We’ve all been there… virtually shoved into a “room” with a bunch of people we don’t know and asked to network. In a digital event,  the basics of small talk are hard to put into practice. Is it appropriate to say “Great weather we are having!” when you’re not even sure where the other person is located?

An EventMB study reports that 31% of Event Managers cite engagement as their number one biggest challenge in the virtual event world.

So, what are we doing about it?  We at Hermis, hope to show users and event organizers how the Platform features can help overcome the challenge of matching in-person engagement levels for distributed groups and provide structure to networking- something that we hear from event professionals and admins as their biggest need.

One of the ways we do this is by using strategic ice breaker questions to stimulate more interesting networking. In a recent event we organized to celebrate Administrative Professionals day, attendees had similar professional backgrounds but all came from different companies. After 15 minutes of ‘speed networking,’ the group became fast friends by discovering a few of them had worked with mutual connections or at former or current companies of the other group members.

Most of us have heard the term “a picture speaks a thousand words” At Hermis we whole-heartedly agree. That’s why we incorporate photos and graphics whenever possible. This not only increases engagement but also commits the experience to memory better than a mostly text-based experience. This also helps increase the attention span of the users- which we know to be a major factor for online events.

Our goal is to aid in facilitating diversity and inclusion while creating FUN networking opportunities. In our weekly demo, users and organizers can experience how common games like Trivia, Scavenger Hunt, Mingle, Speed Mingle, Virtual Escape room, and Bingo can be used in a creative virtual way to increase engagement. Sign up for a demo HERE

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