Adding Personal Touches to your Virtual Event Experience
2020 will go down in history as the year that drastically changed socialization. It is hard to imagine that the good ole days of greeting one another with handshakes and hugs were just about a year ago. Everything has changed about personal interactions and professional networking. Meeting and event professionals across the globe are adapting to the “new normal” by turning their in-person events into virtual experiences. We have spent the year getting acclimated to technology as a new way of life and thankfully there are ways to incorporate special personal touches to engage your audience and to make your screen time memorable.
A planner’s goal is to make it worthwhile and enjoyable by presenting engaging content in a short amount of time with a fun twist. Here are a few simple solutions to spruce up your virtual event experience.
1.) Provide live administrative and help desk support
Make it seamless by providing administrative and technical support for your virtual event to interface with attendees through discussion boards and that will conduct demonstrations, polls, audience Q&A, contests and rewards.
2.) Send personalized notes
Classic personal notes never really go out of style, especially in the height of social distancing. In fact, they are such a rarity that people appreciate them more. Consider sending welcome letters, thank you notes or even digital post cards at either registration or immediately after the event. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible to your guests. Over communicating event logistics go a long way.
3.) Host lunch
People love food and they love free food even more. Find a food delivery service like DoorDash, GrubHub or Uber Eats and send each attendee a food credits to enjoy during meal breaks.
4.) Be flexible by adding virtual workouts
Incorporate physical fitness activities like yoga, Pilates or mediation to give guests a reprieve and a chance to de-stress and grab hold of a sense of normalcy. Consider sending cool swag like branded yoga mats, water bottles and playlists to use during class.
5.) Use Breakout Rooms
People are longing for personal connections. Consider assigning breakout rooms as a way for people to connect and share ideas by asking qualifying questions at the point of registration that will aide you in pairing guests with common interests and experiences.
Author: Erika Summers
