There are some occasions in our life which are pretty significant for us. And one such occasion is a graduation ceremony. Students and parents wait for it, dream about it for their entire life. It is among those events that happen once in our lifetime. So it is clear that students and their parents are really excited about it. But last year, many students who were about to complete their graduation didn’t get a chance to live this dream for obvious reasons (the ranging pandemic and lockdown). And it broke the hearts of millions of graduates around the world. So the only option was to go online. And host a virtual graduation ceremony. But there were lots of reasons for concerns. Firstly the challenge of connecting every student and other was to replicate the experience of a physical world. The answer is simple, choose the right platform for your virtual ceremony. And provide your attendees with features that will enhance their experience.
Top 12 Features And Methods For Hosting Your Virtual Graduation Ceremony
Table of Contents
Live Streaming
Since you are planning to host your virtual graduation ceremony online, why not live to stream it. This will help you in many ways. First, it will provide your attendees with an immersive experience. Also, they will feel as if they are a physical event. Along with students, give access to the ceremony to their parents also. In case they aren’t with their child then, they will also be able to view it. Since the ceremony is virtual, it will be best to live to stream it. Those students who are out of town can also become part of the event.
Pre-Recorded Messages/Ceremony
Alternatively, if you don’t want to live stream the graduation ceremony, you can record the ceremony and release it later. If you are going with a live ceremony, you can use previously recorded messages from students, teachers, and alumni. This will give a unique, humane touch to your ceremony. Also, it will make attendees, especially students and parents, happy. And they will feel connected and valuable.
Social Wall
A social wall is basically a screen that displays photos, videos, and messages that attendees uploaded about the event on social media using related hashtags. It will give attendees a sense of connectivity with their friends and colleagues. Also, they will feel as if they are all together under one roof.
Not only this, it will help them to know what their friends are thinking about the event. And what is being discussed on social media? For example, they might discuss their memories and so on.
Live chat
Live chat is one of the best methods to engage attendees in a virtual event. And it will make students happy to know that they can chat with their friends. Just like in a physical world. For this, you can integrate various platforms like WhatsApp and Zoom into your virtual ceremony. It will help them to reach not only their friends and classmates but also with the teaching facility. Also, it will create excitement throughout the event. And attendees will be able to talk about speeches, ceremonies and their future plans. Like they would have done in a physical event.
Gamification
Games will help you lighten the mood. And the attendees won’t feel bored. They can play different games while waiting for the ceremony to begin. You can integrate different types of games within your platform or can link online games with your platform. Not only this, attendees can compete through these games with their friends and classmates.
AR Photobooth
An AR photo booth or Augmented Reality photo booth allows attendees to click their photo with virtual photo background or frame. Clicking photos with your friends and classmates at the graduation ceremony is one of the most awaited activities. And it is one of the most important for students. Since it would be impossible in this current situation. So, by offering this feature, you can give them a chance to fulfil their most desired wish. Not only will it be truly memorable, but also they will have a permanent picture.
Push Notification
Push notification is one of the best ways to remind people to attend the virtual event. And also, remind your attendees about a session or speech in your virtual ceremony. For which they are waiting eagerly.
This will not let your attendees forget about their friend’s speeches, and they won’t leave the event midway. In other ways, you can keep them engaged.
One-on-one/group meetings
This can be a very convenient feature for your attendees. As they will be able to have one-on-one meetings with each other. Or can have a group meeting with their classmates or professors. Also, it can be used to share their feelings and messages with each other. Not only students but also parents will be able to communicate with professors and principal. And also, students will be able to interact with their respective sports teams and communities.
Leaderboard
A leaderboard is used to display the score. You can ask your attendees to visit the different sections in your virtual graduation ceremony. Along with this, you ask them to write a message for their friends, classmates, professors, and communities. It is quite an effective tool to engage attendees.
Integrating Emoticons
You can provide your attendees with an option to reply using emoticons. It will give a personal touch. They can use this feature to respond to their friends, professors, and classmate’s speeches. And those who will receive these emoticons will feel special.
Using live polls
Conducting polls during the event is a great way to engage people. Having live votes in the event will engage people. Also, they will feel that their opinion matters and you are genuinely interested in their opinion. You can also ask attendees to vote for the best-dressed person. It will be an unusual way to keep them involved in the virtual graduation ceremony.
Collect feedback of attendees
Feedback from attendees is essential. And you don’t want to miss out on collecting feedback. As it provides you with the summary of your attendees, like their experience, preferences and expectations, and so on. This feedback will help you to make the required changes for your next event. In this case, you can ask students and parents about their experiences, thoughts, and opinions about the virtual graduation ceremony.
We hope this article will provide you with the answer to all your queries. And you will be able to host a successful virtual graduation ceremony.