Event Tech: Experts Reveal How Technology Is Taking Over The Event Industry

Event Tech is always changing the ways we interact with the world and it’s important to look past press releases about the latest drones or current developments in AI, to ask how it’s all going to impact our industry.

Everything from toasters to wardrobes are getting smart features as part of the internet of things and this means targeted temperature control, truly adaptable lighting, and buffet tables telling organisers when the shrimp cocktails are running low.

Wearable technology puts higher functionality in watches, glasses, and clip-ons so that guests can show invites and get digital goody bags without lifting a finger.

And for event organisers, the way we get feedback is undergoing a revolution. Handwritten feedback notes are being replaced with low-energy Bluetooth devices that can give real-time feedback and facial recognition software that reads the guest’s real mood.

To find out more, we’ve asked app designers, event managers, and hosts of some of the most vibrant venues in the UK to let us know how they are using technology at events and what to watch out for in the future.

Alan Newton, Eventopedia | Twitter: @eventopediauk

“As a technology business we develop a range of software solutions for the hospitality sector, and – as with non-tech businesses – also adhere to the same notion of balancing the exploration of new technologies with not succumbing to shiny object syndrome.”  

“Solutions that are customer focused, pain based, and easy to utilise will be most effective.”The 5 critical rules for achieving the right balance are focusing on solutions that (i) are customer centric (ii) resolve real-world pain points (iii) add tangible value (iv) are easy to utilise, and (v) enable.

Charles Boyd, 8 Northumberland Avenue | Twitter: @8Northumberland

“Clients will continue to look for innovation from the venue, tech, production, food and theming, but I believe negative financial pressures and uncertainty will hold back budget.”“Security issues will continue to be high or higher.”Security issues will continue to be high or higher.” “Developments in Hybrid, software, branding and broadcasting to show value for clients, making events more measurable on their success or the lack of it.”

Clemi Hardie, Noodle Live Blog | Twitter: @NoodleLive

“Our smartphones are actually going to become an even more important part of our daily lives (and our events). The world is becoming increasingly connected every day.” [clickToTweet tweet=”More than 8.4 billion ‘things’ are now connecting the internet independently of their human owners.” quote=”More than 8.4 billion ‘things’ are now connecting the internet independently of their human owners.” theme=”style5″]”Our smartphones will work as a sort of global remote control for the world, allowing us to control and manage that connected world.

Tech innovators are busy creating everything from connected ovens that prevent food from burning, to intelligent bike lights that record data about cycling routes and traffic. Our smartphones will be responsible for gathering and filtering the data being that is being created. That way we can use them as a dashboard to stay on top of all of our devices and products. Want to turn up the heat at home, check what food you have in your fridge or place an order at a digital restaurant? Your phone will be able to do all of those things.

For #EventProfs, this offers fantastic opportunities to help delegates interact and connect with each other and the event environment. Delegates can simply tap their phone to register, check in for sessions, gather documents or grab contact details. Because delegates will be using their own device in order to interact, this will also dramatically reduce the cost of event tech packages too. The best part of all of this is that every time delegates interact with the event environment, the organisers will get loads of really useful data about what happened during the event, which could help to demonstrate ROI. We’ve just launched the first ever NFC-enabled event app, which will help move the events industry towards ‘bring your own device’ and a stronger data driven approach.”

Sandy Hammer, AllSeated | Twitter: @Allseatedcom

“Technology will also continue to impact weddings and how they are planned, especially destination weddings.”Technology will continue to impact weddings and how they are planned, especially destination weddings.” Destination weddings will benefit greatly as technology allows for visualisation tools, smart phone technology and the ability to build the environment in real time for the wedding couple to experience from a distance. Wedding couples want even more control of their planning than ever before and they want to be able to do it all via their mobile devices.

Technology will also continue to impact communication methods for wedding and event planning which will cause an increased need for collaboration, live chats, chat groups and video group conferencing options.”

Jared Bodnar, Attendify | Twitter: @attendify

“According to a recent Event Marketer Magazine Study, 81% of event professionals say gathering data from attendees’ digital and physical footprints are important, but only 20 percent feel their organisations are effective at this integration process. This is changing rapidly.

There are now tools available that capture data from mobile event apps, registration systems, and other event technologies, segment that data, and allow event organisers to target specific audiences after each event.

That data can be used for follow-up campaigns, like hyper-personalised outreach, promotion of future events, and additional revenue generation opportunities.”

Bryan Scott, CadmiumCD | Twitter: @cadmiumcd

“Change is the only thing constant in the event industry. Managing your time efficiently through the use of technology, I believe, is the best way to have more bandwidth to learn about all of the shiny new objects that surround us.   

I understand first hand that retiring your favourite spreadsheets and navigating away from multiple event technology vendors is scary.  However, adopting an event content management platform saves you significant time and improves your data integrity.  

There are less vendors to manage, you and your staff only have one tool to learn, there is little to no need for data integrations, you have centralised reporting and all of your event technologies use the same data database.”

[clickToTweet tweet=”There are so many technologies from drones to VR that can amplify your event experience and engage your attendees.” quote”There are so many interesting technologies from drones to VR that can amplify your event experience and engage your attendees”However, without the available time and resources, learning about and adopting them success will be difficult.”

David Becker, Zkipster | Twitter: @zkipster

“We are entering a new digital phase. Most event planners are now working with software and apps, they have build their processes around the cloud, use their cell phones for almost everything and they are comfortable with that.

Event Tech And The Future Of Events

For many experts, the focus on event tech is as much about managing guests as it is using it to intensify or streamline the experience on the day.

The main focus is almost certainly going to be curating events that connect with guests on a personal level and having a more nuanced understanding of how different people interact with events.

All the while, ensuring the safety of guests and protecting their privacy comes first.

Thanks to all of our contributors for providing their fascinating insights into the future of event tech. Despite some of the potential pitfalls, it’s a future to get excited about.