When everyone at your event has more computing power than an Apollo Space Mission in their pocket or purse, be sure to send your attendees over the moon with your command of today’s technology.
Planners of large scale corporate events have the most at stake in the technology game, using it as a tool to engage attendees before, during and after their event. But it bears consideration for venues hosting events of any size. Offering free WiFi to your attendees is not an option in the 21st century, it is a requirement. Be sure that your network can handle the traffic load expected from the maximum capacity for your venue.
Vendors can get in the game as well. Today, there are smartphone apps which enable party goers to submit digital requests directly to DJs. And Photographers can display and even print photos in real-time.
Real-time Feedback
Today’s technology enables event planners to guage the success of an affair as it occurs. Organizers of the Commerce & Creativity Conference in Montreal invited attendees to use the hashtag #C2MTL in social media conversations. C2MTL then tracked the trends on media platforms along with the context of the conversations to evaluate the conference agenda and speakers in real time.
A similar concept can be applied to almost any event. Create your own hashtag and encourage attendees to post their thoughts and photos of the event. Event professionals can use the stream of information to assess their performance during the event, or to market their success to potential clients by linking to the feed after the event.
Promise of Performance
Much of the technology that will make events better is still in its infancy. Young technology is costly, confusing and cluttered. As the technology matures, the folks that do what the industry likes – and do it well – will stand out above the rest. As they get better and sell more, costs will come down. Until then, keep your eyes open and talk among your peers to see what tools are creating a buzz.
Are there any apps that you use to create a successful event? What tools would you like to see on your smartphone? Let us know in the comment section below.
