Event Gamification: A Guide

Event gamification is an exciting way to spice up gatherings, and encourage participation. Take a look at the top things to consider beow.

Everyone wants to throw a smash hit event. Unfortunately, this goal produces a challenging question: how can I make my event stand out? That’s where gamification comes in. Games are an exciting way to hook people in and help them dive deeper into the event experience. They also motivate people to participate, and can even serve as a selling point for your event, attracting more people than you otherwise would have. In this article, we provide tips on how you can weave games into your next event. 

Participants cheering due to event gamification

Event Gamification Overview

Event gamification means adding games into your event and turning things that are normally not games into ones. And this event gamification lives and dies based on how much fun your participants are having. With every decision you make, filter it through the perspective of whether or not it contributes positively to the attendees experience. 

Naturally, every event is distinct. Below, we discuss guidelines you can use to produce an excellent gamified event. As you read through them, think about how you can implement these suggestions in a way that will be specific to your event. 

Know Your Audience

Good events thrive on specific, personal touches. And not all events are the same. As you consider gamification ideas for your event, you should do so with a mind toward personalization. This may mean selecting gamification opportunities that are tailored specifically to the participants. 

For example, a business event might feature games that are customized to the participants. Live Trivia that features questions about employees or professional milestones. Scavenger Hunts that highlight items or locations within the workplace. 

Even when an event is catering to a broader range of people, personalization is still possible. Consider the tone. Is this a formal event? Keep the tone earnest. Lighthearted? Your gamification opportunities should be too. By matching your planning to accommodate the audience, you help ensure that they will be immersed in the opportunities you provide. 

Be Flexible with Event Gamification

Most of the people attending your event will enjoy the gamification opportunities you provide. In fact, a recent study showed that 83% of people respond very well to gamification opportunities. Great, right? But that still leaves a small chunk of people who may not take as well to the experience.

By keeping your opportunities flexible, you cater to everyone who attends your event. Encourage participation, but make it optional. Establish many opportunities for people who enjoy the games, but also make sure people who are not comfortable playing and choose not to participate still feel at ease.

Prizes are Key

Incentives are one of the key reasons that gamification is so effective. People of all ages do very well with reward-based systems of motivation. As you plan your event, look for ways to reward the efforts of your participants. 

Rewards don’t necessarily have to come in the form of a gift they take home. Often something symbolic is more fun. Consider creating a silly, rotating trophy. Each team building day or other gamified event, the trophy is up for grabs. Whoever the big winner is at the end of the event gets to hold onto it and show it off at their desk until the next event when it is up for grabs again!

Alternatively, simple recognition is a stronger motivator than you might think. Showing off a leaderboard is a great way to keep people excited and engaged during an event. Simply by showing participants where they are at in the standings in between games, you may tap into their competitive side, inspiring them to dive deeper into the experience. And making a big to do of the final standings at the end of the event creates a fun finale for everyone.

Diversify

Your event will likely feature attendees with a wide range of personality types. Your gamification opportunities should cater to all of them. Have games that are great for extroverts, but also make sure you leave space for your more introspective guests. 

Games like Live Trivia allow less outgoing people to participate in a way that may be more comfortable to them. Live Trivia is both social, in that it usually requires collaboration, and introspective, with lots of time reserved for people to think about the questions. 

Don’t Forget Online Attendees

These days, there is no need for any event to exclude remote participation. Since the height of the pandemic, the vast majority of people have become familiar with telecommunication technology. There are now more ways than ever for people from all over the planet to participate in an event, all without ever leaving their homes. 

Consider making your event a hybrid. Event gamification is just as easily incorporated into hybrid gatherings. Make sure that all games can be played by both the in-person crowd and those joining online.

Opening your event up is important both because it will increase your numbers, and because it may indeed be the recourse that many potential participants prefer. Even though the worst of Covid-19 may be behind us, many people are still uncomfortable with, or simply unable to attend large in-person gatherings. Hybrid approaches make your event more inclusive for people with a diverse range of health needs. 

Social Media is Your Friend

Social media helps the gamification process in several ways. It:

  • Serves as Commonality: Virtually everyone has some form of social media. A good gamification experience thrives on uniting as many people as possible. Social media is a natural conduit for connecting people who might otherwise not have much in common.
  • Contains its Own Gamification Opportunities: Social media is also filled with gamification opportunities. Using check-ins, hashtags, and photography features, you can use social media to draw your guests in while also spreading awareness of your event for guests of the future to take notice of. 
  • Generates Hype: Leading up to the event, social media can be used to generate excitement. Post teasers. If you have run a similar event before, consider posting pictures or videos to give participants an idea of what is coming. 

Events wishing to use social media for publicity can consider encouraging guests to share their posts. Many events accomplish this by offering small rewards for people who make publicity posts. For example, you may consider offering a free coffee to anyone who checks in on Facebook or posts a selfie at your event. 

This is a small but easy way to generate a buzz.

Event Gamification Conclusion

Most events can benefit from gamification. If you plan to gamify your event, make sure to consider everyone’s needs as well as what preparation needs to be done to set yourself up for success. At Duelbox, we are professionals at gamifying events. Register for free to take a look at our gamification platform and consider us for your next event!

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