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1. HOW TO USE INTERACTION TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE SUCCESSFUL, MEMORABLE AND ENDURING EXPERIENCES ENGAGING EVENTS 2016
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3. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 5 A WORKING DEFINITION OF ENGAGEMENT IN EVENTS 7 Where Events Differ 8 THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN INCREASING ENGAGEMENT 10 THE OUTCOMES OF HIGHER ENGAGEMENT 12 THE 5P’S OF LIVE INTERACTION 14 TRENDS 6 TRENDS IN ENGAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY 17 1. Matchmaking 17 2. Spare Me The Download 18 3. Tighter Integration 18 4. Accessibility 18 5. Pre-Event Engagement 19 6. Event Design 19 STRATEGY STRATEGY 21 Event Engagement Strategy 21 DO YOU NEED LIVE INTERACTION TECHNOLOGY FOR YOUR EVENT? 24 PROCESS MAPPING 25 CHOOSING THE RIGHT ENGAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY 26 TACTICS 8 WAYS TO IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION 28 1. Audience Buy In 28 2. Community 29 3. Event and Meeting Design 29 4. The Right Environment and Infrastructure 30 5. The Right Technology 30 6. Pre Event Marketing and Buzz 30 7. Involvement From Stakeholders 31 8. Skilled Facilitator 31 14 EVENT DESIGN TECHNIQUES 32 Ask Me Anything Session (AMA) 32 Unconference/Open Space 33 World Cafe Format 33 Forum Theatre 34 Raising Hands or Body Voting 34 Discussion Groups 34 Ice Breakers and Networking 34 BFishbowl/Talking Stick 35 Pecha Kucha 35 Flipped Classroom 35 Facilitator or Learning Coach 35 Behaviour Change 36 Testing Learning 36 Better Learning Outcomes 36 IDEAS FOR HOW TO USE ENGAGEMENT TOOLS 37 PRE EVENT 37 LIVE EVENT 38 POST EVENT 39 MEASUREMENT HOW TO MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 41 Robust Objectives 41 Baseline Data 41 Opportunities for Measurement 42 GLOSSARY 44 FEATURE TABLES 46 PROVIDER LOCATION TABLES 57 SURVEY RESULTS 63 AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES 65 CREDITS 66 DISCLAIMER 67 - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 -
4. AD www.evenium.com contact@evenium.com San Francisco / Paris ConnexMe helped us bring a collaborative element both to general presentations and to team-building workshops ConnexMe greatly facilitates interaction between the speaker and his audience Franck COHEN Président Europe Middle East & Africa, SAP Engage your Corporate Event Attendees ConnexMe brings a new dimension to our events. They become less formal and more immersive for the guests Isabel SOUTO Events manager, BNP Paribas with Evenium ConnexMe Céline CARRERAS Head of internal communication, Eurotunnel Learn more
5. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 5 Since we launched the first edition of Engaging Events, the attention on the word engagement has not decreased. Engagement is still the most overused word in the event industry. It seems that whenever the expert of the moment doesn’t really know what to say next, they say it is ‘all about engagement’. It is difficult to disagree with such a statement. You can feel how superficial it may be, yet you sense there is something correct about it. Understanding the connection between high engagement and a successful event is the purpose of this book. By looking at what research suggests and what event professionals have to say, Engaging Events aims to define what engagement is in the event industry and how technology can help to engage stakeholders. ( ( We have explored years of published research on engagement to present clear steps to take today to make your events more engaging. ( ( We have asked hundreds of fellow event professionals what engagement means to them, what the barriers are to make events more engaging and what the future of engagement tools looks like. ( ( We have compared 128 tools specifically aimed at increasing engagement to give you a solid framework to select event engagement technology. The growth in the number of tools that promise engagement by means of live interaction has surged in the past two years. The industry has experienced similar growth only twice in the past, with online registration and event mobile apps. More players in a market niche not only means more options, features and pricing models, but also more confusion, uncertainty and doubts. The need for clarity is what usually moves us here at EventMB to write strategic reports about technology segments in the event industry. If you attended a conference or a trade show in 1890 it would be pretty much the same concept we see these days. Very little has changed in the way we do events. Engagement technology is pushing event planners and designers to rethink the way they create experiences. This is a revolution that attendees are asking for and that they embrace whenever they are given the opportunity. So it is really all about engagement? What is engagement exactly and why does it matter in an event planning and management context? Should you look at live interaction technology to stimulate engagement at events? ___ INTRODUCTION Julius Solaris
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7. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 7 Engagement - this unknown beast. Everything ‘is about engagement’, nobody knows exactly what it is. The time has come to close this knowledge gap for the industry and to give a precise definition of what engagement is in the event industry. The basic premise is that there is very, very little literature about the topic. I am wondering what universities and associations are doing about it? How can it be that such an important topic gets such low attention from those that should dedicate their very existence to make things clearer for the industry? Having said that and in the hope that once again we will stimulate professional bodies to focus on industry advancement, rather than on award nights and mixers, we were able to unmask some very relevant research on the topic that helps to make things clearer. Engagement is defined as: “A psychological state that occurs by virtue of interactive, co-creative customer experiences with a focal agent/ object in focal service relationships”1 1 Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B. and Ilić, A. (2011). “Customer Engagement.” Journal of Service Research 14(3): 252-271. This definition is taken specifically from customer engagement in a brand marketing scenario, the closest we can find to a live event. In fact events are often part of, if not the most effective tool of brand marketing. What this definition says is that engagement is psychological and that it happens by means of co- creation. We need to dig deeper though. Having reviewed most of the literature on the subject, engagement happens in three areas: Cognitive. This is often referred to as immersion. How much you are focussed on what is being presented and how involved you are.2 Emotional. This usually implies the passion and enthusiasm you feel about what is happening. 3 Behavioural. This often refers to the action or activation you take as a result of your engagement. 4 Whenever you plan an event you can correlate the level of engagement to how much your attendees are stimulated in these three areas. 2 Hollebeek, L.D., 2011b. Exploring customer brand engagement: Definition & themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing 19 (7), 555–573. 3 Hollebeek, L.D., 2011b. Exploring customer brand engagement: Definition & themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing 19 (7), 555–573. 4 Vivek, S.D., Beatty, S.E., Morgan, R.M., 2012. Customer Engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. A WORKING DEFINITION OF ENGAGEMENT IN EVENTS 1 Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B. and Ilić, A. (2011). “Customer Engagement.” Journal of Service Research 14(3): 252-271. 2 Hollebeek, L.D., 2011b. Exploring customer brand engagement: Definition & themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing 19 (7), 555–573. 3 Hollebeek, L.D., 2011b. Exploring customer brand engagement: Definition & themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing 19 (7), 555–573. 4 Vivek, S.D., Beatty, S.E., Morgan, R.M., 2012. Customer Engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice 20 (2), 122–146.
8. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 8 WHERE EVENTS DIFFER Usually engagement needs two elements to happen. A subject. Your attendee. An object. Your content, brand or organization.5 The interaction between the subject and the object is usually referred to as engagement. That may seem straightforward, but things differ for events. In fact events introduce a new type of interaction, the subject to subject interaction - in other words the attendee to attendee interaction. That is usually referred to as multiple object interaction.6 It is sad to see how little has been written on this subject. Nonetheless the consensus seems to be that events when compared to any other channel, have an edge, a competitive advantage as the attendee to attendee interaction is that third element that can boost engagement through the roof and make the experience memorable, convincing us to take action and purchase products, services or tickets to next year’s event. The emphasis here is on co-creation as the direct agent that provokes high levels of engagement. We can be involved with a TV ad, we are engaged at an event. Our very own presence and the fact we took action to be there, makes us committed into co-creating the experience. Co-creation and interaction with speakers or other attendees is what amplifies our involvement and makes us feel engaged, but we also need to be aware of the bad brother of co-creation, co-destruction.7 Events are highly intangible experiences we co-create with our attendees and the content that is being presented. As much as co-creation can amplify positivity, it can create incredible dissatisfaction and negativity. What makes a difference is how we design events and the tools we use to shape them. If we give enough opportunities for attendees to co-create, interact and connect, usually the results will be great.8 Co-destruction is usually the result of poor design or poor expectation management. Therefore event design takes a whole new role in the process of planning events. It is the engine of event engagement and the internal factor that could influence the outcome. As event planners our job is to offer the platform where events happen. The way we design the platform will be the number one influencer of engagement. The tools we use to design the platform for attendee interaction are our key ally in delivering engaging events. Technology specifically is the most prominent and aggressive protagonist of how meeting and event design is changing. Let’s have a look at how technology can be leveraged to increase engagement. __ 5 Hollebeek, L.D., 2011. Exploring customer brand engagement: Definition & themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing 19 (7), 555–573. 6 Altschwager, Teagan, Jodie Conduit, and Steve Goodman. “Branded marketing events: facilitating customer brand engagement.” Proceedings of the 7th International Conference of the Academy of Wine Business Research, Ontario. 2013. 7 Plé, L., and Cáceres, R. C. (2010). Not always co-creation: introducing interactional co-destruction of value in service dominant logic. Journal of Services Marketing, 24(6), 430-437. 8 Crowther, Philip, and Leah Donlan. “Value-creation space: The role of events in a service-dominant marketing paradigm.” Journal of Marketing Management 27.13-14 (2011): 1444-1463.
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10. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 10 Having looked at what engagement is in an event environment and what the implications are for event professionals, it becomes very apparent how the role of technology is key in stimulating more interaction and co-creation. Technology becomes the virtual connector for attendees to mingle and interact well before the event starts, setting clear expectations for those willing to attend. Technology makes interaction possible. By means of live polls, Q&As, virtual mics and response systems, technology solves one of the most pressing issues event professionals face, how to connect the audience with the performer when time and space are limited. Technology helps to connect attendees. Icebreakers and paper badges are not enough. If engagement is a direct result of how attendees interact, then we need to put networking, matchmaking and attendee to attendee interaction at the center of our event design. Luckily THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN INCREASING ENGAGEMENT technology offers multiple solutions to help connect attendees. Technology helps to engage virtual audiences. An online audience is still part of the event community.1 It probably has less horizontal opportunities to interact (despite social media quickly filling that gap) but it is part of the engagement strategy of your event. Technology helps to create realistic virtual attendance experiences through livestreaming and virtual reality tools. Technology helps to connect audiences before the event. Prior engagement with what is going to happen results in high engagement levels.2 It supports a better value creation experience for all parties involved and it sets expectations straight for all attendees. Technology offers tools to let attendees mingle before an event and increases the communication opportunities before and after the show, giving a clear input of what the event is about to all participants. 1 Auslander, P. 2008.Liveness: Performance in a mediatized culture, 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge. 2 Bloemer, Josee, K. O. De Ruyter, and Martin Wetzels. “Linking perceived service quality and service loyalty: a multi-dimensional perspective.”European Journal of Marketing 33.11/12 (1999): 1082-1106.
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12. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 12 We could make a lot of assumptions on the benefits of live interaction, but we will leave that as a conditional. Thankfully there is a great wealth of research on the topic of audience response systems (the traditional tool for engagement at events) that will help in correctly assessing the benefits of using live interaction technology. INCREASED ENGAGEMENT An interesting study by Gerald Bergtrom found that the use of clicker sets and student response systems delivered more engagement. This is also confirmed in a study by Ian Beatty, that found1 that in a traditional classroom setting (which we may well compare to the traditional event learning environment of a frontal presentation) communication systems substantially increased student engagement. INCREASED ATTENDANCE One of the most unexpected benefits of using live interaction tools at events is a resulting increase in attendance. In a classic lecture environment the use of live response tools has increased attendance by 80 to 90%, a study by Burnstein and Lederman found2. Several other studies confirm the same tendency. That means that sessions of a conference with live interaction tools are more likely to get repeat attendance than those without any technology stimulating interaction. THE OUTCOMES OF HIGHER ENGAGEMENT BETTER LEARNING Does using live interaction tools result in better learning experiences? According to Draper and Cargill3, yes. If you decide to adopt live interaction tools attendees will learn more and understand better what your speakers are talking about. Since learning and inspiration are consistently mentioned as top reasons why we attend events, the importance of using such tools is even more relevant. BETTER NETWORKING Using live interaction tools is also tied to better networking. Social interactions tend in fact to increase when a second screen is associated with live interactions, say Breidbach, Chandler and Maglio4. While some may think that additional technology may be distracting, it actually helps us to learn better and make stronger ties with fellow attendees. These are just some of the benefits that live interaction technology brings to those event professionals who decide to implement an engagement program for their events. Some considerations and requirements need to be accounted for to enable live interaction programs to be successful. The next section will help you to define the bare necessities. 1 Transforming student learning with classroom communication systems 2 Using Wireless Keypads in Lecture Classes 3 Electronically Enhanced Class Interaction 4 The Duality of Second Screens: A Phenomenological Study of Multi-platform Engagement and Service Experiences
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14. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 14 There are five elements that need to be considered when evaluating a live interaction program. Taking care of the opportunities and risks associated with these factors is the building block of a successful engagement strategy. PEOPLE The people element of your event refers to your staff and your team. For a live interaction program to succeed it is paramount to clearly communicate with your team the objectives of the program and what is expected from members of the team to make the program successful. This also relates to allocating the correct resources to live interaction programs. If you are, for example, evaluating live polls, Q&A, slidesharing, but also hybrid events, social media walls and gamification, you should take into account the resources needed to implement or coordinate such programs. Most of the time, you will need someone skipping slides, moderating questions, curating social media, and taking care of online audiences. No tools are plug and play (despite the marketing propaganda from most tools), you will need to carefully assess the resources required to implement a successful program. PUBLIC The Public element, refers to your attendees. There are several considerations in relation to attendees to evaluate before embarking in an engagement program. The first element is tech friendliness. Is your audience inclined to use technology to participate at events? Most of the tactics and tools we will present in the next sections of the book involve some degree of technology. Do you have proof that your audience does want to engage via these means? Experience from previous events and research are two key elements to understand if our target audience will embrace tools to participate. Another element associated with your public is value. Are you delivering value at every stage of the event planning and implementation process? The technology selection should take into account whether the tool is actually adding some form of value or is just becoming a nuisance to the actual flow of the event. It is simple to stay away from technology and bore attendees, but at the same time it is possible to overwhelm participants. Finding the right mix of technology needed and making sure that it is delivering actual value in the form of enhanced learning, networking or entertainment to the attendee should be your mantra. PERFORMERS A significant element of your engagement program involves performers. Commonly speakers, but also performers such as singers, dancers, athletes and the likes. Performers need to be strongly involved in your live interaction program. THE 5P’S OF LIVE INTERACTION
15. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 15 Most of the time they need to provide the content to some of the technology or endorse the use during their session. Performers are part of your team when it comes to the event, but even more so to stimulate engagement via technology. Performers need to be clearly briefed about the objective of the use of the technology, what tools will be used, how and when they will be used and what is expected from them in terms of communication to the public. Most successful live interaction programs have a clear plan in place that co-creates engagement opportunities with speakers. Smart event professionals provide guidelines for speakers to make the use of such tools easy and devise win-win strategies to foster the adoption of such tools at events. Not clearly communicating the existence of and the how- to of the tools to performers and the public, will almost certainly result in failure. PLATFORMS The tools and technology that you select for the event will influence the outcome of the program itself. Once again balance and value are the criteria to make your selections. Are you making sure that you are selecting the right amount of tools? Overwhelming your attendees has no benefit for them, it will decrease rather than increase engagement. Too many tools, too complicated to use, to be used in a short period of time is a recipe for disaster. Balancing the tools and making sure that we choose only the relevant ones is key. ‘How do we choose the right ones?’ You may legitimately ask. The answer lies in process mapping. Map your processes and ask yourself at which stage of your event you can add value by using engagement technology. If you are a networking exhibition with business appointments, you may find a lot of value in matchmaking technology or in lead retrieval tools. Will your attendee benefit from having more context about the person they will meet? Will they benefit from quickly entering their information on an iPad instead of filling a 2 page paper form? The answer is quite obvious. If the answer is obvious, you most certainly have a safe bet. PLACE The last, but by no means least, element of a sound engagement program that relies on technology is place. As California is afflicted by the risk of earthquakes, the Caribbean by hurricanes, Siberia by snowstorms, event venues will highly likely be affected by WiFi fail. The process of modernization seems to be never ending. Technology providers are desperate for effective connectivity in venues. Most interaction tools won’t likely function without connectivity. Some will partially, some in full. It is also important to keep in mind the difference between WiFi with Internet connection and what is often referred to as ‘dry’ WiFi or a local network with wireless connectivity that has no internet connection. Some tools may well work without the use of servers and can be operated without Internet connectivity. In most cases you need connectivity to make the most of engagement technology. Making sure that the Place caters for the right level of connectivity required by the tools you will use is a necessary step that will determine the success of your program. __ ACCESS OUR HANDY CHECKLIST* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED GET IT NOW
16. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 16 TRENDS Julius Solaris
17. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 17 The 2016 edition of Engaging Events comes packed with incredibly useful data from the latest research we conducted. With over 650 qualified respondents, this is the reference for looking at how event professionals see engagement, what their biggest frustrations are and what they would like to see in the future. Such research puts us in a unique position to share the actual trends impacting engagement and the technology used to increase participation at events. Speculation has never helped advancing industry, we are very glad to give you access to unpublished data on one of the hottest topics in the industry. We summed up the quantitative and qualitative data obtained from some of the most renowned event professionals around the world. Just to give you some background on the data, 37% of our sample plan over 16 events per year and over 21% of responses have event budgets of more than $1 million. So let’s look at the trends defining engagement in 2016/2017: 1. MATCHMAKING The very definition of engagement assumes connection and co-creation among attendees. Connecting attendees seems to be the struggle of most event professionals. It seems that on the planning side the attention is always on speakers and content but not on giving space for attendees to connect. 6 TRENDS IN ENGAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY Donna Worley, Director of Marketing Communications & Public Relations, Textile Exchange says that one of the biggest challenge is “[...] finding a good balance of networking and planned sessions - our attendees tend to skip keynote/plenary sessions to stand out in the halls and network.” But is it always a problem of event/meeting design? Are we once again engaging in the olympic sport of blaming it on the event planner? It looks like it. Matchmaking and smart badges have been around for a while scoring an impressive 82% in awareness with event professionals. 8 in 10 planners know about the tech. Yet 18% declare that they’ve used matchmaking in their event. That is an absurd chasm between awareness and adoption. Some of the next trends will help us to understand what is causing such gap, but there are two key learnings when it comes to matchmaking event technology: Despite the claims, the tools out there are not as effective as promised. Many event professionals lament difficult and low value interfaces. Making it extremely simple seems to be the core requirement. There is an ocean of opportunity for the upcoming year to engage with such technology. The APIs of major social networks are mature enough to guarantee a strong integration and the development of RFID, beacons and NFC is making matchmaking very smart. No more excuses for both event tech providers and event professionals. This is the year to look at matchmaking tools. 1. 2.
18. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 18 2. SPARE ME THE DOWNLOAD Downloading apps seems to still be the one of the highest barriers to adoption when it comes to engagement technology. This pretty much reflects the tendency we analysed in the Event App Bible. “I would not like to download an app that is used for 1 day only and has no use thereafter” says Vasim Sheikh, Business Development Manager, vCraft Events and Entertainment. Apps that offer longer term engagement options as well as a clear pre-, during-, post- event suite of tools are the ones that need to be favoured. 3. TIGHTER INTEGRATION I honestly struggle to add the word tighter in the title of this trend as this is the the number one complaint from event professionals. This is also one of the reasons why matchmaking technology is not used to the full potential. The business and technology literature has taught us that the word ‘silos’ is not good. Yet most event technology providers are defiant of the implications of running a standalone app that does not ‘talk’ to counterparts. Some of the hundreds of quotes from our research: “Creating a shared, not silo-ed delegate experience” is engagement defined by Tom Vamos, Digital Director, MCI UK. “Technology companies not integrating” is the biggest frustration for Elizabeth Glau, CMP, Attendee Experience Manager, ISTE J. Damany Daniel, Chief Imaginator, The Event Nerd, is frustrated by “Attendee adoption and technologies that are more about themselves than providing a low barrier of entry for attendees, or integration with other platforms that would enhance the attendee experience.” That pretty much sums up the sentiment of the industry. Integration is simply not there. It is sometimes promised, but rarely delivered. Event professionals need to ask more of eventtech providers. They need to scrutinize how the technology works and the integration details. Engagement technology providers need to step up their game and show real value through means of integration with other suppliers. 4. ACCESSIBILITY Another long lasting problem of event technology in general and engagement technology specifically is the unfriendliness to some demographics. “The client’s perception of engagement and willingness to utilize unfamiliar tools” is one of the most significant barriers to adoption according to John R. Brandon Bayton, Jr., President, Bayton and Associates Consulting, LLC. Ebonee F. Shaw, Sr. Director of Special Events, Saint Louis Crisis Nursery Quite rightly asks: “My guests are older and resistant to technology. Big [fundraising] donors are resistant to ANYTHING new. Ultimate decision makers are older, just riding it out until retirement and unwilling to learn something new.” But are we once again playing the second most popular olympic sport in the event industry, blaming it on the attendee? Don’t get me wrong, what John and Ebonee say is indisputable. Yet I don’t feel this a problem with attendees not wanting to adopt anything new, but rather an inherent user unfriendliness of many of the engagement tech tools out there. We have all witnessed very simple ideas gaining extreme momentum within some of the most difficult to crack audiences. This has nothing to do with tech unfriendliness. Decision makers, seniors, c-level suites have one thing in common, they have no time to waste. Simplicity and effectiveness gets them on board. Results win over concept for them. If you encounter an adoption barrier with your audience, ask yourself if the tool you are proposing is very simple and very, very effective. If it is simple and effective, but you need good wifi but you need an up to date smartphone but you need a Facebook account but you need to also sign up for it again at the event Let me tell you, it is not simple and effective. It is actually a burden. What you will find is that over the next year as more attendees gain experience with great tools, they will reject difficult and ineffective tools increasingly more.
19. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 19 COMPARE EVENTTECH ONLINE* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED 5. PRE-EVENT ENGAGEMENT One of the most fundamental mistakes of any event engagement program that relies on technology as a tactic is the lack of pre-event buzz. What we discovered while researching literature on engagement at events is that pre-event confidence with what will happen at the event or with the brand/organization supporting the event is a key element in engagement. When attendees have a different level of awareness of the event, that is when co-creation can turn into co- destruction. Making sure that attendees are informed and engaged before the event is key to securing higher levels of engagement during the event. Jennifer Batchelder, Artist, Event Director/Producer, Documentary Film suggests the need for “a more fluid system of engaging invitee - who hopefully becomes attendee. From conception of event to end of event and beyond, providing a system or program that keeps them connected so they feel more a part of the whole.“ This is what Jennifer and many other event professionals ask for. Integration with existing social networks is something that helps to start and keep the conversation going before the event. Yet again only those tools that have a clear pre-event service offering in place should be preferred. 6. EVENT DESIGN On principle this is not an event technology aspect. On principle. The very definition of engagement at events and all the research available puts emphasis on event design as the key driver for engagement. This is especially true for event technology adoption that helps increasing engagement. Event professionals responding to our research say that engagement is “Very Important” yet they achieve a somewhat acceptable level of engagement at events. The missing element here can be incorporating engagement technology in the very design of the event. An event designed with technology in mind makes adoption much simpler and as a result higher engagement almost a consequence. One of the most renowned experts on the subject, Adrian Segar, President of Conferences That Work says: “Many meeting sponsors don’t understand the importance of good event process design. They understandably cling to traditional meeting formats that have been used for hundreds of years.“ Designing with technology and engagement in mind will inevitably boost the outcome of your engagement program. ___ TAKE ME THERE
20. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 20 STRATEGY Becki Cross
21. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 21 Events have changed. The way we design our events determines how successful, or otherwise, the event is. An event without engagement can never be a success. It is our responsibility to deliver engaging experiences and this is the number one priority for many event planners. We have a responsibility as eventprofs to raise our game and keep pushing boundaries to deliver meaningful experiences. STRATEGY As event planners we make things happen. An event is an experience outside normal everyday opportunities which offers a unique chance for engagement and all the benefits this brings. Perhaps the biggest opportunity for increasing engagement in our events today comes from co-creation. By involving our participants every step of the way they have a greater affinity with the event and this greater interaction gives a sense of ownership and responsibility. Instead of the outdated top down approach, by encouraging two way interaction between EVENTS OF THE PAST SPEAKERS, PERFORMERS DELEGATES, THE AUDIENCE EVENTS TODAY OTHER ATTENDEES SPEAKERS, PERFORMERS DELEGATES, THE AUDIENCE SPONSORS/PARTNERS/ EXHIBITORS all stakeholders this strengthens the sense of community and belonging between like-minded individuals. These connections between individuals are what makes an event unique and create the ‘magic’ that face to face encounters can bring. Networking consistently remains one of the most important motivators of attending events today and can have far reaching impact if the relationships formed carry on after the event, business deals are done and so forth. A word of warning though. If there is a disconnect between the objectives and the event design there is the real opportunity for dissatisfaction and co-destruction to occur. EVENT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY Engagement isn’t something that just happens, to be effective it needs to be well thought out and planned in advance. If you want to maximize engagement it isn’t something that should be tagged on or squeezed in as an afterthought, it needs to be woven into the programme right from the start. It will help to think about these questions in the early stages planning your event. What are the event objectives? Who are the stakeholders involved? Why do/should they care about this objective? How will you reach these people and ensure they come to the event? How can engagement with your stakeholders help to achieve the event objectives? When can engagement take place? Before, during and after the event? How can the environment be most conducive to engagement? What are barriers to engagement? What will success look like? How can you achieve all of this? Can tech help to achieve this? How?
22. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 22 WHAT ARE THE EVENT OBJECTIVES? To create an action plan to tackle obesity levels in children in London. WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED? Health workers, those who work with children, social services, physical activity practitioners, schools, the food industry, local government, national government, media. NOTE: this is the specific event audience, not everyone that cares about the issue. In this example parents may care deeply about this issue but they are not the core audience for the event. WHY DO/SHOULD THEY CARE ABOUT THIS OBJECTIVE? To improve the health of children, to reduce the burden on health services, to reduce the cost of obesity related illnesses. HOW WILL YOU REACH THESE PEOPLE AND ENSURE THEY COME TO THE EVENT? By invitation only, by sharing the stakeholders that have been invited and those that will be represented at the event, to appeal for their help to tackle this issue, by sharing anticipated outcomes, flatter them! HOW CAN ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR STAKEHOLDERS HELP TO ACHIEVE THE EVENT OBJECTIVES? By bringing together informed, knowledgeable, and influential people with different perspectives and priorities but a common vision. All are committed to the cause and want to make a difference. All involved have credibility with the media. WHEN CAN ENGAGEMENT TAKE PLACE? BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT? BEFORE: Ask for input into the design and structure of the event and take feedback on board when creating the event. DURING: Throwughout every session on the agenda to set the tone and expectations of the whole event. Aim is for attendees to listen for no more than 20 minutes at a time before actively contributing themselves. AFTER: continue the conversation via a Slack group, on social media or in private chat rooms on the event app. HOW CAN THE ENVIRONMENT BE MOST CONDUCIVE TO ENGAGEMENT? Is the venue and room suitable? Is there enough space? Is there the opportunity for cabaret style layout, seating in small clusters, horseshoe style layout or similar? Is the WiFi robust? Here is a brief example of what your initial engagement strategy planning notes may look like.
23. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 23 While not all of these ideas should be used for one given event, it is a useful exercise to help illustrate where eventtech could help. It also helps to focus your thinking in terms of whether a dedicated, standalone piece of tech focused on one area would be the best route (e.g. a polling app) or whether you need a solution that can offer multiple features (e.g. an event app with live interaction features). ___ WHAT ARE BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT? Not getting the right people there. No buy-in from audience - too busy to fully engage. WiFi or tech failure. WHAT WILL SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? Coming together to share ideas and knowledge, connecting powerful influencers. The aim is to create and agree a shared mission to tackle the problem, with an action plan and timescales to move forward. Positive media coverage would be a bonus in raising awareness. HOW CAN YOU ACHIEVE ALL OF THIS? A skilled facilitator is needed to keep the focus firmly on the objectives within the limited timeframe. Brainstorming, co-creation, information and knowledge sharing and decision making are key to success. CAN TECH HELP TO ACHIEVE THIS? HOW? A brainstorm of how technology could help to achieve all of the above: ( (Audience Response System - to suggest ideas to address the issue and to enable the audience to vote up which ideas are likely to have most impact, this determines the focus of the event discussion ( (Smart Badges - to easily locate people with similar interests to dig deeper into a topic ( (Social Wall to encourage tweeting - for visibility of the issues wider than the event room and to raise awareness with the influencers networks ( (Matchmaking - to encourage useful connections, to set up meetings at the event ( (Polls - on the spot, quick feedback (of interest to media in particular) ( (Livestreaming - to keep informed those that are interested but can’t be at the event in person to keep them up to date and encourage their support and goodwill for future ( (Microphones - to give everyone a voice, an ice-breaker, fun, energizer. Avoid one voice dominating the discussion ( (Gamification - ice breaker to encourage people to get to know each other for better group work and problem solving ( (Photo Sharing Apps - for official and unofficial photos to be made available to the media and interested parties ( (Event App - to share breaking news and keep people up to date and in contact after the event
24. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 24 DO YOU NEED LIVE INTERACTION TECHNOLOGY FOR YOUR EVENT? WORKING THROUGH THE QUESTIONS IN THE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY SECTION WILL HELP YOU. CLEAR AIMS SHOULD BE THE FIRST STARTING POINT TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NEVER BE USED JUST FOR THE SAKE OF USING TECH. KEEP REVIEWING THIS PROCESS FOR FUTURE EVENTS TO SEE WHEN LIVE INTERACTION TECHNOLOGY MAY BE USEFUL. THE GLOSSARY OUTLINES THE MAIN ENGAGEMENT TECH DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS REPORT. IN THIS CASE EVENTTECH WON’T HELP! THE FEATURE TABLES OUTLINE THE FUNCTIONALITY OFFERED BY PROVIDERS FOR EACH CATEGORY AT A GLANCE. THE ONLINE DYNAMIC TABLES ALLOW YOU TO SEARCH FOR PROVIDERS THAT MATCH YOUR CRITERIA AND LIST ALL FEATURES AND PRICING INFORMATION WHEN DISCLOSED. A FREE RFP TEMPLATE FOR AN EVENT APP CAN BE FOUND IN THE EVENT APP BIBLE. NO YES NO YES NO YES NO NOT SURE YES NO NOT SURE YES NO NOT SURE YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES HAVE YOU USED EVENTTECH BEFORE WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? HAVE YOU DEFINED THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES FOR YOUR EVENT? COULD LIVE INTERACTION TECHNOLOGY HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR AIMS AND OBJECTIVES? DO YOU KNOW WHICH TYPE OF LIVE INTERACTION TOOL IS MOST SUITABLE FOR YOUR EVENT? DO YOU HAVE A SHORTLIST OF PROVIDERS, INCLUDING INFORMATION AND PRICES? DO YOU KNOW THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH TOOL (E.G. WIFI, SOUND DESK, SPACE TO USE THE TOOL) AND CAN YOU/THE VENUE PROVIDE THIS? TIME TO CHOOSE ANOTHER TOOL THAT MATCHES WHAT YOU AND THE VENUE CAN PROVIDE. HAVE YOU GOT ENOUGH STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES TO ALLOCATE TO THE TOOL? ALTHOUGH IT ISN’T A POSSIBILITY FOR THIS EVENT WHY NOT START PLANNING AHEAD FOR NEXT YEAR/YOUR NEXT EVENT? DO YOU KNOW WHICH SPECIFIC TOOL YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE? CONGRATULATIONS! NOW YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE SPECIFIC ENGAGEMENT TOOL YOU WILL USE IT IS TIME TO REFINE YOUR ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY SPECIFICALLY RELATING TO THIS TOOL. DON’T FORGET TO DOWNLOAD THE CHECKLIST WITH SOME FURTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT. THE FEATURE TABLES OUTLINE THE FUNCTIONALITY OFFERED BY PROVIDERS FOR EACH CATEGORY AT A GLANCE. THE ONLINE DYNAMIC TABLES ALLOW YOU TO SEARCH FOR PROVIDERS THAT MATCH YOUR CRITERIA AND LIST ALL FEATURES AND PRICING INFORMATION WHEN DISCLOSED. WAS IT SUCCESSFUL? IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT AT YOUR EVENT? START HERE
25. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 25 Once you are confident engagement technology could help it is time to understand where in the event it could give the best contribution, through a process called process mapping. Process mapping consists of laying out all of the core touchpoints to better analyse what is the best solution. This visual exercise helps to identify what tool(s) are available to you to meet the key aims of the event. Some tools will appear in the list more frequently and could indicate the best technology/ies for the event. This is an example of what a process mapping activity may look like: PROCESS MAPPING PROCESS /AIM HOW CAN TECH DELIVER VALUE? WHAT APPROACH SHOULD BE USED? POTENTIAL MATCH Involving attendees in the event planning process Encouraging co-creation of the event agenda Seeking ideas for speakers, opinions, getting participants to vote for their favourite option Live interaction tools, event app, social media Increasing business deals Better connections between attendees Improving networking oppor- tunities, better matchmaking, more meetings and appoint- ments scheduled. Easier for attendees to connect Matchmaking technology, smart badges Building a sense of community Making participants feel more connected Creating excitement about the event, involving attendees in discussions before the event, encouraging digital friendships Social media, matchmaking, event app Creating a buzz about the event Raising excitement about attending the event Sharing quality content, announcements, encouraging participants to plan their visit Livestreaming, social media, event app
26. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 26 CHOOSING THE RIGHT ENGAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY When you have determined the technology/ies that could be most suitable for your event and the reasons and aims for using them you will want to research the best providers that have the features to meet your specific needs. The Feature and Location Tables at the back of this report will help you to assess the functionality available and what the providers listed offer. For full feature listings and pricing information (if disclosed) please go to our dynamic online tables which allows you to search based on your exact criteria. Budget is likely to be a big factor in the final decision. The tools featured vary greatly in price, from free products, low cost options through to premium products. The investment is not just the cost of using the chosen technology though, it is also the time and resource investment to implement it properly. Most tools offer informative websites, opportunities for demos and to see the product in action which will give all the information you will need to make an informed choice. If you are considering an event app you will probably wish to issue a formal RFP and free templates for this are available in the latest version of the Event App Bible which can also be accessed free via the online portal. For the other tools this formality is probably not necessary. Many tools offer immediate purchase/access options so you can get started immediately when the decision has been made. DOWNLOAD OUR CHECKLIST* FOR THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO ASK *REGISTRATION REQUIRED GET IT NOW
27. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 27 TACTICS Becki Cross
28. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 28 8 WAYS TO IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION To make your event more engagement friendly to meet your engagement strategy there are some things you can change and improve. 1. AUDIENCE BUY IN Attendees need to feel involved and valued by the event to give something back in return. In the event planner survey the barrier to engagement mentioned numerous times was disengaged, disinterested and busy attendees and the failure to ‘reach’ them. What are the biggest barriers to event engagement? “Apathy of attendees. Often delegates are paid by their companies and treat events as a ‘jolly’ or time out of the office rather than valuable networking or learning. With community events the biggest barrier is that the general public expect to be spoon fed so anything requiring signup or input of time or effort is a step too far.” “Technology/Outside Distractions - while technology can help with event engagement, many attendees can’t pull themselves away from “the office” (i.e. email and phone) long enough to truly get engaged with what is happening at the event.” “Participants who are more interested in what’s in it for them without engagement” “Preoccupied attendees” “[Attendees] not willing to share their knowledge with other people” “Some people are shy. Some people are arrogant. Some people just like to complain.” “People’s busy lives are barriers to full engagement. How to break through the day-to-day flurry of email, mail, phone calls, social media to really reach the targeted individual? How to create a different and unique type of event?” If the event is engaging enough, is that enough to break through the barriers to the heart of the attendee? Is it the sole responsibility of the event manager to engage? Or is there also an expected unwritten agreement that the attendee also needs give 100% to the experience as an active participant? The attendee may already have given up a number of things to be part of the event including their time, effort, possibly a registration fee, the transport costs and the opportunity costs of alternative uses of their time. In theory this should make them open to a positive outcome and more invested in the process, but there is no guarantee and engagement isn’t simply a tick box. Many event planners now recognise and label the guest as a participant, suggesting an active involvement, rather than a passive attendee. Involving your audience as co-creators is the first and best step all event planners should take throughout the whole event planning process
29. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 29 to maximize the vested interest of participants in the event. The greater the input an individual feels that they have given in co-producing the event the greater their connection and commitment to the final outcome - the event. Rethinking your event design to incorporate co-creation and co-production at every step of the way will pay dividends in terms of the success and outcomes of the event. As event planners, if we are to be successful in reaching our objectives, it is important that we break through the closed shell and the stressed mindsets to gain the full attention of our guests. So how can we move from passive attendees to proactive participants that want to help develop the success of the event? FACTORS THAT DRIVE EVENT ENGAGEMENT In the first Engaging Events Report Michelle Bruno highlighted certain factors that can enhance and drive engagement: COMMITMENT. Getting the attendee to “buy in” to the technology and the activity can help them benefit from the resulting engagement. INVOLVEMENT. Making sure that every participant has a role to play ensures that no one becomes disengaged. SATISFACTION. Engagement activities have to be satisfying in order for them to resonate with participants. STIMULATION. The activity has to be exciting in order to keep participants engaged. COMPETITION. Many attendees participate in activities for the sole purpose of competing with colleagues. RECOGNITION. Attendees like to be recognized for their prowess or professionalism. REWARDS. Prizes for participating in activities can be an important incentive for attendees. KNOWLEDGE SHARING. Some attendees thrive on being able to educate others. LARGER PURPOSE. Millennials, in particular, are motivated to engage in activities if they feel that they are contributing to the greater good. Understanding the reasons and motivations above it is easy to see how event technology can help to drive engagement. 2. COMMUNITY Attending an event is a shared experience and the face to face interaction with other people is what makes it so special and unique. Whether it is an event attended for business or personal reasons it brings together like minded individuals with shared interests and goals. These bonds or business opportunities created from interactions at the event result in a positive experience and association with the event. Tools which can bring together your community before, during and after the event are extremely valuable. Annual successful events are striving for year-round engagement, it isn’t just something that can come together on the day of the event or be an afterthought. Jennifer Covington, Manager of Live Learning at the Project Management Institute shared her definition of engagement: “Attendees interacting with speakers, one another and event organizers at the event in a way that enables the individual to feel connected to not only peers, but the larger community.” This is echoed by Elaine Wood, Executive Director, Make it Mar Vista (a community festival): “I believe that engagement means that attendees interact with each other, share ideas, make friends and leave feeling that they are part of a community.” 3. EVENT AND MEETING DESIGN One anonymous respondent to the survey replied as follows when asked about the biggest barrier to engagement: “Clients that have a need to control the event and refuse to acknowledge the advice of those who know the venue or audience best tend to undermine the quality of the audience experience. There is often a focus on quantity (bodies at the event) rather than the quality of the experience.” As event planners if we want to increase engagement we need to design and execute our events “with” our attendees, rather than “to” or “for” our attendees. An event is a reciprocal happening, there needs to be
30. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 30 benefits for all stakeholders involved, not a top down mentality. Think about all the touchpoints and opportunities to enhance co-creation, interaction and networking. By creating a sharing structure all parties involved can get more from the event if they are actively involved. One of the biggest squeezes in terms of engagement and networking time is when the programme is too packed and falls behind schedule. Often the first things to be cut short are networking breaks and ‘extras’ such as live interaction and the attendees start worrying about leaving on time, rather than staying focussed on the event. Allow sufficient time in the programme to catch up if things get slightly behind, without cutting back on some of the most important elements of the day. Reducing the pace slightly gives more time for attendees to digest information more effectively too for better learning outcomes. 4. THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE We have all been at an event where the room was too packed, there were problems with the microphones, it was too hot, you couldn’t see the presenter or the chairs were uncomfortable. In these situations you probably zoned out or switched off completely and looked for the first available opportunity to leave. The event environment should be conducive to engagement, not working against it, so make sure you get the basics right. The layout of the room can have a big impact on attention levels. Make sure the stage isn’t too distant, there are no pillars blocking the audience’s view and that there is space to move about. For conversations theatre style seating is limiting - cabaret style or other layouts may be a better solution. Ensure there are no distractions - catering stations being set up in the same room for example is an easy way to lose attention as attendees dream of the lunch to come. Make sure the venue doesn’t limit or obliterate your tech decisions. The WiFi failing is the most common issue, but if you are investing in smart badges you want to ensure networking spaces are available, for example, and if you plan to bring in additional screens for social walls you want to ensure they will be seen. If you need delegates to use their smartphones consider installing charging points too. 5. THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY Making the right technology choice is vital to inspiring engagement. The tool needs to be chosen for valid reasons as part of a solid engagement strategy. It needs to be appealing to the audience and easy to use, otherwise they simply won’t bother. Remember that not all attendees have the latest smartphones so it is important that it works across all devices or has a web browser option so that no one misses out. Alternatively you could provide loan devices for anyone that is struggling. Always have help available on site, have plenty of knowledgeable staff, identifiable and close to hand both at the help desk and in the room where the tech is being used. Test, test, test your technology tool to make sure it is working as it should numerous times before and on the day of the event. Consider the strategy for any last minute changes that may be received and don’t forget to allocate a team member to moderate the content and weed out irrelevant and unconstructive responses or social media mentions. 6. PRE EVENT MARKETING AND BUZZ The more successful you are at creating a buzz around your event the greater the engagement level potential tends to be for the event itself and the lower the drop out rate. This also means that participants are more likely to listen and take action. This is also helpful in terms of encouragement to download the tech prior to the event. Explain what is in it for the attendee by using the technology and why they will get more from the event. Provide step by step instructions for how to download and use the tech for those that are less tech savvy and need this extra push. Share support in different ways with written instructions, pictures, video and a helpline available. Some providers will already have these resources available so it doesn’t rely on your team to create these. Address security and data concerns straight on so this isn’t a barrier to using the technology.
31. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 31 On the day of the event ensure the Chair or Facilitator is briefed to give a quick explanation before getting underway and a short (a few seconds) quick idiot proof recap each time the tech is used. Boundaries should be explained, for example, everyone’s opinion is valid, be respectful, and explain if results are anonymous. Also share what will happen to the results, will they be shared with attendees after the event for instance? 7. INVOLVEMENT FROM STAKEHOLDERS Events should not just be focussed on the interaction between the speakers and participants, it should aim to increase interaction between all stakeholders at the event. If your sponsors, exhibitors and partners take a back seat they will not get the most from their investment, so as event planners we need to inspire them to get involved before, during and after the event. No longer is it enough to simply turn up on the day and shoot out a few sales messages, they have a responsibility and commitment to the event too. If you want a technology tool to be used consistently and coherently through the event programme you need to ensure that your speakers or performers are all well briefed, tested and familiar with the tech. If they are nervous or the instructions are too overwhelming they will not prioritize it. Also consider sharing all the touch points where the tech will be used during the event so they can see the bigger picture. Don’t forget to pre warn your exhibitors, sponsors and other partners of the plan too. This will enable them to be prepared and get the most out of it. For example having a social wall may encourage them to be more adventurous with their social media updates, adding better pictures and graphics and promoting special offers. 8. SKILLED FACILITATOR Having a skilled facilitator or MC will probably be the best investment for your event to keep everything on track and closely aligned to the event objectives. They will reinforce the reasons for the event and relate everything back to the purpose. It is important to show the results of the tech in real time so people can see the wider view. Real- time engaging content is a great way to keep people’s attention. The MC can also reward participants for getting involved. They might give actual prizes or even just an acknowledgement or shout out will be appreciated. When planning the content and how to maximize engagement keep in mind those that are less confident and outgoing. Think through whether it will cause any reticence or discomfort. A skilled facilitator will always have this in mind as well as reading the audience and making adjustments where needed. ___ SEARCH 128 ENGAGEMENT TOOLS* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED LAUNCH NOW
32. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 32 14 EVENT DESIGN TECHNIQUES Consider taking popular low-tech meeting design formats, activities and tricks often used to increase participation and learning, and adding technology for a modern twist before, during and after the event. ASK ME ANYTHING SESSION (AMA) An AMA Session means just that - the audience can ask the speaker anything! These can be an exciting and free flowing part of your event and a refreshing way to change to pace. The best AMA have lots of questions put forward to keep it fast moving and relevant. Tech Twist BEFORE AND DURING Attendees can use apps or audience response systems to ask questions in real time, without the fear of raising their hands and speaking in public, which is a massive barrier for many. These may be submitted in advance, but most will be suggested on the day. Other attendees can vote up questions they most want answered. There may be a manual or automatic moderation feature to ensure that only “approved” questions are shown. The moderator could use a tablet to keep up with the questions coming in. The questions could also be shown via a live feed to the main screen so that no one misses the question and to keep eyes focused forward. People not present at the event can also take part by submitting questions through the app or web based ARS and via social media. This session will be a good one to be livestreamed and there should be lots of sound bytes to share on social media. AFTER Post event it will be useful to export all of the questions asked and which questions were most popular. The speaker could be asked to feed back on the best questions that didn’t get air time for an interesting follow up opportunity. The questions may also spark ideas or influence future content decisions for the event.
33. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 33 UNCONFERENCE/OPEN SPACE At an unconference or open space session the participants suggest and determine the content and choose what they want to participate in. The format is generally open discussion as there is a bias towards interaction, rather than rehearsed presentations, although anything goes. This is a kick back against the formal conference structure and encourages the wisdom of the crowd. Tech Twist BEFORE Ahead of the unconference using matchmaking technology can help connect like-minded attendees. Sometimes a range of broad topics may be shared in advance which can spark early discussions on social media or via an event app. The final programme is however created in the moment on the day of the event. DURING Instead of using post it notes Audience Response Systems can be used to submit the topics at the live event and these can be voted up or polled to see which is most popular. This may determine a topic that everyone present discusses together before breaking out into smaller groups, allow more time to be dedicated to the most popular topics or to simply inform which sessions need to take place in the biggest rooms and spaces available. Similar topics need to be merged together - an interactive screen would be a high tech way to visualise the programme for everyone and make it easier to see, rather than everyone crowding round a board or wall or trying to remember locations of the discussions that appeal. When the programme is decided information can be pushed out via the event app. Consider using fun tools like throwable microphones to promote interactive sessions. AFTER After the event the conversations and sharing can continue on social media and via discussion groups or private chat rooms in the event app. Whatsapp and Slack are also being used to keep momentum. WORLD CAFE FORMAT Groups spend 20 minutes at a small table to discuss a specific question or topic with a facilitator, before moving to the next discussion table, which has a different focus. The facilitator stays in the same place each time and gives a brief summary of the discussion that has already taken place to the new group so they can add new value rather than going over old ground. After all groups have inputted to every table the facilitator from each table shares a final summary with everyone present. Tech Twist BEFORE In advance of the event attendees could suggest and vote on the broad topics to be discussed, although you may not want to give too much away before the day. DURING Interactive displays and collaboration tools on an ipad would be a great way for the facilitator to record the ideas, group and develop them. Microphones (throwable or via a smartphone app) is perfect for giving the final feedback, or livestream the final summaries. AFTER If you recorded the table discussion feedback electronically these notes can be exported and shared with everyone. This may kick off further discussion as ideas continue to develop in people’s minds and the conversation could continue via social media.
34. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 34 FORUM THEATRE The audience members watch a scenario acted out before them and then discuss different actions that should be taken which alter the direction or outcome of the scenario. In other words the participants become directors and have to work together for the final solution. Tech Twist DURING If this is taking place with a larger group the discussion could take place on social media and ideas and polls initiated to determine what should be changed if there are many different ideas. Throwable microphones or app based mics can help manage the contribution of the audience more effectively. Livestreaming could share the process with the outside world to get their perspective too. AFTER The recording from the livestream can be used to share with future groups to encourage discussion about what they would have done differently. RAISING HANDS OR BODY VOTING These give an indication of the thinking and feeling of the audience, either by raising their hands or physically moving about the room to show where an individual feels they fit on a scale. Tech Twist DURING Set up quick polls, or a rating survey either in advance of the event or quickly added on the spot, on the day. DISCUSSION GROUPS Encouraging discussions in pairs or small groups is a well-used tactic to get participants to think about how the content relates specifically to them, network with other people and ensure that they have a greater chance of recalling the learning at a later date. Tech Twist DURING The facilitator often asks a few volunteers to feed back to the wider group and using throwable microphones is a good way to get people’s attention back from the conversations and gain more active involvement from willing participants. ICE BREAKERS AND NETWORKING Encouraging ice breaking activities is good for networking and giving someone a familiar face in the crowd, even if they don’t know anyone else attending the event. Traditionally event planners sometimes ask attendees to write on their paper badges what they are an expert in, what people can ask them about, or what they are most interested in finding out. Not all attendees are comfortable or confident with networking but this is a key success factor for the event. Tech Twist BEFORE AND DURING Using smart badges and matchmaking tools is a scientific way to engineer connections between people with matched interests, rather than leaving it to chance. This enables participants to schedule meetings for during or after the event and hopefully do more business.
35. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 35 FISHBOWL/TALKING STICK These types of activities enable contribution from the audience but in a controlled and structured way, by only allowing people in the “hot seats” or holding a stick to speak out loud. Tech Twist DURING Microphones can achieve the same objective as people speaking without the microphone will not be heard. A throwable microphone is a visual cue to show who will be speaking next and with app based microphones the Chair or MC can give permission to talk in the order they wish and stop the microphone if they need to take back control. PECHA KUCHA Pecha Kucha is when 20 presentation slides are shown for 20 seconds each and automatically advance, meaning the speaker has to keep up and cannot deviate. The whole presentation is over in 6 minutes and 40 seconds in total giving a fast paced snapshot of the topic. Tech Twist DURING Slidesharing tools are a handy way for attendees to follow along and to share a slide that resonates with them to social media. An audience response tool may be used to determine which presenter is given more time to give a longer presentation so polling tools can instantly share which content to delve into more deeply. The short, fast paced nature of Pecha Kucha would also work well for livestreaming. FLIPPED CLASSROOM This idea relies on the attendee doing “homework” before the event, which can then be explored more fully at the event itself. Tech Twist BEFORE Livestreaming tools are an engaging way to share content before the event, so long as attendees can choose to watch live or access a recording. This may also allow you to know who has watched in advance! FACILITATOR OR LEARNING COACH A facilitator or learning coach will expertly coordinate all elements of the live event, keeping everything on track in line with the bigger picture. These are skilled professionals that can read the audience and adapt the programme based on first hand feedback. Tech Twist DURING A skilled facilitator is able to get more from any engagement tool you choose to implement and will excel at relating back information so that everyone can digest the messages coming through.
36. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 36 BEHAVIOUR CHANGE Some people would argue that events are only successful if they result in behaviour change from the participant as a result of the event. Commonly the facilitator will ask participants to record their personal action points. By speaking these out loud or writing them down they are more likely to happen. Commonly at the end of an event attendees may be asked to write on a postcard what they want to come about and address it to themselves. The organizer will then post out the postcard 30 days after the event as a reminder to them. Tech Twist DURING Mics can be used to verbalise personal actions. Surveys can be used to feed back personal action points via an event app or live interaction app, which can be revisited and issued as a personal reminder at an appropriate point after the event. Even better would be if the same survey or poll questions issued before the event are reissued after the event to record if opinions have changed or what actions have been taken. It would also be fun to use livestreaming to record ‘pledges’ from the audience. TESTING LEARNING If the event was focused on training and learning often a test is used to ensure that participants have digested and understood the key points. The results of the test may mean the individual has passed or are awarded CPD points. Tech Twist DURING OR AFTER A gamification app could be used to test participants and instantly score and give feedback if you wish. This could give opportunities for more innovative testing - for example maybe they need to share a video recap of the key learning points or they need to complete a visual puzzle. Alternatively this could be done with simple survey questions via the event app or polling tool. BETTER LEARNING OUTCOMES Learning is a common objective for many events and if you have good engagement the information is more likely to be stored and recalled. Tech Twist DURING Many of the techniques outlined in this section help to achieve this but other ideas include getting people more active, for example by planning an informative scavenger hunt. Use matchmaking tools or smart badges to find and discuss a common problem and possible solution with another participant. Twitter can be used to lock in learning as it is a good way of noting and sharing the key takeaways. Using a leaderboard and social wall can further boost the motivation to do this. ___
37. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 37 IDEAS FOR HOW TO USE ENGAGEMENT TOOLS AIMS: To encourage co-creation of the event and develop a strong pre-event buzz, connections and a sense of community. EVENT APPS WITH LIVE NTERACTION FEATURES © © If it has collaboration features use them to share ideas and content that everyone can contribute to ahead of the event. This might be a brainstorm of questions that attendees want to be answered and can help inform programme decisions. © © Announce event news. © © Encourage attendees to plan their visit e.g. travel information, hotel booking, programme, sessions they are interested in, exhibitors they want to visit, people they want to meet. Depending on the specific features of your event app it may have some or all of the functionality listed below so consider using the ideas listed for each tool. LIVE RESPONSE APPS © © Crowd source ideas for what attendees would like to hear about at the event, speakers they are most interested in, break out sessions. © © Use the feedback to enable participants to choose the final speakers or topics at the event. © © Submit questions in advance for the speakers or panel. © © Pre event poll. © © Pre event survey (this could be repeated post event to measure changes in behaviour or opinion). © © Feedback and questions submitted to the organiser. PHOTOBOOTH & PHOTOSHARING APPS © © Event announcements with images e.g. earlybird offers. © © Photos of speakers, facts, and quotations from speakers. © © Images from blog posts, announcements and content to pique interest. © © Pictures of the event planning progress and set up of the event. © © Pictures of the venue, registration desk, the correct entrance to use (pictures can be useful as people don’t always read instructions!). © © Ask attendees to document their journey to the event as an ice breaking activity. © © Backstage footage with the speakers and VIPs. © © Contest relating to the individual before they attend the event such as - the most essential thing you are bringing to the event, a picture of one item that defines you. GAMIFICATION © © Individual task relating to the individual before they attend the event such as who is travelling the furthest, add a pin to the map. © © Individual quests for the journey to the event. For instance anyone that posts to social media between 8 and 9 am using the event hashtag will receive a goodie bag at the event. SOCIAL WALLS & INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS © © Crowd source ideas for what attendees would like to hear about at the event. © © Create Twitter polls. © © Ask people which t-shirt or conference bag they would like to be produced for the event or what menu they would prefer by commenting on a Facebook post or voting in a social media poll. © © Build buzz, excitement and anticipation. © © Regularly post to the relevant networks. © © Monitor and nudge people to use the hashtag. © © Organise a Twitter chat to encourage virtual connections ahead of the event. © © Follow those attending. © © Ask speakers to get involved. © © Raise excitement. © © Have conversations. MICROPHONES © © Some microphone apps offer attendee profiles for networking. © © Letting the audience know that innovative microphones can be used can boost interest. LIVESTREAMING TOOLS © © Broadcast some content leading up to the event such as interviews with the speakers and talk to attendees that are excited about the event and ask them to share their favourite bits from previous events, © © Show the setting up of the event, backstage footage and preparations. © © Share interviews with the founder or different members of the event team, explaining their role in the event and their passions. SMART BADGES © © Give incentives for data to be completed (if required in advance). © © Use your social media channels and email attendees to let them know you are using a smart badge system to get them excited about it. MATCHMAKING © © Incentivise profiles to be created/fully completed including their interests, who they want to connect with, etc © © Encourage searches and matches in advance of the event to minimize no shows (“I must attend this event as I really I want to meet xxx”). © © Encourage appointments booked in advance for at the event. © © Issue notifications when people have viewed profiles to stimulate further interest. PRE EVENT
38. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 38 AIMS: To ensure participants are fully in the moment, inspired to share and focussed on the event, giving 100% Another aim may be to entice interest from outside the event to encourage further sharing, connection and inspiration. EVENT APPS WITH LIVE NTERACTION FEATURES © © Use geo-targeting to pull attendees into exciting activities starting nearby. © © Send push notifications to segments of your audience to remind them of specific activities which match their area of interest. Depending on the specific features of your event app it may have some or all of the functionality listed below so consider using the ideas listed for each tool. LIVE RESPONSE APPS © © Sharing slide content so the audience can follow along and tweet out specific slides. © © Submitting questions for the speakers or panel. © © Voting up the best questions which should be asked. © © Pre planned surveys and polling. © © On the spot quick polls for fast feedback for issues that come up on the day. © © Take a poll before and after a speaker or panel to see if the opinion changes after hearing from the expert. © © Vote which content should be given more air time in the programme. PHOTOBOOTH & PHOTOSHARING APPS © © Take a picture and print a copy as a memento for the attendee. © © Have a live feed of the photos taken or shared via the event photo app. © © Run contest for the best picture or the picture that receives the most likes or shares. © © Have different backdrops and photo sharing opportunities available at the event. © © Organise for your celebrity/VIP to do a meet and greet. GAMIFICATION © © Create a bespoke team based activity with exciting prizes to be won which can act as an ice breaking and team building activity. © © A scavenger hunt challenge is a good way to introduce the local area and smartphone location can be used to trigger the next clue and earn points. © © Video and photo contests could be used via the app to create shareable content for social media. SOCIAL WALLS & INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS © © Share a live feed of the social media from various social networks your participants are active on. © © The event account should share lots of shareable content such as pictures of speakers with a quote from during the event, questions raised during the event, results of polls, pictures of the unique elements and people having fun at the event. © © Run a contest on social media to increase sharing and interaction with your social media account and specific posts. © © Continue discussions on social media immediately after the session. © © Use interactive displays in break out sessions to record feedback. © © Encourage exhibitors to invest in interactive displays to draw attention to their stand. MICROPHONES © © Use throwable microphones to get people actively involved and energized. © © Use app based microphones for fast feedback and reactions. LIVESTREAMING TOOLS © © Livestream snippets of exciting content from the event such as a private interview with a celebrity or VIP attending. © © Show what is going on behind the scenes - an AAA pass. © © Livestream some of the speakers presentations or quick fire 2 minute pitches. © © Highlight broadcast worthy elements from the show. © © Encourage high-profile vloggers, bloggers or other influencers to livestream from their own account about their attendance at the show or to take over your account. © © Share any major announcements such as award winners being unveiled and products launched. SMART BADGES © © Allow participants the time and space to network with their newly found matches. © © Can grant access to personalised event information such as agenda, important information, table plans and logistics. © © Delegates can access and save data and exhibitors can scan the attendees details. © © It can grant different voting rights, for example, at an annual meeting or access to specific sessions at the event and authorise bids at fundraising auctions. © © Track attendance at workshops and seminars MATCHMAKING © © Provide meeting friendly areas for appointments to take place. © © Encourage more meetings to be booked, remind attendees it isn’t too late. © © View personalized event schedules. LIVE EVENT
39. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 39 EVENT APPS WITH LIVE INTERACTION FEATURES © © If your app has private chat rooms keep them open and active so the discussion can continue after the event. Depending on the specific features of your event app it may have some or all of the functionality listed below so consider using the ideas listed for each tool. LIVE RESPONSE APPS © © Share the poll results from the event with the media and attendees. © © Issue a post event survey (this could repeat the pre event survey to measure changes in behaviour or opinion). © © Share the feedback received with the sponsors, exhibitors, venues, event team, to make continuous improvements and inform planning and investment for next year. © © Ask the audience what topics and speakers they would like to see next year or which destination they are most interested in. © © Ask participants to share what action they will take as a result of the event. PHOTOBOOTH & PHOTOSHARING APPS © © Share all photos from the event to encourage people to tag themselves on social media and share with their networks. © © Share the best photos with press, along with a press release. © © Invite people to download the photographs. GAMIFICATION © © Announce the winners (if you haven’t already done this at the event). SOCIAL WALLS & INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS © © Pull together the best social media content and create a recap blog post with some of the highlights © © Keep the conversation going on social. © © Share the content captured via interactive screens at the event . © © Announce the dates and location for the event next year. © © Share a super early bird offer. MICROPHONES © © Look at reporting data and engage on social media with the most active participants. LIVESTREAMING TOOLS © © Talk to attendees about the event, what they enjoyed the most and their top 3 takeaways. © © Post a thank you message from the organizer. © © Share videos created from the event.. © © Edit your footage into a short highlights video © © Announce the dates and location for the event next year. © © Share a super early bird offer. SMART BADGES © © Share data for the number of connections made and the most common interests of those attending. © © Use information about any gaps to inform your event marketing and sign up strategy for next year. © © Update the information in your sponsorship document. MATCHMAKING © © Share data for the number of appointments made and the most common interests of those attending. © © Enable connections to be made even after the event is over. Aim to continue the buzz and keep the community active after the event is over. POST EVENT
40. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 40 MEASUREMENT Becki Cross
41. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 41 So after all the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into the planning and running of the event, how do you know if it can actually be deemed a success? How can you tell if you achieved your objectives? How can you measure event engagement anyway? Whilst you may sense or know that an event with high levels of engagement is a good outcome how can you measure the actual results to evaluate how successful it was? How can you prove to your boss that it was a good investment of time, money and resources? By analysing your events in a more scientific way you will have powerful information to inform what is working and what isn’t worth bothering with. Knowing with greater certainty what is effective and where your precious time is best invested can only help to make you a more powerful eventprof in the longer term. In the competitive world of event management, clients are demanding more and being able to analyse results and show concrete evidence of what you delivered is super important. If you can’t do this a competitor will. And being able to shout from the rooftops about what specifically was achieved by a certain event will mean you are better placed to impress in your next pitch and win that new project you are hankering after. Measuring engagement isn’t something you can forget about until after the event is over and suddenly magic up all the data you need. Instead this needs careful thought in advance, when you are developing your engagement plan and at the point where you have shortlisted or decided on the specific engagement tools for your event. ROBUST OBJECTIVES Some planners just measure everything they can. They seemingly gather data, but don’t actually have a clue what it means or what to do with it. They issue feedback HOW TO MEASURE ENGAGEMENT forms with trivial questions about the food and if people enjoyed the event, but it means nothing. Evaluation can only be done if you know what you are looking to discover. The foundation to effective measurement is that it needs to relate back to the overall objectives for the event, so you can track how effectively your vision was achieved. An objective of your event may be “to improve engagement”, but you should look to drill down even further to define exactly what success will look like. For example the true Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your event may be: ( ( To crowdsource the keynote speaker, with the final decision made by registered participants. ( ( To sell out all tickets by October. ( ( To have a low drop out rate. ( ( To have lots of questions submitted to the speakers. ( ( To gather photo content which can be used for event marketing next year. ( ( To improve event networking, with new connections made and business appointments set up. ( ( To ensure every exhibitor has solid leads from the event. ( ( To achieve media coverage in some of our target trade magazines. ( ( To change the future behaviour of participants. BASELINE DATA If you are lucky enough to have data from previous events this will give the most accurate comparison opportunities. Having baseline data enables you to be even more precise in terms of your KPIs and setting specific benchmarks. Think about the actions you most want to stimulate at the event so you can measure these most specifically. Building on the KPIs suggested above you should aim to put numbers against each aim, for example: ( ( To crowdsource the keynote speaker, with at least 15 suggestions received and the final decision made with feedback by at least 100 registered participants.
42. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 42 ( ( To sell out all 500 tickets by October, a month earlier than last year. ( ( To have a drop out rate of under 5%. ( ( To have a 20% increase in the numbers of questions submitted to the speakers on the day. ( ( To gather at least 100 crowd sourced photos which can be used for event marketing next year. ( ( To improve event networking, with 350 new connections made and at least 20 business appointments set up. ( ( To ensure every exhibitor has at least 20 solid leads from the event. ( ( To achieve media coverage in at least 3 of our target trade magazines. ( ( To change the future behaviour of at least 25 participants. If it is the first time you have run the event you may still be able to look at data from similar events and get an idea of pre-event perceptions from the places where your audience hang out. Either way your KPIs will be harder to define accurately in these circumstances. You will need to give your best guess what feels achievable enough to be motivating, but not too challenging to be unattainable. OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEASUREMENT Unfortunately there is no single gauge to tell you how well you achieved engagement with your participants. Instead there are lots of data and clues you can measure, with and without the use of technology. A combination of all of this feedback will give the most rounded information from your event. INTERACTION BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE EVENT. If your participants are really inspired by your event they are more likely to be responsive and to communicate and interact back with you, whether this is via social media, event technology, email, comments on blog posts, responses to a survey or anything else you share with them. TICKET SALES. If you are doing a good job in terms of pre-event buzz you are more likely to sell out more tickets, faster than ever before. CONVERSION RATE. Good levels of engagement prior to the event is also likely to mean a better conversion success rate as more people are sure that this is an event they don’t want to miss out on and are confident to book their ticket, rather than hang on until nearer the date. TRACKING. What marketing messages encouraged people to convert into paid up ticket holders? You can use different tracked URLs to check which converted the best. This will be particularly interesting to measure specific messages, for example whether announcing the use of smart badges, has a positive effect on ticket booking. ATTENDANCE AND DROP OUT RATE. If your attendees are engaged before they attend the event it is more likely to sell out and you will see higher attendance rates and less drop outs. You are also likely to see more people staying right until the end and possibly even hanging about after the event has finished. REPORTING FROM EVENT TECHNOLOGY. A big advantage of using eventtech is to give solid data and reporting which is not possible without it. There are 2 main categories of information: DOWNLOADS. When using an app based tool you will be able to learn how many people have downloaded it and to what device. Usage. Specific to the type of tool you should be able to access analytics in terms of usage. For the tools featured in this report other specific data may be available as follows. EVENT APPS. ( ( Number of views within the app ( ( Number of impressions for the sponsor and exhibitors ( ( Number of messages sent within the app ( ( Feedback and ratings via the app Numerous other possibilities as outlined in each of the categories below, depending on the specific functionality of the app LIVE RESPONSE APPS. ( ( Number of questions submitted ( ( The numbers that voted in each poll ( ( How many shared slides on social media and which was the most popular Photobooth & Photosharing Apps ( ( The number of pictures taken ( ( The interactions with the pictures on social media -
43. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 43 tools have in-built feedback, survey or rating functionality. SOFT FEEDBACK. Event planners will generally get some soft, non-scientific feedback of the “vibe from the room” by reading the participants. The greater the overall satisfaction with the event, the more likely it is that engagement was successful. VERBAL FEEDBACK. The event team are generally the first to receive feedback (good and bad) and hear about any issues or areas for improvement. SOCIAL MEDIA. Social media activity can give a good indication of the health of the event - are people inspired and Tweeting or posting lots of content to share with their ‘tribe’? Today feedback may also be sent and received publicly or privately via social media. POST EVENT FEEDBACK. Feedback isn’t always received immediately at or following the event. Further feedback can trickle in after the event, perhaps after someone has had time to digest and reflect the content and learning. BEHAVIOUR CHANGE FOLLOW UP. If the aim of the event was to change behaviour often there will be a check at a specific time after the event to measure if the changes have been implemented or achieved. Using technology tools could allow you to receive specific feedback on this and if positive this is a solid indicator of a good level of engagement. EVENT DEBRIEF. The event debrief will bring out further feedback from the event staff, client, sponsors, exhibitors, etc. Some of this may be observations - for example the way people used a technology tool and their first reactions to it. This will give valuable information about what worked and what didn’t and how to improve for future events. RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI). How much did it cost to achieve the objectives? Was a positive ROI achieved? ROI relates to financial outcomes, so was the investment into the engagement technology justified? Did the engagement tool reduce costs/save money, improve revenue or both? FUTURE EVENTS. Will attendees rebook to attend again next year? Has positive engagement brought about the potential of new sponsors and attracted new potential attendees? ___ liking, tagging, etc ( ( The number of images downloaded GAMIFICATION ( ( The length of time spent on the challenges ( ( The quality of the content created - e.g. video content SOCIAL WALLS & INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS ( ( The number of posts using the hashtag ( ( The amount of people that interacted with the touch screen display MICROPHONES ( ( The number of people completing their profiles via the app ( ( The number of people requesting to talk on the day via an app based microphone LIVESTREAMING TOOLS ( ( The number of views, likes and subscribes ( ( The content that appealed most to the audience SMART BADGES ( ( The number of connections made ( ( The check ins to each breakout session MATCHMAKING ( ( How many profiles were viewed ( ( The number of appointments booked QUALIFIED LEADS. The number of contacts exhibitors have gathered. SPONSORS. The number of click throughs and impressions onto their website. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. You may also have non- technology based feedback. The most obvious would be a paper feedback form, but perhaps there was a show of hands or perhaps one of the session hosts used body voting or a similar activity to gain knowledge and feedback. FEEDBACK VIA TECHNOLOGY. Many of the technology
44. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 44 GLOSSARY
45. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 45 AUDIENCE RESPONSE SYSTEMS (ARS) enable attendees to respond and interact with the speaker and each other from their own mobile device. Traditionally this was via voting keypads however nowadays tools also operate via an app or web browser. Generally they offer two main features: live polling and live Q&A. The questions and results can then be shown in real time. EVENT APPS generally comprise an event guide or networking app with live interaction features. GAMIFICATION is the use of interactive game components for individual or team challenges. Some examples of gamification include trivia, scavenger hunts, quizzes, leaderboards and built-in rewards for participation. If you are looking to add gamification into your event it can be designed to work with numbers large and small and to fit any available timescale. You can design something yourself, or use a do-it-yourself platform, or call in the experts in this field who will take care of all elements. Activities may be designed to work with an attendee’s own device or operated via hired tablet devices. INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS are touch screen displays which can be programmed to show bespoke content or collect and display feedback from participants. LIVE POLLING encourages attendees to respond to a question set by the speaker or event planner. This may be a multiple choice question, a rating scale or a free response answer. The results are then displayed live on demand or can be kept private if preferred. The results may be anonymous or may be linked back to the respondent. Different tools have different options for displaying the results such as pie charts, bar charts or scatter graphs. Some offer customization in terms of colours, font, sizing, logos and so forth. The polls can be pushed to the app, poll website or can be embedded in presentations. LIVE Q&A make it easy for attendees to submit questions to the speakers. Many tools allow audience members to vote up the questions submitted by others to show which they would most like to hear the answer to. These items submitted can then be viewed via a live feed and the speaker can respond. These tools operate in different ways. Traditionally this was via a keypad distributed to all attendees. This option is still available, but other tools are now operated via an app, or through a web browser. Some enable responses via Twitter and SMS text (charges may apply). LIVE RESPONSE APPS are audience response systems (generally offering live polling and live Q&A functionality) and slidesharing. LIVESTREAMING TOOLS enable attendees or event planners to livestream video footage generally via an app on their smartphone. This enables anyone to become a live reporter inviting people to view their stream, where people can like, comment and ask questions in real time. Some platforms enable content to be saved to watch later. MATCHMAKING enables attendees to find or be matched with other people with shared interests. This may be via a web browser or an event app. This relies on attendees completing their profiles fully, but it could highlight other people attending the event that have specified a shared interest. You then have the option of exploring this further by requesting a meeting, informally looking out for them at the event or using geofencing technology or smart badges to identify when they are in close proximity. MICROPHONES. There are fun and innovative microphone tools on the market to allow participants to be heard. Throwable microphones are designed to be passed by throwing them through the air and app based microphones are operated via the audience’s smartphones to enable sound to be heard through the sound system. PHOTOBOOTH APPS are operated on a do-it-yourself basis via tablet devices or smart phones, not fixed to one set physical location. They often have hashtags, logo and event details automatically pre-populated on the photograph. Photobooth apps are often programmed to automatically share to a company’s Facebook page or social media handle. PHOTOSHARING APPS may be public or private and encourages all participants to share their photographs from the event in a single, accessible place. SLIDESHARING allows content from the speaker to be shared to an attendee’s own device, enabling them to follow along the presentation in real time. SMART BADGES working with NFC or RFID can offer extra functionality to attendees in terms of highlighting networking matches between attendees with shared interests. They can also provide valuable data for event planners in terms of tracking attendance at workshops and seminars. SOCIAL WALLS provide a stream of updates generated from a specific hashtag, account or keywords, onto a display screen. They can display a feed from a private network, for instance a discussion stream from within an event app, or pull content from public social media networks.
46. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 46 FEATURE TABLES COMPARE 100s OF EVENT ENGAGEMENT TECH IN SECONDS ACCESS OUR ONLINE TABLES* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED TAKE ME THERE
47. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 47 SLIDE SHARING NOTE-TAKING LIVE Q&A VOTE UP QUESTIONS LIVE POLLS SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATION LIVE DISPLAY INTEGRATION MANUAL MODERATION AUTOMATIC MODERATION SPEAKER RATING FEEDBACK AND SURVEYS ATTENDEE DOWNLOAD TRACKED RESPONSES ANONYMOUS VOTING ORGANIZER CAN EXPORT INFORMATION REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS MULTI EVENT MULTI SESSION OPTIMIZED FOR TABLETS ACCESSED VIA A WEB PAGE 2Shoes App Audience Response by SocialPoint Beekast CloudVOTE Conferences i/o doopoll Educational Measures Glisser Meetoo Mentimeter Panelsensor Pigeonhole Live PodioBox Pollevent QuickTapSurvey Slido Social Q&A Speecheo Wisembly LIVE RESPONSE APPS FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE
48. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 48 TREASURE HUNT GEOLOCATION TASKS PICTURE TASKS VIDEO TASKS OFF THE SHELF SOLUTIONS CUSTOM CONTENT CONTESTS LIVE DISPLAY INTEGRATION PRIVATE GALLERY PUBLIC GALLERY CUSTOM BRANDED INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGES TEAM CHALLENGES SHARE TO SOCIAL MEDIA POPULATE TEXT AND HASHTAGS LEADERBOARD PRIVATE MODE OFFLINE MODE REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS AUTOMATIC MODERATION Actionbound Challenge Bar Trivia by SocialPoint Event Gamification by Poken Loquiz Play2Lead Scavify Virtual Prize Wheel Wildgoose GAMIFICATION FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE COMPARE 100s OF EVENT ENGAGEMENT TECH IN SECONDS ACCESS OUR ONLINE TABLES* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED TAKE ME THERE
49. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 49 CUSTOM BRANDING SPONSOR LOGO/BANNER WHITELABEL VERSION MULTIPLE SOCIAL NETWORKS INTEGRATED MULTIPLE HASHTAGS # FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER PINTEREST FLICKR VINE YOUTUBE CUSTOM CSS API ACCESS AUTOMATIC MODERATION MANUAL MODERATION PUSH MESSAGES TO SCREEN NEWSFEED REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS OFFLINE MODE SHARE ON MULTIPLE SCREENS iWall MeetingPlay Social Media Wall by SocialPoint Strea.ma The Wallrus TINT Touch-to-collect Interactive Media Walls TweetWall Pro Walls.io Yarr TV SOCIAL WALLS & INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE
50. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 50 CUSTOM BRANDING THROWABLE PHYSICAL PRODUCT HARDWARE REQUIRED HARDWARE OFFERED INTEGRATES WITH EVENT SOUND SYSTEM USES ATTENDEES OWN DEVICE LIVE POLLING LIVE TEXT COMMENTING/Q&A SHORT RANGE - UNDER 50 METRES LONG RANGE - OVER 50 METRES SUITABLE FOR LESS THAN 100 USERS SUITABLE FOR 100 - 250 USERS SUITABLE FOR 250 USERS PLUS REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS AUDIO RECORDING CONTROL TALKING/AUDIO INPUT REQUIRES WIFI ANDROID MOBILE APP IOS MOBILE APP OPTIMIZED FOR TABLETS COMPATIBLE WITH WEARABLE DEVICES Big Mic Ball Catchbox Connector by Lumi Crowd Mics Micball Tap To Speak MICROPHONES FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE COMPARE 100s OF EVENT ENGAGEMENT TECH IN SECONDS ACCESS OUR ONLINE TABLES* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED TAKE ME THERE
51. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 51 CUSTOM LOGOS, GRAPHICS, OVERLAYS, BACKGROUNDS AUTOMATIC SHARING TO SOCIAL NETWORKS SHARE TO ATTENDEE SOCIAL MEDIA OPULATE TEXT AND HASHTAGS FOR SHARING SHARE TO EMAIL ADDRESS WIRELESS SYNCING/SHARING PRIVATE GALLERY PUBLIC GALLERY SLIDESHOW MODE LIVE DISPLAY INTEGRATION CONTESTS DATA CAPTURE PERMISSIONS/DISCLAIMER FOR PHOTOS DOWNLOAD PICTURES Q17.19. PHOTO PRINTING MANUAL MODERATION AUTOMATIC MODERATION REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS OFFLINE MODE HARDWARE REQUIRED RENTABLE HARDWARE AVAILABLE ANDROID MOBILE APP IOS MOBILE APP OPTIMIZED FOR TABLETS DropEvent.com PicPic Social Picshare Party Pixe Social Pixity Booth Sharypic PHOTOBOOTH & PHOTOSHARING APPS FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE
52. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 52 BROADCAST WATCH LIVE WATCH LATER EDITING TOOLS EARCH COMMENT FOLLOW LIKE NOTIFICATIONS SAVE TO CAMERA SHARE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA LIVE DISPLAY INTEGRATION FILTERS GRAPHICS CUSTOM BRANDING LOCATION SPECIFIC FUNCTIONALITY AUTOMATIC MODERATION MANUAL MODERATION REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS ANDROID MOBILE APP IOS MOBILE APP OPTIMIZED FOR TABLETS WEB TOOL Facebook Live Kanvas Meerkat Periscope Snapchat yada UStream YouTube Live LIVESTREAMING TOOLS FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE COMPARE 100s OF EVENT ENGAGEMENT TECH IN SECONDS ACCESS OUR ONLINE TABLES* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED TAKE ME THERE
53. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 53 INTERESTS/TAGS SET BY EVENT PLANNER CUSTOM BRANDING ATTENDEE PROFILES ATTENDEE CHOOSES INTERESTS/TAGS ATTENDEE MATCHMAKING NOTIFICATION WHEN A “MATCH” IS IN THE VICINITY ALERTS FOR EVENT PLANNER FOR VIP ARRIVAL SESSION CHECK IN REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS RFID NFC BEACONS HARDWARE REQUIRED HARDWARE OFFERED ANDROID MOBILE APP IOS MOBILE APP OPTIMIZED FOR TABLETS COMPATIBLE WITH WEARABLE DEVICES WEB TOOL TurnoutNow Smart Badges by Group Dynamics LiGo Bullseye Networking Smart Badge Event Analytics Noodle Live Smart Badges Poken Interactive Networking SMART BADGES FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE
54. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 54 INTERESTS/TAGS SET BY EVENT PLANNER ATTENDEE PROFILES ATTENDEE CHOOSES INTERESTS/TAGS ATTENDEE MATCHMAKING USER AVAILABILITY SETTINGS CONTACT BROWSING PERSONALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS NOTIFICATIONS BUSINESS CARD SHARING PRIVATE SOCIAL NETWORK/CHAT ROOMS AUTOMATIC EMAILS LINKEDIN INTEGRATION NOTIFICATION WHEN A “MATCH” IS IN THE VICINITY CUSTOM BRANDING REGISTRATION SESSION CHECK IN EXPORT CONTACTS SHARE CONTENT AND DOCUMENTS GAMIFICATION REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS HARDWARE OFFERED b2match Biz MatchUp™ - Speed Networking Hubvents SmartTrac Matchleads Matchmaking & Meeting Scheduling by Poken MeetMatch Pitch and Match Swapcard MATCHMAKING FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE COMPARE 100s OF EVENT ENGAGEMENT TECH IN SECONDS ACCESS OUR ONLINE TABLES* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED TAKE ME THERE
55. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 55 EVENT AGENDA/SCHEDULE ATTENDEE PROFILES PRIVATE MESSAGING / IN-APP CHAT ATTENDEE MATCHMAKING PRIVATE SOCIAL NETWORK/CHAT ROOMS BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE GAMIFICATION LEADERBOARD SLIDE SHARING NOTE-TAKING LIVESTREAMING SOCIAL MEDIA WALL OR STREAM LIVE DISPLAY INTEGRATION PICTURE UPLOADING BY ATTENDEES VIDEO UPLOADING BY ATTENDEES PHOTO GALLERY LIVE POLLS LIVE Q&A VOTE UP QUESTIONS BRAINSTORMING/COLLABORATION INTERACTIVE MAPS INDOOR NAVIGATION PUSH NOTIFICATIONS MANUAL MODERATION AUTOMATIC MODERATION REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS MULTI SESSION LIVE INTERACTION Aloompa Apps For Events Attend Attendease Attendify Bizzabo Carrot ChirpE Mobile App ConBop Conference Compass Core-apps CrowdComms CrowdCompass Crystal Interactive DoubleDutch Live Engagement Platform Evenium ConnexMe Event Mobile Apps by Poken Eventbase Premium Eventbuizz Eventdex EventMobi eventory Eventpedia EventPilot Conference App eventpowwow eventScribe Eventtus ExpoPlatform Flave Goomeo GruupMeet Guidebook HelloCrowd EVENT APPS WITH LIVE INTERACTION FEATURES FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE
56. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 56 ITM Mobile JUJAMA Networking Platform KingConf Lanyon Mobile Lumi Show MeetApp MeetingHand MyEventApps OtterVibe Paperless Event App PowerVote QuickMobile Results at Hand RFID Brand Amplification ShowGizmo SpotMe Tapcrowd The AAG Live Response App The Krowd Topi TripBuilder Media EventMobile™ twoppy Whova Event App EVENT APPS WITH LIVE INTERACTION FEATURES EVENT AGENDA/SCHEDULE ATTENDEE PROFILES PRIVATE MESSAGING / IN-APP CHAT ATTENDEE MATCHMAKING PRIVATE SOCIAL NETWORK/CHAT ROOMS BUSINESS CARD EXCHANGE GAMIFICATION LEADERBOARD SLIDE SHARING NOTE-TAKING LIVESTREAMING SOCIAL MEDIA WALL OR STREAM LIVE DISPLAY INTEGRATION PICTURE UPLOADING BY ATTENDEES VIDEO UPLOADING BY ATTENDEES PHOTO GALLERY LIVE POLLS LIVE Q&A VOTE UP QUESTIONS BRAINSTORMING/COLLABORATION INTERACTIVE MAPS INDOOR NAVIGATION PUSH NOTIFICATIONS MANUAL MODERATION AUTOMATIC MODERATION REAL TIME ANALYTICS AND REPORTS MULTI SESSION LIVE INTERACTION FEATURE AVAILABLE FEATURE NOT AVAILABLE COMPARE 100s OF EVENT ENGAGEMENT TECH IN SECONDS ACCESS OUR ONLINE TABLES* *REGISTRATION REQUIRED TAKE ME THERE
57. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 57 PROVIDER LOCATION TABLES
58. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 58 2Shoes App Tucson, AZ, USA - - - - Aloompa Nashville, TN, USA - - - - Apps For Events Lake Worth, FL, USA - - - - Attend Boston, MA, USA - - - - Attendease Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - - - - Attendify Palo Alto, CA, USA Phoenix, AZ, USA - - - Audience Response by SocialPoint Minneapolis, MN, USA - - - - Biz MatchUp™ - Speed Networking Arlington Heights, IL, USA Chicago, IL, USA - - - Bizzabo New York, NY, USA - - - - Bullseye Networking Smart Badge Chicago, IL, USA - - - - Catchbox Boston, MA, USA - - - - Challenge Bar Trivia by SocialPoint Minneapolis, MN, USA - - - - ChirpE Mobile App Columbia, MD, USA - - - - CloudVOTE West Chester, PA, USA - - - - ConBop Costa Mesa, CA, USA - - - - Conferences i/o Chicago, IL, USA Lansing, MI, USA - - - Connector by Lumi Minneapolis, MN, USA Chicago, IL, USA New York, NY, USA - - Core-apps Arnold, MD, USA Las Vegas, NV, USA - - - Crowd Mics Mesa, AZ, USA - - - - CrowdCompass Tyson’s Corner, VA, USA Portland, OR, USA Atlanta, GA, USA Austin, TX, USA Santa Barbara, CA, USA doopoll Chicago, IL, USA - - - - DoubleDutch Live Engagement Platform San Francisco, CA, USA Portland, OR, USA Phoenix, AZ, USA - - DropEvent.com Sacramento, CA, USA - - - - Educational Measures Denver, CO, USA - - - - Evenium ConnexMe San Francisco, CA, USA - - - - Event Analytics Toronto, Ontario, Canada - - - - Event Gamification by Poken New York, NY, USA Ottawa, Canada Mexico City, Mexico Bogota, Colombia - Event Mobile Apps by Poken New York, NY, USA Ottawa, Canada Mexico City, Mexico Bogota, Colombia - Eventdex Morganville, NJ, USA - - - - EventMobi Toronto, Canada Chicago, IL, USA Minneapolis, MN, USA - - eventory New York, NY, USA - - - - Eventpedia McLean, VA, USA - - - - EventPilot Conference App Worldwide - - - - eventScribe Forest Hill, MD, USA Rockville, MD, USA Woodstock, IL, USA - - ExpoPlatform Colombia, Bogota - - - - Goomeo Montreal, QC, Canada - - - - GruupMeet Dallas, TX, USA - - - - Guidebook San Francisco, CA, USA Palo Alto, CA, USA Raleigh, NC, USA - - HelloCrowd San Diago, CA, USA - - - - Hubvents SmartTrac Herndon, VA, USA - - - - ITM Mobile Wilmington, DE, USA Los Angeles, CA, USA - - - iWall Corrientes, Argentina - - - - KingConf Buenos Aires, Argentina Santiago de Chile, Chile Ciudad de México, México - - Lanyon Mobile Dallas, TX, USA Draper, UT, USA Philadelphia, PA, USA Lexington, MA, USA - LiGo Washington DC, USA - - - - Lumi Show Minneapolis, MN, USA Chicago, IL, USA New York, NY, USA - - AMERICAS
59. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 59 Matchleads Morganville, NJ, USA - - - - Matchmaking & Meeting Scheduling by Poken New York, NY, USA Ottawa, Canada Mexico City, Mexico Bogota, Colombia - MeetApp Chicago, IL, USA - - - - MeetingPlay Frederick, MD, USA - - - - MeetMatch Clarksville, TN, USA - - - - Meetoo Minneapolis, MN, USA Chicago, IL, USA New York, NY, USA - - Micball Chicago, IL, USA - - - - MyEventApps Canada - - - - PicPic Social Providence, RI, USA - - - - Picshare Party Talent, OR, USA - - - - Pixe Social Columbia, MD, USA - - - - Pixity Booth Providence, RI, USA - - - - Poken Interactive Networking New York, NY, USA Ottawa, Canada Mexico City, Mexico Bogota, Colombia - QuickMobile Vancouver, BC, Canada - - - QuickTapSurvey Toronto, Ontario, Canada - - - - Results at Hand Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA - - - - RFID Brand Amplification Montreal, QC, Canada Toronto, ON, Canada Memphis, TN, USA Calgary, AB, Canada - Scavify Philadelphia, PA, USA - - - - ShowGizmo Denver, CO, USA Washington DC, USA Orlando, FL, USA - - Slido San Diego, CA, USA New York, NY, USA - - - Social Media Wall by SocialPoint Minneaoplis, MN, USA - - - - Social Q&A Chicago, IL, USA Lansing, MI, USA - - - SpotMe Chicago, IL, USA San Francisco, CA, USA Washington DC, USA - - Tap To Speak Phoenix, AZ, USA - - - - Tapcrowd Norwalk, CT, USA - - - - The AAG Live Response App Arlington Heights, IL, USA Chicago, IL, USA - - - The Wallrus Montreal, Canada - - - - TINT San Francisco, CA, USA New York, NY, USA Sao Paulo, Brazil - - Topi New York, NY, USA - - - - Touch-to-collect Interactive Media Walls New York, NY, USA Ottawa, Canada Mexico City, Mexico Bogota, Colombia - TripBuilder Media EventMobile™ Westport, CT, USA - - - - TurnoutNow Lancaster, PA, USA West Chester, PA, USA - - - Virtual Prize Wheel Minneapolis, MN, USA - - - - Whova Event App San Diego, CA, USA San Francisco, CA, USA Urbana, IL, USA - - Wildgoose New York City, NY, USA - - - -
60. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 60 Actionbound Berlin, Germany - - - - - b2match Vienna, Austria - - - - - Beekast Paris, France Arcueil - - - - Big Mic Ball Gateshead, UK - - - - - Bizzabo Herzliya, Israel - - - - - Catchbox Espoo, Finland Riga, Latvia - - - - Conference Compass Delft, The Netherlands - - - - - Connector by Lumi London, UK Nurnburg, Germany Brussels, Belgium Paris, France Breuklen, Netherlands Pretoria & Cape Town, South Africa CrowdComms Dorset, UK - - - - - CrowdCompass London, UK - - - - - Crystal Interactive London, UK - - - - - doopoll Cardiff, UK Dorset, UK - - - - DoubleDutch Live Engagement Platform Amsterdam, Netherlands London, UK - - - - Evenium ConnexMe Paris, France - - - - - Event Gamification by Poken Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Johannesburg, South Africa Dubai, UAE - - Event Mobile Apps by Poken Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Johannesburg, South Africa Dubai, UAE - - Eventbuizz Copenhagen, Denmark - - - - EventMobi Berlin, Germany London, UK Madrid, Spain Paris, France - - eventory Cracow. Poland - - - - - EventPilot Conference App Worldwide - - - - - eventpowwow London, UK - - - - - Eventtus Dubai, UAE Cairo, Egypt - - - - ExpoPlatform London, UK Italy, Milan Ukraine, Kiev - - - Flave Vienna, Austria. - - - - - Glisser London, UK - - - - - Goomeo Paris, France London, UK Limoges, France - - - Guidebook London, UK - - - - - HelloCrowd Dublin, Ireland Johannesburg, South Africa - - - - ITM Mobile Stockholm, Sweden London, UK Accra, Ghana - - - Lanyon Mobile London, UK Maidenhead, UK - - - - Loquiz Tallinn. Estonia. - - - - - Lumi Show London, UK Nurnburg, Germany Brussels, Belgium Paris, France Breuklen, Netherlands Pretoria & Cape Town, South Africa Matchmaking & Meeting Scheduling by Poken Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Johannesburg, South Africa Dubai, UAE - - MeetApp Stockholm, Sweden Hanover, Germany - - - - MeetingHand Dubai, UAE Ankara, Turkey - - - - MeetMatch Belgium The Netherlands - - - - Meetoo London, UK Nurnburg, Germany Brussels, Belgium Paris, France Breuklen, Netherlands Pretoria & Cape Town, South Africa Mentimeter Stockholm, Sweden - - - - - Noodle Live Smart Badges London, UK - - - - - EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
61. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 61 OtterVibe Cambridge, UK - - - - - Panelsensor West Sussex, UK Kallithea, Greece - - - - Paperless Event App London, UK - - - - - Pitch and Match Utrecht, Netherlands - - - - - PodioBox Lausanne, Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland - - - - Poken Interactive Networking Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Johannesburg, South Africa Dubai, UAE - - Pollevent Dorset, UK - - - - - PowerVote London, UK Paris, France Dusseldorf, Germany Madrid, Spain Milan, Italy - QuickMobile Liphook, UK - - - - RFID Brand Amplification London, UK Budapest, Hungary - - - - ShowGizmo Dubai, UAE - - - - - Slido London, UK Bratislava, Slovakia - - - - Smart Badges by Group Dynamics London, UK - - - - - Speecheo Paris, France - - - - - SpotMe Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Lyon, France - - - Swapcard Paris, France - - - - - Tap To Speak Lodz, Poland - - - - - Tapcrowd Reading, UK Gent, Belgium - - - - The Krowd Exeter, UK London, UK Vinnitsa, Ukraine - - - TINT Dubai, UAE London, UK - - - - Touch-to-collect Interactive Media Walls Lausanne, Switzerland London, UK Johannesburg, South Africa Dubai, UAE - - TweetWall Pro Brussels, Belgium Huntingdon, UK - - - - twoppy Amsterdam, The Netherlands - - - - - Walls.io Vienna, Austria - - - - - Wildgoose Hertfordshire, UK Edinburgh, UK - - - - Wisembly London, UK Paris, France - - - - yada London, UK Leeds, UK - - - - Yarr TV San Sebastián, Spain - - - - -
62. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 62 ASIA & OCEANIA Carrot Bangalore, India - - - Connector by Lumi Sydney, Australia Melbourne, Australia Hong Kong, Hong Kong Singapore, Singapore Core-apps Melbourne, Australia Singapore, Singapore - - CrowdComms Sydney, Australia - - - CrowdCompass Gurgaon, India - - - DoubleDutch Live Engagement Platform Sheung Wan, Hong Kong - - - Eventdex Hyderabad, India Kolkata, India - - EventPilot Conference App Worldwide - remote - - - Guidebook Seoul, South Korea - - - ITM Mobile Makati City, Philippines Bangkok, Thailand - - JUJAMA Networking Platform Hyderabad, India - - - Lanyon Mobile Singapore, Singapore - - - Lumi Show Sydney, Australia Melbourne, Australia Hong Kong, Hong Kong Singapore, Singapore Matchleads Hyderabad, India Kolkata, India - - MeetMatch Singapore, Singapore - - - Meetoo Sydney, Australia Melbourne, Australia Hong Kong, Hong Kong Singapore, Singapore Pigeonhole Live Singapore, Singapore - - - Play2Lead Singapore, Singapore Chatwood, Australia - - Pollevent Sydney, Australia - - - PowerVote Singapore, Singapore - - - ShowGizmo Sydney, Australia Melbourne, Australia Wellington, New Zealand - Slido Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - - - SpotMe Singapore, Singapore - - - Strea.ma Havelock North, New Zealand - - - Tapcrowd Sydney, Australia - - -
63. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 63 Event Planner 72.3% Supplier* 14.8% Venue* 6.6% Academic* 3.2% Student* 3.1% Less than $100K 32.8% $100 - $500K 26.8% $500 - $1 million 19% $1 - $5 million 13.5% $5 million+ 7.9% 16 plus 37% 1 to 5 25.4% 6 to 10 17.6% 11 to 15 12.7% I don’t plan events 7.3% 1. WHAT BEST DESCRIBES YOU? 3. WHAT IS YOU/YOUR CLIENTS TOTAL EVENT BUDGET ANNUALLY? 2. HOW MANY EVENTS DO YOU PLAN ON AVERAGE PER YEAR? 4. WHAT TYPES OF EVENTS DO YOU PLAN? Conferences 62.4% Corporate Events 61.2% Seminars and workshops 46.7% Dinners and Award Ceremonies 40.6% Celebrations/Parties 38.7% Fundraising Events 27.5% Focus Groups, meetings and training 27.2% Product Launches 26.4% Tradeshows 26.2% Teambuilding 24.5% Festivals 24% Conventions 22.8% Sporting Events 18% Weddings 19.9% Experiential 14.9% Incentives 14.9% Fashion Shows 11.3% Other 11.1% SURVEY RESULTS * Only event planners were eligible to complete the survey. Suppliers, venues, academics and students were disqualified.
64. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 64 5. HOW WELL DO YOU ACHIEVE ENGAGEMENT AT YOUR EVENTS? 7. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ATTENDEES AT YOUR EVENTS 6. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SPEAKERS AT YOUR EVENTS 3.59 5 4 3 2 1 3.99 3.63 8. ARE YOU AWARE OF AND HAVE YOU USED ANY OF THESE EVENT TECHNOLOGIES? 9. DO YOU CURRENTLYUSE TECHNOLOGY TO ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT IN THE EVENTS YOU PLAN? 10. ARE YOU PLANNING TO USE TECHNOLOGY TOOLS TO HELP YOU INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN THE FUTURE? Event Apps with Live Interaction Features 68.2% 31.8% Live Response Apps (Polling, Q&A, Slidesharing) 58.3% 41.7% Photobooth & Photosharing Apps 54.7% 45.3% Gamification 75.5% 24.5% Social Walls & Interactive Displays 54% 46% Livestreaming Tools 52.5% 47.5% Smart Badges 76.1% 23.9% Matchmaking 82% 18% AWARE OF USED AT OUR EVENTS Yes 67.8% Considering (within 12 months) 23.5% No 8.7% Yes - sometimes 47.6% Yes - regularly 31.6% No 20.8%
65. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 65 AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES JULIUS SOLARIS Julius is the editor of EventManagerBlog.com. Started in 2007, EventManagerBlog.com is the most popular blog worldwide for event professionals, covering topics such as event planning, social media and events, event technology and event trends. He has been named one of 25 most influential individuals in the Meeting Industry in 2015 by Successful Meetings Magazine. Julius is also the CEO of Showthemes.com a premium event WordPress theme shop with thousands of customers around the world. Julius is the author of The Event App Bible, The Good Event Registration Guide, Social Media for Events, Engaging Events, Event Trends and The Venue of the Future. These books show the results of unprecedented research efforts into eventtech. More than 100,000 readers have downloaded these resources. In 2008, Julius started the Event Planning and Event Management LinkedIn Group. A few years later, with more than 300,000 members a team of 12 moderators, it has become the de-facto largest gathering of event professionals online. Julius is a speaker for the event industry. Events he has spoken at include CIC Conclave, Global Event Forum, Meeting Innovation Summit, Event Tech Live, EventHeroes, HSMAI Annual meeting, Event Solutions 2014, Confex 2014, EIBTM 2013, Event Technology Conference, IMEX Las Vegas, Dubai ISES talks, Tech Fest 2013, Cvent’s Corporate Meeting Summit 2013, Event Tech Circus Amsterdam, event 13, SMAU 2013, MPI Belgium Conference, EIBTM Barcelona, IMEX Frankfurt, Social Media Week Milan 2012, SMAU 2012 and he’s been returning guest lecturer for Dublin City University’s Business School, Amsterdam Inholland University and Westminster University. Before becoming a 100% dedicated blogger and speaker, he worked as Social Media Consultant for FTSE250 companies in the UK. His last campaign won Econsultancy’s The Digitals for Best Multichannel Marketing Campaign. BECKI CROSS Becki Cross set up UK based event management company and SME, Events Northern Ltd (eventsnorthern. co.uk), in 2004. Becki has organised events ranging from conferences to exhibitions, festivals to awards ceremonies, fashion shows to golf tournaments and everything in between. Organising conferences and corporate events is Becki’s passion and she believes that conferences should never be boring! She enjoys incorporating event technologies and social media into the mix and working closely with a diverse range of clients to achieve their event objectives. Becki is also interested in innovation and how entrepreneurial thinking and skills can be encouraged. Becki is the Deputy Editor and Contributor to EventMB, which she describes as her dream job alongside event planning! Follow Becki on Twitter @beckitrain.
66. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 66 CREDITS This guide could have not been possible without the help of an incredible team of people. I would like to thank: Carmen Boscolo - for making the project a reality. Becki Cross, MD of Events Northern Ltd and Deputy Editor of EventMB - for co-authoring the book and coordinating the book production. Camille Wagner - for research support. Beatrice Tagliaferri - for cover and ebook design. Kelli White - for proofreading and validation of the content. All those who participated in our questionnaire. Our sponsors - for making the book happen.
67. - ENGAGING EVENTS 2016 - 67 DISCLAIMER This report is based on a research carried out in June 2016. While this report has been sponsored by event technology providers the analysis is completely unbiased. If you wish to sponsor our future publications, or receive sponsorship opportunity notifications, get in touch with carmen at eventmanagerblog dot com. Publication release date: 12 July 2016