Nov 12, 2020
Prior to 2020, virtual conferences were occasional, often not expanding past the one-hour recurring webinar series. Fast forward to today, virtual and hybrid conferences continue to be options some associations offer in order to reach attendees, partners, sponsors, and other audiences from all over the world. However, in the height of having a fully virtual conference in 2020 and 2021, there was one standout learning curve many associations struggled with during their first virtual conferences and that was ensuring enough engagement between attendees and the exhibitors and sponsors. Satisfaction with virtual events at the sponsorship level was not always guaranteed even with the immersive virtual exhibit halls. So let's cover three tips to not miss when running a virtual conference to ensure ratification between all your attendees.
1. PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY.
Before
participating as a partner in a virtual experience, it’s imperative to
understand how your mission and objectives align with the hosting
organization and the attendee personas. Connect your product/service
with the audience’s needs. A successful partnership strategy involves
immersive experiences and activations to engage attendees, both within
and outside of the virtual community.
2. INCREASE ENGAGEMENT.
Gamification is a great technique for a call-to-action, guiding the participant journey through your entire experience and toward partners. Everyone loves a challenge, so leverage this competitive spirit for a chance to earn access to exclusive content, unlock exclusive areas/abilities through the virtual community, and simply push participants to become more involved.
3. DATA IS THE NEW CURRENCY.
The virtual environment allows the ability to instantly capture attendee actions and make more direct correlations, bringing interest to the products and services of the partner. Is the participant genuinely interested, or are they just clicking to win the prize? Leveraging real-time analytic to customize the experiences of participants is vital to increasing the ROI for partners. We don’t need to leave the signage in front of the room door if it’s not being seen, we can turn that sign into an elephant in the virtual world. Be creative with the use of data.
1. Build a Strong Partnership Strategy
Potential exhibitors, sponsors and partners are going to first examine your association's mission and conference objectives and capabilities against their own needs before choosing to participate in your a virtual conference, especially if they're not already a corporation that regularly supports your association. A strong virtual conference sponsorship strategy should incorporate immersive experiences and activations designed to connect with attendees both inside and outside of the virtual conference platform. These experiences and activations create touchpoints that should be easy to use, relevant, and valuable to both the attendee and the sponsors.
2. Increase Engagement with Interactive Elements
Gamification continues to be one of the most effective ways to increase virtual conference engagement. Everyone loves a challenge, and competitions encourage participants to explore more of the event environment.
Consider using gamified elements to:
- Unlock exclusive content or areas in the virtual community
- Encourage visits to partner booths or sponsor activations
- Guide participants through the event experience in a structured, fun way
Gamification not only boosts attendee involvement but also creates more meaningful opportunities for sponsor interaction. Just like with in-person conferences with exhibit halls, you build your program and networking events around the areas where sponsors will be to increase attendee foot traffic and sponsor's ability to interact with attendees. Just as you would plan for your in-person conference, you'll need to devise a few concrete plans to increase attendee engagement, which can be harder to encourage when attendees are attending virtually and quickly click away from your conference platform.
3. Leverage Data as the New Currency
One of the biggest advantages of virtual conferences is real-time analytics. Unlike traditional signage or static booths, virtual platforms allow you to measure attendee behavior instantly.
Are participants genuinely engaging with a sponsor’s content, or are they just clicking for a prize? With the right data, partners can distinguish between surface-level activity and authentic interest.
Encourage sponsors to use these insights creatively—whether by customizing experiences, adjusting activations on the fly, or designing follow-up campaigns. Treat data as a tool for building stronger connections and maximizing ROI.
Creating Value for Everyone
Virtual and hybrid conferences aren’t just about replicating in-person experiences online—they’re about reimagining what engagement can look like. By developing a partnership strategy, adding interactive elements, and leveraging real-time analytics, associations can create value for attendees, sponsors, and partners alike.