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The Four I’s of Gamification

Chances are you’ve experienced some kind of event gamification in the past. You might have seen it through an event scavenger hunt, or maybe it made a more subtle appearance through a Leaderboard of the “Top Social Media Posters” on an event’s social wall. We’ve already shared our two cents on how gamification can be a tool to increase event attendance, but the trend is also useful in other ways. Through gamification, you can make your event more interactive, inclusive, and instructive for your guests—and more informative for you.

1. Get interactive

First and foremost, games will make your event more interactive. Some interactive game ideas include:

• Giving out points as attendees collect business cards. Then award prizes to the attendees with the most business cards at the end of the event.
• Creating a tradeshow passport in your event app for attendees to ‘check in.’ They can then collect virtual stamps as they move through the booths. This would be another opportunity to present the people with a fully stamped passport a special swag item.

Games like these can gently push attendees to network and keep floor traffic moving. This interaction will also keep guests engaged throughout the entire event and make the general event agenda a more personal experience.

2. Make it inclusive

An event game will also create an inclusive atmosphere. To increase the feeling of inclusivity, try introducing a pitch competition to your conference schedule. This will give smaller and newer companies time to share their ideas in a space typically reserved for more established industry voices. You could also extend participation to those not competing by including a “crowd favorite” prize. Using gamification in this way gives every attendee the feeling that they are more than just one of many faces in the audience.

3. Ensure it’s instructive

Gamification can also be instructive. At an event with a heavy lineup of panels and speeches, use a points system to promote discussion during panels and give away items to the most engaged participant. This is a great opportunity to encourage and work with exhibitors to include games in their booths. Your guest will interact with the event’s content, learn about new products in memorable ways, and leave with new knowledge of the industry.

4. Take advantage of the information

Event games aren’t just for the guests—they can also be highly informative for the host. While registration and attendance analytics are useful, they do not provide a complete picture of the event experience. Use your event app to collect information from the games in order to increase your reporting potential exponentially. This will allow you to answer questions like:

• Who were the people who had the most movement in the event?
• Which booths at the trade show were most popular?
• What new business trends are appearing in your industry?
• Which panels were the most thought-provoking?
• How can you use that information to make improvements on next year’s event?

Each of these aspects of gamification will keep your audience engaged, excited, and informed… Ready to start brainstorming ways to introduce gaming at your next event? Share your ideas below!