When you organise a company seminar, an annual convention or a simple team-building day, you want attendees to come away satisfied. You look for the best options and the best tools to make the occasion memorable.
The task is harder than it looks. After a few company events, you notice how quickly you can start repeating yourself. If the aim is to leave a mark, you have to keep finding something new for an audience that can be difficult to impress.
Digitising an event offers several clear advantages. Beyond often being a way to save money, the available options have broadened in recent years, making it possible to build a bespoke event with genuinely impressive features. Here is an overview of the advantages of digitising your next company event, and of what to put in place for it to work.
Why digitise a company event? To surprise attendees and engage them more
Behaviour at work only ever layers itself on top of the everyday behaviour of our leisure time. The growth of enterprise social networks is one example among many. If we use more and more apps and screens at home, it follows that the professional world moves the same way.
Event managers often report that digitisation is something attendees ask for themselves. It gives the end-of-year company seminar a fresher, more “gamified” shape, and opens up effectively unlimited scope for personalisation.
If your digital strategy is sound, the feedback after the event will be positive.
Choosing a digital solution: favour team spirit
There is a distinction between “organisational” applications and “experiential” ones.
The first help you organise: attendee lists, chat, business-card exchange, meeting facilitation. The second let attendees build a stronger sense of belonging to their company. The event application WeChain falls into the second group, with features that reinforce company spirit — attendees creating the company logo live by projecting their photographs onto a large screen, for example, or taking part in large-scale quizzes from their phones.
Depending on your budget, you may or may not opt for a white-label version. Most applications on the market offer this, letting you apply your company’s colours to the application you have chosen.
As a general rule, choose an application that offers real added value through one standout feature, which will increase how much your attendees use it. An app for the sake of an app is of little benefit.
Communicate about it: how to make sure everyone takes part
Whether you have chosen an event application or a digital activity, there is one rule: communicate.
At a company event, some attendees are not digital natives. An innovative format may call for a little teaching.
There is no need to worry; you simply prepare the ground. For those familiar with new technology it makes a good teaser. The others can install the app, try it out, and arrive at your event relaxed and interested. Without that communication beforehand, your solution — however digital and innovative — will not meet expectations.
Run your event: stay in control
Once the seminar or convention is under way, keep encouraging participation. A host is essential, even on a digital platform. Many applications let you push messages, challenges and games to attendees. That adds something to the programme.
Depending on your audience, moderation can be useful. At an internal company event, self-censorship is generally enough to maintain decency and courtesy. If your audience is broader and rather less careful, give a member of your team the role of moderator. That keeps exchanges flowing with no risk of things getting out of hand.
Conclusion: an app for your event, but not just any app
Digitising an event is clearly an advantage in terms of both cost and innovation. It does not, however, relieve you of the work of organising so that everyone can take part properly. A good analysis of your audience’s needs, communication beforehand, and real attention to the platform on the day are all essential.