Four steps to make your international event stand out

Everywhere you look, there is change across the events industry. Against a backdrop of technological disruption, a shift in the dynamics that define the relationships between brands, agencies and consumers is taking place. It can be overwhelming to navigate through this upheaval and to separate out what conference delegates find valuable from what is just hype.

 

Below are four steps event organizers should take to ensure their events stand out.

 

 

 

There is an astonishing number of event apps on the market. While there are plenty of innovative ideas, the reality of using apps that have to be integrated, populated and rolled-out for each event can be time consuming and tiresome for both organizers sand end users.

 

However, technology is critical to your event in the digital era, for marketing, data collection and the user experience. We know that delegates – and particularly younger attendees – not only feel more comfortable using technology, but they increasingly expect it. In fact, delegates often won’t engage with companies and organizations at all that haven’t embraced technology into their product offering. 

 

When identifying which technologies for your event, ask yourself the following questions: What is the central goal of my event and how can technology help me attain it? What are the expectations of attendees?

 

Look at the demographics of your attendees, what are their interests? Are there any cultural considerations? Do they have the necessary tools in place to effectively navigate the venue and make connections with speakers? Moreover, does the technology you’re considering using reduce admin, save costs, improve the event layout or enhance the user experience? If the answer is yes to one or more of these criteria, it’s worth considering.

 

 

 

Technology has facilitated the rapid exchange of ideas. We’re able to obtain information in real-time via our smart devices. One of the consequences is that consumers – and therefore event delegates – want to get straight to the point. And quickly.

 

At the same time, the way in which we receive information and engage with others has changed. We’re used to obtaining data from multiple sources in a less structured way than we might have before the digital age.

 

Consider how you might reflect this in your event. What elements of your event are unnecessary? Get rid of them. How might you convey information across multiple platforms in a meaningful way that encourages participants to interact?

 

 

 

When it comes to personalization at events, expectations have changed. It’s no longer good enough to take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Because companies have a much better insight into consumer behaviour, today’s consumers take a personalized approach for granted.

 

Work your way backwards by getting to know your audience. You can do this by drawing up with some persona profiles to establish the unique interests and expectations of your delegates. Are their needs catered to? How can you ensure they will feel comfortable in the environment of your event?

 

 

 

Events are becoming more international. And yet, the industry has been slow to respond. Event organisers often fail to maximize their target audience by restricting the event to one language. This discourages engagement and is off-putting for speakers and delegates alike who, in today’s digital era, expect a personalized and technology-enhanced response to these challenges.

 

 

Currently, planners have available cloud-based solutions for remote simultaneous interpretation that remove administration and slash costs for event organizers, while vastly improving the user experience. These platforms allow interpreters to work remotely and participants to use their smartphones as receivers by downloading the dedicated app. Because inter¬preters need not travel and because AV equipment and interpretation booths are no longer needed on-site, cost savings compared to conventional interpreting technology are substantial.

 

 

 

Post written by Greg McEwan.

Greg is the head of communications at Interprefy.