As the global pandemic took firm roots last year, virtual events quickly became the norm across various industries worldwide. Though it is an exciting prospect, most companies are not much familiar with hosting and organizing these events. The biggest obstacle during this online transition is the failure to create employee engagement since most corporations fail to differentiate virtual events from run-of-the-mill webinars. However, the key to hosting the best virtual corporate event is providing fresh and exhilarating content and activities throughout.
It doesn’t take an arm and a leg to organize profitable and well-structured virtual events. And since most physical/live events will be on hold till an undetermined time, getting acquainted with the virtual world is now more crucial than ever. For that reason, this article lists some nifty ideas to help you organize your upcoming virtual corporate event. Read on!
8 Ideas For Organizing the Best Virtual Corporate Event
Virtual concert
Hosting virtual events means keeping an eye on each and every aspect that might affect your guests’ responsiveness. Yet, there’s one thing you shouldn’t compromise; entertainment. Online musical performances are an excellent example of virtual entertainment and have proven beneficial for multiple events. The pandemic has the majority yearning for real-life experiences such as concerts and other live shows.
Hence, including a musical performance can help entertain your audience while reminding them of the good old days. Following the footsteps of other sectors, the entertainment industry is also transitioning towards virtual. Meaning they can help fulfill all the needs of your virtual event with different forms of entertainment.
Virtual magic shows
Who doesn’t enjoy magic tricks that leave the audience in awe? Though controversial, most adults have an undying love for watching magic tricks, wizardry, and tomfoolery. Featured performances like these can quickly grab the attention of employees or guests at any virtual event. It is indeed one of the most powerful ways to give attendees a mental break and improve their engagement in your event. Your attendees can watch (and even learn) the mind-bending tricks based on slight of the hand, perception loopholes, and the use of misdirection. We strongly recommend you to hire Swedish trollkarlar (magicians), as they are well known for being the best virtual entertainers.
Virtual 360-degree tours
Most employees jump at any chance to get away from their offices, even if it’s only in their imagination. That’s why offering guided tours to faraway places is the perfect addition to any virtual event. You might be surprised by the intriguing places that connect many of your event’s speakers and sponsors. Besides, offering 360-degree virtual tours might let people explore unique and foreign places, including art galleries, history museums, factories, and farms.
Virtual cooking or cocktail lessons
Any social event, whether virtual or face-to-face, can benefit from live cooking and cocktail sessions. The only requirement is a suitable chef and mixologist, and voila! However, it is best to ask your audience to tune in from their kitchen before the session.
The pandemic has dramatically restricted our ability to go out and mingle as we wish to. Therefore an interactive cooking or mixology class can satisfy your attendees’ social needs while teaching them some cooking skills. It might help if you share the ingredient list with your attendees, so they get prepared beforehand. Plus, sending out a kit containing all the essentials for the session might also help boost your audience’s interest and excitement.
Virtual training and workshops
What’s the common motivator for people to attend virtual events? It’s the likelihood of learning something new. Undoubtedly, different people possess distinct learning styles based on their personalities – for example, by watching, practicing, or listening to online videos.
For the new hires, training programs with live Q&A sessions are ideal. But, if your audience prefers to learn through practice, consider incorporating workshops too. Employ the relevant experts to host collaborative workshops throughout the event to up your engagement scores. To go that extra mile, you can offer training certificates to participants that they can brag about on their social platforms post-event. Is there a more effective way to promote brand presence and visibility?
Virtual Trivia Night
No virtual event is complete without a little gamification, and trivia is a classic option. Surprisingly, it’s fairly easy to host virtually. A little competition is always healthy! And bragging about random general knowledge is innate to human nature. To get things started, decide on a cool theme, such as 90s movies or colonial history, to hype up the attendees beforehand. Then, divide the audiences into several teams to make it easier for them to participate.
For virtual event amateurs, hiring a professional service that hosts online trivia games might come in handy. Since they’re experts, they can properly organize and engage the audience in the game.
Virtual photo booth
If you want to guarantee the best virtual event, setting up virtual photobooths is a surefire way to do so. Let the audience photograph themselves with props or even their pets! You can introduce an event hashtag to accompany these snapshots on social media posts.
Besides fostering a social community, doing so can increase reach. Photo booths are a revolutionary idea to improve one’s virtual engagement. Sharing these photos can make your employees feel part of a community and may make your event worth remembering.
Virtual Meditation
Let your audience ground their awareness and be in the now. Virtual meditation can help individuals connect with their inner selves and discover reserves of positive energy. You can include various options, such as breathing exercises, mindfulness, and meditation postures to help attendees wind down in between sessions.
Wrap up
Since corporate affairs are already complicated enough, there’s an added pressure to organize virtual events that can give your audience a positive experience. If you’re scratching your head, wondering how to host the best corporate event online, then you’re not alone. This article mentioned some ideas for virtual events that any employer can easily pull off. These include virtual trivia nights, cooking classes, training, workshops, etc. All in all, these ideas can assist companies in organizing the best virtual event.
