8 Technology Changes Impacting Event Planning

Posted by Cat Virca in Planning, Tips, Trends

Technology is altering the way we approach and experience events, according to a Mashable article by James O’Brien. He points out some of the new roles being played by technology in event planning and how we interact at events, with views from experts in the events space.

For example, event planners expect attendees to be engaged participants in everything from polling to augmented reality experiences. Event audiences now have more control, too. South by Southwest lets registrants interact on social media to pick panelists – 30% of its panels are crowd-selected. Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates New York, spots the text-to-screen and text-to-moderator trend. With new apps and online tools, attendees can ask limitless numbers of questions and moderators can filter them.

Other technology changes that are shifting the event experience include:

• Hyper-targeted data personalization, with beacon technology already being adopted in the event space.
• “Augmented reality has proven to be a huge step forward in location-based mixed-reality games for corporate team building,” Shackman says, in responding to how AR intersects with event activities.
• Wearable tech is making it easy to capture information and even pay for food and drink with the tap of wristwatch – the hands-free event.
• Leah Green, senior manager of BeachBody Global Events, says her company uses apps for all of their events. Everything is digital – no paper.
• Drone photography allows event and conference organizers to get big, beautiful overhead shots outdoors.

Read the full article.