At Event Marketer Magazine’s annual event technology conference in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, industry leaders from across the country presented the latest technology meant to inspire attendance and engagement at experiential marketing events. Here is a recap of what was hot:

  • WiFi for Outdoor Events: To begin, it is important to know that Google was in the house! That’s important because, well you know why. They are huge and always at the forefront of technology and consumer engagement. Speaking at the event, Chris Tillman, Program Manager for Google’s Event Technology Division, had this to say about the use of technology at events:

“… having internet connectivity, having networking at your event, having data, is just as crucial as having water and air conditioning at your event these days. …”

We are right there with you Chris, which is why SmartSource’s regional sales director and WiFi guru delivered one of the most anticipated presentations of the event, “WiFi for Outdoor Events.”  You can hear a summary of Milko’s presentation in this short podcast hosted by our expert in technology for experiential events, April Moore.

 

  • Multi-media creative tools for consumers at events: The growing sophistication of social media platforms has raised the bar for what consumers find engaging and “sharable” beyond the immediate experience. Knowing this, several large brands rely on video to capture the experience and extend the legs of their big-ticket branding events. Often, the most compelling of those videos are created by the consumers themselves.  New multi-media tools like TheSlowMotionBooth.com and TheBoothPhotoVideo.com provide a space at events where consumers can create quixotic videos awash with special effects like slow motion or stop motion; or create GIFs  and Cinemographs, which are visual pieces that combine still and video elements.  Pretty cool stuff.
  • Data Capture and Real-Time Lead Engagement: While lead retrieval is not new to the event industry, capturing leads in an online or offline setting and engaging them in real-time is. What does that mean? Imagine a consumer enters your space with an inquiry. You engage that person in conversation and figure out quickly what they want and that you have the solution. You can hand them a bulky packet of printed material and watch their eyes glaze over (FAIL!), OR you take a quick second to scan their badge or business card and immediately email them the information. Boom! You are high-tech.  Your lead is impressed with the instant and paperless exchange of information, and the lead’s info has already been assigned to sales. Whaaaaa? Check it out:  Leadapture.com
  • Event-to-Event Live Streaming: Ok, this is not a technology for the faint of heart.  But if your production skills are tight enough to guarantee simultaneous excitement across multiple locations, ClubCast Live’s event streaming solution could be a game changer for you.  See how it works here:

In addition to these technologies, we had a few other observations:

  • Cloud Computing on the production end of events is here to stay.
  • Drones are sexy and exciting, but still carry a lot of risk, especially in unregulated environments.
  • RFID is going to explode in 2016.