Introduction
Virtual events have become a vital part of virtual networking for individuals worldwide, as they provide ample opportunities for engagement and interaction to share knowledge and ideas for a more diverse and inclusive future. However, all successful virtual events require on-point marketing and promotion, which includes swag. Therefore, the importance of virtual event swag for attendee engagement must be considered. This is because swag provides extra fun and excitement your attendees can use to share while potentially fostering lasting connections and relationships.
Here, we will discuss an overview of the 10 coolest virtual event swag ideas you can use in your next virtual event to help increase attendee engagement and interaction. These include digital gift cards, virtual goodie bags, virtual fitness classes, virtual food, and much more. By doing this, you can help your attendees develop their networking skills while increasing diversity, inclusivity, and connectivity for individuals worldwide.
Digital Gift Cards
The first swag item is digital gift cards, which offer flexibility and choice for attendees long after the virtual event has ended. These include open-loop digital gift cards that function the same way as cash and can be used anywhere, as well as branded digital gift cards that can be used for specific brands.
Partnering with popular retailers or online services is an excellent way to obtain branded digital gift cards, including Amazon, Target, or Walmart. It can be tailored to meet the theme of the virtual event. Through this, your attendees can swap gift cards while building relationships, along with building your relationships with well-known companies.
Additionally, customizing gift card amounts based on attendee preferences can be accomplished through pre-event emails or surveys. Ensure you provide the appropriate amounts that will satisfy your attendees, as well.
Virtual Goodie Bags
Curating digital goodie bags with exclusive offers and discounts is another way to keep your attendees engaged with each other, as they can share what’s in their bags through swapping parties either during or after the virtual event.
Potential virtual goodie bag items include e-books, whitepapers, and resources that might be relevant to attendees based on their preferences or the theme of the virtual event. Through this, you provide diverse items that your attendees can share during or after the virtual event.
By doing this, you are providing value-added content to enhance the attendee experience, thus increasing diversity, inclusivity, and connectivity for individuals worldwide.
Customized Merchandise
For a more personal touch, designing and shipping branded merchandise to attendees’ doorsteps is a surefire way to get them excited for your virtual event, as they can showcase these items throughout the event. Through this, you increase attendee engagement by enabling them to discuss the various brands they are showcasing and how much they use them throughout their lives.
Branded merchandise options include T-shirts, mugs, water bottles, and tech accessories (e.g., iPhone covers, headphones carriers, etc.). These options can be customized based on attendee preferences from pre-event surveys and emails and can also be catered to the virtual event theme.
By doing this, you are creating memorabilia for attendees to remember the virtual event experience long after the virtual event has ended. This provides ample opportunities for attendees to showcase and discuss their merchandise swag with each other, thus increasing diversity, inclusivity, and connectivity for individuals worldwide.
Interactive Digital Experiences
Offering access to virtual escape rooms, games, or other experiences is a fantastic way to increase attendee engagement. These experiences provide a safe and secure learning environment where your attendees work together towards a common goal.
Additionally, providing virtual tours or digital experiences related to your virtual event themes enables an extra level of attendee engagement and interaction. This can be accomplished by further introducing them to your brand or brands being showcased at your virtual event, which they can use as potential employment opportunities or educational opportunities.
Engaging attendees with interactive and memorable experiences enables them to not only get excited about future virtual events you might host but also helps them improve their virtual networking skills with individuals worldwide.
Virtual Fitness and Wellness Classes
Hosting virtual yoga, meditation, or fitness sessions for attendees enables them to learn strategies to focus on their physical and mental health that they can use long after the virtual event has ended. This provides your attendees with lifelong benefits that they can share with their family and friends, thus building your brand while helping improve your attendees’ livelihoods.
If some attendees cannot participate during the live portion of the virtual event, providing access to on-demand wellness content or classes enables them to gain the necessary knowledge on their own time while providing them with the same lifelong benefits for their physical and mental well-being.
Promoting health and well-being among event participants is an excellent strategy for improving their physical and mental well-being, increasing attendee engagement, and getting them excited about future virtual events.
Exclusive Access to Content or Resources
Offering VIP access to premium content or sessions provides your attendees with next-level engagement and interaction opportunities for their virtual networking needs. This can be accomplished on a first-come-first-serve basis via email, text, or a raffle before the virtual event takes place.
Additionally, providing exclusive access to speaker Q&A sessions or workshops enables an extra level of engagement, which can be accomplished through the above or a raffle.
Finally, offering early access to event recordings or on-demand content provides attendees who couldn’t participate in the live portion of the virtual event ample opportunities to gain knowledge and experience. This can be accomplished via pre-event emails, and access can be provided immediately after the virtual event.
Virtual Food and Beverage Experiences
Along with merchandise, sending food or beverage kits to attendees’ homes is a surefire strategy to get them excited about the upcoming virtual event. This allows attendees to showcase their kits with each other throughout the virtual event, which helps increase diversity, inclusivity, and connectivity for individuals worldwide.
These food and beverage kits could be used to host virtual cooking or mixology classes, where attendees can engage with and interact with each other regarding best practices and strategies. Thus, they can improve their virtual networking skills and foster lasting relationships.
Additionally, coupons or discounts for food delivery services like UberEats and DoorDash incentivize attendees to order from these services and help contribute to contract workers worldwide.
Personalized Digital Swag
Offering customized avatars, virtual backgrounds, or filters will provide your attendees with next-level engagement strategies, helping them showcase themselves or their brand while adding an extra level of fun and enjoyment to the virtual event.
Additionally, providing digital stickers, GIFs, or emojis for virtual communication will accomplish the same next-level engagement strategies your attendees can use to build their virtual network.
Finally, creating personalized digital artwork or memorabilia will enable your attendees to showcase their creative abilities, which they can share with attendees and other participants. This could open doors for employment opportunities or simply build their virtual network.
Virtual Team Building Activities
Virtual events aim to connect individuals worldwide, and offering team-building exercises or challenges for attendee groups provides ample opportunities for your attendees to engage and connect while developing their virtual networking skills. These can be accomplished with breakout rooms or scheduled meetings while increasing diversity, inclusivity, and connectivity for individuals worldwide.
Additionally, hosting virtual trivia nights, scavenger hunts, or group activities provides next-level engagement opportunities for your attendees. During these activities, they can earn points and prizes, the latter of which could be digital gift cards or additional swag.
Fostering connection and collaboration among attendees is the cornerstone of virtual events, and virtual team activities help provide the tools and resources to make this happen. Through this, you help your attendees build virtual networks while increasing diversity, inclusivity, and connectivity for everyone.
Social Impact Initiatives
Partnering with nonprofits or charities for social impact is a surefire strategy to help build your brand and increase attendee engagement while introducing your attendees to ways to give back to the community. One way to accomplish this is by offering your attendees the opportunity to donate or support a cause of their choosing, such as helping military veterans or unhoused individuals.
Virtual events are a successful method for fostering lasting relationships, and you can provide your attendees with the necessary tools and resources by enabling them to create a positive impact beyond the virtual event experience.
Conclusion
Here, we discussed the 10 coolest virtual event swag ideas that will help make your next virtual event one to remember and provide a lasting impact well beyond the virtual event. These swag ideas emphasize creating memorable and valuable experiences for attendees that will have a lasting impact long after the virtual event has ended.
We strongly encourage readers to implement swag ideas in their virtual events. We are confident that they provide next-level engagement strategies that your attendees will enjoy well beyond the virtual event. Please get in touch with Chati with any questions or comments and check out our partners at Swagable for more virtual swag ideas.
