Why virtual events are more engaging than campus-based open days

Let’s talk about talking.

One of the biggest myths about virtual student recruitment events is that they somehow lack the personal touch—that sense of connection and real-time interaction you get at an in-person open day. But here’s the truth: when done right, virtual events can actually encourage more meaningful conversations.

Feeling chatty?

A misconception about virtual events is that they lack the "prospective student" engagement factor of a physical event. At ivent, our live chat functionality helps create conversations. The more engaged prospective students are, the more questions they ask — even seemingly small ones — and the more confident they become in applying and, ultimately, accepting a place with you.

Quality vs. quantity, & higher conversion rates

We have clearly seen that virtual events generally deliver both quantity and quality ‘engagements’ and a very high conversion rate. In our experience, live chat with online, audio, and video capabilities leads to a higher volume of questions and comments. Data from a recent ivent student recruitment virtual event showed that 65 questions were asked and answered in the space of just over an hour. At another online open day students engaged via the chat function even after the event ended – definitely not something that can be done with a campus-based event.

The anonymous nature of live chat gives prospective students the confidence to ask more questions from the comfort of their own home than they might in person. With our chat function, students can choose between public or private conversations, and there’s always someone available to respond. This means they don’t have to wait in line or feel rushed to ask their questions. Digital engagement makes for great communication where students won't feel embarassed for asking the simpleest or obviosus of quetions they might feel nervous about asking in person.

It’s good to talk

One of the main reasons for having a student recruitment event at all is to engage prospective students. On the day, this is largely done through chatting with faculty members and asking questions. What we’re saying is that, whilst this clearly happens at a campus-based event, a virtual event makes this process even more effective. How?

Well, for starters, is it possible to monitor and log all the questions students ask throughout the event? While staff may jot down the various questions asked, these will likely to be sporadic at best — and often get lost amid the busyness of the event. The live chat function of a virtual event platform will not only show the amount of students engaged, but the log of questions asked by individuals which can then be used for post-event analysis, perfect for following up specific queries or to ensure future events address the topics students ask about most frequently.