The big bang of events and technology

The evolution of technology over the last decade has changed the every industry. As an individual, whether we are attending, hosting, exhibiting or sponsoring an event, something you will always observe is how events have connected technology with the overall experience. As the technology and events are converging, there is a lot in store for the event planners. Using the technologies like big data and networking tools beyond traditional techniques the event audiences also have higher expectations than ever before, looking to be engaged and gain value from their attendance in the event. 

We now have augmented reality systems  like (Oculus Rift, Magic Leap, Drones, etc), real time lead and contact scanning, RFID wrist bands and bracelets, live streaming, innovation in the photo experience, advanced social sharing behavior, omni marketing  techniques, and so on that can be executed in the events, taking the experience to the next level. We shifted from ‘things’ to ‘thoughts’ to ‘experiences’ now, and the planners and organizers in the event industry who have tapped this opportunity are making big tme now! The integration of technology in events is the game changer.

Lets have a quick look at innovative technologies that are gathering pace and adoption in the event industry:

Real time intelligence: Event organizers are always in need of real time intelligence. Just for an example if you’ve invested in a paid advertising push, it’s good to know within a short period of time if your money is being invested wisely (i.e. generating ticket sales). Real Time Intelligence helps you in making smarter decisions

Omni-channel experiences: At an event, you do not know how will your attendees prefer to interact with you or your event. The ultimate goal is that they should have a great experience no matter what channel or medium they use. So technologies which give an omni-channel experience have a great future.

Wearables and RFID: You might have seen the attendees getting entry in an event by just showing their wrist. Radio-frequency Identification is a technology that offers advantages over manual systems or use of bar codes. The tag can be read if passed near a reader, even if it is covered by the object or not visible. The tag can be read inside a case, carton, box or other container, and unlike bar-codes, RFID tags can be read hundreds at a time. Bar codes can only be read one at a time using current devices. With the reduction in cost of using RFID and increase in reliability, this is fast becoming a favourite way for organizers and exhibitors to interact with attendees and pass information. Whether it’s paying for drinks at a festival bar, tagging visitors at a trade stand or making entrance to events even easier and more reliable, the uses of RFID are vast.

APIs: The Application Programme Interface lets one piece of technology ‘speak’ to another along with sharing data and meaning they can be used together really easily. API helps you pick and choose the best in class solutions, and have them work together seamlessly so you’re getting only the best of both worlds, and avoiding the downsides.

Live Streaming: Services like Periscope are gaining momentum. Live streaming is becoming very popular as the access to the technology has become widely available to anyone. Event organizers see free live streaming technology as an opportunity to build ‘Fear of Missing Out and lead to growth and more ticket sales in the long term.

Gesture control: Gesture control breaks out to help us deliver more engaging presentations, exciting trade stands, immersive sales demo, etc. Kinect was majorly used with millions of households having the ability of controlling action on the screen with just their bodies. Since then it’s application and sophistication has multiplied and event industry is happily embracing it.  

New technologies bring with it new business opportunities. Ideas are getting created, recreated, and above all implemented at the speed of thought. Newer technologies are helping planners to stay afloat in events. We can also cannot miss on the fact that with every new technology comes a responsibility of using it creatively.  The use of technology can be used to give a unique & appealing experience to the attendees. Just for an example, there were times when doing a 3D project mapping during a product launch was a challenge, as there were limitations & traditional methods were followed. Technology in today’s time has developed way beyond and is at the cutting edge of creating experience. Evolving technology has allowed planners to create more innovation for the brands when it comes to engagement. Moreover we have applications like Webhooks, Media Tray, @Mentions tool, etc  which help in instantaneous video conference etc.  Thus, technologies are gathering pace as well as adoption. If such developments are continuous, the guest experience with completely change with every new development.