How Holograms Are Coming to Events and 5 Other Tech Stories You Should Read
In this month’s round-up of top event technology news, we look at how holograms are starting to make inroads in our industry and an app that makes indoor navigation a reality. We also look at why data management is a growing concern in the industry, how to measure the ROI of your video marketing efforts, along with some interesting applications of both networking and AI technology.
Contently: How do you measure the ROI of video marketing?
Let’s face it. Video is a great tool for marketing events. It gives attendees the opportunity to learn more about an event and it’s a lot more engaging than text. A recent poll by Eventsforce found that 84% of organisations are already using video as part of their marketing strategies around events. In fact, the pace at which digital video consumption is growing right now is really quite staggering. By the time we reach 2019, video is set to make up around 80% of all consumer Internet traffic around the world!
There is, however, a difference between doing video and doing it well. This interesting piece from Contently looks into what you should be looking at when measuring the performance of your video marketing efforts – from figuring out what issues you’re trying to solve, setting KPIs and making sure that the video is designed in a way that meets these set goals. It explains how marketers are currently in a measurement rut, only looking at a few metrics to determine success: impressions, views, click-throughs, shares and so on. But the article also features an infographic which lays out all the different ways you can measure video ROI – from increasing click-through-rates of newsletters to boosting the effectiveness of landing pages.
Event Industry News: New InGo feature makes networking easier for attendees
Whenever someone is attending an event, he or she would always like to know the answer to one important question – ‘who is going to be there?’. The people behind social media event marketing plugin, InGo, are answering this question with the launch of a new feature, called ‘Network Notifications’. According to this article from EIN, each time an attendee or exhibitor register their details on an event website, they will automatically get to know who on their social networks will also be joining them at the event.
Available for any event website using the InGo plugin, the ‘network notifications’ tool is seen as an industry-first. It makes it easier for attendees to find out who they can connect with at an event. More importantly, it makes the event experience a whole less stressful as they know there’s a familiar face around. By promoting stronger relationships, attendees will also be able to forge more ideas, more deals, more shared experiences and ultimately, more value from your event. Definitely an interesting development when it comes to networking technology.
Event Planner: Indoor navigation for venues and events
We remember this being on the wish-list of many event planners speaking at the EventTech Live show a couple of years ago. The idea of having a Google-map type application that could help people find their way round a large or busy event. An idea that sounds great as a concept but has been difficult to materialise due to practicality and cost. Until now.
According to this interview on Event Planner TV, the SoleWay application developed by scientists at Belgium’s Ghent University may just be the thing for the job. It’s low-tech and cheap and can be used by both attendees and organisers. For example, attendees can use the app to navigate themselves from the entrance hall of a venue to the main conference room. It can also be used for combined indoor and outdoor environments, which is great for events like festivals. If this sounds like something you’d like to use at your next event, have a look at the the SoleWay website where you can start creating routes right away.
C&IT: 35% of event planners lack resources lack resources to utilise data, says research
According to this news story on C&IT, a new report has revealed that 84% of event planners find data management a challenge, with 70% planning to make improvements to their data strategies in 2017. Almost 35% of respondents claim to have too much data and don’t have the time or resources to do anything useful with it. Another 50% have difficulty consolidating all the data they collect from events as most of it is dispersed across different systems.
The study from Eventsforce – which investigates the importance of data in the events sector –reveals details on the kind of data organisations are collecting from their events. It also looks how this data is being used (calculating ROI, personalisation, generating leads), along with a list of the most effective data collection tools that help in measuring event success.
Event Magazine: Five brand experiences that used Holograms
Though mass market adoption may still seem some time away, Hologram technology is already making its mark in the events industry. From a pregnant Beyoncé performing with 50 holograms at this year’s Grammys show to US teachers being beamed into London classrooms and interacting with virtual objects around them (which by the way, cost around £20,000 to develop). The technology is also being used to take the late rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., on ‘tour’ later this year to perform with widow, Faith Evans.
This article from Event Magazine, looks at some of the latest technology trends from the world of holograms, including some very interesting applications from Sky’s 3D Sir David Attenborough to National Geographic’s holographic VR experience at SXSW.
Event Manager Blog: The rise of Artificial Intelligence
AI (artificial intelligence) has arrived and in some capacity, you’re probably already using it. Whether you’re asking Siri to play your favourite songs or simply using your satnav, AI is there in the background, thinking about things so that you don’t have to. Have a look at this article from the BBC that outlines 8 ways intelligent machines are already in our lives.
AI is also starting to play a big part in events. This article by the Event Manager Blog, suggests that many recent innovations in AI are beginning to make the lives of event professionals a lot easier. Some of the benefits we’re already seeing include automated check-ins, attendee matching, automated scheduling and advanced reporting. The article also highlights some of the applications of AI that are expected to grow in events, including concierge apps and voice-activation technology.
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