With the development of such technologies as Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR), universities have modernized their student onboarding through virtual university open days. Both the educational institute and students benefit from the immersive features of virtual university open days.
In this article, let’s discover how to organize impressive virtual university open days with these five tips.
What are Virtual University Open Days?
A virtual university open day is an online event organized by a university to provide prospective students with information about the institution, its programs, facilities, and campus life. It offers a virtual platform for students to explore different department exhibits, attend presentations, and engage in live chats with staff and current students.
To create virtual university open days, the university uses various online tools and platforms to replicate the traditional on-campus open day experience. By offering this virtual alternative, universities can reach a wider audience and give potential students a glimpse into their offerings regardless of geographical location.
Features of Virtual University Open Days
Host a University Virtual Tour
Whether it is an offline or virtual university open day, a campus tour is the most anticipated part. Students and parents can participate in a university virtual tour to help them get a feel of the campus. 360 virtual tours, a virtual experience that immerses the viewer in a 360-degree panorama, has been used by educational institutions to organize virtual tours.
To create a more immersive experience for your virtual university open days, consider using Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR). Companies specializing in AR/VR and mixed reality, like akaVerse, can offer ready-made solutions to make your dream virtual university open days come to life.
Share University Resources Conveniently
One of the key features of virtual university open days is the ability to share university resources with participants conveniently. Universities provide a wealth of valuable information, including brochures, program guides, faculty and student interviews, and inspiring alumni success stories.
To ensure easy access to these resources during virtual university open days, the university can give attendees the option to save them to a virtual “swag bag.” This digital repository allows participants to collect and revisit these materials at their convenience, empowering them to delve deeper into the university’s offerings.
Engage With Prospective Students and Families
As the organizer of virtual university open days, you may have engagement as one of your top objectives for the event. When leveraging technologies correctly, your virtual open day can simulate the in-person interactions that prospective students and their families would have on a physical campus visit. If you are a “non-tech” person, you can seek help from virtual event solution providers like akaVerse.
Universities offer various engagement activities to facilitate meaningful connections during virtual university open days. These activities may include online info sessions, live Q&A, chat options for quick inquiries, and one-on-one audio and video call capabilities for more personalized discussions.
By using engagement features in virtual university open days, universities streamline the process of communicating with interested students, eliminating the need for exhaustive searches for student profiles and simplifying the scheduling of meetings.
Benefits of Virtual University Open Days
Extend Your Reach
Regarding reaching a larger audience, virtual university open days can earn an easy win over their offline counterparts. Virtual open days break geographical barriers, allowing universities to reach a wider, global audience. Prospective students from around the world can participate without the need for travel, making the university accessible to a more diverse pool of applicants.
Moreover, virtual university open days can accommodate a more significant number of participants compared to physical events. This scalability enables universities to yield optimal results from an open-day event and make efficient use of staff and resources.
Optimize Your Budget
Hosting virtual university open days is often more cost-effective than organizing an on-campus event. By embracing virtual events, you can eliminate expenses associated with physical venues, such as renting event spaces, catering, and transportation. Virtual university open days also enable universities to efficiently share downloadable resources like brochures, program guides, and videos, reducing the expense of printed materials and postage costs.
Through technologies such as 3D modeling, AR, and VR, we can set up virtual university open days with virtual auditoriums, exhibition halls, and networking lounges, all accessible from the comfort of attendees’ homes or offices. Therefore, it can also save time and money for participants to travel to the physical venue.
Track Event Success
The ability to track data and analytics is a competitive edge of virtual events. Organizers of virtual university open days can track student registrations, attendance, and activity in real time and gain insights into participant behavior and interests. Universities can gather data on which sessions were most popular, what questions were frequently asked, and which resources were accessed the most. This data can inform future marketing and recruitment strategies.
Five Best Practices for Organizing Virtual University Open Days
Choose the Right Virtual Event Provider
Several factors are worth your consideration when selecting a virtual event solution provider. The platform’s ease of use should be intuitive for both organizers and attendees, ensuring a seamless experience during virtual university open days. Adequate media support is crucial, encompassing a wide array of content formats.
Consider providers offering cutting-edge technologies like AR and VR to make your virtual university open days truly stand out. Additionally, assess the provider’s in-house expertise and ecosystem, which can help reduce costs by offering a comprehensive suite of event management tools and dedicated support.
Plan Engaging Content
“Content is King” is not an overused phrase but a golden rule for any event, including virtual events. Successful virtual university open days start with concise, engaging content tailored to your target audience.
For starters, you should plan a diverse range of sessions for your virtual university open days, covering academic programs, student life, admissions, and financial aid. You can also include live webinars, prerecorded videos, and interactive panels featuring faculty, current students, and alumni.
Leverage Technology for Engagement
Students and parents who participate in virtual university open days expect to engage with university representatives, lecturers, and current students to gain more insights into the institution. Likewise, as the organizer, you should aim to increase engagement to understand students’ insights better and drive student enrollment. Therefore, interactivity is critical to a successful virtual open day.
To enhance engagement during your virtual university open days, leverage interactive elements such as live polls, surveys, and chat rooms. Enable attendees to ask questions in real time and assign dedicated staff or student ambassadors to respond swiftly.
Additionally, consider incorporating immersive experiences like virtual campus tours, utilizing 360-degree videos, or augmented reality to offer participants a rich and engaging exploration of your campus on your virtual university open days.
Provide Personalized Experiences
Each prospective student has unique interests and needs. Virtual university open days present organizers with the remarkable opportunity to tailor participant experiences with the help of technology. By leveraging real-time data and insights, universities can craft open day experiences that not only cater to individual preferences but also provide timely and relevant information.
Follow Up After the Event
After the event has concluded, it’s crucial to maintain a proactive approach to engaging with attendees. Reach out to attendees through post-event surveys or feedback forms to gain insights into their experiences to identify areas of success and areas that may need improvement in future virtual university open days.
The follow-up stage is also an opportunity to establish and nurture long-term relationships with prospective students. Encourage ongoing engagement by inviting them to join university mailing lists, webinars, or online communities to keep your institution at the forefront of their considerations after virtual university open days.
Turn Your Virtual University Open Day Ideas into Reality
Are you looking to create virtual university open days? We understand that planning and building virtual university open days can be a stressful process.
Don’t worry, akaVerse is here to help!
Virtual event solution offered by akaVerse includes real-event features: lifelike 3D spaces, interactive booth, networking lounge, or recorded video. Moreover, your university can impress students and parents with outstanding features, such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Live Chat, Live Calls, etc.
Let’s create unique, engaging, and immersive virtual university open days together.
Contact akaVerse today!
