Avoid becoming outdated and losing your audience as event technologies rapidly evolve. Knowing how powerful trends are forcing event strategies and technology to constantly change and upgrade will help you prevent loss in your audience and revenue.
webcastingandvirtualevents.com gathered the following information on 5 trends significantly changing the way events are planned, conducted, and utilize technology.
1. Livestream
Rarely do we see a trend catch on globally and so quickly as live-streaming has achieved. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, businesses and events were forced to seek alternate ways to continue production, staff interaction, and ultimately reach their audience. Livestreaming immediately became a global conduit to continue reaching audiences of all kinds.
With COVID-19 restrictions loosening, in-person gatherings and events are gaining popularity once again. However, innovative businesses are using hybrid events to increase reach and deliver content to a larger audience (incorporating in-person and livestream for the same event).
2. Facial Recognition
Facial recognition is a method of recognizing human faces through technology. A facial recognition system uses biometrics to map out facial features from photographs or videos. It then compares the information with a database of known faces to find a match.
Not too long ago, using facial recognition to Identify people, grant access, read moods, or predict actions was considered science fiction and only seen in futuristic movies.
Surprise! It’s real and already being used in events like:
- Football games
- Trade shows
- Conferences
- Night Clubs
This technology allows greater automation for your event resulting in:
- Contactless check-ins
- Faster moving lines
- Reduced interactions with event staff
More advanced software can read facial expressions and body language, giving it the ability to predict the mood of your audience.
Note: Facial recognition has been used for several years. In 2001, law enforcement used facial recognition on crowd members at Super Bowl 35 and more recently in cell phone technology, allowing the device owner to “unlock” it without using a passcode or thumbprint.
3. RFID Technology
Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to people, animals, and objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver, and a transmitter.
RFID chips are tiny and can discreetly fit inside an event attendee’s bracelet, badge, or pass. Being scannable, they dramatically reduce waiting or check-in times. They are ideal for cashless payments at events like concerts, carnivals, and festivals.
Note: When you use RFID technology in events, you can track the behavior and movement of your attendees, providing priceless insight into attendee preferences and venue layout.
4. Chatbots Tell it Like it Is
As people become more reliant on asking Alexa and Siri to set their alarms, control their household, and advise them of bad weather conditions, we can expect to see digital assistants and artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbots becoming commonplace in the events industry as well.
Chatbots are already being used at events like virtual trade fairs to answer attendee questions and provide information. Automating customer service allows for more rapid response times and frees up event organizers to focus on planning and conducting their event.
The following are some of the chatbot software platforms that can be installed on your website and used for audience interaction:
- Chatbot.com
- Hubspot
- ManyChat
- Freshchat
- Drift
At a company level, chatbots free up your time by automatically answering common customer/user questions. A chatbot can also generate new leads, improve user experience, and increase sales.
5. 5G Network Technology
With the implementation of 5G network technology, there’s great expectation that music, party, and event venues will provide a much faster WiFi connection. That’s good news for both event organizers and attendees.
This technology is crucial at socially distanced events where you may be using an app or website for table/bar service. The increased speed makes other technologies like livestreaming, VR, and AR smoother, faster, and more efficient.
Note: 5G wireless technology is intended to deliver higher peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more online reliability, significantly increased network capacity, more network availability, and a more consistent experience for more users.
Changing Strategies and Technologies
In this article, you discovered 5 technological trends significantly influencing the way events of all kinds are being planned, conducted, and evaluated.
Following the evolution of technological trends and implementing them will help you remain competitive at a time when every lead, attendance, and sale is more important than ever.
Allowing technology to surpass you and your company’s capabilities will lead to the disinterest of your audience, loss in sales volume, and severe reduction in company revenue.
Sources:
its.umich.edu/communication/television-video/live-event-streaming/basics
nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-facial-recognition-works/
us.norton.com/internetsecurity-iot-how-facial-recognition-software-works.html
mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/5g-explained
brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2017/06/02/chatbots-move-public-sector-towards-artificial-intelligence/
