Grab the controls
How to banish the boredom of virtual events with gamification
We have all been there: staring at a screen mirrored with other people doing the same, trying to hold eye contact while the speaker’s voice slowly sends us into a hypnotic state. By the time discussion comes around, we have nothing to contribute and remain disengaged on the sidelines.
Video fatigue is leaving audiences bored and distracted, even during the most ‘hot ticket’ online events. In fact, a 2020 SmartCompany survey showed that 88 per cent of respondents had left a virtual event early – up 22 per cent from pre-pandemic times.
So, how can organisers take the fatigue out of virtual events? The trick is to gamify the virtual experience. Gamification increases audience interaction and engagement, infusing any event with a dopamine hit that shapes participant behaviour, encourages healthy competition, and helps to accomplish event goals.
The video weariness
Video fatigue is not unusual: the sudden shift from physical interactions to virtual ones upended established routines and forced millions of workers to telecommute on a daily basis.
Attendees reported that they were only engaged 53 per cent of the time during virtual events in 2020.
Event organisers can use a gamification engine to create a range of challenges, from live quizzes and polls to scavenger hunts, selfies, and caption contests. With a custom leaderboard, the experience can be made more exciting through the awarding of points for various attendee activities, such as adding to a discussion, visiting another participant’s profile, or having them visit yours.
Gamification works on the principle of reward and reinforcement: the desire to compete and win.
A lucrative endeavour
By diving into the world of virtual event gamification, organisers can uncover an exciting variety of sponsorship opportunities. Sponsors can add their logos and branding to the live stream or donate prizes to maximise branding opportunities. Furthermore, incentives and rewards can be set for attendees to promote a virtual event on social media platforms.
Valuable data insights can also be collected through gamification as the audience interacts with the platform throughout the event, organisers can track attendee behaviour and understand which elements are the most successful. The insights gained will help organisers set engagement benchmarks and plan new and improved events accordingly.
At a time when many of us are plagued by video fatigue, gamification can breathe new life into a virtual world.
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