The ‘Internet’ & ‘Virtual Technology’ has positively connected the world and shrunk it on a single platform. Your smart devices are LIVE portals through which you can exchange infinite Knowledge & Communication that forms the very basis of Education. ‘Virtual Education Fairs’ are the best example of the same.
What are ‘Virtual Education Fairs’?
‘Virtual Education Fairs’ are virtual platforms developed to bring students and universities located across the world on a single platform. The idea is to make Education & Learning a global process thereby dissolving international boundaries between students & universities. Students from anywhere across the globe can connect directly with international Schools & Universities and secure the best educational prospects. On the other hand Institutions get access to a global student pool and build a strong talent asset.
‘Virtual Education Fairs’ have been highly successful in the past but their frequency has increased considerably within the last few years after the pandemic. They have provided a significant boost to ‘International Education Tourism’ and made it one of the most flourishing & sustainable businesses.
Owing to this the Education Fair organisers have to face a tough competition and only the ones who manage to win the confidence & trust of student’s majority & Universities can top the charts. And what is the best way to achieve that? Yes, you are right, it’s through engaging ‘Virtual Education Fair Platforms’ & good ‘Marketing’.
Here’s where ibentos can help you best!
There are many parameters that govern the performance of a ‘Virtual Education Fair Platform’ namely it’s Aesthetics, Functionality Features, Speed, Accuracy, Engrossment Level & Attendee engagement. Ibentos Education Fair platforms cover each of them explicitly. However, here we are going to share some insights specifically on “How to make a Virtual Education Fair Platform engaging by boosting Interaction.”
So, let's get started!
1. Initiate interactions from the Marketing Stage itself.
Doing a proper groundwork before the education fair will ensure better on-event interactions. The organisers must design their marketing strategy also to initiate conversation with the potential students. The interaction could be induced via sending Mailers, Newsletters, Event Highlights, Universities List, Event Schedule, Talent Workshop Details, Guest Speakers, Career Counselling Webinars and more. Share the topic of discussion in advance or invite topics from the attendees themselves. Be assertive while responding to chats & queries. Always remember that an informed audience always participates actively in discussions and interactions.
2. Technically sound virtual platforms ensure smooth interaction.
Smooth connection is the basic requirement for healthy interaction. Forget about the interaction part, successessive interruptions & technical failures can enforce aversions in the audience and even compel them to exit the event. The organisers must monitor the education fair platform at the design stage itself and ensure the following things:
- Excellent functionality at peak attendee load
- Functionality in multiple smart devices
- Speed of data transfer
- Simple user interfaces & organised venue layout
- Compatibility to other applications
- Mode of Interaction & communication
3. Anticipate student’s needs and design Webinars & Workshops accordingly.
Students attend ‘Education Fairs’ not just for knowing about universities & available courses. Of course this is one of the primary needs, but students expect the platform to cover the entire process a lot more comprehensively. For instance: Guidelines on Application Process, Tips on Resume Writing, Essential Resume Annexures, Information on Trending Careers, Personality Grooming & Skill Improvement, Basic dos & don’t and tips for adaptation to foreign culture & society. When you stay promt to student’s primary concerns & relevant topics, they will automatically stay interested and participate in the interactions more actively.
4. Promote one-one-one intraction.
Virtual platforms cannot provide face-to-face in-person interaction but they can closely simulate it through one-on-one Audio/Video/Chat/ Telephonic interaction between the participants. The organisers must facilitate their platforms with appropriate one-on-one interaction tools which are compatible with the widely used communication applications like zoom, webex, microsoft teams, zoho etc. And ensure that the meeting schedulers automatically guide students with the available meeting slots, so the students don’t have long waiting hours.
5. Conduct introductory briefing sessions
Conduct training sessions for your Staff, University Representatives & Registered Students about the codes & conduct to be followed during the event, event schedule and the correct usage of Virtual Platform. This will eliminate the scope for confusions and enable participants to utilise their maximum time on productive discussions & interaction.
6. Include instant touch point communication
Your virtual venue must have buttons or touch points at locations & sections with the maximum possibility of student queries. We at ibentos, ensure to provide touch points for interaction at every University Booth, Networking Lounge and Auditoriums, where students can watch LIVE or recorded sessions also have communication points to float their queries directly to speakers.
7. Dedicated Networking Lounges
Networking lounges are the dedicated spaces where students and university representatives enter for the sole purpose of growing network. The orgaisers must maintain a conducive environment here to promote interaction & contact exchange. This can be done by hosting guided interaction activities or by providing Touch point Buttons.
8. Interaction & Discussion Rooms
Discussion rooms are an ideal place for two-way or group communication. Student queries related to courses, university infrastructure & facilities, fee and scholarships etc can be sorted here as well apart from the university booths.
9. Make your webinars interactive through feedback, quizzes, polls & Q/A rounds.
Organisers must instruct speakers to cover topics most relevant to students, time the sessions and keep the sessions interactive. This can be done by taking periodic feedback, asking students opinion through polls, maintain their interest levels through quizzes and Question/Answer rounds. Appreciate the effort students take in responding and if possible add incentives in the form token prizes, tokens for online training sessions & more.
10. Interactive activities in Breakout time
Audiences need some breakout time in between the sessions to rejuvenate & relax themselves. If oragnaisers some make this time relaxing & productive through interactive activities, it will greatly improve their level of participation in forthcoming sessions. Gamification, entertainment, online rock concerts, treasure hunts, award functions are some good options.
‘Virtual Education Fairs’ are the most economic, fastest & convinieant tool that students can use to know, search, evaluate & secure the best education opportunities available across the world , without any travel or relocation. Similarly, they are a useful means for Schools & Universities to located talented students across the globe, maintain their quality standards and generate maximum revenue.
For the same reasons ‘Virtual Education Fairs’ always present better success rate both the parties as compared to their physical counterpart. Smooth connection & maximum interaction is the key to their success. By opting for an capable virtual technology partner such as ibentos, the organisers can be assured to provide best virtual experiences to their Clients & Students and broden their scope of opportunities.
Ibentos’s Virtual education Fair platforms have the most Engroosing Designs, Interactive Exhibitor Booths, Extensive Candidate Assessment Tools, Widest Networking Options and the most explicit Performance Measurement and Analysis tools. Visit us at https://ibentos.com/best-virtual-education-fair/ to know what more features & benefits you can expect from us! Book a demo at www.ibentos.com now!
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