Engaging activities to get your event buzzing

As an event planner, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the practicalities and technical details that you lose sight of the bigger picture. To guarantee a real impact, finding different ways to engage with your attendees is crucial.

Interactive activities, woven into the theme and format of the event, are a great way to involve, inspire and motivate your guests.

Fun engagement techniques create a feel-good buzz, as well as encouraging networking opportunities and helping to build relationships.

Making that sort of direct connection with people will generate an emotional response which ensures your event leaves a stronger and more lasting impression.

Here are a few ideas to help boost the interactive atmosphere at your next event – and get participants suitably enthused.

Food and drink bars

Combining refreshments with fun is a sure-fire way to switch on your guests.

How about blind food tasting sessions to test people’s tastebuds – or a more specialist, informative approach with gin, wine or cheese tasting?
Or, to make things more inventive, you could challenge attendees to try some DIY cocktail mixing, sushi making or cupcake decorating.

Games

Appeal to people’s competitive spirit by encouraging them to team up for some interactive, physical activities or sport during break times.

It won’t stretch the budget too much to provide facilities for a game of table tennis, table football, slot car racing or giant board games – but it will engage and energise your guests.

Puzzles

Stimulate the mind with some entertaining mental gymnastics for your event attendees.

You could try a treasure hunt, a trivia quiz based around the theme of your event, a picture caption contest, an ‘escape room’ challenge or a ‘continue the story’ game.

Entertainment

Get people intrigued, amused and interacting with the help of professional entertainers.

A table magician, strolling musician or circus skills performer will liven up proceedings – or you could hire a caricaturist to capture guests’ attention as well as their portrait.

Creative outlets

Spark participants’ imagination by providing them with the chance to explore their creativity.

Digital graffiti walls enable people to demonstrate their artistic flair at the same time as sharing their thoughts and feelings about how the event has gone – a useful tool for gathering feedback.
A photo booth, complete with props, is always a popular attraction – and another way for people to share their experience visually, via social media and other online channels.

There’s a host of different ways to grab the attention of your audience and draw them in – and, as digital technology continues to evolve, the likes of virtual and augmented reality provide ever-widening scope in terms of interactive demonstrations, games and entertainment.