1.
exhibits.skybay.com
Engagement
in a Virtual
World
Magnetize their Minds

2.
without it, your audience is happy to tune you out.
Communication is the
Cornerstone of Virtual
Connection
exhibits.skybay.com

3.
Interactivity
is the Proven Path to your Virtual Success
exhibits.skybay.com
A survey of 2,000+ professionals found that millennials, more than Baby
Boomers or Gen Xers, say that engaging content can hold their attention
for long periods of time without distraction.
source: Prezi

4.
1
There’s plenty of
opportunity to boost
audience participation – you
just need to know how.
47% of people are more likely to ask a
question at a virtual event and
37% are more likely to speak to a person
in a virtual booth than a real one.
Use sticky notes to write your
thoughts in each page.
source: eventbrite blog
exhibits.skybay.com

5.
Start
Brainstorming
with the basics of engagement
exhibits.skybay.com

6.
exhibits.skybay.com
Engaging their
minds
The need for achievement
The need for autonomy
The need for mastery
1
3
2
“Engaging Hearts and Minds of your Employees” by Lee J Colan
How can your product or
services entice your
audience for elevated
engagement?

7.
exhibits.skybay.com
Engaging their
hearts
The need for purpose
The need for intimacy
The need for appreciation
1
3
2
“Engaging Hearts and Minds of your Employees” by Lee J Colan
What kind of conversation
are you planning to have
that will make them part of
your community.
Hint: Create a slack channel
for inspired conversation

8.
Start Engaging Long
Before the Event
Track which one they gravitate towards more to gain some
useful insight on which topic is more appealing to them.
exhibits.skybay.com
Use A/B testing for topic variations
Hint: Keep the content
same. Play with the over-
arching messaging.

9.
Sample
Agenda
Introduction to the Session
Check-in and Icebreaker
Memorable Interaction
Spread the word
1
3
2
4
exhibits.skybay.com

10.
Introduction
Clarify the goal of the session before starting.
As facilitators, your role is to keep the session on
track and to ensure everyone participates in the
discussion.
Introduce your session facilitators
Tomas Chloe
exhibits.skybay.com
Sammy

11.
Click the More tab in
the editor side panel.
1
Select the Emoji or
GIPHY app.
2
Browse and click the
Emoji or GIF you want
to use.
3
Check-in with your Audience
How are they feeling?
Choose an Emoji, GIF, or image
from a mood meter that best
represents how they feel at the
moment.
Ask your platform provider for these
engagement enchancement tools.
exhibits.skybay.com

12.
What's your morning routine?
What’s a random act of kindness you did for a stranger?
What's the most challenging thing you've done in life?
What are your hot buttons?
What are you passionate about?
Suggestions for icebreaker questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5.30
morning run
- Lily C.
5.30
morning yoga
- Steph G.
6.30
morning
meditation
- Laurie G.
6.30
morning journal
writing
- Peter G.
6.30
morning
commute
- Radha B.
Get to Know your Audience
exhibits.skybay.com
Know the answer to these
questions and ride the wave of
'personalization'.

13.
Begin
Session
Memorable Interaction
exhibits.skybay.com

14.
Arrest Their Attention
exhibits.skybay.com
Attendees can only give their full attention for so long.
Work moments of pause into the rhythm of your event.
Encourage participation through polls, trivia, Q&A, ask for volunteers —
Make your audience feel like they are part of the event
rather than talking at them.
Ask questions that matter in
their work life.
Hint: Use social listening to
figure out the challenges in
your industry

15.
Make Them Feel Valued
exhibits.skybay.com
To be valued is, the want to be seen, heard and understood.
To be valued is, to belong.
To be valued is, to be appreciated.

16.
exhibits.skybay.com
Value Enahancers
Ditch the Mask of Anonymity1
Encourage your Attendees to
Put in place profile creation on your
event platform as the norm.
Encouraging attendees to fill in their profile
information so they can be seen and known by other
attendees is crucial. It’s easy for virtual attendees to
hide behind the mask of their computer screen.
This is what your virtual audience feel:
“If I don’t show up much here, then I can avoid the potential
pain of not being noticed, heard, or understood.”

17.
exhibits.skybay.com
Value Enahancers
Prolific Partipication2
Reward your Attendees for
Provide incentives and awards for
participation.
Award points for completing polls, social challenges
like networking with other attendees, or meeting with
exhibitors (if applicable), submitting a
question, filling in their profile, or similar activities.
Incentivize
different levels of
performance.
Use gamification to
map out a clear path
of progression.

18.
exhibits.skybay.com
Value Enahancers
Being Seen3
Give Them the Recognition of
Recognize engaged attendees on
camera.
Plan to have your host recognize engaged attendees
by name on camera so that they feel
validated and seen.
This way, your entire online audience knows that
their participation can lead to them feeling seen.
Not everyone is
looking for an answer;
often people just want
to be seen and heard.

19.
exhibits.skybay.com
Value Enahancers
Icebreaker Games4
Entice them to Participate in
Plan Networking Activities with
Icebreakers
Tools like Zoom, Hopin or SpotMe offer great online
networking features for both small breakout
groups or one large group.
Consider a virtual trivia mixer or virtual escape game
mixer as a networking hour for your online
audience.
1. Six Word Memoirs
2. Desert Island Intelligences
3. Speed Networking
4. Hometown Map
5. Psychology Masks
6. Achievements Under 18
7. Myers-Briggs Session
8. Jenga Questions
9. Time Heist
10. I’m a Brand Manager

20.
exhibits.skybay.com
Value Enahancers
Humanize Your Event
Enhance your Presence
Don't Skim on Staffing
In addition to your in-person host or emcee, hire at
least 3 moderators. It is the people that will make your
event sing, dance and pulsate
with life sustaining energy.One moderator should be dedicated to be responding to
comments in live chat.
The second moderator should serve as the on-camera
host, so that audience members connect with the face
and personality of a host and feel seen by them with
direct “eye contact” through the camera. This moderator
may be responsible for session transitions,
announcements, etc.
The third moderator should be busy encouraging the less
active participants to get involved.
5

21.
Make Their Journey
exhibits.skybay.com
It's the journey that matters.
Help them to soak it in.
Impart lessons. Impact positively.
Become a resident in their memory palace.
Worth it!

22.
Spread the Word
exhibits.skybay.com
Reward and Recap Dedicated Hashtags in Social Channels
Become a Content "Chop Shop".
Relentlessly, Re-purpose and Re-integrate.

23.
The mind is just like a muscle
— the more you exercise it,
the stronger it gets and the
more it can expand.
Keep exploring
Keep experimenting
— Idowu Koyenikan
exhibits.skybay.com

24.
Thank you
exhibits.skybay.com

25.
STOP START
KEEP
GOING
Icons and
Illustrations
Resource Page
Use these free recolorable icons and
illustrations in your Canva design.
June 1, 2021MDM Company