Why Startups and Small Businesses Should Attend Virtual Trade Shows

Why Startups and Small Businesses Should Attend Virtual Trade Shows When was the last time you were at a virtual trade show? If you’re thinking that (virtual) trade shows are a thing of the past, you might want to reconsider your attendance. This is especially important if you’re a small business or a startup. Virtual trade shows are an easy way to put your company out there and meet potential clients and customers that you may not be able to through other marketing channels. Now that you can attend virtually, there isn’t much more effort you need to put in, giving you no reason to not RSVP yes for the virtual trade show Now that trade shows can be hosted virtually, creating a virtual exhibition booth is easy and cost-effective – giving you no excuse to skip an important show. If you’re able to attend online trade shows, you can seize so many opportunities that could take your business to the next level. 7 Benefits of Attending Virtual Trade Shows as a Startup or Small Business If you’re a small business or a startup looking to grow your client and customer base, then virtual trade shows are an important event to attend. There are so many advantages to this type of event and we have highlighted our top 7 benefits. 1. Connect with industry experts and leaders, potential clients and customers Virtual trade shows are an easy way to meet industry leaders, clients and customers. Everyone at that trade show is there because they are genuinely be interested in the businesses. This is an incredible opportunity for you to get face time with valuable people and brands. These connections can potentially help expand your business into new and more profitable markets if and when the opportunity arises. 2. Sniff out the competition Use the opportunity of being at a trade show to learn more about your competition. You can take the time to understand your competition and research their offerings. This is a great opportunity to see what other brands are doing that you may not be incorporating. Doing research like this can help you understand more of what your customers are looking for and how you can tailor your business to give them exactly what they want. A trade show is also an easy way to gain important insights into trends and other information that you could use to better your marketing and business strategy overall. 3. Raise brand awareness and create buzz Attending a virtual event as an exhibitor or attendee can give you immense opportunities. As a startup or small business, you want to get the word out there. A virtual trade show is the perfect place to do just that. From the opportunity to spread awareness about your business and generate buzz to connecting with industry leaders and peers you can really get the right kind of exposure for your business. Talk to influencers and journalists to get your voice heard and use every valuable opportunity to put your new business on the map! 4. Generate leads at virtual trade shows The leads you generate from a virtual trade show will be more valuable to you because they will be targeted to your audience. Hence, networking at a trade show is beneficial because everyone attending is genuinely interested in the brands that are there. Make sure you take the time to talk to as many people that are there. Your connections will go a long way even after the event, giving you tons of potential opportunities for you and your business. 5. Ability to establish yourself as a thought leader When you exhibit at a trade show along with bigger companies, attendees will see you on the same level as those companies. This can help you establish your authority and credibility in the industry. Use this event as the opportunity to create awareness around your company and announce your brand to the market. The best part is that this event is your biggest marketing platform for your business! You get instant awareness and can establish yourself as an industry leader. Now that’s what we call a win-win. 6. Get immediate feedback We’ve already talked about the many opportunities that comes with attending a virtual trade show. One of the best benefits is the ability to gain feedback in minutes. You can learn so much from direct feedback and make improvements instantly if possible. This will only help your business thrive and give you the necessary information you need to understand your market. 7. Find relevant partners As you put your networking skill to good use, make sure you scope out the scene for potential partners. While we have mentioned that you will have competitors at the event, you might also come across individuals with similar insights and areas of expertise. Having an influential partner and one with lots of knowledge of the industry could really help you grow your business. Virtual Trade Shows Can Help Your Business What do you have to lose? Take advantage of the connections and networking opportunities that will be available through valuable trade shows. Attending a trade show as a small business is a great opportunity to generate buzz around your company. This is especially important because your business is new and you are trying to get it off the ground.If you have a trade show on the horizon and are not sure if you’re going to attend, keep in mind these advantages and opportunities for your business. Remember that you can use the event as an easy opportunity to show off your new company and gain important insights into the industry. Host ​high-quality virtual events, conferences or trade shows. No matter the size of business or the type of organization, V-Unite provides a complete virtual interface for engagement and collaboration. SCHEDUE DEMO Blogs & Updates From Orientation to Acceleration: How Proper Onboarding Drives Sales Excellence in Healthcare 5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space 6

Top Tips for Giving an Effective and Engaging Virtual Presentation

Top Tips for Giving an Effective and Engaging Virtual Presentation As if giving a presentation isn’t hard enough – trying to capture your audience’s attention through a screen can be even more challenging. As hybrid and virtual events take center stage this year, it’s time to sharpen your virtual presentation skills and understand that we’re not just trying to engage the people in front of us anymore. At a virtual event or conference, we could be speaking to thousands of people signing in from their laptops or phones. Hence, designing an organized and engaging virtual presentation is key to success. Engagement is the magic word here. While you might be able to conveniently log on to a virtual event, keeping the audience engaged is the tricky part. There are so many more distractions for the virtual attendee. As the presenter, it’s your job to create a talk that can really capture your audience while keeping in mind that they are not physically in front of you. Helpful Tips to Nail Your Virtual Presentation With shorter attention spans and distractions everywhere, your content needs to be interesting and tailored to your audience to make them want to stay engaged throughout the presentation. Here are 7 important tips for you to keep in mind to give a successful virtual presentation. 1. Prepare and rehearse You need to be prepared for your talk. This means taking the time to rehearse out loud. When you practice your talk beforehand, you can keep track of the pace and allow you to make improvements. Once you have incorporated changes and seen where you fumble, you will feel extremely ready right before you go live. Rehearsing your content will allow for fewer mistakes will help you gather your thoughts. A great idea could be to record yourself on camera and see what you can improve on. You may come across things like your tone that might need to be improved for your presentation. 2. Test your equipment Just like you need to be prepared with your presentation, it’s imperative that you test all your visuals, audio and any other tools you will be using. Do a sound check and also check to see that your video is working and that you can share your screen with others. Practice everything you need to do prior to your presentation you know where all the tools and buttons are. Get comfortable with the platform you are using to avoid any confusion and delays. You can ask a friend or family member to help you with this. Have them log on to make sure everything is working properly as you present. This also includes lighting, clarity and helping you get used to performing in front of a camera. 3. Keep your presentation short and sweet People have short attention spans. It’s especially hard to pay attention if the topic feels like it’s getting drawn out. Make sure you are to the point and deliver your speech with animated expressions and a confident tone. Your content should be straight to the point without tangents and try to include more visuals if possible. Overall, try to keep your presentation around 20 minutes or under before you start loosing people in the audience. 4. Create an interactive experience In order to keep your audience listening, get them involved! Besides letting your audience know about the Q&A session after the presentation, have interactive tools such as live polls and quizzes during your presentation. You can even get some members to participate during the presentation. Another helpful tip would be to offer small prizes for participants who get the questions right – this will definitely wake up any members who are starting to nod off. 5. Stay standing Try to stand up when you give your presentation. Not only will this get you in the mood but you will be at the camera’s level which will help you keep eye contact with the audience. When you’re standing up your energy will be passed on to your audience and they will want to be as engaged as you are during the presentation. If you do have to sit down, make sure you maintain a good posture and avoid slouching – which will immediately disengage your audience. 6. Keep distractions to a minimum If you’re opting not to use a branded background, make sure your area is free of clutter and distraction. You are trying to draw your audience to your content, not to your friend making coffee in the background. This is extremely important to avoid your audience from getting distracted! Clean up your desk from any clutter and have a neat and clean background with simple images or backdrops if possible. 7. Have fun! And finally….enjoy yourself. One of the most important piece of advice is to be yourself and have fun! This presentation is for you as much as it is for the audience. You should feel proud that you are being seen as a leader. Make sure you keep it real when you are speaking to your audience and just be you. Get Ready for Your Virtual Presentation You are going to kill it at your presentation! Remember, your audience is here to listen to your content. They have signed up because of the value you bring to them, so make sure you honor their time and do your due diligence to give them the insights they are looking for. This is your opportunity to continue to establish yourself as an industry leader. Keep this in mind to engage your attendees and keep your confidence when you deliver. Host ​high-quality virtual events, conferences or trade shows. No matter the size of business or the type of organization, V-Unite provides a complete virtual interface for engagement and collaboration. SCHEDUE DEMO Blogs & Updates From Orientation to Acceleration: How Proper Onboarding Drives Sales Excellence in Healthcare 5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space 6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday

Top Virtual Event Platform Features to Consider Before Planning Your Next Event

Top Virtual Event Platform Features to Consider Before Planning Your Next Event From virtual events to hybrid conferences, the event industry is evolving rapidly. Virtual events have taken center stage as businesses see the ROI and wide range of audiences they can attract through virtual events. As companies start to partner with virtual platforms, certain virtual event platform features are more important than others. “What businesses need to keep in mind is that not every event is the same and not every virtual event platform is the same. Businesses that are looking to add a virtual element to their event need to find the right virtual event platform that will deliver all their needs and help them reach their objectives from the event,” says Stephen Handisides, V-Unite CEO.So, what are some of the most important virtual event platform features for your virtual event?   Top 10 Virtual Event Platform Features To Look Out For Here are 10 of the top virtual event platform features to consider before choosing your virtual event platform. 1. Gamification People love a little competition. Ensuring a virtual event platform has gamification features is an excellent way to ensure your audience’s engagement during the event. With attendees constantly checking the leaderboard, participating in polls, downloading content and participating in other opportunities, you can definitely ensure audience participation at your event. Additionally, gamification also allows for attendees to interact and compete with one another which further enhances networking opportunities among peers. 2. Automation Automation will only help make your life easier. It’s important to have a virtual event platform where most things are automated such as uploading speaker data, event pages, and other processes. Not only will this help to streamline the virtual event planning and execution process but it will also bring the overall costs down. 3. Social media integration This is probably one of the most important features a virtual event platform needs to have. You will want your attendees to post and share your event on their pages before, after and during the event. Having this integration for easy sharing during the event is especially important so they can share the event’s content in real time and generate more buzz around your event and business. It’s important to make sure this platform accommodates most social media platforms for all attendees. 4. Networking opportunities One of the main reasons for people to attend a big conference or event is the networking opportunities that come with it. Therefore, the virtual event platform must have as many networking opportunities as possible. These could include breakout rooms, networking sessions, chats and any other opportunities to facilitate a conversation between attendees during the event. 5. Virtual exhibition booths Virtual booths allow sponsors, exhibitors and other participants to connect and engage with attendees. Attendees can engage with relevant booths and have the opportunity to take away content to research after the event is over. Virtual booths are a great way to share content and increase exposure for a business. 6. Repurposing and sharing You will want to be able to re share your content. Once your virtual event is over, you should be able to save content to be used in the future or on-demand viewing. This is an extremely important advantage as you can continue to generate buzz and intrigue more of your audience to want to join your next event. 7. Live streaming If you’re planning to have speakers and looking to broadcast videos and other sessions, a live streaming option is a must. Most virtual events have live streaming options for their audience to view content in real time. This is extremely valuable for engagement and networking during Q/A sessions after guest speakers and other hosts have presented. 8. Customization When it comes to hosting your event, you want to make sure you can design your event with your own branding. You should also be able to personalize the event with your designs. This means that the virtual event platform should allow for white labeling to make your event your own. A virtual event should have your audience feeling immersed in the experience you provide for them, therefore you should be able to customize it to your design potential. 9. Customer support Having customer support during a virtual event is a must. Remember, not everyone is technologically savvy and some attendees may need some guidance during the event. Additionally, having customer support will enable you to fix any problems that may arise and ensure a smooth event. This is also a great way to gain additional feedback for improvement. 10. Reporting and analytics The reporting and analytics feature helps you understand where your audience was the most engaged,what you did right and what you could improve on in the future. It could also be a good idea to see if the feature allows for integrating analytics platforms like Google Analytics. The bottom line is to find the virtual event platform that works for your business. It’s important to take your time when looking at your options. Virtual events are here to stay, and partnering with the right virtual event software is key to successful experiences. Host ​high-quality virtual events, conferences or trade shows. No matter the size of business or the type of organization, V-Unite provides a complete virtual interface for engagement and collaboration. SCHEDUE DEMO Blogs & Updates From Orientation to Acceleration: How Proper Onboarding Drives Sales Excellence in Healthcare 5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space 6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday Season

Guide to Hosting A Successful Virtual Networking Event

Guide to Hosting A Successful Virtual Networking Event Networking is the number one reason that people attend events. Being able to connect with your peers and industry leaders in a meaningful way is what brings people together at conferences and events. With virtual events and experiences taking center stage, virtual networking events are becoming immensely popular and have proven to support physical events by reaching a larger group of people without any geographical barriers. So how do you put on an event where people feel like they are able to connect in a meaningful way online? People might find virtual networking events a scary place to strike up a conversation. However, with the right virtual event platform features such as fun games, polls or breakout rooms, you can initiate tons of connections and conversations from your virtual experience. Guide to Hosting A Successful Virtual Event If you’re trying to figure out the best way to host successful virtual networking events, Before the virtual networking event 1. Come up with the overall plan What are your event goals? What are you looking to achieve from the event? It’s important to sit down and plan the skeleton of the event to understand your overall goals and how you will structure the event. This plan will help you define your customer base, what kind of activities you will have, who the guest speakers will be and what will drive people to the event. 2. Plan the overall design Take some time to come up with a theme and the branding for the event. People love to be a part of a fun theme and it’s a great way to have your audience engaged from the start! Take this planning phase to figure out how you want the flow of the event to be such as Q/A sessions and breakout rooms for attendees to network in. Additionally, think about your branding and how you want your business to be seen at the event. 3. Choose the right platform Finding the right platform for your event is extremely important. As you understand your goals and what you need for the event, you need to find the platform that will have all the features that will drive engagement and ensure a smooth event. This could be features like gamification, social media integration, customer support and other networking capabilities. 4. Figure out the logistics There are so many platforms and apps out there for virtual events. It’s important to figure out the logistics of how you will bring people together. Make sure you test the platform out completely and ensure that attendees are able to seamlessly log in and navigate the platform. You don’t want your attendees to be frustrated with technical difficulties or other issues that can be ironed out before the event goes live. Additionally, try to have a calendar invite with all the information required so everyone will be able to get a reminder and be able to access the event easily. 5. Decide on the guest count You don’t want to be stuck with a huge guest count where it’s chaotic for your attendees to network with each other. Consider keeping your count to a manageable size. If your group can be segmented, it might be a good idea to break them up depending on the segments. You can do this by creating breakout rooms that are relevant for each group depending on specialties and topics. 6. Market your networking event Don’t forget to promote your event! Use social media and other marketing channels to get word of your event out there. You can create a social media contest to encourage sharing among attendees and get their help in spreading the word. Depending on your budget you can even send relevant gift bags to further promote your event. During the virtual networking event 1. Have an introduction session Depending on how large your guest list is, it could be a fun idea to have an introductory session where attendees can introduce themselves to each other. This can also happen in breakout rooms or other sessions to facilitate conversation before other events start. 2. Start the conversations (if needed) It could be a good idea to head to chat rooms or other chat sessions and start a conversation with a question to encourage participation. Sometimes attendees might not want to be the first to say something or they might not know how to start a conversation. You could use this opportunity to create a game or a fun quiz around topics to further encourage conversation. 3. Make sure sessions aren’t drawn out People have short attention spans. While you might have made sure video broadcasts aren’t too long, you cannot predict what your guest speakers might do. If you feel that topics are getting drawn out or that speakers are going off on a tangent, it could be a good idea to set reminders or have a way to signal them when it’s time for them to wrap up. This will only help make sure the event continues to run smoothly without any delays. After the virtual networking event 1. Send a thank you note Make sure to send a thank you note or email after the event to all your attendees. This will help the attendees continue to feel connected and give them the opportunity to provide feedback after the event. It could be a fun idea to include any highlights from the conference to further gauge attendees’ memories. 2. Gather feedback When you send your thank you notes, use this as an opportunity to gather feedback for any improvement in the future. You can send out a post-event survey or poll to make it as seamless as possible for people to respond. 3. Analyze the event Once you gather your reports on engagement and participation, it’s important to analyze this report to see where and what the strong points were of the event and where you could improve. The numbers you

3 Ways Your Organization Can Win With Virtual Events

3 Ways Your Organization Can Win With Virtual Events 3 Ways Your Organization Can Win With Virtual Events Virtual events have upgraded the way organizations are able to communicate with clients, customers, and association members, and as the world continues to emerge from the pandemic of 2020, it has become even clearer that virtual events are here to stay. Cracking the code to hosting events online can be challenging. There are so many questions: What type of platform do you need? What technology or applications should you include? What are the benefits? Can you even customize an online event to suit your needs? And how can you make it all work? What can you do to help keep everyone engaged and fully active in what is going on during the event? Cut all these worries down by making sure key solutions are put in place before the launch date of your event. Overview: Create memorable experiences Bring the fun to engagement and networking Let past events inspire your future content 1. Create memorable experiences Organizations can host several types of events online, be it a marketplace and trade show for products and services, college fairs, or even training sessions and recruitment and interview preparation for prospective employees. No matter the type of event, it is important to ensure the event is also a memorable and enjoyable experience. Don’t leave it up to chance with the hope that memorable experiences will evolve on their own. Create those moments as part of your event! Use engaging videos and polls to get attendees talking. Post interesting event facts on virtual display boards and in chat rooms. No one likes to miss out on a good thing, so include exclusive event perks and giveaways. Use the positives of FOMO (fear of missing out) to your organization’s advantage – limit the availability of a few key giveaways and display a countdown clock during your online event so attendees feel even more motivated to claim a particular freebie before they’re all gone! Learning and development remains a powerful feature for any event. Incorporate visual and informative material that event attendees can access and download for future use. Creating memorable experiences also comes from setting the stage for your entire event. Host your event on a virtual events platform that will allow you to create customized and interactive virtual spaces that attendees can explore. See what a customized virtual environment looks like for yourself! 2. Bring the fun to Engagement and Networking Creating opportunities for engagement and networking during an online event is important. But what can sometimes be overlooked is giving a boost to engagement and networking opportunities by including a little fun. 2.i. Amplify event conversations with social media integration Host your virtual event on a platform that will allow integration with your preferred social media networks Not only can you use social media to generate conversations around your organization, you can also use your social media network to generate excitement for your virtual event; feeding audiences’ interest in the event topics, as well as in the event host and invited speakers. By skillfully using social media networks, you can put in the necessary groundwork that will help you to build a community around your virtual event before the event launch date. Once you have integrated your social media networks with the virtual events platform, you can keep the conversation going on social media networks by leveraging your event community during the virtual event! Create event hashtags, and unique event gifs and images so attendees can get involved in the social media conversation by sharing event gifs and images and by using your event hashtags to tag what they have shared. Include polls and roundups about popular moments and sessions when sharing live content from your event. Post shout-outs to highlight sponsors and do the same for attendees who have won quizzes and prizes. And most definitely, re-share relevant content from event attendees. Combined, these tips will allow your event community to connect and engage in event conversations across multiple online spaces, while allowing you to tap into ways to amplify key conversations around your online event! 2.ii. Keep event fatigue at bay with gamification Here is another major point to consider: it can become challenging for attendees to maintain focus during virtual events, especially after a few hours. Infusing dashes of fun into your virtual event is an important way to combat event fatigue and is something you absolutely need to plan for. Event gamification is an excellent way to revive attendees and keep them engaged throughout your event, so be sure to host your event on a virtual events platform that has capabilities for gamification. To maintain interest during your virtual event, you could include interactive moments for question-and-answer sessions where attendees can talk to each other and to event speakers. Q&A sessions could even include event trivia questions displayed on a score board and exclusive event prizes for attendees who answer questions correctly. 2.iii. The power of avatars as part of gamification Attendee avatars is another engaging feature of event gamification. In addition to allowing attendees to choose and refine the look of their avatars for the event, you can also allow attendees to level-up and customize their avatars even further by winning event prizes, or by gaining bonus features as rewards for purchasing certain items if you intend to include retail opportunities as part of the event. To encourage more engagement, you can go the extra step by making avatar photos available to attendees so they can share the images on social media! 2.iv. Expand engagement and networking with custom virtual event environments There are other things you can do to bring the fun to engagement and networking. Create customized spaces for meet-and-greets and professional networking. These spaces could be a virtual café, a cocktail lounge, or any virtual environment you choose. You could also allow attendees to create or upload digital business cards that they can exchange with ease

Leverage A Niche Approach For A Virtual Marketplace

Leverage A Niche Approach For A Virtual Marketplace A niche approach to a virtual marketplace could be the advantage your business needs A virtual marketplace connects sellers with buyers within an online space. This is a general definition that is accurate, but by adding just a little more imagination to that definition, you will realize a virtual marketplace is a lot like a hidden gem. A virtual marketplace is an opportunity to provide customers with direct access to what they are looking for. The best kind of virtual marketplace is also one that is easy to use! The Internet has changed the way customers interact with businesses, with most customers having a preference for going online to easily access and purchase items and services. Customers enjoy the ease of shopping online on their mobile phones and computers, be it within the comfort of their own home, or lounging on a chair looking out at the beach. Convenience and ease of use are key. Similarly, convenience and ease of use are key features of a virtual marketplace. Benefits of a virtual marketplace Virtual marketplaces are accessible to buyers around the world. Additionally, a virtual marketplace can expand the visibility of a product or service beyond a company’s website. This can lead to an increase in opportunities to reach potential buyers, both locally and internationally. Gaining access to this type of reach is especially useful for smaller businesses that might not get enough traffic on their own website to generate an ideal level of sales online. Launching a virtual marketplace offers unique opportunities for organizations to earn revenue. Organizations that take on the venture of launching a virtual marketplace can gain revenue by charging clients, such as companies and service providers, a reasonable rental fee for access to virtual booths as well the virtual spaces and services provided through the virtual marketplace. Benefits of a virtual marketplace Don’t limit the concept of a marketplace to products alone. Consider the avenue of including services such as personal fitness and special events services.Find a way to differentiate your virtual marketplace by tapping into niche offerings for products and services. Specialized marketplaces will allow your organization to connect vendors with customers who are actually looking for specific products and services. Here are a few ideas for types of niche marketplaces you could create and launch on a virtual events platform. Benefits of a virtual marketplace Maintaining health and fitness continues to be an ever-present goal for consumers around the world. Your virtual marketplace could home in on providing an interactive online shopping experience for feature services such as yoga and personal fitness trainers . To create a well-rounded buyer experience for this health and fitness virtual marketplace, include virtual booths for corresponding services and products such as consultations with dieticians and qualified nutritionists, yoga and fitness clothing, and fitness accessories. Use a virtual events platform that provides access to a virtual content portal where sellers can upload and store pre-recorded video content they can use to further with engage customers. A One-Stop Virtual Wedding Shop Planning a wedding can be very time intensive, especially with having to schedule calls and visits from one supplier to the next. A marketplace for a virtual wedding shop could be the answer that brides-to-be are looking for. Create a one-stop virtual experience where brides and grooms can meet with and book wedding planners and book venues. Enhance event offerings by including access to key related services within this marketplace. Make it possible for couples to find and book services such as catering, musicians and entertainers, florists, photographers, as well as event decorators, and beautician services. Add another layer of in-demand services by including real estate representatives among the variety of service providers and products made available through this type of marketplace. Having direct access to real estate agents within the marketplace will afford happy couple the chance to explore options for purchasing or renting a new home. Find the ideal virtual events platform that will allow you to create indoor and outdoor online spaces that fully add to the style and characteristics of the marketplace. Recruitment Fairs There are several types of virtual marketplaces your organization can offer as a specialty service. But don’t neglect to keep the key features in mind: convenience and ease of use. As mentioned before, these are important features that both customers and clients are looking for. Create an online event experience that is interactive, visually engaging, and easy for all participants to use. When considering which virtual events platform would best serve the requirements of your virtual marketplace, choose a platform that will enhance the convenience of the marketplace by providing full integration with secure e-commerce applications. Incorporating this type of software will facilitate automatic processing for orders and purchases. This is fundamental for launching a fully functional online marketplace that is equipped with the expected services for making purchases online. Above all, carve out and develop the type of niche marketplace that your organization can grow with and improve on. Make your mark by becoming innovative specialists in the e-commerce initiative your organization has decided to build. Set up future growth by leveraging your track record and reputation in ways that lead to more revenue earning opportunities for your organization. And do all of these things from the virtual events platform that truly suits your needs. Host ​high-quality virtual events, conferences or trade shows. No matter the size of business or the type of organization, V-Unite provides a complete virtual interface for engagement and collaboration. SCHEDUE DEMO Blogs & Updates From Orientation to Acceleration: How Proper Onboarding Drives Sales Excellence in Healthcare 5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space 6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday Season

Ways to Keep Your Team Motivated While Working Remotely

Ways to Keep Your Team Motivated While Working Remotely How to Help Your Team Stay Motivated While Working Remotely In recent times, working remotely has become a necessity. Even though working remotely can be a good thing, it does not come without its challenges. As more people than ever before join the ranks of full time or part time remote work, they are now faced with navigating the life of being distanced from co-workers and the challenges of feeling disconnected from the team. Employees who are new to transitioning into working remotely can face the challenge of feeling distracted by home life, or just feeling distracted period. This could lead to longer working hours as employees feel obligated to work longer to make up for time lost during the day. These factors combined can cause an employee to feel unsettled and unfocused. No one performs at their best when they are unfocused. If left unchecked, all of these factors can affect employee morale. The good news is, should either of these pitfalls of remote working occur, it doesn’t have to stay that way – something can be done about it. The better news is that you and your organization can be proactive in facilitating opportunities to build and maintain strong connections among employees, as well as opportunities to empower employees in managing their workload. Better still, this can all be accomplished by conveniently hosting virtual team building activities on a virtual events platform. Think of it this way: how do you make s’mores without marshmallows? We don’t know but we bet your team could figure it out during a virtual team building session! Incorporate engaging ways for your team to form positive work relationships and help them to improve their work-life balance. Let’s explore a selection of virtual team building activities that you can do with your team.   Escape A Maze Create a virtual escape room or maze filled with challenges, quizzes, and clues. Host this as a timed team event. It would be a relaxed, fun-filled team activity that can be done at the end of the month. Split everyone into individual teams. Each team must work together to escape the maze or room and use event chat rooms for team communication. Award a prize to the team that is able to escape first and include an event scoreboard to add to the friendly competition. If none of the teams have escaped the virtual room or maze before all the time has run out, then the prize goes forward to be added as a bonus prize during the escape challenge in the upcoming month, and all the teams must remain as they are with the same team members. At the end of the event, have all the teams come together in a virtual meeting room where each team will take turns to discuss what when right, what went wrong, what they could do better, and what they learned. This event will help your entire team to learn to work together. Your team will also learn to maximize each other’s strengths and embrace each other’s weaknesses. More importantly, they will learn to be supportive through each person’s growth as each of them continues to work on areas they wish to improve on. The Goal Room Everyone needs a win. It really does wonders for building confidence and self-esteem when someone achieves goals they have set for themselves. Just before the start of everyone month, have everyone on your team submit a goal they would like to achieve within 28-30 days, along with images associated with that goal. It does not have to be a work-related goal. It could be a self-development goal such as learning a new language, or starting/restarting their fitness and health journey, or learning how to cook! Create a virtual room where everyone’s goal for the month can be displayed like a virtual vision board. Create a display space where team members can share tips, advice, and general support. Ask your team to post weekly photos or short videos to share their progress. Submitting videos and photos would be optional, but it is a key part of the exercise. Encourage your team so they feel motivated to buy-in and fully participate. Ultimately, this exercise would create the opportunity to have built-in support and positive reinforcement as part of your team’s culture The Break Challenge Encouraging a better work-life balance is also important to boosting the morale of your team. Working from home very often leads to the temptation to work for prolonged periods without taking a break. There are two things that occur when employees do this: mental fatigue which can cause a reduction in focusing on tasks; and physical fatigue as a result of sitting in a particular position for extended periods. Not every employee has an office desk and chair at home, and home furniture isn’t designed to function the same way office furniture. Encourage your team to take a break for 5 to 10 minutes at different points throughout the day to stretch and move around, especially when working remotely. Encourage your team to go outside for 10 minutes at least once during the day. This will allow your team members to decompress and feel energized by a short walk outdoors, and it will help their minds to relax and refocus. Use a virtual events platform to create virtual team rooms for each department in your organization where each department can upload their outdoor photo of the day. Include a team chat and display board where team members can interact and even award virtual team prizes for the photo of the day. Time Management Webinars Customize a meeting space on a virtual events platform and host a time management webinar. This type of activity would empower your team, as it would be a source of guidance on how to effectively manage their time, be it working remotely or in the office. This type of webinar would provide your team with insight on

Beyond the Script: Mastering Healthcare Professional Engagement in Your Marketing Arsenal

Beyond the Script: Mastering Healthcare Professional Engagement in Your Marketing Arsenal Introduction Welcome to the new era of Healthcare Professional (HCP) engagement! The days of dry, impersonal communications are behind us. Today, it’s all about moving beyond the script and creating dynamic, memorable interactions that truly resonate. Let’s explore how innovative strategies can elevate your HCP engagement, making your brand unforgettable. The Power of Authentic Engagement In the healthcare world, relationships are everything. Authentic engagement means connecting with HCPs in meaningful, personal ways. It’s about building trust, sparking conversations, and creating value. When HCPs feel genuinely engaged, they become loyal advocates for your brand. Unleashing Creativity: Strategies That Wow 1. Storytelling with Heart Everyone loves a good story. Share compelling narratives that highlight patient journeys, breakthrough treatments, and real-world successes. Stories resonate on an emotional level, making your communications more relatable and memorable. Think of it as bringing a human touch to your marketing. 2. Interactive Learning Adventures Transform dull training sessions into exciting learning adventures. Use interactive webinars, virtual workshops, and engaging e-learning modules to capture attention. When HCPs actively participate, they retain information better and feel more connected to your brand. 3. Personalized Experiences One-size-fits-all is out. Personalization is in. Use data insights to tailor your messages to the specific needs and interests of individual HCPs. Personalized emails, targeted content, and customized recommendations show that you understand and value their unique perspectives. 4. Social Media Savvy Social media isn’t just for influencers; it’s a powerful tool for HCP engagement. Use platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram to share valuable content, host live Q&A sessions, and build a vibrant community. Being active and responsive on social media helps you reach HCPs where they already are. 5. Thought Leadership with a Twist Position your brand as a thought leader by sharing expert insights, research findings, and industry trends. Go beyond the usual by hosting virtual panel discussions, contributing to podcasts, and publishing in top-tier journals. When HCPs see you as a knowledge leader, they’ll engage more deeply with your brand. Innovative Tactics to Elevate Engagement 1. Gamify the Experience Who says learning can’t be fun? Introduce gamification elements like quizzes, challenges, and leaderboards. Reward participation with points, badges, or even prizes. Gamification makes engagement enjoyable and encourages HCPs to interact more frequently with your content. 2. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Step into the future with VR and AR experiences. Offer virtual tours of your facilities, immersive product demos, or interactive training sessions. These technologies provide unique, memorable ways for HCPs to engage with your brand. 3. Exclusive VIP Events Make HCPs feel special with exclusive events and VIP programs. Invite them to private webinars, give early access to new research, or host special networking events. Exclusive experiences foster a sense of community and loyalty among your HCP audience. The Joy of Genuine Connections Mastering HCP engagement isn’t just about tactics; it’s about creating genuine connections. When you go beyond the script and engage HCPs authentically, you build trust and loyalty that lasts. Happy, engaged HCPs are more likely to advocate for your brand and contribute to better patient outcomes. Conclusion Step beyond the script and embrace the art of HCP engagement. By leveraging creative, personalized, and innovative strategies, you can build strong, lasting relationships with healthcare professionals. So, unleash your creativity, tell captivating stories, and watch your HCP engagement soar. Here’s to a brighter, more connected future in healthcare marketing!

6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday Season

6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday Season Get into the holiday spirit with these festive virtual and hybrid event ideas The year may be winding down, but holiday festivities are definitely ramping up. The last few months of the year are filled special occasions from Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to Christmas Day, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. Each occasion is special and celebrated in unique ways with family, friends, and colleagues. However, it might not always be possible for loved ones and work mates to gather in one place. This is where festive virtual and hybrid event ideas step in to save the day! Here are 6 event ideas to help you plan events for this time of year that would really resonate with your audience.   Virtual Holiday Foodie Fest If there’s one thing that festivities during the last few months of the year have in common, it is food. This is a perfect time for you to host a virtual foodie festival. There are lots of people out there who are struggling to plan that perfect Thanksgiving menu, or maybe they can’t figure out how they got roped into hosting Christmas dinner. Then there are those who are all thumbs when it comes to finding their way around the kitchen! And of course, there are also those who can handle the kitchen like a pro but are in need of something extra special to inspire the magic they can do with food. You can create a foodie festival that caters to all of these needs, with cooking tutorials from beginners to advanced. You could include videos and downloadable nutrition guides. A virtual recipe and kitchen accessory shop for the sale of recipes and specialty items would be ideal for a virtual foodie fest. Additionally, your event could make it possible for attendees to pre-book one-on-one virtual sessions with guest chefs. Festive Sip ‘n Paint This is a fun online or hybrid activity that companies can do with their staff or their clients, or an activity that associations can do with their members. It is also an ideal event for relationship building. You should move early to get in touch with and hire the person who will be conducting this creative event. Next, you will need to provide attendees with an event box containing the painting kit filled with all the materials needed to participate in the event. This event box should be delivered to attendees ahead of time. If your organization is planning to do this as a hybrid event, you will need to organize a few things first: a physical space that can accommodate in-person guests equipment such as display screens, speakers, and microphones, along with the necessary computers and Wi-Fi so virtual and in-person attendees can speak to each other Don’t forget the wine! You really can’t have a sip ‘n paint without that. Perhaps your organization could even find a local wine house to sponsor your event! Virtual Mixology ‘n Game Night Learning to mix cocktails like a pro is an activity that many would enjoy. This event could even be used to amplify networking with event attendees. Again, an event box would need to be sent to attendees ahead of time. If the event is hybrid, all the necessary things would need to be put in place at the event venue. Hire a mixologist to take your event attendees on a journey of blended spirits for holiday season cocktails and a specialty cocktail created exclusively for the event. Increase the fun by adding a themed game night by playing charades and other popular games right after the mixology session. Including activities for a themed game night is a fantastic and fun way to incorporate relationship and team building into your mixology and game night event. Holiday Team Virtual Bake-off Kick-start the fun and friendly competition with a timed virtual bake off. Gather the various ingredients and have the bake-off supply kits delivered to your event attendees. Do a bake off featuring holiday cookies, pies or cupcakes, the choice is yours. To get you thinking, you could create this event around a cookie theme. For instance, attendees could be asked to bake two types of cookies made only from ingredients chosen from a set list. Attendees could also be asked to bake a third type of cookie that is free for all! This third cookie can be made from any of the ingredients from the batch supplied for the event. Add a twist by specifying a secret ingredient! You can do this as a 3-person team event with each person taking charge of a particular cookie recipe. To make it family friendly, you can allow the teams to recruit 1 person from home to assist.Combine this event with customized bingo made up of possible comments and mishaps that might occur while attendees compete to become the champion team. Online Pub Quiz and Trivia Night There is no such thing as a quiet pub quiz and trivia night. There will be laughter, cheers, and general fun-filled uproar. And there will most definitely be competition. This event is another team event that is very useful for team building. Set your questions based on particular themes. Throw in some questions on general knowledge, music, and pop culture. Stick to the theme while making your questions diverse to keep participants on their toes. Make the event challenging but not overly difficult – you still want event attendees to achieve a win. Since this is a virtual pub quiz and trivia night, you need to include key visuals and use gamification to keep attendees aware of team progress and scores. Ugly Sweater Virtual Karaoke That’s right! This festive virtual event idea gives everyone the freedom to be silly and carefree for one night. Everyone must wear an ugly sweater – no exceptions. Create your custom virtual karaoke venue on a virtual events platform and set up the tracks and lyrics so everyone can watch together. Turn on the

5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space

5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space The last couple of years have seen a rise in the number of virtual events. Thanks to better internet and digital tools, it’s easier for event managers to put together engaging activities in the virtual sphere. But while this trend of online events has allowed innovation and creativity to thrive, it’s also made it harder for companies managing these events to compete for audiences’ attention. Below, we’ve outlined a few ways to successfully market your virtual event and help it stand out from the crowd. Gamification Potential customers have to choose between multiple events and they may all look similar. In order to beat the competition, it’s becoming increasingly important to stand out. Events may choose, for example, to gamify their activities and add another layer of interaction for event goers. People can complete challenges like visiting a certain number of lectures in order to gain points, and monitor their performance in a leaderboard. This is definitely a unique approach that pulls in crowds, and helps sponsors visualize their ROI. Investing in Good Professionals As many economic activities become 100% virtual, the help of professionals like digital marketers, graphic designers, and SEO specialists is a must. Marketing graduates understand the principles of marketing, and are trained in marketing tools like social media, videos, and other new media.This makes them extremely well prepared to decide the most effective approach to market a digital event. Everyone can come up with a good idea, but only experts can tell whether it will work or not. Affiliate Programs One of the best resources for any event is a speaker well-versed in the topic. Speakers and special guests are also interested in making the event a success, and can help with the marketing. Inviting speakers to promote the event via affiliate links might be a profitable idea for both parties. After all, affiliate marketing accounts for more than 15% of digital media revenue. Companies can even extend that affiliate program to other content creators who can work as partners, which expands the reach of your marketing push. Creating a Vlog It’s great to collab with content creators like bloggers or YouTubers who can promote an event to thousands of their fans, but companies can also try to create their own. One way to do this is by investing in video content for promotion. Around 40% of people who made an online purchase admit that they found out about the product or service through a Youtube video. Video is engaging, unique, and can include calls to action to give interested audiences the final push they need to sign up to a webinar or event. Email Marketing People believe social media is the best way to promote an event or product, but email marketing is actually 40 times more effective. However, companies have to be careful not to flood the clients’ inbox, and only send news and deals that appeal to their interests. Thus, sending a registration form for an interesting seminar might not be enough though. Companies can boost interest by adding a deadline counter for the registration to motivate the undecided, or adding more personalized touches. Marketing a virtual event may seem like an intimidating task. As time passes however, both event planners and attendees become familiar with new platforms and ideas. We’re likely to see more and newer approaches to virtual events in the coming years, and companies should know the best ways to tap into that new frontier. Digital events are the future, and good marketing is one way to cement a company’s place in that future. Host ​high-quality virtual events, conferences or trade shows. No matter the size of business or the type of organization, V-Unite provides a complete virtual interface for engagement and collaboration. SCHEDUE DEMO Blogs & Updates From Orientation to Acceleration: How Proper Onboarding Drives Sales Excellence in Healthcare 5 Tips for Marketing Your Virtual Event in the Digital Space 6 Festive Virtual Event Ideas for the Holiday Season