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05/07/2019

Daily Buzz: The State of Event Tech

51 percent say attendee communication is the biggest challenge

When it comes to event tech, what issues pose the biggest problems for planners?

In a reader survey on Smart Meetings, 51 percent of planners said attendee communication was the biggest challenge, with the price tag of tech solutions coming in at a close second with 48 percent. (Poor data reporting, slow check-in processes, and lack of visibility into the attendee experience also ranked high.)

Yet despite these concerns, many respondents were also optimistic about tech’s ability to solve some of meetings’ biggest woes.

“Event technology boundaries are being pushed with the introduction of 5G networks offering faster speeds and more reliable connections,” said respondent Kayla Wurst, an event planner with Special D Events. “With fewer connectivity issues, it will be easier for planners to encourage attendee participation and incorporate cutting-edge technology into their events.”

Adoption of specific solutions will, of course, depend on the meeting itself. Other services like event apps, for instance, tend to be popular for meetings across the board: 25 percent of planners said that they don’t host conferences without one.

But perhaps what matters most is following through on adoption. Crista Hassett, another respondent and assistant vice president of event operations with the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, told Smart Meetings that emphasizing tech’s capabilities is half of the battle: “Most planners are excited about the technology changes on the horizon, but they recognize that the real challenge is getting leadership to understand the need to implement new technology quickly and demonstrate the potential positive impact it can have on event ROI to get support for this type of investment.”

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.

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