Illustrate to Captivate: Engaging Participants Before, During and After an Event

Illustrate to Captivate: Engaging Participants Before, During and After an Event

Illustrate to Captivate: Engaging Participants Before, During and After an Event 2560 1707 ORTUS DRAWS

Organising events can be a daunting task, but engaging with participants before, during, and after the event can make it an even more successful experience. In this blog, we’ll provide some tips on how to engage with event participants at every stage of the event with illustrated content.

Preparations
before the event

If you want your event to be a success, you’ve got to nail the preparation and marketing. And one of the best ways to get people pumped and engaged before the event is by making sure your marketing materials are totally on point.

That means they should be eye-catching, informative visuals like infographics and illustrated portraits. After all, most people these days are visual learners. Make sure to include all the essential details about the event, like the schedule, who’s speaking, and what kind of activities are included.

Don’t be afraid to use illustrations to help explain stuff and highlight key points. With the right illustrated content, you can create marketing materials that will grab people’s attention and get them excited to come to your event.

During the event

It’s not just about getting people to show up to your event – you’ve got to keep them engaged while they’re there too. One way to do this is by using live sketchnoting. A live illustrator captures the essence of what’s going on during the event in real time through visual notes, symbols, and images.

This kind of visual notetaking can help participants better understand and retain the information being presented, and it can also make the whole event feel more personalised and engaging. Plus, having the sketches displayed on a big screen or printed out as souvenirs can be a really fun way to involve attendees and help them feel like they’re part of the event.

In fact, incorporating illustrations and visuals into your event can have a whole host of benefits. For one thing, it can make the event feel more approachable and welcoming, particularly for those who might find text-heavy presentations a bit intimidating or dull.

Visuals can also be a powerful tool for aiding memory retention since our brains are wired to remember images better than words. By incorporating illustrations and other visuals throughout your event – whether that’s through presentations, handouts, or interactive activities – you can help participants remember and engage with the information you’re presenting.

After the event

Just because the event is over doesn’t mean your work is done! it’s important to keep the connection with participants strong to retain clients and maintain a positive relationship. One great way to do this is by sharing the live illustrations or graphic facilitations created during the event. These can be shared as souvenirs of the event, reminding attendees of the key messages and insights they gained.

In addition, sharing the presentation materials and following up with participants can help keep the conversation going and allow for continued engagement even after the event. Encouraging attendees to share their experience of the event on social media and other platforms can also help to extend the reach of the event and create a sense of community around it.


Ultimately, illustrations and visuals can be powerful in engaging participants before, during, and after an event. They help to create a personalised experience for attendees, aid memory retention, and make content more accessible and engaging. By incorporating these techniques into your event planning and marketing strategy, you can create an event that truly captivates and engages your audience.

CONTACT US now!

Want to see how we can make it work? Why not have Ortus Draws listen in on your next virtual event or virtual conference? With a live illustrator present, you’ll have a concise, coherent, and colourful visual representation of the discussion ready to catch the eyes and engage viewers.


Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company specialising in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Are you looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!