If you have an event coming up in the near future, you probably want to make the best of it to ensure that it goes smoothly. But how do you increase an event’s chance of success? What is it that guests like to see when they arrive somewhere?

As it happens, audience engagement is one of the top things that help your event to go off without a hitch. Here’s why:

#1 – It Keeps Their Attention

If an audience is engaged in what is going on at an event, they are much more likely to pay attention. With things like polls, trivia, or opportunities to insert their own voices, an audience is much more likely to keep up with what is being said. On the other hand, if an event simply features a host droning on and on, then you’re more likely to find that guests get bored and instead browse on their phones, or leave the event early. Don’t let that happen at your event! With audience engagement through polls, trivia, questions directed at the audience, asking for volunteers, and so much more, your audience will feel like they are part of the event rather than simply being talked at.

#2 – It Makes Them Feel Valued

When an audience is asked to participate in an event through methods of engagement, they become part of the event. They are shown that the event’s success is contingent on their participation and enjoyment – and really, it is, so why not make them feel like it?

When an audience is asked to answer a poll, or members are asked to volunteer, and people are given the opportunity to speak up, events tend to go a lot more successfully because the audience feels important and like they are a part of the event. If the event could have taken place the exact same way had the speaker been presenting to an empty room, that’s a bad sign! Your event is useless without an audience, and they are essential for your event’s success. Show them that by implementing audience engagement into your next event!

#3 – It Makes the Information Memorable

Audience participation allows for a lot of memorable moments. If the speaker presents a question to the audience, some very memorable answers often are the result – giving the rest of the audience a much higher likelihood of remembering what you are talking about. If there is a funny or interesting story that comes out of an event, they’ll remember that story – and consequently, your event. If they tell that story to your friends, your event will inevitably be a part of it – spreading the word of your event or cause!

#4 – Spreads the Word

In today’s day and age, audience engagement so often includes the powerful influence of social media. By asking attendees to use a dedicated hashtag in their Tweets, Instagram posts, Facebook posts, and more, you’ll be able to see the word spread about your event quickly and efficiently. Another great benefit to this is that it allows you to go back later and search that hashtag to see what people are saying about your event. This can be a great resource for feedback and to see how you can improve the event for next time!

The Verdict

As you can see, there are a lot of great benefits that come out of implementing audience engagement into any event. There are a lot of easy and effective ways to do so, that can bring out astounding results. You just need to find the most efficient ways to accomplish it – this way you can keep things organized during your event and find the best ways for your audience to be engaged without going to extensive efforts.

Some things you can do to keep your audience engaged include asking them to respond to a question or just post about their experience on social media with a specific hashtag. You can also present polls or trivia questions, or opportunities for your audience to have their voices be heard.

One especially useful way to do these things is through an event app. A professional event app not only makes audience engagement seamless, but it also looks impressive and helps to further your brand!

Ditch the old way of running events and say hello to the future of unbeatable audience participation.