2022 has been an optimistic year for the events industry, with more in-person events returning alongside a greater integration of technologies.

Augmented reality and virtual reality are slowly becoming the norm and have far exceeded most people’s expectations. Nonetheless, the industry is still witnessing more technological advancements, with conversations around the metaverse and other new technologies arising, building anticipation and excitement surrounding the future landscape of the industry.

In fact, the annual growth rate for events is expected to increase by 11.2 per cent between 2021 and 2028.

However, before integrating and developing newer technologies to improve the event experience for the audience, it is important that event planners understand and improve on the current fundamental infrastructure of their event tech.

One application, multiple functions

As attendees are rushing to attend multiple physical events, this might slowly lead to the creation of a disorganised and fractured event landscape.

Also Read: A new era of events: How the pandemic created a new norm

Whether it is to search for event information, see a map of the venue or even gather information during networking sessions, having multiple apps or pages open to performing various tasks can prevent attendees from remaining organised amidst the chaos.

As such, this calls for the need for the development of a single application that could possibly and seamlessly integrate all the necessary functions required for the event, from registration to customising agenda, event navigation, as well as networking notes and company booth information.

By streamlining the various uses into one main application that helps to organise the event experience, attendees can have more opportunities to explore the event and connect with other attendees.

A single master key for registration

The proliferation of event tech, such as mobile apps for registration and event applications to help attendees with navigating through the event, is now very much part of a typical event experience.

However, as mentioned earlier, the process can be particularly tedious due to attendees needing to download multiple event-specific applications to fulfil different functions.

The need for a master key, or a platform, that simplifies the registration process is then especially crucial. Furthermore, having a singular application for the registration of events allows marketers additional leverage to recommend similar events according to the user’s preference, as they’re more likely to attend events aligned with their interests.

A platform for customised and personalised events

Having experienced a fully remote era, attendees have been spoilt with having more autonomy and choices in what they would like to do. As such, a huge challenge for event organisers now lies in the difficulty of engaging with their attendees.

To cater to the change in attendee demands, it is necessary to have a platform that helps event organisers by offering their attendees the opportunity to make their own decisions and shape their own personal event experiences.

It is no longer a one-size-fits-all industry. Instead, the event organiser that is able to offer a more customised experience will create the best experience for their attendees.

A common practice of events has been the scanning of a QR code sent to an attendee’s email address in order to check into an event. However, to ease the check-in process for their attendees, a large conference in Singapore enabled attendees to simply scan their faces instead of fishing through their emails for the QR code.

Venue navigation at large conventions and tradeshows can often be a common struggle for attendees, especially for those who know which booths they’d like to visit but the number of booths or the big space makes it difficult to navigate. Organisers can look into implementing a virtual map to help attendees reach their booth of destination while also providing an overview and snapshot of some of the other activities happening concurrently throughout the event.

These examples, while a small change or inclusion, can make the attendee experience significantly more pleasant and engaging.

360 events, an event that never ends

Digitalisation has played a huge role in shaping events by allowing attendees to share experiences not just within the physical location but also outside of it, presenting an interesting opportunity for brands and event organisers.

Also Read: Giving digitally transformed event audiences what they need in 2022

Brands and event organisers who are able to grasp the opportunity to continue the attendees’ experience post-event will find themselves creating a better-shared event experience.

360 events allow for an event that never switches off. Conversations can happen outside of the initial experience, with regular touch points available to incentivise future participation and content-on-demand while marketing other opportunities aimed towards a similar audience.

For Web in Travel, they become the pioneers for travel events to go 360. From partnering with us to run their first-ever Virtual Travel Roadshow to an innovative collaboration for their hybrid flagship event WiT 2020, their annual calendar of events consists of a mix of virtual, hybrid and in-person events.

Paving the way for a robust event scene in 2023

As 2023 approaches, the opportunity to improve the current event infrastructure should be at the top of mind for event tech developers. The current ecosystem is fractured, with attendees using multiple mobile apps and QR codes which makes their experience a confusing one.

The development of a proper infrastructure that focuses on event attendees and empowers organisers to create proper experiences will pave the way for smoother betterment of the event landscape.

In spite of the current event technological advancements observed, this is merely the beginning of what event technology will and could look like.

At Gevme, we launched our mobile companion app to help event organisers and marketers elevate event experiences, providing them with the tools to build a cohesive, customisable event application for their attendees.

2023 will be a crucial year to ensure that the event’s infrastructure is en route towards a newer and better landscape, and it is up to event tech developers and planners to stay relevant and competitive in this ever-changing industry.

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