Tag: event technology

6 Tech Lessons Event Planners Can Learn from Wimbledon

Posted on by Eventsforce

From chatbots, Artificial Intelligence and mobile apps to live-streaming, 360 cameras and special lighting effects – this year’s Wimbledon tennis championships is putting innovation at a whole new level when it comes to event tech.  According to an article in this week’s Evening Standard newspaper, apps and smart technology are helping the tennis tournament’s players ace their game through things like connected rackets and smart trainers. But what’s really standing out this year, is the way organisers are using technology to engage with existing supporters and expand the tournament’s global audience.

Have a look at how the Wimbledon tennis tournament is using technology to drive innovation and engagement:

Event App – The Wimbledon championships mobile app is designed for those attending the tournament, as well as those on the move – while those at home or in the office can tune in by visiting the www.wimbledon.com website and listening to the commentary on the HearO Bluetooth speaker (which, by the way, is housed inside a tennis ball!).  The use of the app within the grounds, however, is more subtle.  As Alex Willis, head of communications at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club explains: “The aim is to enhance spectator’s experience but to very much keep the innovations hidden.”

Three public WiFi hotspots have been installed across the grounds this year, ensuring the venue has adequate bandwidth to support connectivity on visitors’ smartphones.  Users can use the app to launch the IBM SlamTracker – the tournament’s scoring application which provides real-time scores, stats and point-by-point analysis of each match.  Filters make personalisation possible by allowing visitors to receive information solely on the men’s singles, for example, or on players from a particular country. Whereas, the app’s ‘competitive margin’ predicts how two players will perform against each other. The system even analyses how well each player tends to do in specific situations (when serving for a set, for example) to gives fans a richer experience.

Read: 10 Reasons Why Your Attendees did NOT Use Your Event App

Live Streaming – Live streaming has been one of the most interesting technology trends in our industry this year and its impact is set to grow, based on the investment we’re seeing pouring in – both from vendors and event planners. It is a powerful marketing tool that allows you to instantly reach out to your audiences, as well as build and engage with new ones too.  Attendees seem to be up for the game too.  Many of them now are using their phones to share their experiences and stream events live on their social media networks through apps like Periscope, Facebook Live, Instagram Stories and Snapchat Live Stories.

Twitter this year has partnered with Wimbledon to live stream all the coverage on the Wimbledon Channel to users on the social media network. Tennis fans from around the world are able to watch a range of daily content, including news, interviews, behind the scenes footage and selected action.  The Wimbledon Twitter channel also includes a real-time curated timeline of tweets involving live conversations surrounding the grand slam.

Read: 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Facebook Live at Events

Artificial Intelligence – We’ve already seen how AI is starting to play a big part in events – with automated check-ins and scheduling, attendee matching and advanced attendee reporting. This year, tournament organisers are using AI technology to supply video highlights just minutes after a match has finished. Journalists would have previously have had to sift through hundreds of hours of footage for a highlight reel – a daunting task when you’re looking at three matches per court per day.  The new technology picks out key moments based on an analysis of statistics, social media reaction and player reaction – even down to when they fist-pump! It dramatically increases the speed at which highlights packages can be put together, and provide followers of the tournament with detailed video content minutes after a match has ended.

Chatbots – Mobile apps that help attendees navigate, network, set appointments, and do all of the things that event apps do are practically growing on trees. But there is a sector of the live-event space that remains underserved by mobile apps and that’s where chatbots come in. Chatbots are software programmes that include AI components and allow users to conduct conversations via audio or text – so rather than download, learn, and search for information on a mobile app, attendees can have conversations with event organisers using platforms like the event website, Facebook Messenger or more commonly, the text-messaging feature on their smartphones.

This year, Wimbledon is using ‘Fred’ – a chatbot named after Britain’s three-time Wimbledon champion, Fred Perry.  It is enabled by IBM’s Watson technology and helps answer questions from fans visiting the event – from where to buy drinks, or the nearest place to buy a Wimbledon towel to how to get home.  It is a great example of how technology can help event planners deliver easy, instant and personalised communication with attendees.

Wearable Technology –  It seems as tennis has got smarter over the years, so too have the rackets.    The latest models used by players in the tournament are connected to the Internet using a sensor embedded in the handle.  Much like other wearable devices aimed at the health and fitness market, the technology synchs with a matching app via Bluetooth, recording every minute detail of the player’s performance. It also has a connected tennis wristband that links with phones.  A bit like a coach who never drops the ball, the data can be streamed to players’ smartphones so they can analyse every aspect of their game.

There are a number of solutions in our industry that are using wearable technology to provide users with insight on their behaviour. For example, SmartTrac by hubevents combines a small two-way beacon for each attendee (attached to the badge lanyard) and proximity sensors in exhibitor booths or meeting rooms to replay relevant insight, reporting and notifications to event audiences.  Visitors get access to complete journey reports, including a timeline view of booths they’ve visited, people they’ve met at the event – as well as the time, duration and location of those meetings.

Lighting & Filming Technology – The importance of lighting at any event is often underestimated – not only does it give depth and ambiance to a space but can have a profound effect on the overall event experience. This year, Wimbledon is using a new state-of-the-art lighting system which aims to improve TV broadcasts of the tournament by offering light controls that combat sunlight glare.  Organisers are also using 360-degree cameras to provide greater exposure for the practice courts – an area previously off-limits to cameras.  For those who can’t make it to the grounds, they have the option of watching their favourite players on the practice courts live on the mobile app. Recognition software will pick out who each player is to help supporters identify the players they most want to watch.

Would you like to read similar articles on how technology can help drive engagement at events?  Sign up to the weekly EventTech Talk newsletter to get all the latest event tech news and trends that are shaping the events and meetings industry today.

Sources:
Evening Standard: How apps and smart tech are helping tennis players to ace Wimbledon
The Telegraph: How Wimbledon is using Artificial Intelligence to enrich the fan experience

 

 

 

 

 

How to Become a Tech-Savvy Event Planner

Posted on by Eventsforce

Technology is always pushing the boundaries on how we plan and run events. In fact, almost every week we come across a new start-up, solution or gadget that promises to make planning easier and events even more exciting. But despite all this innovation, it seems that technology is changing our industry at a speed that we can barely keep up with – a new poll by Eventsforce has found that 65% of event planners are finding it difficult to stay up to date with the constantly evolving world of event tech. And yet we all know that not keeping up is no longer an option.

Staying up to date in an industry that’s constantly shifting isn’t easy, but being aware of changes as they’re happening can keep you ahead of the curve.

The Rise of the Tech-Savvy Event Planner

The scale of innovation in event tech has really been quite astounding over the last decade. We have seen simple registration systems evolve into sophisticated event management tools. We have seen the emergence of social media, mobile apps and live-streaming and the impact they have on hosting meetings and events. We’ve seen a growing focus on event data analytics and the application of new platforms like beacons, AR and VR technology. And now we have Artificial Intelligence to look forward to too. The very idea of speaking into a device and it carrying out your commands was nothing more than science fiction just a few years ago.  But the rapid development of the technology has seen products like Google’s voice-activated Alexa hit the consumer market and these devices are now well on their way to changing the events industry for good (anyone using chatbots yet?).

All this innovation has also drastically changed the mind-set of the event planner. They now have to be savvier about technology solutions they can use around their events.  They have to constantly update their skills.  They have to work more closely with web developers, social media professionals and IT departments. Because at the end of the day, today’s successful event planner is not just the one who can run good events, but one who can combine event planning, marketing and creative skills with a good understanding of event technology.  And a vital quality of that person is curiosity, rather than any specific technical knowledge.  It’s about being curious about the possibilities out there as the tools we will use in a few years’ time will probably be very different from the ones we are using today.

But with so much innovation, conflicting opinions and the availability of an overwhelming amount of information, how do event planners keep up with the industry’s ever-changing technology trends?

Read: 8 Steps to Wellbeing for Event Planners

4 Ways You Can Keep Up with Event Tech Trends

There is no single route to becoming a tech-savvy event planner, as everyone learns things in their own way. You should find the most effective way for you to acquire new knowledge and skills – some people prefer reading articles and eBooks, some prefer watching videos and listening to podcasts or webinars, while others opt for more interactive learning experiences where they can discuss new trends with other like-minded people.

Have a look at some of the options you can look into to help you with your professional event tech development:

Industry Blogs/News Sites – We have some great blogs in our industry that give readers a good understanding of what’s new in event tech and how these different solutions can be applied to different types of events.  These not only offer education through tips and how-to articles, but they’re also a good place to sign up for webinars and podcasts to hear new case studies and debates from leading experts in the industry. We found the following blogs particularly useful in providing useful information on event technology: Event Manager Blog, Corbin Ball, TechsyTalk, Event Tech Brief, Capterra’s Event Management Software Blog and The Meeting Pool blog. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the technology section of the following industry news sites: BizBash, Event Industry News and MeetingsNet or you can subscribe to the Event Tech Talk newsletter and get their monthly round-up piece that highlights top tech stories that event planners need to know about.

Both blogs and news sites will also often analyse key statistics and research that’s relevant for your specific industry, and break it down into bite-size chunks in a form that you can easily understand and apply.  They’re also a useful tool in identifying what trend is relevant today. So, for example, if you see the same topic on every site in your industry, such as the importance of event data, then yes – it is a trend you’ll want to follow closely.

Social Media – One of the best ways to stay abreast of the latest developments in event tech is to follow the industry’s leading figures and influencers on social media.   The writers and editors of the blog and media sites we mentioned earlier all have their own social media accounts, so it would always be worthwhile adding them to your list on your preferred social network.  Apart from receiving daily updates from thought leaders, you can also track trending topics and opinions of industry peers. The #eventtech hashtag on Twitter is a good example of this.

There are also numerous (literally hundreds) of user groups on most networks that publish news, blogs, eBooks and webinars on all things event tech.  LinkedIn Groups are great here –  because as well as all the interesting educational pieces you can trawl through, they are also a good platform for asking questions and creating new discussions around event technology.  Just make sure to participate, rather than standby and take in all that you are learning from others. You’ll get more out of it that way. Some groups worth mentioning: Event Planning & Event Management, Event Managers and Who’s Who in Events.

Networking/Debates – If you prefer live events and want to network with other like-minded people who are also interested in event technology, then there are a number of networking events that can be a good option for you.  Event Industry News recently kicked off a monthly series of events in London that brings together a panel of industry experts to discuss some of the latest event tech trends and debate what impact they have on the industry.  Some of the topics covered so far include AI and robotics, Virtual Reality, event websites and apps.  They also provide video recordings of the sessions if you aren’t able to attend in person.

Another good option is EventHuddle, a monthly topical discussion forum on anything around event management – they also cover a good amount on event tech including things like Europe’s new data protection regulation (GDPR) and the importance of event data.

Industry Events – You can also keep your event tech skills current by attending industry trade shows and conferences that have a dedicated focus on event technology. This is probably one of the easiest ways to keep up-to-date with what’s happening as you’ll hear case studies from your competitors and peers, as well as opinions on trends and issues from top influencers in the industry. Again, make sure to speak with peers and attendees, as well as the expert panellists. These two groups often have very different perspectives and it helps hearing all sides, especially when you’re making decisions around key tech investments.  These events are also good because they will give you the chance to meet with event tech vendors, watch demos and interact with all the different solutions that are currently on offer. Some of our recommendations for shows that have a good focus on event tech include Techsytalk Live, International Confex, IBTM World and Event Tech Live.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the goal of the event planner is to understand what attendees want, deliver successful events and ensure that their organisation stands out through brand differentiation and creativity. Regardless of what happens with technology, these goals will remain the same.  What technology does is that it enables us to reach these goals by providing us with greater ROI, efficiencies and insight.  It helps us bring value. So it’s important to keep up with the trends. But remember, being a tech-savvy event planner is not about being an expert tech user.  It’s about creating a strategic roadmap for your tech and having a good understanding of what’s out there, getting the right skills mix in your team and having an enthusiastic approach to new tools.

Do you agree with the points made in this article?  Are there any other resources you’d like to add to the list?  Please get in touch – we’d love to hear your views. You can also sign up to the weekly Event Tech Talk Newsletter to keep yourself up to date on all things event tech.

 

 

4 Ways Corporates Are Using Event Data

Posted on by Eventsforce

Do you want to know what is event technology’s biggest benefit?  Event data.  Actually, it’s actionable event data.  Data you can use to bring real value to your organisation. In fact, according to a new report from the Trade Show News Network, of all the different things that technology has done for event planners over the years, perhaps the most important is generating data they can act on. The report also goes on to say that what is needed now is understanding what that data means and how event organisers can use it to improve their events and attendee experiences.

The Growing Importance of Event Data with Corporates

The focus on data in the corporate events sector is bigger than it’s ever been.  And like the report suggests, this trend is largely due to all the different technology systems we are now using around events – from registration systems and mobile apps to engagement tools, social media and so on. For those of you interested to know which of these tools are having the biggest impact on our industry, have a look at this infographic here:  Ten Most Popular Data Collection Tools for Event Planners.

These tools are helping organisations collect and analyse data in ways that was once unimaginable.  Yet the amount of data we now have in our hands can be overwhelming, to say the least.  One of the most common complaints you’ll hear is that there simply is too much of it. In fact, a recent Eventsforce study found that 33% of corporate event planners felt the vast amount of data they have in their systems meant they didn’t have the time nor resources to do anything useful with it.  The study also found that more than half of event planners found it difficult to consolidate their data as it was spread across so many different systems.  Consequently, 72% of corporate event planners are now planning to make improvements to their data strategies.  Which isn’t surprising.  As the significance of events continues to grow for corporate organisations, so will the importance of managing all the data around these events.

Four Ways Corporates Are Using Data from Events

Event data is incredibly valuable.  The more you make of it and the more you share it across your organisation, the more valuable it becomes.  Have a look at the top four ways event data is being used by corporate organisations today, according to the findings from the ‘How Important is Your Event Data’ study:

1. Measuring Event ROI – A vast majority of 76% of corporate event planners agreed that measuring success was the number one reason they collect data from events. The source of this data varied from registrations and attendance numbers to engagement levels and revenue.  Unsurprisingly, feedback from attendees, sponsors and exhibitors topped the list of metrics corporates are using for measuring event ROI.  Analysing and reporting this kind of data across all the different stakeholders within their organisation helps corporate event planners figure out whether or not the event met expectations and if it was in line with the company’s overall goals and objectives.

2. Planning for Future Events – After determining whether or not an event went well, our study found that 62% of corporates are using the data to identify key lessons and takeaways to determine goals, activities and content for future events.  For example: Organisers are increasingly analysing how their attendees are engaging with sessions by tracking check-in and check-out times and whether or not they used the live polling feature on the event’s mobile app.  This helps them assess popular topics and speakers for their next event. In the same way, knowing that networking was the main reason people came to their last event may push them to introduce a networking tool or have meeting rooms available to facilitate conversations with like-minded attendees.

3. Building Attendee Profiles – Personalisation is also driving a more data-driven approach to the way organisations plan and run events as attendees increasingly expect both the communication and the live experience of the event to be tailored to them in some way. So, it’s no surprise that our study found that 40% of corporates are starting to use data they have on their attendees to create more powerful and targeted events.   Using registration forms to capture attendees’ views and opinions can be a quick and cost-effective way of personalisation. For example, you can ask attendees what topics are of particular interest to them at your upcoming conference. You can then share this information with your partners and ensure the right kind of offer is included in the right delegate pack upon checking-in at the event. This is a lot more personalised than including offers from all your partners as you will almost certainly include things that are of no interest to them.

Looking for an easy and cost-effective way of personalising your attendee’s event experience?  Have a look at this article for some quick ideas: 7 Easy Ways of Using Your Registration Process to Personalise Event Experiences.

4. Generating Leads/Sales – Almost 20% of corporate event planners said they use the data collected from events to generate leads and sales for their organisations.  They know who showed up, what sessions they attended and who they engaged with – all of this data helps their sales teams stay up to date with important lead information. Some corporate organisations are taking a step further by integrating their event management systems with their internal CRM solutions so that the data is automatically updated in real-time across both systems.  The integration allows sales teams to have accurate and immediate insight into who is attending their events and how often they’re engaging with the organisation. It also helps them assess what value event activities are actually brining to the business.

Conclusion

The study results highlight the growing importance of event data in the corporate sector as it brings them new opportunities to engage more closely with customers, prospects and partners – as well as generate new leads for their organisation. With more of a focus on data collection and analysis, it becomes even more important for these organisations to have a clear strategy around data management when it comes to events – one that outlines exactly what data needs to be collected and how it will be used.  Not doing this effectively will almost certainly be a lost opportunity.

Are there any examples you’d like to share of corporate organisations using the data they collect from events?  Let us know – we’d love to hear your views!

Want to stay up to date on all the latest news and trends around event technology?  Sign up to the weekly EventTech Talk Newsletter here!

How Google Is Helping Event Search and 6 Other Stories You Should Read

Posted on by Eventsforce

In this month’s round-up of top event tech news, we look at the industry’s first check-in solution that uses facial recognition technology, as well as a vital piece of legislation that will radically change the way event planners store and manage information on their European attendees.  We also bring you some interesting updates from Snapchat and Google, as well as a case study on how TED Talks is using Facebook Live to expand its audience reach. And lastly for a bit of fun and inspiration, we look at some fantastic examples of lighting effects and why you may need to consider hashtag printers for your next event!

Event Industry News: Zenus Launches World’s First Facial Recognition Event Check-In

Face recognition technology is officially here. EIN looks at how US-based start-up, Zenith, has launched an API to integrate its facial recognition technology with event registration platforms across the world.  By allowing attendees to use their faces to check-in to an event, the system has the potential of replacing traditional tickets and QR codes – it also adds another much-needed layer of security around events. It is a very interesting development for our industry as it streamlines the whole check-in process and gives organisers the peace of mind that the right people are at their events. The article also suggests that it is a faster, better and cheaper option when compared to iBeacons and RFID.

With that in mind, it’s worth noting another good read on the subject from Event MB. It looks at how recent advances in face recognition and emotion tracking software will likely spell the end of the traditional event feedback form.  Organisers will be able to use data from cameras placed around the event to recognise attendees and report back on how they are feeling based on what their face is telling the system.  Read more here.

Event MB: Google Just Made It Easier to Find Events in Search

Finding events online just got easier, which is great news for event planners. Google recently announced changes to the way events are displayed in mobile search engine results. Anyone searching for events using either the Google mobile app or mobile web search will no longer see a normal results page when searching for events. Instead, event related searches will result in a clear summary of activities pulled directly from event listing sites such as Meetup and others. The functionality is currently available in the U.S. but it is expected to roll out worldwide soon.

We all know how getting to the top of Google isn’t easy these days. It takes a lot of work and time for a page to get listed and ranked. Many events go live with a completely new website, which also isn’t ideal. The new event search function, however, has the potential to turns things on its head, essentially by showing nothing but events. For more details on the technical aspects and how to best take advantage of the changes, take a look at Google’s developer guidelines.

BizBash: TED uses Facebook Live as Part of New Strategy to Expand Audience

The annual TED conference is trying a new strategy to expand its worldwide audience, whilst keeping the special nature of the event’s in-person experience. This year, organisers used Facebook Live to stream interviews with nine speakers and to allow people to watch the conference’s inaugural session of Spanish-language speakers in real-time. The article from BizBash explains how the live-streaming tool had a massive impact on audience reach: TED launched its Spanish Facebook page shortly before the conference, and when the live session began, the page had about 270,000 followers. By the time the seven speakers had finished, the stream had attracted 682,000 live viewers. For the interviews session, viewers were able to submit questions to the speakers on Facebook, which organisers explain is one of the primary benefits of using the live-streaming tool around their events – access to speakers and giving viewers the chance to guide the conversations from a global perspective.

Organisers are now planning on using Facebook Live at TEDWomen in November, where they may make the Facebook Live interview sessions part of the regular conference schedule and allow in-person attendees to participate while on site.  If like TED, you’re considering using Facebook Live as a way of getting more engagement around your events, then have a read through this too: 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Facebook Live at Events.

eMarketer: What Marketers Need to Know About EU’s New Data Protection Rules

One of Europe’s biggest shake ups in data protection and privacy laws is coming into effect next year and event planners need to be prepared.  The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply to every organisation in the EU and ANY organisation holding data on EU citizens – regardless of their location.  It is a major global issue and one that is vital for marketers to learn about as ignoring it could lead to some very serious financial consequences.

As explained in an interview with Glisser, what the new regulation essentially means is that organisers needs to be a lot clearer about how attendee data is going to be used, and ensure that they get explicit consent from them in giving up that data. So, a general set of T&Cs will no longer be enough, and you need to be able to collect and prove that your contacts have given you permission to use their data in the way that you choose.  And event technology has a huge role to play here. For more information on what this means for the industry, have a look at this article here: What Event Planners Need to Know About Europe’s New Data Protection Law.

What are the most important event tech trends for 2017? EventTech Talk spoke to some of the industry’s well- known experts to find out what they felt was important and what the year will bring: Ask the Experts – What’s the Next Big Thing in Event Tech for 2017

BBC News: Snapchat Spectacles Arrive in UK 

Snapchat’s snazzy new on-the-body technology has officially arrived in the UK – and it has the potential to bring a whole new perspective to an event’s on-site experience.   The sunglasses which come with an integrated video camera are designed to capture the entire human perspective with a circular 115-degree field of view.  Earlier this year, we saw how L’Oréal used them to give their followers a completely new and unique way of engaging with the Golden Globes, streaming behind-the-scenes content, from celebrities getting ready backstage to the walk down the red carpet. And actually, regardless of the type of event you run, these glasses let your attendees share their experiences in a way that feels more authentic than the here’s-the-shaky-video-from-my-phone view.  Have a look at this video here that gives a BBC journalist’s perspective of the new spectacles, which are currently retailing in the UK at £129.99.

If Snapchat is a viable marketing platform for your events, then we’d also recommend reading this great article from the Content Marketing Institute – All Your Snapchat Advertising Questions Answered. Event marketers need to understand how advertising on Snapchat works in order to determine whether it’s the right avenue to advertise their event’s content and the piece does a good job of explaining the different advertising options available, when it makes sense to use them, how to get started and how to measure performance.

MeetingsNet: Why Hashtag Printers Are a Conference No-Brainer

It seems the hashtag printer trend is continuing to gain ground on the conference scene – not surprising for a device that works as both a marketing tool and an attendee diversion.  It can also be a revenue generator for groups that offer it up as a sponsorship opportunity.  For those of you that haven’t come across the technology before, here’s how it works: The Internet-connected device automatically scans Twitter and Instagram for a specific conference hashtag. It then scans the associated image and prepares it for printing with a branded frame or banner. Many of the systems automatically print out all the images; others print on request when an attendee taps the image on a screen.

Why have one? Well, as this article from MeetingsNet explains, the printer encourages attendees to upload event photos with the conference hashtag onto social media sites in return for the instant gratification of walking away with a photo in hand. Many of the providers of the technology also offer an analytics piece, which allows organisers to get a measurable feel of the kind of volume and reach this kind of attendee-led content can generate.

Event MB: 17 Amazing Lighting Effects

Lastly, let’s talk about lighting. We all know how lighting can dramatically transform events and can also be a very cost-effective way of making an impact. With the ability to cater to a range of budgets, as well as create new branding or sponsorship opportunities, lighting can easily change the tone or mood of an event depending on what you want to achieve. Event MB has put together a great list of lighting examples that can help you create the wow factor. Enjoy!

Did you enjoy reading this article? If you would like to get similar monthly round-ups on all things event tech, along with some expert advice on how to make the most out of your technology investments, then please sign up to the EventTech Talk Newsletter here.

 

How to Manage Abstract Submissions for Successful Conference Programmes

Posted on by Eventsforce

As a conference planner, we know how important it is to find great topics and speakers.  It can have a huge impact on registrations and an even bigger impact on how well your event is perceived.  However, managing the abstract submissions and reviews process for your conference is complicated enough when everything goes according to plan – let alone when it’s rushed or hasn’t been carefully thought through.

How Abstract Management Solutions Can Help

Of course, there are many solutions out there like Eventsforce Abstracts, which can simplify the whole process of gathering and managing online abstract submissions, as well as helping reviewers assess these submissions quickly with little hassle. These automated platforms can help conference managers build abstract submission forms, modify submission topics, select expert reviewers to assess the merit of abstracts, as well as invite select people to present their abstracts and papers.  The presentations are allocated to specific sessions and are also automatically updated in the main conference agenda – ensuring conference managers are in full control at every stage, saving them time and supporting them with all the tools they need to manage the evolution of their entire conference programme.

But as much as technology can help – there are many common pitfalls which can create problems for conference managers along the way.  In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the important things organisers need to think about when managing abstract submissions around their events. We’ll be publishing a similar post in the next month that will focus on getting the reviewing and judging process right, which is the last step in securing great speakers and content for your next event.

Quick Tips to Improve the Management of Abstract Submissions

In order for a conference to be successful, it needs to attract the kind of speakers and content that will help facilitate discussions and educate those delegates coming to the event.  Make sure you get the process right with the following best practice tips:

Make Sure You Know What You Want – One of the most frustrating oversights in managing abstracts is kicking off the process, receiving submissions and realizing later on that there is information you need but haven’t asked. You can add missing fields to online forms pretty quickly these days but getting in touch with those who have already completed their submission forms can be a timely and frustrating process. Finalise all the information you need at the planning stage – talk to experienced colleagues and get other stakeholders involved from the very start. Everyone should agree on what you’re trying to achieve and why – this way, you’ll be in a better position to identify gaps and won’t need to make as many last-minute changes to your submission forms.

Don’t Neglect Instructions – You do need to provide a detailed guide for authors so that they can understand the submission process clearly.  Make use of the instructions section of your call for abstracts page to communicate clearly and concisely exactly what information you need from the author or potential speaker so that they know what they are expected to provide. This can cut down on a lot of confusion and wasted time for both submitters and reviewers. You could also publish a timeline that outlines important dates, including the deadline for abstract submissions, when authors need to be available, when submissions will be approved and when places in the conference programme will be confirmed.

Get the Balance Right – It’s important to provide clear guidance on abstract submissions but be careful not to overwhelm people.  We’ve seen some conferences use five pages of highly structured forms giving instructions on how to submit abstracts on one topic!  Will your academic really read through all those pages?  Probably not. The reality is that most academics submit their papers to multiple conferences and they’ll submit the same abstract to each one. So, don’t over-complicate things as you may risk losing potential speakers.  And remember, it may be someone other than the author filling in the submission form and they may not have the technical expertise to edit the text or reformat it in a way that meets the criteria of an overly cumbersome submission process.

Standardise Formatting – Make sure that your submitters have a clear idea on the format you want them to use when filling in particular fields on your form.  Using predefined formats on fields that require numbers, for example, will reduce the probability of error.  It will also make sure that the data is captured in the same way as it is captured in the databases of some of the other systems you use around your conference (registration, CRM, membership and so on). You can also structure the abstract content into different sections (introduction, main content, summary) which can be useful for typesetting.  This way, you’ll save time in exporting that information when creating abstract journals or posters as all your content is structured in one standardised format.

Ask Relevant Questions –  As a general rule, the more clicks it takes to complete a submission form, the more excuse your abstract authors have to walk away and look elsewhere.  Make sure that the information you’re asking for will either help them or help you get the content you need for a successful conference programme.  For example, you may ask if their paper has already been published in an industry journal and if a particular publication keeps coming up, then perhaps that’s somewhere you need to be targeting to get the abstract submissions you’re looking for.

Offer Flexibility – You want to make the process of submitting abstracts as simple as possible. So, it’s a good idea to allow authors and speakers the choice to edit or amend their abstract submissions prior to the deadline date.  Equally, make room in your planning on extending the deadline as most people leave these things to the last minute and it’s an opportunity for you to get more interesting content for your conference programme.

Monitor Progress – Stay on top of how many abstracts are coming in, which submissions are incomplete and what topic/category/stream areas are doing better than others – if you use an abstract management solution, then it will monitor this information for you in real-time. This will identify potential problem areas and help you assess the best way of addressing them. For example, an overwhelming number of submissions in one topic area (over others) may indicate that the topic description is too broad and that it’s not being interpreted by authors and submitters in the correct way.   So, you may decide to sub-categorise and create new sub-topics instead.

Conclusion

A well-thought out process for abstract submissions can have a huge impact on ensuring you deliver a high-quality programme for your conference delegates.  It also opens up the opportunity to showcase new and game-changing research with the wider community.

If managing your call for abstracts is a challenge for your organisation,  Eventsforce offers a comprehensive solution that gives you full control of the entire abstracts management process – from inviting and reviewing abstract submissions to building agendas, managing conference invitations, registrations and payments. It also provides powerful automated tools to monitor, manage and communicate with everyone involved. Click here to learn more.

Are there any other tips you’d like to add to this list?  Please let us know as we’re always keen on publishing your views!

Want to be a tech-savvy event marketer? Sign up to the weekly EventTech Talk Newsletter here and get updates on all the latest technology trends, discussions and debates shaping the meetings and events industry today.

 

 

Industry Insight: The Growing Importance of Data in Events

Posted on by Eventsforce

We all know how important it is to collect and analyse data from our events.  For one, it helps us measure success by analysing things like attendance, engagement and feedback. It helps us figure where we need to make improvements and map out goals, content and activities for our next event. It helps us profile attendees and run more effective and personalised marketing campaigns. It also helps us generate leads or memberships for the organisations we work for.

Yet managing event data is probably one of the most challenging issues that the events sector is facing today. In fact, our study last month revealed that 84% of event planners are finding the whole concept of data management an on-going challenge – with another 70% planning to make improvements to their data strategies over the next year:

  • 30% want to invest more time and resources in data analysis
  • 18% want to merge data by integrating their event tech systems
  • 14% want to invest in new data collection tools
  • 14% want to involve other organisational stakeholders for better data planning

With this in mind, EventTech Talk spoke to some of the industry’s well known event experts to find out what data management trends they’re currently seeing in the market and whether or not data is taking a more prominent role in the way organisations plan, market and manage their events.

Have a look at what they had to say:

Adam Parry, Editor, Event Industry News/Event Tech Live

I do agree that organisations want to start taking a more data-driven approach around their events.  But are they currently? Not entirely.  Our findings are that there is more data available to organisations than ever before – the problem is that there is a challenge to turn this data into action. Some of this is caused by the sheer volume of data.  The data is also being siloed in different locations without the ability to combine it for a top down overview.

There is certainly a trend towards more research and learning being done by organisations to better understand how they can take a more data-driven approach around their events.  We’re also seeing many event tech providers investing in APIs that allow their data to flow into an organisation’s chosen platform in order to get better insight.

Follow Adam Parry on Twitter: @punchtownparry

Tahira Endean, CMP/DES/CED – Event Producer, BC Innovation Council

Are organisations taking a more data-driven approach around their events? Slowly but surely, yes. We have to. Our stakeholders are looking for more quantifiable results. For marketing in particular, we now have so many tools which are both visible to the potential attendee and which work in the background to drive results in terms of registration and ticket sales. It just makes sense to use what is out there. Planning and running is very dependent on the organisation’s overall structure and technology evolution – if you are part of a larger organisation, it’s likely you have systems to tie into as well as use, and your appetite for technology spend will be higher than a boutique agency. Simple economics.

Will this change over the coming few years? Yes – as the ability to integrate more systems becomes less cumbersome and the world becomes ever more data-driven, so will our industry. As organisers demand things like real-time reporting, video fly-throughs of their events before they happen and analytics that prove the value of investment, it will require technology to tell this story in a meaningful way. They will be the ones who will continue to push these trends -and those who are not keeping up will be passed over for someone (or some organisation) who can do more than make a room look good.

Any event which has an app is already using data to create a more personal experience as participants explore their agendas, exhibitors and activities to determine how they will craft their experience. Incentive events which offer a range of reward options allow the ever- important choices and can use this data year over year to create more unique options. Understanding the trends around health, wellness and health apps and tying this into events is making it more personal and these can be woven into the overall experience. Following social media and allowing your event “stars” to be heard and seen is using shared data to make it more personally rewarding through social influence. Many are doing this based on earned knowledge and these are the events that will continue to be strong.

Follow Tahira Endean on Twitter: @TahiraCreates

Corbin Ball, Meetings Technology Speaker/Consultant/Writer, Corbin Ball Associates

Yes – finally, event technology companies are getting up to speed when it comes to the importance of data. The newer, more nimble cloud-based event tech tools are built with robust APIs and can work together more easily. Therefore, data collected from multiple sources can be combined and then sucked back into the attendee (client) profile history to better serve them in the future and improve events in general. Consequently, many companies are building out their analytic tools to more easily manage the data collected.

I think technology companies are especially good at using data effectively to run better and more personalised events. Some examples include Cisco’s Live events, Salesforce’s Dreamforce Conference and the MC2 Conference.

Follow Corbin Ball on Twitter: @corbinball

Would you like to take a more data-driven approach to the way you plan and manage your events?  Learn how organisations like Schroders, Haymarket, The Royal Statistical Society and The Liberal Democrats are making better use of their event data with this free eBook: The Event Planner’s Guide to Data Integration.

George Sirius, CEO, Eventsforce

Aside from performance measurement, the trend for personalisation is also driving a more data-driven approach to the way organisations plan and run their events. Attendees are increasingly expecting both the communication about an event and the live experience to be tailored to them in some way. And this is now possible through the endless choice of data capture tools that help organisations collect and analyse valuable information on their attendees – from registration systems and mobile apps to chatbots, social media and other more sophisticated event management tools.

It is important to note though that the more data you collect from events, the more essential it becomes to have a clear and defined strategy around data management – one that outlines exactly what data needs to be collected and how it will be used. Otherwise it’s a bit of a lost opportunity as you’ll end up with too much data and no time or resources to do anything useful with it.

Another important consideration is data integration.  We’re seeing a number of organisations integrating their tech systems together to consolidate their event data in one place. In fact, we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of customers working on integration projects over the past year and we expect this trend to continue as event planners try to automate their processes and make better use of their event data.

Follow George Sirius on Twitter: @georgesirius

Want to stay up to date on all the latest news and trends around event technology?  Sign up to the weekly EventTech Talk Newsletter here!

 

 

 

How to Use Gamification to Boost Engagement at Your Next Event

Posted on by Eventsforce

Gamification is nothing new in events. Callum Gill, head of insight and innovation at creative experience agency, drp Group, explains to EventTech Talk that playing games, and the innate human love for competition and collaboration, is now well-established in our industry. In fact, from the humble ice-breaker through to complex team-building activities, lo-fi gamification solutions such as quizzes and scavenger hunts have been ubiquitous at events for a while.

One of the biggest complaints or criticisms surrounding gamification, however, is that people don’t engage, or the app doesn’t get used, or the game isn’t tried. The blame is often then laid at the door of the technology, the mobile device, the tablet, the console or whatever form the interaction took. But as Gill explains, technology is merely the tool – and not the thing. It is the vector for an engaging gamification solution and not the solution itself. And if the blame lies anywhere, it is often at the feet of the concept – not the technology.

The Gamification Leaderboard: Vital Statistics

A quick glance at the wider market for gaming in general demonstrates an industry in rude health (around $99.6 billion in revenue). Gaming is a part of the fabric of society (there’s even a BAFTA for video games) and mobile gaming is the current Zeitgeist. An average millennial can spend 203 minutes per day on mobile gaming and roughly 16.7% of their mobile data usage per day is spent gaming. It’s not just millennials that have been bitten by the bug either. It is also reported that 61% of CEOs and CFOs take daily breaks throughout the day to play games on their phones.

7 Steps To Successful Gamification at Events

It is hard to provide a concrete list or a neatly packaged “top 10 gamification solutions”, because, in reality, each concept needs to be explored and examined with the result at its centre, usually giving rise to bespoke gamification interactions for each objective.

The best way to ensure success with gamification is to adhere to the following delivery strategy:

Step 1: Identify the intended outcome of the game before designing (increase sales, change behaviour, embed values etc.)

This first stage often consists of creatives/planners/stakeholders exclaiming, “We want a game!” and that’s about it. You need to be able to succinctly tie the solution you’re going to employ to the key objectives you are trying to deliver against. Is the event designed to increase sales? Do you want your attendees to change their behaviour? Are they an internal or external audience? What kind of demographic are you working with? From here you can start to identify the gamification solution that’s right for your event.

Step 2: Survey your audience wherever possible to determine how they like to learn, specifically around gaming, to ensure a fit-for-purpose solution

Again, this is an often-missed step in the process and can be challenging. If you are an internal event planner you should have access to the end user, but agencies often must jump through a few hoops. You can use handy online tools such as this one to determine how big a sample of your intended audience to survey. You may be familiar with using Survey Monkey, but other online tools in my opinion, provide a more eye-catching and engaging experience with less effort. Typeform is my favourite. When surveying your audience, focus upon their use of gaming in their free time. As much as possible, we want to create a comparable experience to one they would choose to engage with of their own accord. Do they like mobile gaming, puzzle games? Strategy games? Quizzes? Board games? And so forth. Try to keep your questions to a minimum; I’d try and aim for five solid questions, and never give people the option to go down the middle and play it safe. I often wonder what the point is of asking someone to rate something on a scale of 1 to 10. What do 4, 5, 6 and 7 mean?

Step 3: Design and build

Now you should have an idea of what types of games your audience engages with and what you are trying to achieve at the event. Marry these two concepts together to create the right solution that covers the widest demographic. As with anything, 100% uptake and enjoyment is a rare animal but you can get close. With your objectives and audience tolerances in hand, you can avoid being waylaid by the designer’s preferences, your own bias, or any preconceived idea of how your game should function at the event. You’ve got the evidence from the end users that can’t be argued with.

Step 4: Test, test and test again

Go back to your audience with your prototype, and perform a BETA test. Ask them for feedback, what works, what doesn’t, etc.

Step 5: Refine

Use the valuable insight you’ve gleaned to refine your solution.

Step 6: Deliver

Deploy the solution at your event.

Step 7: Measure shifts against originally identified objectives

Because, right from the start, you knew what you were setting out to achieve, you can measure post-event actions against game engagement. Have sales increased? Are people performing better? Has customer service improved? When surveying post-event, keep your measurement questions related to the objective. Avoid general assertions like “Did you enjoy the game?” and “Was it fun?”.

This kind of methodology underpins all forms of digital development so we should be no less robust when designing gamification solutions for events. The lack of robust process is often what makes gamification seen as a luxury or added extra rather than a significant and hugely effective event engagement tool.

Want to learn more about event technology? Sign up to the weekly ‘EventTech Talk’ newsletter here and get updates on all the latest technology trends, discussions and debates shaping the events industry today.

It’s Dangerous to Go Alone! Take This.

While specific examples are hard to apply to your own specific needs, we wouldn’t advocate for the use of gamification if we hadn’t seen its introduction provide significant return on objectives at our events.  Here are some gamification projects we worked on recently:

Case Study: National Retailer (UK)

Working with a national retailer, we designed a gamified solution to tie in with their nationwide store refit programme. The objective was to inform their staff members across the UK about the refit, what was new, what would change, and the research behind it as to why it would make the organisation more profitable. We built a multi-platform solution on mobile, tablet and large format touch screen which we delivered at events across the UK.

The aim was to build your own store using the elements revealed in the refit programme. Faced with a blank canvas – either a small, medium or large store – delegates had to fit the various elements, product lines and facilities into their blueprint. A timer was added to inject competition into the game and failure was a definite possibility. If delegates wanted their stores to be profitable, they had to engage with the research as to why the changes were being made. The more the delegates’ stores adhered to the evidence, the more profitable they became. We also used a joystick model at numerous events following our research into demographics which indicted that not all of our audience were comfortable using touch screens, and this helped ensure more people would engage.

Following the roll-out at events across the UK, regarding the upcoming store changes – and most importantly why and how these changes would lead to further profitability – dramatically increased.

Case Study: Automotive & Transport  (UK)

We incorporate AR into our gamified solutions particularly, and recently, in automotive with racing games and updatable content – both engaging delegates and giving brands the opportunity to tour their vehicles, without the associated logistical headaches and costs of bringing the actual vehicles.

Working with Chiltern Railways, we built an external facing interaction to be used at exhibitions and roadshows across the UK. The simple game, installed in exhibition stands and accessible online, allowed players to control a train running across the bottom of the screen. The train needed to catch Chiltern railway destination stations in one of the cars, as well as deals and offers, ticket prices and discounts. There were some tongue-in-cheek price comparison references to main competitor Virgin, which, if caught in your carriage, caused you to lose points. Interaction with the game provided an opportunity for data capture and, vital to the objectives, significantly increased the player’s understanding of the destinations that Chiltern Railways service.

A Winner is You!

I have no doubt that Gamification is not only effective, but soon to be integral to successful event delivery, as our audience continues to lose its tolerance for one-way communications in live environments. Gamification provides not only measurable surges in interaction and recall, but digital platforms which can be used pre, during and post-event too – platforms which can be updated, reskinned and rolled out again with much lower cost after the initial investment.

In regards to wider society, digital experiences and gaming in general are well on the way to gaining parity, in terms of importance, to live experiences. Games like ‘No Man’s Sky’ are heralding a new type of immersive landscape, weaving together live and digital experiences. The HTC Vive’s use of live theatre and VR to launch their headset is a taste of things to come. The best plan for event organisers is to start integrating grown-up digital gamification solutions into their event planning process now to be ready for their necessity over the next few years.

Have you had any experience  – negative or positive – around the use of gamification at events? Please share your stories and let us know – we’d love to hear your views!

If you would like to learn more about what Eventsforce has to offer, take a look at a few other blog posts listed below or get in contact with our friendly team here.

Call us on 0207 785 6997 or tweet us @eventsforce.