For More Engaging Meetings, Get Your Game On

Incorporating games into meetings can encourage networking and engage attendees on a deeper level, but making it work is far more than child’s play.

Along with the many benefits, there are serious elements to consider when it comes to combining games with meetings, said Bob Vaez, CEO of EventMobi, who, with Kurt Nelson of The Lantern Group, led a session on “Gamification” at the recent PCMA conference in Orlando.

Afterward, Vaez spoke with Travel Market Report about how planners can use games to increase the value of their events to attendees.

Mobile adds new dimension
While noting that games at meetings are nothing new – planners have used Bingo cards. trivia contests and other games for years, Vaez said that mobile devices and other technology have added a new dimension.  

They allow for instant gratification and the ability to use multimedia platforms rather than static information. Pictures, video and links can be used to create a contest or quiz.

At the same time, event games are not like playing “Angry Birds” on your phone – where it’s about the game itself, Vaez said.

“It’s about being engaged and using game mechanics in a non-game context,” he said. “The point is not how many minutes the game is played or how frequently you go back to it, but the game is more a channel to get people connected or learning.”

Achieving goals
If the goal is education, the game will be designed so attendees learn as they play. For example:  a trivia game will get attendees focused on content; even if they didn’t know the answers before, they will know it by the time the game is over.

If the goal is networking, the game is designed for attendees to meet each other. For example, you may set a goal of “meeting three people from the marketing department.” You have to approach as many people as you can and find those three people – typing their names into the app. Or, there is the “icebreaker game” where badges have to be scanned to earn points.

Brain science, according to Vaez and Nelson, shows that humans have an innate drive to complete tasks, that we are goal-driven and competitive by nature. One part of the brain literally “lights” up” when a game is being played; and people retain information better what that brain area is activated.

“The more specific and measurable the goals, the more powerful they are,” Vaez said. “That is why progress and a deadline are critical.”

Social aspect
The overriding goal of games is the social aspect, according to Vaez. In the past, a player didn’t know what was going on two tables over. Now there is real-time competition with the mobile app showing who is leading at any particular time.  

“At corporate events especially, everybody knows each other and you will know the person who has more points than you and that is an incentive,” Vaez said.

Technology also makes game personalization possible, he noted. For instance, players can post their names or even photos on the app leader board; or there could be a chart on the app showing all the challenges an individual has completed.

Getting players ‘hooked’
There is an advantage, said Vaez, to getting attendees invested in a game even before the event. They can play on their office computers – getting logged in, starting a challenge and earning points.

“Maybe you can ask the question ‘What were the three main factors for our sales numbers in the last quarter?’ and then if he or she gets the right answer, the player is told ‘Congratulations, you have 20 points.’ Now they’re hooked.”

What’s in a game?
While there are many more options, Vaez said any event game requires the following elements:

•    A challenge in which attendees can participate

•    Point accumulation

•    The ability to earn prizes or badges

•    Leader and progress boards to monitor whose winning

Game resources
Good online starting places for games are: Foursquare and SCVNGR. These are not event-specific but show planners how mobile apps can be used for games.

There are also several event-specific game apps: GamifyApp.com and Goosechase. Gamify offers custom-designed games from a professional at a nominal fee. Goosechase is more of a do-it-yourself application.