David Chalmers, European marketing director, Cvent, reveals his top three tech tips for increasing event engagement and making an impact
A major transformation is taking place in the events sector. The days are numbered for conference sessions in which people struggle to stay awake in a darkened room while someone talks them through a lengthy set of PowerPoint slides.
New technology is bringing real excitement and interactivity to live events and attendees are increasingly demanding it. In our Momentum of mobile event apps study, which was conducted with the Event Marketing Institute and surveyed event planners in North America, we found that 86 per cent of planners expect delegates to regard mobile applications as critical to their event experience in 2016.
The UK is set to follow suit. Previous research carried out by Cvent and Haymarket revealed that 69 per cent of UK attendees have used an app at an event, but that only 48 per cent of organisers are currently meeting this need by creating mobile apps for their events. The technology sector is working hard to fill this gap, coming up with ever more creative and compelling products. So, what can organisers do to ensure they are taking advantage of the newest technology, to make their next event a roaring success?
1. Use more than just a hashtag
Most event delegates will by now be familiar with the concept of the event hashtag, but there is much more that can be done with mobile technology to enhance the event experience. Dynamic apps can now deliver personalised social content based on user interactions, rather than sending out a ‘one size fits all’ content offering. The more you use the app, the more personalised it becomes.
As well as allowing delegates to exchange information between themselves, mobile technology can help to establish a communication channel with the speakers and organisers. During the session itself, for example, an app can be used for polling the audience, avoiding any break in proceedings. This can also provide a basis for follow-up discussions.
Organisers can also use apps to share event session details and locations while allowing attendees to set personal schedules, as well as navigate to and from session locations. Push notifications and real-time updates can provide reminders and keep users informed on upcoming sessions or changes.
2. Use more than just Twitter
Event interaction is no longer dependent on a single social media channel. There are apps available that link multiple social networking tools so users can share their comments and photos about an event from a multitude of social platforms. What’s more, shared event posts and photos from other users can be shared so they can all be viewed on a single feed, which provides a social activity commentary combining users’ social network accounts.
3. Use more than just one session
Finally, mobile technology is providing invaluable insight to organisers by compiling information gathered from delegates attending different sessions at an event. Rather than looking at each aspect of the event in isolation, it is now possible to collect feedback – in real-time – from delegates attending different sessions. This not only allows organisers to deal with any immediate issues arising, but to compose a detailed picture of the event as a whole. This information means they can identify what’s worked and what hasn’t, and can use this information when planning the next event.
The use of mobile technology to improve the conversation between event organisers and event attendees will be fundamental to the future of the events sector. It’s an exciting time for organisers, who are gaining an impressive armory of tools to improve their events, and delegates can look forward to attending conferences and events where they are not merely spectators, but active participants.
