Personalization of B2B events and finding ways to get creative to drive engagement could be the differentiator that makes your event a memorable one. With hybrid events, there are a higher number of touchpoints that allow you to better connect with your audience, whether in person or virtually. While one outcome that’s expected from hybrid event marketing is to deliver better ROI, another important result is to drive engagement.
Using engagement as a KPI for your event can help create a seamless hybrid event experience that resonates with your audience at every point of their journey. Scale Computing used a “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” theme for their booth at SpiceWorld and also organized a boat party after the event’s Happy Hours. It was a big hit in the IT community, and the results speak for themselves. Have a look here!
Whether you choose to add gamification, branded entertainment, or use mobile applications, there are many ways to customize and personalize event marketing strategies to keep your audience engaged. Here are some examples:
How to Customize Hybrid Event Strategies
In-Person Customizations
Virtual Customizations
Use mobile applications to offer easy navigation and add branding elements (e.g., logo, profile)
Provide in-person attendees with easy navigation of the agenda and maps of the convention center to stay top-of-mind.
Stay top-of-mind and provide virtual attendees with easy navigation of the agenda and planned sessions.
Add gamification to increase participation
Create mobile app-based games or provide a gaming station to allow attendees to have some fun and take a few minutes to unwind with peers.
Create online games to challenge and encourage attendees (such as earning points and badges based on their activities.
Provide branded entertainment to add another fun element
Organize happy hours as a popular and fun way to let attendees wind down and think about the learnings of the day.
Conduct creative sessions such as caricature booths where attendees get takeaways to remember your brand.
Organize quick musical breaks with a sponsored message before the performance.
Help attendees recharge with wellness breaks or arrange for a virtual mixology masterclass to make a lasting impression.
Offer branded SWAG as giveaways to remember the experience
Offer in-person attendees branded conference bags to help them carry their gear around during the event, and to take home conference related material.
Offer virtual attendees gift cards to help them fuel-up with refreshments prior to the event. Deliver branded print-at-home material to give attendees something to remember their experience.
Use email marketing to stay top-of-mind
Get in front of your attendees and prospects by featuring in recap emails sent to registrants at the end of every day of the event.
Customizing hybrid event strategies can differ based on your event KPIs, objectives, budget, and preferences of your audience. Whether you choose to give 60-minute sessions or 30-minute tech demos, organize musical breaks or mobile app-based games, making an impression to connect with your audience is what engagement is all about. “It felt like we found our tribe.” – Dusty Koekenberg, Senior Director of Marketing, Scale Computing – that’s the sentiment your event strategy should achieve.
Event Analytics Highlights about Creative Customizations from SpiceWorld Virtual 2021
- Mixology Masterclass: 176 Unique Live Streams
- Wellness Break: 90 Unique Live Streams
- Musical Performance: (Mike Cross): 171 Unique Live Streams
With the emergence of hybrid events, getting in front of your audience got a lot easier! And with SpiceWorld 2022 going hybrid this year, here’s your chance to network with IT buyers and showcase your brand – while having loads of fun at the same time. Register now and we’ll see you there virtually or in-person in Austin, TX.