Polling for events isn’t exactly a novel idea. They’re frequently used to keep attendees engaged, kickstart conversations, and offer some levity in between long sessions. But executing it well the virtual space is an entirely separate challenge in itself. We’ve seen boxy square polls on Zoom calls that pop up right on top of the speakers’ faces, forcing you to slide them out of the way, or the opposite: detached polls that steal valuable attention away from the main event.

These scenarios make it feel like the polls are just an ancillary feature, instead of something that’s intentionally embedded in the run of show. Isn’t it time for a better virtual polling experience?

Introducing Polling

Enter: Welcome’s new integrated polling feature. This isn’t just your run-of-the-mill opinion-recording instrument. We’ve created a seamless polling tool that can be brought to and voted on the same stage that your event is on—making your poll the star of the show (at least while it’s on stage), rather than a mere accessory. All in real time. All on the same interface.

Moments of connection shouldn't be left up to chance. Every part of your run-of-show can either facilitate or inhibit engagement, and polling is a powerful way to let your attendees participate in your event rather than just spectate. It can also be used throughout your event to capture valuable data, including engagement touchpoints, audience participation, and real-time event feedback. ‍

An engaging event is a memorable one. When you see your audience engage by voting on a poll and reacting to the results in chat, you know they’re feeling less like they’re sitting in a room alone and more like they’re participating in an unforgettable shared experience.

Here’s what you should know about polls on Welcome.

• No more boring white boxes. The background color can be set to match your brand, and you even have the option to add in images right next to the poll.
• Designing a poll takes minutes. All you need is a question and up to ten multiple-choice answers. 
• Up to four speakers can be shown on stage, right next to the poll.
• You can hide results or choose to share them in real time by going into the producer settings. If shared with attendees, they will see the results change dynamically as more responses come in.
• Insert pre-recorded videos: Say you’re pop-quizzing attendees about movies. You can slot in a clip from a movie to offer some more context. 
• You can access polling data directly in the analytics dashboard after the event, from the number of votes to the attendees' individual answers—all broken down by question.

How you can use polling

Whether you’re producing an annual marketing conference for the masses or looking to inject some excitement into your weekly all hands meeting, polls can be used in a myriad of ways to engage your audience.

• Quiz your attendees to make sure they’re actually paying attention and retaining your content.
• There’s no time like the present to capture valuable (and immediate) feedback. If you’re an event producer, you know how crucial it is to get feedback from as many attendees as possible. Throw on a poll during the event to help you polish up your session as you go, or right at the end to improve future events.
• Get a pulse of your audience—who they are, their roles, goals for the event, and topics they’re most excited about—and use that information to guide the direction of your event.
• Use polls to break the ice and inject humor, during and in between sessions. Plan a trivia game to add a little light-hearted competition among attendees or kick off your weekly team meeting with a game of “two truths and a lie” to get to know your colleagues better.

About Welcome

From our interactive polling feature to our state-of-the-art production studio, each of Welcome’s features add up to provide a truly exceptional virtual experience platform. One that not only works seamlessly for an event of any size, but delivers meaningful engagement and data-backed results—all while looking stunningly beautiful. Find out more about the platform by booking a demo with us! We’d love to show you how it all works.