7 Impactful Event Tech Trends that will Influence the Future of Events

Live event technology has evolved rapidly over the years. From simple ticketing systems at events to managing large-scale events from a screen, technology at live events has come a long way.

According to a report by EventMB, the event technology adoption rate increased by more than 50% in 2018.

This growth is owed to a range of new innovations in the industry that have made a majority of event planning and event management tasks a lot easier.

Multiple trends have emerged in the industry that has transformed the way events are conceived, organized and managed.

Here are a few event tech trends to watch out for that will impact the future of events:

1. Event Automation

Automation has been a major game changer in event technology. It is basically the process of automating event planning and management related tasks through software requiring minimal manual interference.

According to a research report by Mordor Intelligence, the event management software industry is growing by CAGR 10.65 % every year and is expected to grow up to $12.5 million USD by 2023.

This event software can automate a range of tasks including

• Event registrations and ticketing
• Creation of event website and event app
• Event networking
• Event marketing automation, etc.

There are a lot of all-in-one event planning suites available that combines event registration software, event website automation to event app software all into one.

From event professionals and event organizers alike, automation is time and cost effective as it frees them up from performing trivial event tasks taken over by software. This enhances their productivity as the time saved can be used on other important tasks including maximizing event sales. Apart from this, event software provides a lot of valuable data that can be used to strategize for maximizing event ROI.

Planners are able to provide engaging event-tech solutions through automation, making event more interesting and fruitful for attendees. Event networking solution for e.g. is meant to help attendees build valuable connections at events, maximizing attendee ROI.

2. Hybrid Events

Another important event technology trends that can impact important aspects of events is hybrid events. A lot of event planners are now trying to engage remote attendees virtually through video and live streaming creating hybrid events. These events are a mixture of live and online events.

This can widely expand the attendee base, increase revenue from event registration and thus be profitable for event organizers alike.

Conducting such events do not cost for many additional resources apart from streaming equipment and a good internet connection. That is one of the primary reasons why similar formats are gaining event planners’ and event organisers’ attention alike.

3. Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual and augmented reality has majorly impacted the overall attendee experience at events. A lot of major events are now using VR technology to provide live event experiences to remote attendees attendees. The Superbowl, for e.g. was broadcasted to millions of viewers using AR and VR elements for an extraordinary experience. This also lead to a boost in the mega-events revenue. Apart from this, AR is being used to create gaming corners as part of informal event experiences to engage attendees.

Event organizers are also tapping into the commercial aspects of the technology at the event using VR and AR. These technologies are used to create engaging live product demonstrations and maximize sales. Similar experiences can also be created for sponsors leading to more sponsorship opportunities for the event in the future.

It is only a matter of time as to how these technologies will be used in future events to create more engaging opportunities for organizers and attendees alike.

4. Artificial Intelligence

In the current scenario, the use of AI in a majority of events is only limited to chatbots. AI chatbots at events help increase productivity by narrowing down the requirement of staff for solving trivial queries. These chatbots can also be integrated with the event app and can act as a personal assistant for the attendees creating a personalized event experience for them.

Another prevalent use of AI in events is event networking software. AI is used for matchmaking at events as well as removing language barriers by helping attendees communicate easily through AI chat platforms.

More than chatbots, however, a few events are also experimenting with AI to create engaging events using AI speakers such as Sophia. This aspect of the event tech trend is yet to become mainstream.

According to this article in Forbes, "AI can be used in the form of chatbot interfaces, data analytics tools, and recommendation engines to make event planning a much more successful endeavour."

AI has a lot of untapped potential in making events a more affordable and efficient affair in the future.

5. Event Data

Data is becoming imminent in every field where technology plays an important role. The event industry is no exception. Event planners are replying a lot more than before on event tech and the event metrics that come with these event tech solutions.

As tools such as event planning software,event app software, event marketing software, etc. are on the verge of becoming mainstream, the event planner is also vetting for the tools that provide the best metrics.

From event marketing analytics, event engagement statistics to event website metrics, big data will become significant in measuring event success and as a tool to strategize for optimum event ROI.

6. Display Technology

Overall event design and display are gaining more importance in planning. A lot of event planners are looking to invest more into event design, 27% to be precise, as per this reported by EventMB.

The goal here is simple; elevate the experience of your event attendees using your event space in order to make your event memorable.

Event-tech is a major part of designing these experiences especially through display technology. Projection mapping is one of these display technologies where event planners are looking to innovate. Projection mapping works on the basis of augmented reality where any surface can be turned into a 3D surface.

Think of it this way; A generic PPT presentation about your event brand on a white board or an interactive 3D experience projected onto a well-planned event space. Which content are your attendees more likely to remember and talk about?

Another display technology that has been gaining popularity especially for attendee engagement is Social Media Walls. Live social media updates can be projected onto a wall within the event space using this technology. This can be used to engage the attendees, encourage them to tweet about the event and even run contests to make the event experience more interesting.

7. The Advent of 5G

The world of high-speed internet has immense potential in the events space.

As per Ericsson’s report, 5G subscriptions might just hit the 1.5 billion mark by 2024. As the adoption of 5G among attendees increases, event planners can facilitate more event-tech solutions such as event app, event gamification, live-streaming, etc. through 5G enabled digital devices without the barriers of slow internet.

A lot of mega events events across the globe are already experimenting with event-tech solutions and experiences facilitated by 5G. For e.g. Intel is currently in the process of developing VR and AR content for the Olympic Games 2022 including 5G enabled a futuristic VR theme park for a unique

event experience. 5G has the potential to open the gates for faster, more efficient and engaging event tech at any venue once it goes mainstream.

Thus, these are few event technology trends that are bound to impact the way events are planned and executed, primarily making events simpler and more engaging. As the only constant is change, as more innovations are seen in the field of event-tech these trends will evolve. It is only a matter of keeping a close watch on the event tech industry to keep up with the game.