Make your guests and audience part of your event rather just passive observers!
Technology has given this ability and can help you facilitate by improving and increasing the efficacy of the experience of your attendees. In keeping them involved right from the start – before, during and after the event, it also deepens the engagement with the audience.
The advent of technology does not only help us to save time and paper, it has become an integral part of our practice in the event industry today, with the use of event apps, websites and landing pages, digital signages and presentations, experiential videos such as AR and VR, to name just a few.
Let’s look at the main ones you may consider for your next event, to capture your audience and keeping them engaged.
1. Digital icebreakers
How can you break the ice and set the tone for your guests to start mingling together following their arrivals?
You can have everyone introduce themselves at least to one other person beyond their own circle following which a selfie photo is taken or with the help of a staff member. This can grow to group selfies as well and creating a natural network and engagement among the attendees. The same selfies are also material for the next upcoming event to generate more social media buzz and potentially be used.
Trying digital caricaturists like Eventtoons, which are just the modern version of the traditional caricatures, can a great way to having your guests interacting while the pictures can also be instantly uploaded on the social networks, emailed or even printed out for the attendees.
And even a simpler way as part of the attendees’ arrivals itself, GEVMe’s Name Badge Printing. It is an integrated and a personalized icebreaker for your attendees and build to spark networking opportunities, while establishing the identity of your event.
The above can also be customized to include the relevant logos or a particular event theme.
2. Event Apps
Even if technology has taken a fair bit from handling printed materials, do remember to cater where possible, for those who still do not have the smart phone in hand still. Otherwise, much of the information, networking & community, agenda & scheduling, registration, surveys & polls, interactive maps and many more about the event and its organizers, can be made available to the potential and actual attendees, just by a simple download of an event app.
It can be that simple. Event apps have so much in their range nowadays that you can have everything or make them more personalized, more custom-made to suit your event. Their use also works both ways, potentially serving the organizers as well with useful data prior to, during and after the event.
Consider the following examples available on the market are: GuideBook, EventMobi, Pathable, QuickMobile among many others.
3. Social Media
You probably know it and are already on it day in and day out. There is however one thing worth emphasizing again. Majority of the event marketing leverage done with social media, are still focused in the planning, leading to the event and its conclusion. What about during the event itself? Make sure you are engaging those networks, your attendees and those who are not able to make it while it is actually happening. So, keep those posts running, encourage tweets and comments, with the event #hashtag, capturing the event through digital imaging and videos and the memorable selfies collected. Allow the event posts to speak for themselves, making the attendees proud they are there and giving part of the experience to those who could not be there this time on.
4. Interactive Media Projections
You can start with simple still image or video projections if you have not used it before at any of your events. Or you can move a step further and create a big first impression and experience as your attendees arrive at for the event by introducing video mapping. It is a very impactful media used to project moving images onto structures, indoors as well as outdoors and the effect can become a talking point. You can choose to custom design your graphics and videos and have them programmed with additional features such as music and sounds, lighting and any other creative props to complete the overall effect. Of course, it can be created simply and still do the job but it can also easily become expensive, depending on how elaborate or your budget allows.
These same media projections can even be made to synchronize with wearable pieces of technology such as the Apple Watch and Google Glass, which can be customized to be compatible with the event apps.
5. Interactive Kiosks
Audience engagement 101, it can be done through various forms of interactive kiosk. The same kiosks can serve as a promotional and informational purpose aside from being a hub of interactivity with multiple games and features. Whatever it is, be sure that the intention behind is clear. Too much can also create confusion and the initial message lost in the process.
You can choose from an Icepop Generator as a personalized food and beverages kiosk, to the more traditional photo booth concept with the digital caricatures idea mentioned earlier or create a trivia game that include a quiz related to your industry with redeemable tickets with the use of your event app for a promotional item.
Or you don’t also need to look too far and go more conventional with an information kiosk. Attendees can be guided through the information already available on your event app and furthermore be made to discover more features if they have not already done so, such as an interactive map of the facility.
Event pros are using those digital alternatives to push boundaries and bringing more personalized events in order to create more and more unique experiences.
It is important to keep track as event organizers of the technological development in the industry, tools to facilitate and deepen engagement and experience of the attendees.
What are the industry trends, the new innovations to help us with offering cutting edge events and keep a fresh experience?
For Italian readers, you can find this article in Italian version written by Federica Ramundo on 10 Watt Milano.
