: These are the 5 most important

‍

Our tips for interactive events

1. clear objectives and preparation

Before you start planning an interactive event, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Set specific and measurable goals that align with your organization's overall mission and objectives. For example, if you are organizing an event to launch a new product, your goal might be to generate excitement about the product and gather feedback from attendees.

In the second step, the event concept should be defined based on the objectives. This involves answering questions about the duration, date, topics, players and exhibitors or sponsors

Good planning and preparation are essential for a successful interactive event. Make sure you have everything - from the venue to the activities to the technology - properly prepared and ready for the event. A well-planned event will run more smoothly and be more engaging for attendees. Make sure contingency plans are in place to deal with any unforeseen problems that may arise during the event.

2. getting to know each other & discussing details

This type of exercise serves as a method for stimulating small group conversations and detailed discussions on topics related to the event. Different group constellations can be tested and interesting discussion can be encouraged.

3. professional moderation

A professional moderator can help ensure that the event runs smoothly and that all participants take part. The moderator can set the tone for the event, keep discussions on track and encourage participation from all attendees. They can also help deal with difficult or disruptive participants to ensure that the event remains productive and interesting for all participants.

4. feedback and analytics

Feedback is crucial to the success of an interactive event. People have the opportunity to influence the rest of the presentation with ideas and suggestions.

By being able to give feedback, you can find out what worked and what didn't and improve your next interactive event. You can gather feedback through surveys or live feedback during the event. Use the feedback to make changes for future events and improve the overall experience for attendees.

5. select suitable interaction tools

Interaction tools in online events turn viewers into participants. Even in hybrid and live events, interactive tools add real value. The appropriate use of community engagement tools can contribute significantly to the success of the digital event.

Chat tools

Chat tools are an essential and effective way to actively engage attendees in digital events and encourage sharing among them.

Voting tools

Voting tools are a great way to share questions, knowledge or opinions, in addition to chat. Voting tools have versatile uses in polls, surveys, knowledge checks or Q&A rounds.

Virtual tables

Virtual tables ("round tables") are a tool that promotes interaction at the event. The tool is used to simulate small group discussions at a real event. The participants are each visible with a profile picture and it is possible to see which virtual room they are in.

6. technology

Technology can play an important role in increasing the engagement and interactivity of an event.

Organizers have a large selection of virtual event platforms with identical value propositions. The first step in choosing a suitable provider is to define the objectives. The objectives of the clients, participants or sponsors, speakers and exhibitors must be taken into account.

For an interactive event, you need appropriate features like 1:1 video meetings and live communication tools so that people can get in touch directly. If you want the event to generate reach, you need a powerful streaming service with an easy sign-up process.

In order to attract a large number of participants, it is highly advisable to carry out event marketing for your event. If the event takes place within the inner circle of your company, you can spread the word about the event via email marketing and calendar entries.

7. reflection on content:

Towards the end of your event, encourage participants to think about what new things they have learned. This exercise helps to increase acceptance and the learning effect. To do this, divide the participants into groups and let them discuss their findings for 10-20 minutes.

At the end, the results of all groups can be summarized together. Another way to increase engagement and satisfaction at the event would be gamification.

Additional tips:

Create content of events through dynamic staging as interesting as possible, with:

-Interesting content

-atmosphere

-Voltage

In addition to the tips for increasing event interaction, use attendee management software. STREAMBOXY offers a simple attendee management software for your event that organizes the onboarding and sending of invitations, reminders and session passwords for digital events smoothly and without much effort. The software is ideal for webinars & trainings, hybrid and virtual corporate events.

These blog articles may also interest you:

10 tips for a successful online conference

How to make hybrid corporate events a success

Event Trends 2022: The future of hybrid events

‍