Digital Engagement Platform: The Future of Hybrid & Virtual Events
COVID-19 impacted the ways employees communicate, travel, and attend events
Shifting To Digital Engagement
- Communication
- In March 2020, employees in the US communicated mostly by
- Email: 26%
- Video calling (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.): 20%
- Regular phone calls: 17%
- Messaging platform (Slack, Google Chat, etc.): 12%
- Audio conferencing line: 7%
- Other: 18%
- Travel
- In 2022, 42% of frequent business travelers said they will “never return to the road”, compared to 39% in 2021
- In 2022, business travel’s share of hotel room revenue is expected to drop to 44%, down from 53% in 2019
- Events
- In 2020, 70% of physical events were switched to hybrid or virtual
- In 2022, digital events remain popular
- 40% of events are planned to be virtual
- 35% of even are planned to be hybrid
- 72% of professionals plan to attend virtual events at least as often as they attended physical events before COVID-19
- Audiences moved to digital platforms
- Zoom
- From 2019 to 2020, daily meeting participants grew 35X
- More than 45 billion minutes of webinars hosted in 2020
- Microsoft Teams
- From 2019 to 2022, annual users grew 13.5X
- 894% growth from March 2020 to June 2020
Online interaction can bring frustration and fatigue
Poorly Designed Digital Platforms Create Challenges
- Employees using video conferencing often experience
- Technology issues: 50%
- Poor communication: 40%
- Problems with virtual meetings: 34%
- Loss of productivity: 17%
- The amount of eye contact and participant face size on screens during video chat is unnatural
- Each participant is looking at everyone, regardless of who the speaker is, creating a stressful experience
- Large face size on screens leads to hyper-aroused state
- Seeing yourself in real-time during video chat on screen is draining
- In daily life, we don’t go places with a mirror in front of us at every moment
- Constantly looking at your reflection increases self-criticism
- Higher cognitive load in video chats
- Non-verbal communication in face-to-face interaction is easy to interpret
- In a video chat, participants must think about staying in the frame and exaggerating their responses
- Despite the challenges of interacting digitally, people prefer attending events online
- Of people who attend 10 or more events every year
- 46% attend online events
- 13% attend physical events
Businesses Need Virtual Events
- Time-Saving
- Employees don’t need to travel or make a commute
- Video reduces travel and commute for 46% of businesses
- Reduced Costs
- Businesses can save on transportation expenses
- Businesses can cut travel costs by 30%
- Increased Productivity
- Employees can allocate extra time to other tasks
- Video conferences can increase productivity by 89%
- Increased employee engagement
- Employees feel more connected to the company culture
- 41% of users believe video conferencing has increased team member engagement
- Improved Focus
- Participants are less likely to multitask while on video calls, than on phone calls
- Only 4% of participants multitask during a video conference, compared to 57% on a phone call
Businesses can incorporate the benefits of online meetings and various trends in technology to create a more exciting event
Hybrid Events
- Separate experiences in which two audiences are connected by the content they’re accessing
- 72% of attendees believe they will get more value from attending a hybrid event, than an physical event
- Goal: Create the best experience for each audience
- Main event
- Virtual or physical
- Could be marketed as a VIP experience for a limited number of attendees
- Virtual component
- Offer educational content in virtual form
- Allow content to be watched for a limited time after the event has ended
Gamification
- Can boost event engagement and improve overall outcomes
- Gamification improves retention by approximately 40%
- How to gamify your event
- Test attendees on the features of a product in a showroom
- Reward attendees for mentions and posts on social media
- Create a list of milestones for attendees to complete
Metaverse
- An immersive experience for attendees, whether through virtual, augmented, or mixed reality
- 74% of adults would join or consider joining a metaverse
- Immersive experiences: Navigate a ditigal world and interact online in a manner similar to the real world
- Advanced learning: Access the best experts from anywhere, in a single click — with real-time interaction and visualized tools
Event planners can take steps to improve event quality and keep attendees engaged
Tips For Creating The “Wow” Factor
- Differentiate your event from cookie-cutter events — Use customized graphics and layout
- Design the event program before selecting a virtual platform
- Consider moving beyond one-off events to a persistent interactive experience
- Offer access to a library of on-demand breakout sessions
- Minimize extra activities to reduce distractions and maintain engagement
- Create a digital campus where participants can attend events, discuss ideas, and network
- Facilitate networking through polls, chat, and Q&A features
Physical events aren’t going away — businesses are excited to reach new audiences through hybrid and virtual events
Learn more about the future of online gatherings at engagez.com
Sources:
https://www.businessofapps.com/data/zoom-statistics/
https://www.businessofapps.com/data/microsoft-teams-statistics/
https://www.businessofapps.com/data/slack-statistics/
https://grandluxormice.com/gamification-in-events-examples/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/11/11/the-future-of-events-is-hybrid/?sh=62cb25007e1a
https://www.pcma.org/covid-19-impact-events-industry-planners-survey-results/
https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2022/03/12/covid-changed-business-travel/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1112966/us-workers-communication-methods-during-coronavirus-pandemic/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/over-half-of-employees-frustrated-by-remote-tech-issues-during-covid-19-lockdown/
https://eztalks.com/unified-communications/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-virtual-communication.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/meimeifox/2022/02/04/the-future-of-corporate-events-is-hybrid-heres-why-and-how-to-succeed/?sh=61206e533071
https://vimeo.com/blog/post/virtual-event-statistics/