We are already used to events being mostly hybrid, where the audience can enjoy the programme on-site and online. However, going hybrid means that organizers often have to face new challenges. As if there were none when organizing a regular event. The venue, catering, accommodation, transport, entertainment, each topic needs special care and attention. But now you also have to know about different digital tools, such as streaming platforms and audience interaction tools. You need to hold attention and satisfy the hunger for information of two parallel audiences.
Although hybridity is an additional cost for event organizers and clients, it also offers new ways to monetize your event and make profit from content. The webcast of the event enables you to sell more tickets, engage bigger audiences and involve bigger sponsors. This is how you can easily increase your event's profit margin (ROI). A bigger audience means better data and better leads, this means better conversion rates.
Therefore, the online or hybrid part of an event today should no longer be a tedious obligation or a response to a niche audience, but a preferred and awaited source of endless possibilities and revenue. Read along and find out what are the most important points to consider when looking to make more money from your next event.
//1// Develop engagement strategy for your event
Remember, you have two different audiences to manage, one on site and the other one online, possibly distributed around the world. Both audiences must feel equally important and involved. Both audiences want to have a say in important moments and feel that their opinion matters. All the more so as the audience via the web may be many times larger. In the audience engagement strategy, draw up a tactical plan and set when and how the people are expected to participate in the program. This means that interactive elements must be written in the event scenario. Engaging the audience is the only real way to ensure that the people will participate and stay focused until the end of the event. Make sure the whole team is up to date with the plan.
//2// Impress sponsors with interactive solutions
Make your sponsors happy and include them in the audience engagement strategy. Whether the sponsors of the event you organize are big or small, they all want to be the essential part of the event and program. Sell audience engagement solutions to sponsors and monetize interactive extensions of your event. This is the way to develop and expand sponsor relations, and increase ROI.
Finance your event's interactive audience engagement elements by offering sponsors opportunities to brand discussion panels, Q&A sessions, opinion polls, and feedback questionnaires. Develop original branded content and audience interaction formats based on the sponsor's brand universe and create even greater value for sponsors. For example, allow people to express themselves with branded emojis or a mood-meter. The Votemo platform enables full branding and a wide range of special solutions.
//3// Unite audiences through entertainment
Make your audience laugh and set up a chat room or commenting section. If the topic is complex or difficult or the day is long, give the audience the opportunity to comment on presentations. Research shows that this is the best way to keep the audience's attention and interest until the end. Display real-time comments to your audience on the live stream or on screens at the venue. One clever or funny comment is enough to encourage others to think along and share ideas. This way, you will have a united audience interacting with each other and discussing a topic that's being addressed.
//4// Collect valuable data and feedback
Polls and questionnaires help you gather information and find out what the audience thinks about the event or speakers. Ask for feedback immediately after a session, keynote presentation or performance to get fresh emotions and ideas. Share relevant feedback with speakers as well, this is the best they can learn from the experience.
Audience feedback also helps you improve as an event organizer, and bring about even better events in the future. Audience engagement solutions allow you to analyze the behaviour of the audience as a whole through the event and see at what point in time the audience was most active and interested in the programme. If necessary, you can zoom in to the individual visitor level in the data and increase the quality of decision making for future events.
//5// Monetize events with e-commerce options
In case you want to sell merchandise or tickets for the next event, or give out vouchers to redeem services and products from sponsors, do not redirect your audience elsewhere but integrate the purchasing functionalities with audience engagement elements. By including e-commerce in the engagement strategy, you can increase the event's profit margin. With Votemo micropayment solutions, in addition to sales, you can also collect donations or membership fees from the audience, and organize contests with the Paid Voting feature.
Feel free to contact us at hello@votemo.eu in case you have ideas or questions you want to discuss, or read more on our website. Our team is ready to share cases and support with strategic and creative know-how. Votemo audience interaction tools and Graphics Control Software are compatible with all common broadcasting software (OBS, vMix, CasparCG) and event platforms (NJ Productions, MultiCityTV, Videolevels, Icareus, Brella, etc.) out there.