According to a report published by Grand View Research, “the global virtual events industry was valued at USD 94.04 billion in 2020, and it is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 23.7% in the next few years.”

In today’s competitive business landscape, meetings and events must offer extra value that sets them apart from the crowd. A potential value add is virtual event gamification.

Although Gamification and virtual events may sound unrelated, you would be surprised to know how gamification is fast becoming a popular choice  to enhance participants’ engagement during virtual events.

Let’s understand gamification in the context of events and how event planners are leveraging the power of Gamification on Virtual Event Platforms.

Gamification and Virtual Events

“Gamification exists to engage and motivate, whereas games exist to entertain”

Gamification is the technique of incorporating game-like features in an event to drive audience engagement,  happiness and participation. Gamification encourages teams to collaborate by challenging their mental capabilities and bringing them together in a healthy competitive spirit. 

Recently, Netflix released a South Korean series ‘Squid Game’, the show soon became the most watched series on Netflix.

The reason ‘Squid Game’ became so popular is because of the fact that it used “game” as a metaphor to narrate the story and connect with the audience.

Gamification when done well can be both engaging and entertaining. 

The word “gamification” became popular in a broader sense in 2010, in the context of the emergence of game-like online features in software. Several companies began developing gamification platforms, and marketers began using game components in their events.  According to M2 Research, the global income from gamification marketing, software, and consultancy was approximately $100 million in 2011.

Gamification, when clubbed with an app, proves to be an effective engagement tool for virtual events. However,a user must be familiar with the  app to fully engage and get rewarded.

Gamification of Virtual Events

With digitization and technology making in-roads everywhere including the event industry, the way event’s are done today is different from how they were done a decade ago.

With virtual and hybrid events fast replacing in-person events, event organizers have been smart to realize the endless possibilities of mobile gamification initiatives in virtual events. 

Gamification as  a marketing strategy has garnered immense popularity.

In an  era where people are quickly migrating to smartphones and using apps for everything be it shopping, banking or entertainment, incorporating gamification apps on virtual event platforms makes sense.

Brands such as  KFC, Starbucks, M&M’s, and many more have a proven track-record of having successful virtual events by incorporating gamification.

Virtual Event Gamification Benefits

Acts as an ice-breaker for attendees networking

Events are a breeding ground for networking. Attending events is one of the best ways to stay up-to-date with the latest industry news, share ideas with fellow professionals, get inspiration for your own business and meet new people. Yet, networking at an event can be daunting more so in a virtual environment

Incorporating games is an innovative and unique approach to break the ice among the attendees. Gaming facilitates higher interaction and engagement among participants. 

Provides more organic engagement with exhibitors and sponsors

Companies hold events for reasons such as making channel partners, sponsors, existing and prospective clients feel valued and appreciated. Sponsors, on the other hand, are eager to engage with as many leads as possible. When done correctly, increased involvement benefits both companies and sponsors. For example:- Deloitte recently added elements of gamification to a leadership training module for its senior executives. The course completion time was reduced by 50% and significantly boosted long-term engagement.

Encourages the production of user-generated content that may be used in social media and future collateral

Event gamification ensures better engagement and participation levels at  events, generating social evidence for recognition. As a result, more people are motivated to participate in future events.

Gamification Techniques for a Virtual Event

Discover the best Virtual event platform

The gamification options for an event will be determined by the type of virtual event platform used. It is beneficial to use a comprehensive event technology platform like Nunify that enables the promotion, execution, and management of virtual events. 

Assign points for different activities

Reward points are a great way to generate participant interest and engagement at events. This is why, offering points for games performed at the power networking event that can be swapped for things, services, or even cash will be a fun approach to attract attendees.

Contests

Create a dedicated wall for running contests. A virtual event can be a great way to learn about an industry or business. It’s also a great way to engage your online community. One of the best ways to do this is to gamify the event and make it fun and engaging.

A few examples of gamification platforms available in virtual events are Trivia, Scavenger hunts, Virtual Pictionary, and creative laboratories that keep the audience hooked throughout the event.

Reward attendee activities

Event organizers can award attendees just for showing up while keeping track of involvement. They will be encouraged to visit as many lectures or events as possible as a result of this.For example:- the event organizers can provide a freebie to early-arriving guests that you can display on the event screen.

Final thoughts

MarketsandMarkets claims that the global gamification business was valued at $9.1 billion in 2020, and it is predicted to grow at a rate of 27.4 percent to $30.7 billion by 2025. Event marketing has seen numerous transformations. One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of events in order to generate hype, generate interest, and attract more people. Attendees require incentives in order to attend events.