In-person events allow attendees to network, learn and grow in their respective industries. However, with the increasing amount of information available today and our decreasing attention spans, it’s easy for attendees to disengage. That’s where gamification comes in. Gamification adds game-like elements to non-competitive activities, making the experience more engaging and fun for attendees. By leveraging competitive features and rewards, gamification can drive attendee engagement and ensure active participation throughout the event. This blog post explores various strategies to implement gamification, depending on the event type and desired goals.
Networking
Networking events can be daunting, especially for introverted individuals. You can encourage organic conversations and remove initial anxiety by incorporating gamification techniques. For instance, you can have attendees swap name tags or collect business cards, and the attendee with the most cards wins a prize. This will get attendees interacting with each other and encourage them to meet new people.
Vendor Engagement
Sponsors and vendors invest in events to connect with attendees and showcase their products or services. Creating sponsor raffles within an event app is an effective strategy to encourage engagement and lead generation. Attendees can participate by visiting each sponsor booth and logging their visit in the app. They’ll automatically be entered into a raffle and have a chance to win a prize. This guarantees increased traffic to sponsor booths and makes the event more valuable for attendees.
Polls
Sessions can get overcrowded, but incentivizing attendees to split into different sessions through gamification can prevent overcrowding and increase attendee participation. Polls can be used to award points for correct answers, and attendees can select which sessions they attend based on the poll results. This fosters engagement and a sense of competition while ensuring that sessions are noticed due to overcrowding.
Scavenger Hunts
Gamification can also allow attendees to explore and learn more about the event through scavenger hunts. Attendees can be prompted to share event-related photos or discover various event locations. By taking pictures and using event-specific hashtags, attendees can complete the scavenger hunt and win prizes. This encourages participation, engagement, and attendees learn more about the event.
Digital Q&A Platforms
Digital Q&A platforms enhance engagement by allowing attendees to ask questions using event-specific hashtags and upvote helpful answers. This fosters engagement, allows personalized learning, and allows attendees to interact with subject matter experts more quickly. This means more quality information is exchanged, and attendees proactively participate in sessions.
A gamification is a powerful tool for driving attendee engagement. In-person events can be more enjoyable, entertaining, and informative with gamification. Incorporating game-like elements by leveraging competitive features and rewards motivates attendees to network, interact with vendors, and acquire knowledge. Activities like scavenger hunts, digital Q&A platforms, and networking activities all enhance engagement and drive participation from attendees. These gamification strategies help attendees retain more valuable information post-event and provide a positive experience, making them more likely to attend future events.
