11 Groundbreaking Virtual Events Ideas for 2022

Event trends are changing for the coming year. Virtual events will still take center stage in 2022. To keep up with these new trends you will need some fun virtual event ideas!

Virtual events replicate the experience of physical events using an online platform. They connect hosts with attendees in a virtual space from anywhere in the world. Making it more accessible to everyone. They also lower the cost of organizing an event while enhancing the reach and boosting ROI effectively. 

However, a simple online webinar is not enough! You should be able to create a virtual environment that replicates a physical one. You also need to come up with some fun virtual event ideas to keep your attendees enthralled!

We have brainstormed some virtual event ideas for you! You can manipulate these to any event you wish. However, to make things easier, we have given some suggestions for different event types. 

1. Virtual Cocktail Hour

A virtual happy hour might be just the thing your attendees need. Prior to the event, send over a small basket of drinks to your attendees. Let them know they will be participating in a virtual cocktail hour. 

At a certain time in the event, announce that everyone can head on over to the networking lounge. While enjoying their free drinks, they can network together through audio or video chats. Be sure to play some light background music to make things light. Maybe you can include some topics on a virtual board for attendees to break the ice. 

2. Virtual DJ Session

Some of us love to let loose and enjoy a dancing session. You can have a virtual DJ session. Invite a DJ to come play. Get your attendees to dim their lights in their rooms. And (if they have any) attach their device to good speakers. This can be a follow up to the virtual cocktail hour. Or it can be a stand alone event. Just make sure they have some drinks to bring their guard down. Round off your event with a dance off and have your attendees ‘just send it!’

Our Suggestion: Virtual Conference

A virtual cocktail hour or a DJ session are great virtual event ideas for a virtual conference! Virtual conferences enable organizations to host as they would without flying in people from various parts of the world. 

Virtual conferences are where like-minded people can exchange ideas, gain inspiration from one another and network. Yet, it can get exhausting. Capitalize on the fact that conferences are great for networking. 

If your conference spans over a few days, help exhausted attendees take away their exhaustion. Get them to dance their night and stress away!

3. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

In your 3D designed environment, why not sprinkle some items in different spaces of your event. Gamify your event with a virtual scavenger hunt. When they log in on the day of the event, provide an announcement that shares the details for the game. As attendees ‘scavenge’ for and nab items, they gain points. These points can be displayed on a virtual leaderboard. This is a great way for attendees to explore other parts of your event, and to keep them engaged. 

Our Suggestion: Virtual Product Launch

A virtual product launch event can introduce your product to a global audience, increase prospective customers and provide measurable insights about the attendees through virtual reporting.

If you are launching a new product, create more engagement with it through a virtual scavenger hunt. The audience could either seek out parts of the new product. Or they could look for a certain number of one item. As they find them, they gain points that could be displayed on a virtual leaderboard. The winner can take home the new product itself, or a discount. This will create engagement and more excitement about your new product as well.

4. Virtual Game Shows

Some of the best games you can play involve game shows! Take a new spin with a virtual game night. Have you seen “Why Would I Lie to You?” Participants are given prompts that they read out to the other team. From here on, the other team poses questions in order to determine if it’s a truth or a lie. The player can choose to be as withholding, or spin the story as bizarrely as they wish in order to win the round! For peels of laughter your attendees could get a real kick out of this one. 

5. Virtual Murder Mystery 

Why not mix up a scavenger hunt and include a murder mystery instead! Use this virtual murder mystery tool to get started! As attendees scour booths and look for clues, this would be a great way to engage with your audience. At the end of the event, have a great reveal!

6. Virtual Open Mic Night

Ask attendees to bring any talent they wish to share with them! They can then showcase their poems, songs, comedy acts, or anything under the sun! This would create a lighter mood for networking and also help everyone to get to know one another better. 

Our Suggestion: Virtual Company Events

Why not use these virtual event ideas for a company wide event? Whether a virtual benefits fair, a company retreat, onboarding fair or a company wide meeting. In an interactive environment, employees get to know one another better, boost morale and create a sense of camaraderie. Game activities such as Would I lie to you, Murder Mystery or an Open Mic night are just the way to do that.

7. Virtual Mixer

A virtual mixer is a great way for people to get to know one another in a new environment. You can throw attendees into a virtual space and use the auto matchmaking tool that can match people up. Alternatively, you could use Zoom breakout sessions in order to do this. This virtual event idea eases people and gains some sense of familiarity.

Our Suggestion: Virtual Open Day/Alumni Networking Fair

With a virtual open day, universities can reach out to a global pool of prospective students, diversify the student body, and promote programs effectively. They can create a virtual tour of their premises through a custom 3D environment. They can chat with attendees to address their questions or collect inquiries and follow up later. 

Get prospective students to really gain the feel of their new school environment. A virtual mixer with department heads, teachers and other students could be a great way to ease them in. They can have virtual ice breakers.

Or facilitate your college’s alumni to come together on one platform and engage with one another at a social event. A virtual mixer will help you keep all your alumni connected. They are an asset, and an alumni networking fair not only brings them close to their peers, but also to your university/school. 

Alumni can search for similar profiles, people with similar interests and job titles. They can invite them for a chat using the live chat tools.  They can get updates about their alma mater. This fosters meaningful conversations and also helps create opportunities. 

8. Virtual Meditation

Being in a virtual environment becomes exhausting. Why not have a guided virtual meditation provided within your event. This can help destress your attendees. This way they can also be refreshed for another round of activities. Have an announcement that pops up during the event for attendees to head over to relax!

9. Virtual Speed-Networking

Virtual Speed Dating pairs individuals up for quick five minute conversations. The aim of Virtual Speed Dating is to get to know many different people at once. The auto matchmaking tool would be perfect for such a situation. 

Our Suggestion: Virtual Career/Job Fair

A virtual career fair enables organizations to reach out to a global talent pool by leveraging the power of technology. You can interact with potential candidates through chat tools, disperse information through webinars and presentations, and go beyond geographical boundaries to get the best possible resources for your organization. Furthermore, virtual career fairs allow organizations to conduct interviews in real-time.

Applying for jobs is a stressful time. Offer your attendees some respite through virtual meditation.

With virtual speed dating, we aren’t looking for love. But we are looking for suitable candidates! This could be a quick way for employers to meet with potential candidates. During a job fair this could help streamline candidates in a quick manner and then schedule more formal interviews!

10. Virtual Comedy Show

Hire a local comedian, and ask everyone to kick back and relax with a drink in hand. Give attendees a chance for a good laugh. This will allow them to ease into the networking event and feel more comfortable before networking. If anything, it gives more room for conversation. Add a twist and get the comedian to share some jokes about industry experts or new products!

11. Virtual Cooking Class

What about adding an engaging spin with a virtual cooking class! All it involves is delivery of ingredients to participants and a chef that leads the group. During registration for the event, make sure to include signups for the class and their house addresses so you can send the ingredients prior to the class. 

Choose from any cuisine you want. Or base it on your target audience’s preferences! It could even be a virtual baking class or a virtual mixology class.

Our Suggestion: Virtual Trade Show/Food Show

Virtual trade shows allow businesses to capture qualified leads effectively. They are a good method of educating your target audience and converting them into customers, regardless of geographic boundaries. They can be classified according to the industry, such as virtual fashion shows, virtual motor shows, and virtual food shows.

Are you hosting a virtual food show?  A virtual cooking class sounds just like the right recipe. Ingredients could involve those that exhibitors are showcasing. Send samples of products. Chefs could provide tips and tricks using all those ingredients. This is a great way to market exhibitor products.

Wrapping Up

Virtual event ideas are a great way to boost attendance and engagement. Not to mention, they offer hosts to be as creative as they want to be through a powerful virtual event platform such as vFairs. Channel your creative abilities and make your virtual event one to remember!