Online Events: How Do I Ensure My Guests Will Attend?

Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change.” It can definitely be said that the event industry has adapted to the health crisis that has hit the world by storm. 

Even though they have become much more popular in recent months, online events can be discouraging for some participants, especially those who are used to being on site. So, how can you ensure that your guests will log in to attend your virtual event? 

We don’t have a fail-proof solution to this question, but we can help you put the odds in your favor by introducing you to some points not to be overlooked and, above all, provide you with tips on how to maximize the number of attendees. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

How to convince guests to attend your online event?

The first important point is to inform your guests of the different things you have put in place to adapt to the new format. It is important that they understand that a virtual event, even if it uses the same basic principles as a physical event, will not take place in the same way.

Focus on the Interactive Side

What we have learned from this crisis is that the one thing that people who work from home fear the most is losing human contact, notably with their co-workers. Interactions are easy when you can simply stand up and ask an office neighbor a question. 

With events, it’s the same thing. When you are in a room and have a question to ask, it’s very easy to raise your hand. In the virtual world, it’s a bit more complicated. In any case, that’s what most people think!

This is why it is essential to emphasize that your virtual event will be highly interactive. Your guests will be able to easily interact with the speakers or exchange ideas with other participants.

With Eventdrive, a virtual chat can be made available and is accessible at all times, both by participants and by the organizers, the latter of which can respond to a question in just a few seconds! You can also highlight word clouds or even quiz your participants.

Focus on Short Formats

Often, what scares participants most in an online event is being bored. It’s true that sitting in front of your computer screen or tablet for hours can be discouraging for many people.

So when organizing an online event, multiple short sessions are better to a single long session. If your event takes place over several days, it is recommended to offer different sessions of a maximum duration of 1 hour. 

By doing so, your participants will stay focused much longer and will also be much more participative throughout the session!

Take regular breaks

Whether your event is in person or virtual, it is recommended that you take breaks to make your event more dynamic.

But if you choose to hold your event 100% online, we recommend that you take a short 10-minute break every hour. 

Your guests will be able to get a glass of water, stretch their legs or go out for some fresh air. When they come back, they will be even more receptive to the message your speaker will be communicating.

Don’t forget to highlight the break times, in addition to having them on your event’s agenda, mention them throughout the event so that your guests know exactly when the breaks will take place.

Don’t forget to remind your guests about your event.

It is possible that some of your guests may not attend your event, not because they didn’t want to, but simply because they forgot about it!

To avoid this kind of problem, we recommend you add an .ics file to your registration confirmation email. Eventdrive allows you to do this in a click of a button. You can also set up different reminder solutions for your guests. The most classic, but probably the most effective, is, of course, using email campaigns. Don’t hesitate to schedule reminder emails one week before the event, the day before and even 1 hour before! In addition, you might be able to convince undecided people at the last minute.

If you have created an app for your event, you can also send notifications just before the event, which your guests will receive directly on their smartphone.

Making sure your participants will attend your online event can be difficult. Indeed, the temptations are much greater when you’re at home! In addition to highlighting your program and the quality of your speeches, don’t forget to show your guests that your event will be adapted to the online format. And to make sure they participate, highlight the strengths of the virtual event and everything that they will get out of it. By using these techniques, your audience will surely attend your event!