5G Makes Debut at UK Festival and 5 Other Tech Stories Event Planners Should Read
In this month’s round-up of top event tech stories, we look at the debut of 5G technology at the upcoming Glastonbury Festival and what it means for our industry. We also find out why Google’s latest email platform can help you drive more people to your events by making email campaigns a lot more engaging. Europe’s new legislation barring the use of ticketing bots is another interesting industry development, along with the launch of a new sustainability app, which helps organisers understand the environmental impact of their events. Finally, we look at a very cool immersive experience that HP put together for its fans at the recent Coachella music festival.
Have a look at what you may have missed:
Event Industry News: 5G Coverage Makes Event Debut at Glastonbury Festival
UK mobile network provider, EE, is testing a 5G-powered WiFi at the Glastonbury Festival this summer which is expected to gather more than 200,000 people. It will be the first time the technology is used at a UK festival and comes ahead of it being rolled out to other cities and events later this year. As the article explains, smartphones have become a festival must-have with more and more data being consumed as people engage with the event and share their experiences with friends and followers. The festival’s 5G Internet speed will double that of the 4G network and be powerful enough to cope with the huge demand.
Related article: Top 8 Wi-Fi Considerations for Event Planners
What’s the big deal about 5G? Well, 5G is the latest mobile network that’s replacing the current 4G technology we use these days. The primary focus and reason for its development is the growing number of devices that demand Internet access, many of them requiring so much bandwidth to function that 4G simply doesn’t cut it anymore. 5G uses different kinds of antennas, operates on different radio spectrum frequencies and connects many more devices to the Internet. It also promises to make significant improvements to speed, coverage and reliability. Read more.
TechCrunch: Google Makes Emails More Dynamic with AMP for Email
Google has launched AMP for email in an effort to turn the emails you send from static documents into dynamic, web page-like experiences. It seems our web experiences over the past decade have changed enormously – from static flat content to interactive apps – yet email has largely stayed the same with static messages that eventually go out of date or are merely a springboard to accomplishing more complex tasks (ex. opening a tab or visiting another website).
Related article: Top Email Marketing Hacks for Event Planners
What does it mean for your event’s email campaigns? Well, many are predicting this may change event registration as we know it today. Instead of clicking on an email that takes people to the registration or event website, they will now be able to RSVP right from the message itself. Some companies that already support this new format are booking.com and Pinterest. So if you already get emails from them, have a look at how they change the user experience. It’s certainly an interesting development as it has the potential to make things easier for attendees. But how quickly it catches on depends on many factors, including the integration capabilities of event registration platforms. Read more.
Did you know that emails are the most effective way events are personalising attendee experiences? Find out how you can improve engagement at your events with The Event Planner’s Guide to Personalisation.
Access All Areas: European Parliament Legislates Against Ticket Bots
This is an interesting one for those event professionals involved in managing large-scale public events like festivals and sports tournaments. Last month, members of the European Parliament voted to outlaw the use of specialised software or bots to circumvent the maximum buying limit on ticket purchases. The move – the first time the EU has directly addressed the issue of ticket resale – will also strengthen existing regulation by requiring resellers to declare if they are professional traders.
It’s good news for everyone, as fans were often unable to see their favourite teams or artists or were forced to pay many times the face value prices. At the same time, event organisers were seeing their purchasing limits fragrantly violated. And while some countries like the UK have already introduced legislation preventing the use of bots for ticket harvesting, the new legislation will strengthen the hand of bodies like the Advertising Standards Authority, who will be able to use it in prosecutions. Read more.
TSNN: New Sustainability App for Event Planners
Event organisers who want to understand the environmental impact of the events they run now have a free and engaging tool to help them do just that: My Event Footprint. The web-based app generates sustainability facts based on user data and can be used by attendees too. With just 15 questions, a segment of a user’s environmental impact is measured in water, energy and emissions, with data displayed in a fun, easy to understand storytelling format using bathtubs, household power or car miles saved. Users can easily calculate the environmental savings of their choices which they can then share with key stakeholders either during or after the event. Read more.
MeetingsNet: Taking the Pulse of a Meeting – Literally!
French tech company reveals details of its Connected Bracelet, a wearable device that can help track the highlights of an attendee’s event journey. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, the bracelet is worn like a Fitbit and tracks the wearer’s emotional state by measuring physiological changes including sweating, extra-dermal temperature, and heart-rate variations.
By combining the data from multiple wearers, event organisers will be able to use the technology to map where the emotional peaks take place around their event – like which trade show booths generate the most excitement. That information can then be used to offer data-driven insights to exhibitors and improve the attendee experience. But don’t heatmaps already do that? Apparently, heat maps can tell you that a beverage stand with barista artists providing coffee portraits had long queues at your event—but a biometric bracelet will tell you who stood in line. Read more.
BizBash: How HP Created the Coolest Interactive Spot for Festival Goers at Coachella
HP unveiled a 11,000-square-foot geodesic projection dome at last month’s Coachella festival – an immersive experience built within what is being billed as the largest dome in the world. To engage festival goers, HP also included a colorful, psychedelic lounge and patio that emphasised guest interactivity. People could also create custom, sustainable backpacks using HP laptops; or immerse themselves in the “Lucid Dreaming” photo experience, which allowed attendees to manipulate images by moving their bodies. Have a look:
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