How Event Tech Can Strengthen In-Person Experiences

It’s no surprise that in-person events are driving the rise of event tech as savvy planners leverage new apps and technologies to improve the attendee experience. In this article we’ll take a look at how customized mobile apps and event tech can be used in a variety of ways – from streamlining registration, to breaking down barriers, creating meaningful and personalized experiences and enabling greater levels of engagement and analytical insight. As event planners seek to offer attendees greater opportunities to engage with others, they are able to tap into technology and apps designed to provide a wide range of possibilities to deliver on this promise. 

Contactless Tech and Software 

NFC (Near-Field Communication) badges and wristbands such as those offered by InEvent have been around for several years, however their popularity and use has skyrocketed and opened up a bounty of opportunities. Contactless tech and the apps that support them are often combined with QR codes to simplify booking, lead capture, and check-ins, and they allow for a much greater range of interactions as well as granular data acquisition. 

When paired with customizable software, wearable technology can increase personalized experiences and social exchange by providing access to additional information, schedules, speaker information, maps, and more. 

Deepening Connections

With hundreds or thousands of people at any given event in the past, only a fraction would have the opportunity to forge a meaningful connection. This is where tech offered by companies like JabberYak comes to the fore: by offering a wide variety of integrated event networking and engagement technology, these networking tools aim to break down social barriers and deepen the attendee experience. 

Offering a broad range of fun and inviting options, from ‘speed dating’ to icebreakers that help attendees find others with common likes – Sushi! Sudoku! Skydiving! – gamification modules provide tailor-made challenges and competitions to deepen engagement and provide rewards for participation. Planners now have options to help them design outstanding events that help people interact, and sometimes all it takes is gently nudging them out of their comfort zone and providing the means to interact with others in fun and purposeful ways.

Personalized apps like HipMaps provide another option for connection. These hyper-localized maps can be tailored specifically to attendees, and provide an excellent avenue to highlight nearby locations, such as BIPOC-owned restaurants, or businesses and locales that align with DEI initiatives. 

Enhancing Participation 

Gather Voices is a video software platform working to eliminate barriers by making it simple for all to create and share their stories. An easy to use interface allows attendees to create expert-level videos and then share them easily across social media, websites, and with other event participants on custom video galleries. This platform is an elegant and effective way to encourage communities to participate in the process of creation, and a great way to amplify messaging and engage with others. The original, user-generated content can also be used to support advocacy or capture testimonials to further maximize engagement during events and afterwards.

But Wait, There’s More!

Other tech options and apps with the power to bring people together and create unique experiences include:

• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) platforms offer participants immersive and interactive experiences.
• AI-driven personalization is helping event organizers tailor content and provide recommendations for attendees.
• Software-based polls and quizzes can be conducted and shared in real time, allowing for additional personalization and to drive engagement.
• Live event feeds broaden the attendee reach and serve as an excellent platform to share photos and videos to amplify interaction and foster deeper connections.

Bringing People Together

Event organizers and planners have more tools at their disposal than ever to create unique, impactful, and dazzling events, but at the end of the day the meaningful connections forged on site will be what people remember most. For example, when a CEO and a buyer – two people who may not necessarily cross paths at an event – are able to not only find common ground but experience and share mutual learning opportunities that might lead to business opportunities, this is when the value and the power of apps and in-person event technology shines.