15 Event Engagement Ideas to Wow Your Attendees

Have you ever tried to gather people to join in an activity or event only to meet blank stares and awkward silence? It can be disappointing as an event organizer when your efforts to increase engagement fall short or when your well-planned conference doesn’t deliver the experience you hoped for. Experienced event planners know that event engagement strategy is crucial to an event’s success, as well as to potential future events.

The more engaging your event, the happier your attendees will be. They’ll be more likely to attend your future events, share their experiences on social media, and become advocates for your brand.

Surprisingly, 64% of planners say that their attendees are now more interested in networking at events than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. This presents significant opportunities for networking and building connections.

What is Event Engagement?

Forget passive attendees! Event engagement is the magic that transforms an audience into active participants. It’s about sparking connections, fostering interaction, and ensuring attendees leave enriched. Whether it’s a lively Q&A session, a thought-provoking workshop, or a cleverly designed networking space, engagement keeps attendees glued to the moment and maximizes the value of your event.

A good engagement plan keeps guests interested from the moment they sign up until well after the event ends. It involves using both digital and physical strategies for the best results. As the event format is also diverse these days, in-person, hybrid, and virtual, the event engagement strategy must be strong enough to bind the attention of attendees in all three formats.

As an event planner, you are going to face numerous challenges in event planning and engagement is one of the crucial tasks. In this blog, we are covering ideas to boost the attendee engagement. Check the complete blog…..

Why Does Event Engagement Matter?

A room buzzing with ideas, attendees actively participating, and lasting connections being forged. That’s the power of event engagement! It goes beyond simply showing up. Engaged attendees are invested, remember more, and become your event’s biggest advocates.
Here’s why it matters:

• Boosts ROI: Engaged attendees translate to a successful event. They’re more receptive to sponsors, speakers, and future events.
• Gathers Valuable Feedback: Active participation provides insights to improve future events and meet attendee needs.
• Builds Lasting Relationships: Networking opportunities foster connections that can turn into partnerships and brand loyalty.

3 Stages of Event Engagement Planning

Event planners have three main areas of opportunity to boost event engagement and ensure overall success: before, during, and after the event. Plan event engagement strategies in three stages:

Pre-event Engagement:

Pre-event engagement sets the stage for a successful event. It involves building anticipation and excitement among attendees. Use social media platforms, email newsletters, and personalized invitations to generate interest. Provide sneak peeks of what attendees can expect, such as keynote speakers, exclusive content, or networking opportunities. Encourage early registration by offering incentives like discounts or early access to resources.

During The Event:

What people experience during the event is the maximum overall output of any event. Engagement during the event is about creating a dynamic and interactive experience. For effective in-person event engagement ideas, incorporate live polls, interactive sessions, and networking activities to keep attendees engaged. Provide diverse content formats, such as workshops, panels, and hands-on experiences, to cater to different interests. Encourage social sharing by creating a designated hashtag and featuring user-generated content on screens or social media platforms.

15 Event Engagement Ideas

Pre-event Engagement Ideas

• E-Mails to Boost Attendee Engagement

Despite the advancement of technology, Global marketers still consider mail marketing an excellent marketing platform. Currently, almost 4.37 billion people use mail, so it’s no surprise that sending pre-event engagement emails is a smart way to grab your participants’ attention. Plus, Email is cost-effective and allows you to reach a specific target audience effectively.

However, it’s not just about sending out invitations and thank-you emails for registering. You can leverage pre-event engagement emails to generate excitement about your event and increase the chances of attendees showing up. For effective in-person event engagement ideas, use these emails to share sneak peeks, highlight key speakers, and offer exclusive content to build anticipation.

• Allow Attendees to Create Their Own Personalized Agenda

People enjoy having choices, and this holds true for events as well. Allow your attendees to choose the sessions they’re interested in so they can create a personalized agenda that suits their preferences. By giving participants the opportunity to select their sessions, you’re prompting them to consider, “Why do I want to attend this event?” This engagement approach increases the likelihood of them attending, as they have a clear idea of what to expect and are more likely to participate once they arrive.

•  Buzz on Social Media and Event Hashtags

Creating buzz, promoting, and seeking attention; social media platforms are crucial for all this. Event planners need to promote their event efficiently, where the attendees are spending their time on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter before the event (as well as during and after the event). Here’s how you can make the most of social media:

1. Share news about your event and create excitement on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Talk to your target audience and get them pumped!
2. Post teasers, behind-the-scenes footage, or sneak peeks related to your event. This will keep your audience engaged and eager for more.
3. Create a unique hashtag for your event and encourage people to use it in their posts. This will help others find information and join the conversation.
4. Create a separate event page on Facebook. This is a great idea for spreading information exclusively about the event and upcoming updates.
5. Share your event insights with the target audience on Insta Reels- build the excitement. – Include a link to your event registration in your social media posts so people can sign up easily.

•  Invite Speakers Who Will Engage Both Virtual and In-person Attendees

Fuel audience participation in your virtual, in-person, or hybrid event with compelling speakers. Invite speakers who are dynamic and adaptable. Look for individuals with experience in both formats or who are known for their ability to connect with diverse audiences. Consider speakers who can deliver compelling content that resonates regardless of the attendee’s physical location.

It’s not necessary to have all your speakers physically present. You can mix in both in-person and virtual guest speakers. Just ensure that your virtual speakers have good-quality cameras and microphones for clear video and audio, especially if you’re streaming to an in-person audience.

For in-person speakers, keep a laptop handy so they can view online poll results and questions. This helps maintain engagement for both groups, whether they’re attending in person or virtually.

• Create Different Price Tiers To Increase Your Audience Size

A smart way to make your event more engaging is to offer different price levels. Create entry-level tiers with core offerings at an accessible price point, perfect for budget-conscious attendees. Higher tiers can unlock exclusive features, in-depth content, or VIP access, catering to those seeking a premium experience.

For instance, you could charge for tickets to attend in person while giving basic access to the virtual audience for free. If the virtual attendees want more, like access to special sessions, on-demand content, or exclusive Q&As, they can pay for a higher-tier ticket to get those extras.

This idea can help increase your event’s attendance by five times.

During The Event Engagement Ideas

• Hold The Engagement During the Event

You have put so much effort into getting people to participate in your event. Now, the task is to keep them there and make their experience great. When the event is virtual, it is very easy for the attendees to leave, so keeping them engaged is vital.

You can also use some pre-event engagement ideas and some new ones to make your event lively.

1. Social Media
2. Quizzes
3. Activity Feed
4. E-mails (Particularly when the event is for several days)
5. Personalized Content

• Interactive and Welcoming Registration Process

Make your attendees feel welcomed and comfortable from the registration desk. Registration must be easy, and personalized QR codes must be provided that they can scan when they arrive, making check-in quick and simple. Add a fun element to registration by making it like a game. Let attendees earn points or rewards for completing registration tasks, such as scanning QR codes at different stations. This approach not only makes registration more engaging but also helps attendees feel excited and involved from the moment they arrive.

• Networking Opportunity

As per the data and research, most of the in-person attendees would like to build a network with other in-person attendees. Provide them with separate platforms and ensure smooth networking among your attendees. Arrange some icebreaker activities to encourage people to interact. Attendees can network with multiple participants also through, timed-out quick sessions and focused conversation.

• Offer Space For Self Care

An event day can be very busy, and attendees have to roam around the premises to attend several sessions and network. Prioritize their self-care and offer comfortable space. A setup dedicated to the relax and recharge for the next session. This can include a cozy seating area, massage chairs, a meditation zone, and a quiet area to sit and reflect.

• High-tech Wearables

Grab your attendee’s attention with high-tech wearables like smart badges. These smart badges allow attendees to register at any session easily with a quick scan. Attendees can even share contact information among themselves with a scan.

•  Live Polls & Question-Anwer Session

Attendees want to feel like their opinions matter. They want to know that they’re being heard. By including Q&A sessions in your event, attendees will be more likely to pay attention. They’ll be eager to see if their questions will be answered.

This not only keeps attendees engaged but also makes them feel like active participants in the event.

•  Keep Track Of Virtual Engagement

Use a real-time insights generator to track the engagement of your virtual audience. This tool collects data about your event, giving you valuable information to improve future events.

With real-time insights, presenters can see how attendees are interacting and use this information to keep them engaged during virtual or hybrid sessions.

Using this tool can lead to more interactive and engaging events, making them more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Post-event Engagement Ideas

• On-Demand Exclusive Content For Attendees

Keep your attendees engaged and inspired by organizing immersive webinars that explore the key topics of your event in depth. These webinars can offer valuable insights, feature expert interviews, and include interactive discussions.

Excite your audience by giving them the opportunity to:

1. Revisit sessions they found particularly interesting.
2. Access bonus materials related to the event’s topics.
3. Discover hidden gems or valuable information they might have missed during the event.

• Testimonials and Feedback Surveys

Testimonials and Feedback are incredibly valuable. Use interactive surveys to get feedback from attendees. This will help you understand what they liked and what you can do better.

Share testimonials from attendees to show how successful your event was. These testimonials can help build trust and encourage more people to attend your future events. By collecting feedback and sharing testimonials, you can enhance the quality of your events and attract more participants in the future.

•  Post-event Networking Opportunities

engagement alive by offering ongoing networking opportunities. These opportunities help attendees stay connected, fuel their professional growth, and create lasting connections. Provide post-networking opportunities through virtual meetups, industry-specific forums, and social media. 

Get Started- Elevate Your Attendee Engagement

Planning the event, then don’t let these valuables sit in the corner. Utilize them and strategize the challenges you encounter when organizing an event to deliver the best experience. Build brand Loyalty, achieve the predetermined goals, and connect with the target audience with effective attendee engagement strategies.

While you are dealing with the challenges of planning an event, you need a well-organized platform to store data, list events, organize schedules, and more. Grupio can help you with the event technology part (the major part). We are diversified and customize the software as per your needs. Check out our features or directly contact us at (866) 374 0354.