Communication has gradually shifted to digital engagement in recent years which has also affected travel and event management. With video conferencing and similar forms of communication becoming more popular, more people are finding less need to travel for work or attend physical events. In fact, daily meeting participants on Zoom grew by a factor of 35 between 2019 and 2020 while annual Microsoft Team users grew by a factor of 13.5 from 2019 to 2022.
Nonetheless, digital communication can come with frustrating challenges like problems with video conferencing equipment and virtual meeting technology. Stress can also come from remembering to stay in frame during video calls and being hyper-aroused from looking at everyone in virtual meetings. Always looking at your reflection can increase opportunities for unnecessary self-criticism as well.
However, even with the challenges of digital communication, many people prefer to continue attending events online. Businesses specifically can benefit from increased productivity, focus, and employee engagement when using virtual events. Hybrid events in particular can create an environment where both physical and virtual attendees can connect through the content they’re accessing. Adding gamification can additionally boost event engagement and improve retention by about 40% while a metaverse element can make the event more of an immersive experience through virtual, augmented, or mixed reality.
By taking steps to improve event quality through actions like moving to a more persistent interactive experience instead of just one-off events and creating a digital campus where participants can attend events and network, businesses can reach new audiences while effectively engaging them during events.
Source: engagez.com