Technology changed the event management game

The world has changed.  Maybe Galadriel smells it in the air (and tastes it in the water...), but event professionals face the changes in their unceasing efforts to deliver the perfect experience. Day by day. And even though technology has a nasty habit of getting you distracted (you get like 12 emails, 8 phone calls and 37 FB/Twitter notifications per hour), it also offers a lot of help when organizing an event. So let’s see how technology changed the event management game:

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Access to real-time data

“Un homme averti en vaut deux” (an informed man is worth two), claims a French saying. And maybe the math is not quite right but we all know the importance of information when planning an event. Luckily today’s apps let you know every minute how many tickets you’ve sold and to whom (through the right tools, such as Oveit’s event registration software ).

For example most of the seats are empty 10 minutes before the posted start time? Verify the app and see how many people checked in. If 80% of the ticket holders already checked in (maybe they are in the lobby)  you’ll only have to deal with a small delay, not a fiasco. Using an event management software keeps you well informed.

Yes, we mind waiting

Time is money (for everyone). Professor Richard Larson, from MIT, has estimated that Americans spend about 2 years of their lives waiting in lines. Even sadder is that “often the psychology of queuing is more important than the statistics of the wait itself” and people tend to overestimate the waiting time by about 36%. Today you can use an event management app that allows you to use any smartphone for ticket scanning and registration, making the queues go a lot faster (you can extend the scanning points with as many as you want; all you need is a smartphone).

Social media helps you meet billions

There was a time when word of mouth was the only way to communicate your event. Today, 3 of the most important social media platforms gather more than 2 billion unique monthly visitors; modern technology gives you the opportunity to market the exact demographics that you want. Although this is not the answer to all of your prayers it clearly makes it a lot easier when you want to make yourself heard.

Keep everyone engaged

People spend around 2 hours a day touching their smartphone’s screen and  85% of that time is, in fact, spent using applications. So we can understand why more and more #eventprofs are using applications when it comes to engaging participants. See for example TONOMAT, an app that allows everyone to be the DJ at your party, helping even the shyest to make himself/herself heard (via his/her favorite band).

You should always follow up your leads

62% of the leads are not followed up after an event. I really hope this is not the case for you. You invest a lot of time and money in planning your event and you should interact with everyone who registered. If someone spent the time to register for your event it means that they are interested in what you have to offer (not to mention those that actually attend it). So keep in touch with them!

Modern-day apps let you know who arrived and who didn’t, so you can follow up by segmenting your audience with different messages. Here are some examples:

“Thank you for attending …”

“Sorry you didn’t made it, here is what…”

Let the world see you shine. Live

40% of world population has access to the internet. Maybe the venue has a capacity of only 500 people, but today you can sell an unlimited no. of tickets for an online experience (live streaming is way cheaper than it was a few years ago). So, just like a big football match, your event can also be watched by millions for a few bucks (ok, maybe not millions, but you get the picture). You can sell live online access for a small price and/or you can even ensure a VR experience for those who cannot attend in person. (this is not something new but today the technological leaps make it possible for anyone to broadcast an event)

Replace cash payments to grow the order value

Carrying a lot of cash is not really fun (especially in crowded places where they sell alcohol). Use NFC technology to replace cash payments and you will have:

    • No more pickpocketing
    • Less queueing
    • 0 cash loss
    • 30% increased order value
  • Happier attendees

Oh, and by the way…

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” Charles Darwin

Further reading:

    • http://www.preoday.com/blog/the-changing-scene-of-consumer-experience-in-festivals/
    • http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/why-waiting-in-line-is-torture.html
    • http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
    • http://blog.mobilosoft.com/blog/e-tickets-vs-m-tickets-difference-and-benefits-for-consumers
  • http://www.marketingdonut.co.uk/exhibitions-and-events/exhibiting/planning-your-follow-up-after-an-event
May 15, 2017 Access management, Business events, Event management, Event professionals No comments yet

How to engage visitors emotionally

“Tech can, and should, bring joy and enrichment to galleries.” – Brendan Ciecko, CEO of Cuseum

traveling on a student budget(1)

Believe it or not, Museums are investing in technology with the purpose of reshaping the traditional museum into a conjuring experience. They are not only acknowledging the new services as Facebook, YouTube or Snapchat but they are actually trying to find ways of fitting in alongside them.

Museums are investing in technology

Some museums like the MET museum from New York are actually investing in a digital media department composed of 70 staff and 70 more handling tech hardware in general.

Museums are doing everything possible to fight their competition. But as Sree Sreenivasan, the MET’s chief digital officer is saying “Our competition is Netflix and Candy Crush, not other museums.”

“Our competition is Netflix and Candy Crush, not other museums”

From 3D scanning and 3D printing, to virtual reality and special apps, these technologies are being applied in a multitude of ways. Still other technologies are being tested and developed as museums seek to ever broaden public access.

The digital revolution, managed to disrupt the whole industry. Museums are starting to implement cutting edge technology not only to engage visitors emotionally but  as well to create powerful avenues for learning.

Technology is engaging visitors and creating learning avenues

So without further ado here are some of the technologies museums are implementing:

NFC & RFID

With NFC & RFID technology used in museums, there is going to be no need of tour guides, asking  questions or wondering about what you are looking at. Some museums around the world are employing NFC and RFID so that visitors only need to swipe their phone near a specially designed hot spot in front of the exhibit to be given a full tutorial and information on the things they are seeing in front of them.

With the purpose of creating a conspicuous experience museums have started to embed technology not only for  informative purpose but as well to create a powerful avenue for learning. Creating interactive trivia games, visitors have to answer correctly questions using the information found within the museum and by answering correctly the questions  the tourists will have the opportunity to win sweepstakes.

Embedding technology can create a flawless experience

NFC and RFID can be used not only within mobile apps(active mode) but as well integrated into your wristband(passive mode). When registering, the wristband can be linked to your social media account and allow you take photos in designated locations which can be posted automatically on your social media profile or kept in your memory bank. As well you can tap your wrist onto art which you liked in order to memorize it and explore it later. The wristbands can provide you access to your entitled locations through the museum without having to hand out your ticket all the time. And of course for the little ones who are getting easily distracted and bored an immersive adventure can be created.

Beacons

“My sense is that beacons aren’t a life raft, but a bridge to the next generation of museum users”  Elizabeth E. Barker, said,  director of the Boston Athenaeum.

Beacons can detect where visitors are and send them specific information

Beacons are considered as the enabling technology for devices to alert apps or websites (which the user has opted into) when someone approaches or leaves a location. In other words, museum or other venues that have beacons in place can detect where a visitor is at any given moment and send him specific information.

Museums can also use beacons to send additional info; for example , a visitor standing near a painting might get a phone alert directing them to rich , interactive content relating to the painting.

The Brooklyn Museum is using iBeacon technology as a way for guests to interact with museum experts.

3D printing and scanning

De Young Museum – San Francisco, MET and Brooklyn Museum are just a few examples of museums whom adopted  3D printing and scanning.

De Young Museum has collaborated with Google on the Google Art Project , where its collection of art is being digitized for online viewing, the de Young also dabbled with 3D printing when it needed to create a special stand for an 18th-century French clock. Using MakerBot Replicators and 3D CAD software, the museum fabricated a plastic stand that fits the clock perfectly.

Augmented reality

Through AR visitors can find out more about a specific art piece by placing their smartphone or tablet over the object.

With augmented reality, visitors can use a simple smartphone to discover more information about a piece of art in an interactive manner. For example , placing a smartphone or tablet over an ancient statue could display missing parts that have broken off – giving the visitor a glimpse of how it would have looked when it was new. Because AR responds to your movement in the environment, the experience is also completely 3D.

Working with Samsung, the British Museum used AR to create an education program for kids, where they can explore virtual content as they wander through the museum. AR is still in its infancy, but museums around the world are already testing its potential.

Same as the rest of the museums described above, Getty Museum- Los Angeles is trying to stand out through their augmented reality art collection. For example it allows their visitors to explore from their laptops a 17th-century cabinet , by overlaying a virtual 3D object atop a live feed. Users can interact with the object, working in conjunction with the viewer’s body movements.

Virtual Reality

Discover the hidden beauty of the deep sea, fly to the farthest reaches of outer space, take a ride through the complex inner-workings of the human body, and more.This is what Virtual Reality can bring to you.

Virtual Reality allows visitors to participate in a immersive journey

The most comprehensive VR experience ever launched at a museum, The Franklin Institute- Philadelphia is now home to spectacular immersive films and state-of-the-art technology that will transform your view of the world. Using a HTC Vive or Oculus Rift you can be transported to another dimension where anything is possible – where elements are reacting to your movements and commands.

Most of the museums are using not one but rather a slew of tech tools in order to recreate the desired experience. Not sure if it is fortunate or unfortunate, most of the museums will have to embrace tech in order to keep their doors open. Some of the museums which also implemented cutting edge technology are: The museum of London, Centre Pompidou – Paris, Bill Nye’s Climate Lab at the Chabot Space & Science Center, Museum of Natural History – Denmark, National Museum – Kuala Lumpur, Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York City, Louvre Museum – Paris, etc.

More readings:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/how-museums-are-using-technology/#ixzz4g7WH5HnM

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/arts/artsspecial/museums-turn-to-technology-to-boost-attendance-by-millennials.html?_r=0

http://mashable.com/2011/09/14/high-tech-museums/#bum5Y2uUykqK

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/12/26/5-ways-museums-are-using-technology-for-new-experiences/

May 11, 2017 Access management, Event management, Events, Museums 1 comment

Why use RFID and NFC technology within an event?

 Because it is simple, new and fun.

Weather you are a marketing agency or an event organizer you will always try your best in order to succeed organizing “the perfect event”.

EXHIBITION(1)

How do you ensure high-octane experiences within your participants and the overall experience?

No matter what kind of event you are hosting, technology is playing an essential role in order to maximize your consumer’s engagement.

The Near Field Communication (NFC) ushered in a new age of technology. This particular innovation, brings an added value to the traditional concept of events, representing the key solution in creating wired experiences.

NFC technology can be used via smartphones and other enabled badges and devices, with amazing benefits for both event hosts and attendees. Basically, it’s a small chip that allows 2 devices to talk to each other when they’re in close proximity.

What does NFC actually do?

Imagine you are attending an event. You booked your ticket online, registered and linked your social media profile to your registration.

When reaching the event you will be handed out a NFC wristband which will offer you instant access, connections, memories and chances to win sweepstakes.

Ticket, wallet and, why not, phone free!

The NFC wristband is uniquely programmed to you and allows you to tap on special designed locations in order to:

  • Purchase drinks and food
  • Check-in and shoot photos that can be automatically posted on your social media page
  • Participate in challenges and win prises
  • Rate  your favorite products or shows
  • Save playlists
  • Check your Geo-location and your friends’

At the end of the event you can access your own memory bank where all your journey is stored. From photos, music playlists, food you’ve liked and many others.

Benefits for Event Planners

  • Faster check in
  • Less Staff needed – diminished costs
  • Reduces queuing time
  • Eliminates ticket fraud incidents
  • Enhance Security
  • Managing permission to specific access areas and lockers
  • Collect information about attendees
  • Consumption
  • Track time spent in different points
  • Ratings of products
  • Inventory of gifts – reducing loses
  • Tailored content – send specific information to particular attendees
  • Gamification features (treasure hunt)
  • Instant survey submission at the end of the event
  • Data and statistics are gathered and shared with the organizers and sponsors for continued interaction with attendees as a tool for future campaigns

Benefits for Attendees

  • Faster check-in (less time spent in line)
  • Cashless wallet: tap & pay
  • Social Media Posting (Photos, Check-ins, Songs)from different interactions
  • Access digital content and information from own smartphones (maps, slides, planning of the event)
  • Vote and rate favorite products
  • Win sweepstakes
  • Interactive challenges to keep the customer engaged
  • Customized wristbands
  • Geo-location (self and friends)

Wristband properties

  • Cost effective
  • Creates interaction
  • High quality print
  • Water resistant and durable
  • Tamper evident closure for maximum security

Integrating  RFID and NFC technology within events is a simple process when using Oveit’s cashless payments solution and can have a significant impact. Knowing who your attendees are and what kind of interaction they are seeking is the most important thing that an event planner has to know. Once you know that, the rest is done by Oveit !

May 3, 2017 Concerts, Event management, Events, Festivals, Oveit Features 1 comment

3 ideas to improve your pre-event cash flow

The two superpowers that i’ve always craved for are avoiding the unavoidable and  expecting the unexpected. And even though the first still seems to be unachievable, experience brought me closer to the second. Or, to say the least, taught me that no matter how much I prepare myself things can still go wrong (what can i say…the world is independent of my will).

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And planning an event makes no exception when talking about things that can go wrong. Although you want to make sure that your marketing strategy helps you sell all the tickets (Fully Booked sounds great, i know) it’s crucial to have a strong financial plan. Assuming that you are not the happy owner of a Platinum Business Credit Card and that, like the rest of us, you too have to work for a positive cash flow, here are some ideas you can use:

An event’s main income sources are:   

Sponsorships and Advertising Revenue

Registration Fees and Ticket Sales

Merchandise Sales (T-Shirts, Mugs, etc.)

Audiovisual Material Sales (CDs, DVDs, etc.),

so let’s see how we can use these revenue streams to better our pre-event cash flow

Sponsorship and Advertising Revenue

This is the category that, by tradition, helps you start. But you have to choose wisely. Don’t waste your time by not researching first; make sure that you approach the right company or person. Research will help you see which companies are omnipresent sponsors, what companies are willing to associate with your event’s theme (ex: if your topic is “Sustainable Energy” you may try approaching someone from the Energy field) or who is interested in your audience’s demographics.

Registration Fees and Ticket Sales

Remember the days when you had to wait until after the event for your money? Those days are over! Today’s technology offers you the possibility to have instant access to your ticket sales income. So, if you start selling tickets 6 months before the event (using an event registration software), your event cash flow will start 6 months in advance (and you can therefore balance your budget better). A quick example is that you can use the early bird strategy for a limited number of seats. This way you can make sure you have cash to pay some suppliers.

Merchandise Sales and Audiovisual Material Sales 

This is the real fun part when it comes to pre-event income. Today you can have instant access to not only ticket sales cash but also merchandise sale. You can set a special ticket category where event entrance is bundled with a T-shirt, a mug or a DVD. You can use Oveit’s addons and benefits to make this happen.

Cash flow seems to be one of the main reasons for which startups or events fail.”A recent study showed that as many as 82 percent of startups fail due to poor cash flow management”, sir Richard Branson has said. So, when planning the killer event don’t forget to make a solid financial plan and to use these tips if you need the extra cash.

May 2, 2017 Event management 1 comment

Our event registration user-friendly interface receives recognition

We are both grateful and excited that, in less than a year since our international launch, Oveit has managed to reach Top 10 in Capterra’s Top 20 Most User-Friendly Event Management Software infographic. “The rankings are determined by an algorithm that awards points for usability, customer service and reviews” , said Rachel Wille, Senior Product Research Analyst at Capterra. When developing the event registration software we always had our users in mind so this recognition confirms that we are on the right path.

Our app helps you sell tickets (and create separate ticketing for you attendees), create registration forms and personalize registration e-mails. You receive payments instantly by connecting your payment processor account and, furthermore, Oveit helps you issue invoices automatically after payments are processed.

It has a been a short yet awesome ride for us till now. Our focus is to always keep improving and innovate within this dynamic and challenging industry. Oveit is making surpassing progress in event tech. We made it our mission to deliver increasingly user friendly Event Management tools while offering the latest technology such as RFID and NFC wearables.

April 28, 2017 Events No comments yet