Running a Game Everyone Wants to Play

there's no need for printed cards, pens or special equipment. The best part is that Event Bingo can be built around virtually anything, which means the event itself becomes the game.

The most successful Event Bingo games don't feel like an activity that has been bolted onto the schedule. The bingo squares should be based on things people are already going to see, hear or experience.

At a corporate meeting, a square might be "Someone says synergy," "Technical difficulties" or "Question about AI." At a birthday party, the squares can reference guests, family traditions and things the guest of honor always says. A seminar can use speakers, presentation topics and predictable audience questions. Even a road trip can become a bingo game with landmarks, unusual vehicles, roadside signs and things spotted along the way.

This is where customizable bingo becomes much more interesting than handing everyone a generic bingo card. The game can be created specifically for the people who will be playing it and the event they're attending.

Don't make Event Bingo something people discover halfway through the event. Introduce it while everyone is arriving, getting settled or waiting for things to begin.

With MyEventBingo, attendees can play on their phones, so joining the game can be as simple as opening a link or scanning a QR code. There are no bingo cards to distribute and no pens to find. That removes one of the biggest problems with adding games to a live event: logistics.

Give people a chance to look through their bingo cards before things get underway. Reading the squares is part of the fun because players immediately start anticipating what might happen. A square that says "Microphone stops working" suddenly makes a microphone problem something half the room is secretly hoping for.

An event engagement activity shouldn't distract people from the reason they're there. Ideally, it should do the opposite.

That's one of the advantages of MyEventBingo. Players have to watch what's happening if they want to mark their squares. Instead of checking their phone because they're bored, they're checking a bingo card because something just happened in the room.

For a seminar or conference, squares can relate to speakers and topics. A watch party can include things that might happen during the program. A company meeting can incorporate announcements, common phrases and presentation moments. A party can turn the behavior of the guests themselves into the entertainment.

The game becomes another layer of the event rather than a competing activity.

A good bingo card needs balance. If every square is almost guaranteed to happen, people will win too quickly. If everything is unlikely, players can lose interest because their cards aren't going anywhere.

Mix predictable moments with things that might happen. Then add a few wild cards that would be particularly funny if they actually occurred.

You want players thinking, "I only need someone to say that one thing."

That anticipation is a big part of what keeps people involved. An ordinary moment can suddenly become hilarious because 30 people realize at exactly the same time that they can mark a square.

Don't underestimate the words on the card. A bingo game for a serious industry seminar shouldn't sound exactly like one created for a 40th birthday party.

MyEventBingo allows the game to be customized for the event, so use that freedom. Funny events can have funny squares. Professional events can use industry terminology and situations attendees will recognize. Family events can get personal. Road trips can get weird.

The more the bingo game reflects the personality of the event, the less it feels like a generic activity and the more likely people are to actually play.

Read how to build your own game is just a few easy steps. It's FREE and Easy to create a game. Or begin with a built-in game. Just visit our library to get started.