The Ups and Downs of “Gamifying” Your Meeting

The hottest new thing on the market is always exciting however that doesn’t mean that it always benefits your meeting.  Adding technological games such as adding Four Square or awarding participants for scanning a QR code may be fun but isn’t always beneficial.

Often we try to adopt a concept like incorporating games into a meeting before we fully understand it.  Random scavenger hunts are just not going to cut it in this ever changing technological world.  You have to think like an attendee and understand that if you are going to cut out networking time you have to offer them something better in return.

Cell Phone Gaming has reached new heights.

Last February the Green Meeting Industry Council introduced a game design as its key element of their Sustainable Meetings Conference. Attendees played through the game by attending sessions and talking to exhibitors in order to complete a case study.  The rules were simple and the networking possibilities negated the time they had to spend doing specific activities.

The problem arises when the goals of your game do not match those of your meeting.  Often companies and planners get caught up in the buzz and the fun and forget to reflect on the objectives and goals of the meeting when developing their own game.  This can lead to complicated rules and no end goal that makes it hard for the attendees to understand why they should participate.

Games can be a great way to add some fun and excitement to annual meetings or other events but make sure that they are only included if they meet the objectives and goals of the meeting.  


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