Playing Games

While the topics discussed at government events can be incredibly serious -- national security, cyber threats, defense -- that does not mean events have to be solemn. We've talked here before about bringing some fun to federal events without undermining the critical nature of the content.

Whether we realize it or not, Gamification has made its way into our professional lives. From "medals" awarded during mandatory online training to challenge.gov-type procurements to department contests for holiday cube decorating or charitable collections, we've inserted gameplay seamlessly into our work lives and it can also be done at our events. This game motivation goes back to our school days when teachers would post stars next to classmates' names for good behavior or excellent grades.

Research has shown that competition speaks to almost every personality type.  From achievers to explorers, to socializers and the highly competitive, most attendees will find a reason to participate.[Tweet "Research has shown that competition speaks to almost every personality type. #GovEventsBlog"]

Many tradeshows have used a version of Bingo to get attendees to visit multiple booths on their exhibit floors - collecting stamps or stickers, and completed cards can be entered in a drawing. With conference and event apps becoming the norm, check-ins can be done digitally and game-like quizzes can be incorporated to encourage people to share what they have learned at the event. You can also reward social media influencers at your event by highlighting their tweets and posts (based on quantity and/or quality) to the full attendee population.

[Tweet "Whether your gamification strategy is high tech or low tech, there are items to consider. #GovEventsBlog"]Whether your gamification strategy is high tech or low tech, there are several items you should consider when implementing a game approach.

• What do you want people to do? Do you struggle with exhibit floor traffic? Do you want to increase social media presence? Do you want to confirm people are learning? Pick your biggest challenge and use that as the inspiration for your game.
• Know your audience. What will motivate them? Is the majority of your audience super-competitive? Are they social? Are they inquisitive? Design your games and rewards to speak to the dominant personality of your audience.
• Offer multiple ways to win. Design smaller wins into the larger game. If people post five times to social media they get a discount on a future event. If they are the largest poster of the day they get a coffee gift card.
• Publicize the contest. If people don't know what it means to be a "silver medal attendee" they won't strive for it and those who achieve the honored level won't get the accolades they expect. Detail the game in pre-conference materials as well as the show itself.[Tweet "Publicize the contest. Detail the game in pre-conference materials and during show. #GovEventsBlog "]

We'd love to hear what you are seeing in the market. What gamification strategies have worked to change audience behavior? Which have fallen flat?