As we all continue to get more comfortable with virtual events, presenting to camera and connecting with audiences in a virtual setting, we can continually push boundaries to make the experience more engaging for the participants.

There are some key virtual event ideas for those who want to make sure they are making the audience experience as engaging as possible this year.

Swag Bags and Boxes for Attendees

One of the go-to virtual events ideas to help engage your audience. Swag bags or boxes delivered to attendees.

Putting on a virtual awards ceremony? Why not deliver a branded box of items such as champagne, chocolate truffles, printed agenda, table setting pieces and maybe even a voucher for Deliveroo or Uber Eats. Take this to the next level and send your attendees a full ingredients box that is based on their dietary requirements so they can prepare their own meal. Just don’t make them eat it in front of people on-camera...that’s weird. Instead, ask them to share a picture of their culinary skills as this feeds into the social side of the event and encourages interaction.

Physical items being delivered can also work well for events that involve breakouts and workshops. The items inside can form part of a hackathon or other activity designed to help participants tackle business challenges or bond as a team. We see these becoming more popular as companies look to harness the power of their audience to help build the business.

More Visually Appealing Content

Content is king. Bet you’ve heard that a lot recently. But it is so true. The shape of your agenda and how the content is delivered is crucial to delivering an exciting and engaging virtual experience. Making virtual events look attractive can sometimes be a challenge, but there are plenty of options to explore that can help.

Firstly, consider the overall experience and the creative wrapping around it. Try veering away from a standard PowerPoint template with lists of bullet points and tables full of data and instead consider working with an agency to develop a creative direction and execution for the event that ties all of the messaging together. Helping bring to life what can be sometimes boring information to life in the form of videos, animations, interactive workshops, panel discussions or engaging keynotes.

Feeling a little jazzier? Weave in virtual sets where content can be part of the environment or layered as augmented content that sits around the presenters. It takes a little more preparation and rehearsal time, but the impact will be well worth it.

Going Beyond Presentations

Presentations are an easy way to convey information through virtual events. But in 2021, many events will go beyond this to offer more to event attendees, making them more fun and interactive. How can this be done?

Think creatively about how you communicate content with your audience. Maybe deliver your town hall in the style of a news broadcast from a studio. Or quiz the leadership team in a game show themed event that encourages audience participation. There are many ways to go beyond the norm of delivering a PowerPoint presentation and to make a virtual event more engaging and interesting for the audience.

One thing we have seen grow in popularity throughout 2020 and so far in 2021 is seeing the event as not a one-off thing, but as part of a campaign that starts a month or more before the event. This allows you to engage and interact with the audience, getting ideas for topics and content from them, encouraging them to share on the virtual event platforms social channels and to network with each other.

These are just a handful of virtual event ideas to use and build upon on 2021. If you’re planning a virtual event for this year and need expert input, contact Chameleon or you can view our virtual events page for more information. We've got everything you need to create an unforgettable experience from start to finish.

Joe - Founder & Managing Director

Obsessed with all things events and communications.