Are you getting the most out of technology for your brand?
Technology, it is fair to say, has become a massive part of the conversation surrounding brand marketing and promo events in recent times.
We’re sure that you won’t need our own Boutique to go back through the story of how technology almost seemed to directly supplant in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how such technology has come to be incorporated into in-person events since the latter came roaring back. After all, you will have probably read and heard plenty about it previously.
What you might not be doing, though, is tapping into everything that well-chosen event technology can mean for your brand’s promo events in 2023. So, let’s look through some of the key things you need to know.
Do you know what event technology actually is?
There was a time when many brands might not have considered the term “event technology” to encompass much more than a screen projector and a laptop – but of course, times have moved on considerably since then.
Today, “event technology” can be defined as any tool, software, or app that assists with the planning, execution, and measurement of the success of an event.
That means the technology your brand might draw upon in its efforts to put together and execute a promotional event could range from event management tools covering such functions as ticketing, registration, and access management, right through to tools for broadcasting and marketing an event, and engagement tools such as mobile apps and online chat channels.
So, what steps can you take to gain greater value from your event technology?
With research indicating that about 90% of events professionals believe that technology can be of significant benefit to the success of their events, there appears to be little doubt about the potential of the right tech at a promo event, provided that it is used to best effect.
But how can you be sure that your brand is choosing the most suitable event technology, and making good use of it? Below are a few steps that you might take:
Considering your event tech needs in line with the needs of your event. It might seem like an overly obvious point to make, but have you truly taken account of all the realistic requirements you have for your event? What are the goals that you have for your event, and what format and type of event are you planning in order to help fulfil those goals? Knowing the answers to these questions will greatly inform your decisions on event technology.
Sourcing your event tech from reputable providers. If you don’t presently own a smartphone and you require one, it might seem obvious which source to go with: you go to Apple or Samsung for their latest iPhone or Galaxy device respectively. But when you are considering the possibilities for often much more specialised and obscure event tech, it might not seem so clear which names you should be considering. Researching different companies and reading reviews from real users of the given tech will help you quickly narrow down what might be an initially long list of options.
Opting for hybrid-ready tech to help futureproof your events approach. Hopefully, you will already know what we mean by “hybrid” in this context. We’re referring to events that blend in-person and virtual elements, so that people can visit your event in person or instead effectively ‘visit’ online, as happened with the rise of virtual events during the pandemic. In 2023, much of the best event tech is effectively ‘hybrid’, too. So, if – for example – you can find a virtual event platform that seamlessly integrates with an in-person event app, this is worth considering over the alternative of having an in-person event app that is completely separate from your virtual event platform.
Investing in skilled, knowledgeable, and friendly tech staff. Even if the tech you will be using at your event is tech you feel relatively familiar with yourself, you are unlikely to have the same level of adeptness with the given tech as someone who possesses specialised, ‘ground-up’ knowledge in it. The things that can go wrong with event tech are so often the last things that you expect to go wrong, so you probably shouldn’t try to do without such specialist staff in an effort to save money, or in the belief that “it’ll be fine”.
Hiring experiential event staff who bring all the things you want and need such staff to bring to your brand’s promotional events, can unquestionably be tricky. That’s why joining forces with the experts – such as Boutique
– can make so much sense, not least given that we have a well-developed database of such specialised staff – such as tech staff – to call upon.
When it comes to all manner of specialist, entertainment, and promotional personnel, we are the agency to regard as your number one.
Reach out to us today, and we will be pleased to get talking to you about how we can help make your brand’s next promo event a captivating experience, in all the right ways, for every member of your target audience.