Heraclitus, the pre-Socratic philosopher, once said, ‘Change is the only constant.’ Marketers will do well to heed this mantra.
Businesses are evolving at an alarming speed. The way we produce and consume data has undergone a sea of change. And technology has a significant role in this transformation and will continue to be in the foreseeable future.
One of the most exciting and fastest-growing marketing verticals is event technology. To put it simply, event technology is any digital tool that helps event planners complete tasks quicker. The tools can be mobile event apps, event planning, management software, or event marketing software. Here’s a link to how to become an event technology strategist.
Event technology can add tremendous value to events
Looking at how technology is advancing, there will soon be a day when it will be impossible to hold an event without using technology. Event management technology has also benefitted immensely from new technologies. Now, marketers are using event managing software and stacks to make events more engaging, less expensive, and deliver better ROI to clients.
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many events online. While this development has undoubtedly affected physical events, it has become a shot in the arm for virtual events.
For example, the ‘Event Marketing 2020: Benchmarks and Trends Report ‘says 85% of respondents believe in-person events are crucial for their company’s success. And 20% more marketers in 2020 (from 2019) believe in-person events are the most critical channel for achieving business goals.
Event management and conduction is rapidly changing
Before the time of event technology, hosting an event involved a lot of manual work. Guest lists had to be written down one by one, while promotional material was limited to print and mail. Moreover, it was complicated to determine the effectiveness of the various parts that made up an event.
Today, event marketers have a fantastic array of technical tools and online event management software to help them manage every aspect of an event, right from marketing and ticket sales to collecting guests’ data. It won’t be wrong to say; event planners are staring at an unprecedented change in their job description. Thankfully, when it comes to business events, everything can be boiled down to two main drivers – education and networking. And these are leading the digital transformation.
Take a look at how you can leverage digital transformation to elevate your events!
Key events driving the tech revolution in the event planning space
Artificial intelligence is a significant driver of many aspects of our lives, and it has not spared the event technology space either. For example, Gartner says that by 2020, chatbots will handle 85% of customer interactions. But here lies the opportunity.
60% of event planning professionals didn’t use any event planning software until 2018. It means there is a lot of scope for someone who has just started on their path to becoming an event technologist. Here are a few tools one must know while planning to host their first online event.
The industry is also moving away from gut instinct to data crunching to arrive at decisions. Now, event planners-turned-strategists are being asked to provide KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and other metrics to show how impactful their event is and to provide tangible results.
Significant events are a soft target for data thieves, compromising the safety of guests. Event strategists must be aware of such loopholes to prevent them.
Technology has opened an ocean of opportunities for event planners
The COVID-19 pandemic has moved events to the digital space, where technology is paramount. Communication has also become fast, flexible, and personalized, affecting consumer behavior and expectations.
Events are also facing an existential threat from highly accountable, alternate customer engagement mediums like digital marketing. Event strategists must show why businesses will continue to need events while also mastering digital marketing to create new revenue streams. Here is a checklist to help you keep track of things while organizing a virtual event.
A major challenge with virtual events is protecting the privacy of guests. Guests must have access to their data at all times, with the right to remove it, correct it, and restrict its use. And there will soon be new regulations on data profiling, i.e., using data to predict user characteristics.
Events are also more interactive today (an opportunity to maximize the event’s potential). A business event is a chance to convert the guest into your client.
Event management technology strategists can bring manifold benefits
As events evolve in context, content, and complexity, the stakes increase, so engaging a professional event technologist is the logical solution.
Event management technologists can reduce workloads through automation, bringing down operational costs. They also bring access to exclusive insights and data analytics that can improve event ROI and guest experience.
There is also a considerable gap between businesses and effective utilisation of IT infrastructure, leading to missed opportunities in growing market share, revenue, customer satisfaction, and market speed. An event technologist can bridge this gap. They can also enhance logistics, administrative, and communication efforts.
Finally, event technology strategists, with their specialized knowledge, will also know the best way to protect guests from physical and digital threats.
If you want to become an event technology strategist or if you want to upgrade your skill, we have the resources to assist you. Head over to Speaker Engage for a free demo and win yourself 30-days of Free Trial!
