The significance of virtual events has grown multifold in the last one and a half years due to the restrictions on in-person events. Virtual events have provided attendees an avenue to keep their business growing despite the enormous hurdles inhibiting their progress. This is especially true for B2B communities that are always on the lookout for ways to promote their business, make new connections, and gain insights into latest industry trends from experts.
The widespread shift to the online medium, although forced, has undoubtedly been one of the groundbreaking transformations for the events industry. However, it is also true that keeping the attendees engaged through the virtual platforms is a tough row to hoe. In this blog, we will share with you 6 simple yet highly effective tactics that can help you make the virtual event more engaging and enjoyable for the B2B communities.
1. Invest in Tools and Technology
Physical or in-person events have always been more effective in keeping the audience engaged. However, the advent of technology and innovations have made it possible to replicate these events or trade shows on virtual platforms. The events industry has witnessed the introduction of numerous tools that are elevating attendee engagement to new heights.
The incorporation of cutting-edge event technologies and audience engagement tools can be a great way to grab the attention of B2B attendees during the event. These tools and technologies can help you to easily embed videos, photos, and other elements to make your event more attractive. This can be very beneficial in keeping your B2B audience hooked till the very end of the event.
2. Create Audience-centric Content
The best way to keep B2B communities engaged at your virtual event is to cater to their concerns or specific requirements. When your event content is designed specifically for the audience, it is easier for them as well to be invested in the event and not get distracted. Hence, to engage B2B communities at your virtual event, it is important to prepare a content program that they find interesting and insightful.
In order to create content that is specific to the B2B communities that will be attending your event, it is first important to know your audience. This can be done by carrying out proper research activities as well as through surveys and direct communication. Content delivered during the event should be based on this research so that it is exactly what the B2B communities are looking for.
3. Conduct Peer-to-Peer Networking Sessions
With in-person events, attendees have the freedom to move around between sessions, introduce themselves to other attendees, talk about their business, and build connections easily. This keeps them entertained throughout the event. However, when it comes to the virtual medium, networking and connecting is not this easy.
To let event attendees, especially B2B company owners, connect and interact with other attendees, organisers should conduct a peer-to-peer networking session. Event planners can even incorporate AI matchmaking tools to save time and make these sessions even more valuable for the attendees. This, in turn, can make the B2B communities excited for the virtual event and boost their engagement.
4. Dedicate a Time Slot for Promotional Activities
Along with networking, promoting products and services is one of the major reasons why B2B communities participate in events. However, most of the virtual events today come with very limited features. This makes it difficult for businesses to demonstrate their offerings effectively to the audience.
A great solution to this problem can be dedicating a certain amount of time during the event to product launches or promotions. This can incentivise B2B communities to participate in the event and also keep them engaged throughout the event. This is because they would be excited about promoting their products or services to the audience.
5. Incorporate Interactive Elements into the Event
The easiest and most effective way to engage B2B communities at virtual event is by encouraging them to participate and interact. This is because B2B company attendees enjoy connecting with speakers when attending any event. It also gives them an opportunity to share and discuss ideas with their peers from the industry.
With the right tools and tech, you can incorporate polls, Q&As, surveys, etc into your virtual event. This can facilitate communication and interaction between speakers and attendees, thereby keeping the audience hooked throughout the course of the event. Event organisers can also design and deliver creative sessions to make the virtual event interactive.
6. Follow Up With Attendees After the Event
Hosting and organising events is a huge responsibility. But even after all the tedious practices of planning and management, there’s one significant task you need to carry out - following up. Following up with event attendees after the virtual event and learning about their experience is extremely valuable.
Following up gives you an opportunity to understand what the audience did and did not enjoy about your virtual event. Such feedback is beneficial in making improvements and ensuring your future events are more engaging. Sending out quick post-event survey forms to B2B company attendees can thus be useful in boosting attendee engagement in future.
Conduct personalised and engaging virtual events for B2B communities without any hassles successfully with Spalba. Driven by artificial intelligence and next-gen technological solutions, Spalba can provide you end-to-end assistance in planning and hosting your next virtual event. Get in touch with us to know more about how our top-notch equipment and seasoned experts can help you organise a world-class virtual event.
