May 31, 2023
As an event organizer, you’re no stranger to the transformative power of technology
With each passing year, technology is becoming not just a feature but the backbone of world-class events.
But the landscape of event technology is vast and ever-evolving, with new innovations emerging all the time. So here is an article of the top event technology trends for 2023 you should be aware of.
The year 2023 will forever be etched in our memories as the pivotal moment when AI and chatbots such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing AI became water cooler talk.
In event management, like in all industries, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can become a game-changer. It can transform the way you manage events and engage with attendees. AI’s influence is not just growing—it’s becoming an integral part of the event technology infrastructure. It’s essential for you to understand and harness this power to stay ahead in the industry, and the key is in knowing how it’s going to change your world.
Artificial Intelligence: The New Standard in Event Management
One of the most exciting developments in this area has been the advent of AI-powered chatbots.
For example, you can use AI-bots to automate registration, ticketing, your call centers and scheduling. You can also use AI to automate your customer service, with AI-powered chatbots handling common attendee queries and freeing up your staff to handle more complex issues.
These chatbots are not just automated response systems; they’re intelligent assistants that can understand context, respond to complex queries, and even exhibit a sense of humor.
Chatbots like ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Google Bard are leading the way in this field. They’re leveraging advanced AI technologies to provide a more human-like interaction experience. They can understand natural language, learn from past interactions, and adapt their responses based on the context of the conversation.
ChatGPT: A New Era in Attendee Engagement
ChatGPT is a conversational AI developed by OpenAI. It’s been trained on a diverse range of internet text and can generate creative, engaging, and coherent responses.
It’s been a revelation in the event industry, providing instant responses to attendee queries, personalizing responses based on the attendee’s preferences and behavior, and even handling complex tasks.
Google Bard: Reshaping Event Experiences
Google Bard, meanwhile, is an AI model developed by Google Research. It’s an AI system adept at understanding, interpreting, and responding to human language in a highly engaging and natural manner.
Google Bard can be integrated seamlessly into your event’s tech infrastructure, enabling attendees to ask questions and receive instantaneous responses. The sophisticated natural language processing capability of Google Bard ensures that responses are not only accurate but also engaging and personalized.
Bing AI: Pioneering Intelligent Event Marketing
Finally, Bing AI, is a powerful AI platform developed by Microsoft. By utilizing advanced machine learning algorithms, Bing AI can predict attendee preferences, behaviors, and needs, enabling you to craft highly targeted marketing strategies.
Leveraging Bing AI lets you analyze a vast array of data, including attendee demographics, interests, and online behaviors. This in-depth analysis allows you to fine-tune your marketing efforts, ensuring that they reach the most receptive audiences.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless technology, including RFID, NFC, and QR codes, has emerged as a crucial tool in the event industry, enhancing health safety measures while ensuring a smooth and efficient event experience.
Contactless technology enables swift and non-intrusive event verification, tracking, and check-in processes. Attendees simply carry an RFID or NFC device, or have their QR code accessible within the event app, which can be scanned at various locations throughout the venue.
QR codes, in particular, have become increasingly popular due to their ease of use and versatility. Besides onsite checkin , QR codes can also be used for a variety of purposes, like accessing event information, tracking attendees at the venue, managing session check-ins, and facilitating payments, thus further enhancing the attendee experience.
As an event organizer, you’ve likely seen the benefits of virtual events over the past few years – they’re accessible, cost-effective, and have the potential to reach a global audience. However, with the return of in-person events there’s a growing desire to return to the tangible connections and immersive experiences that only physical events can provide.
This is where hybrid events come in. They offer the best of both worlds. Attendees can choose to participate in-person, enjoying the networking opportunities and immersive experiences that come with it, or they can opt to attend virtually, benefiting from the convenience and accessibility of an online event.
For example, a popular hybrid event idea in 2024 is to live stream keynotes and panel discussions to your online audience, while taking questions from both your remote attendees and in-person audience.
The call for sustainable event practices is louder than ever. 83% of corporate organizers in a study by AMEX said their organizations take sustainability into account when planning meetings and events
A 2023 study by AMEX found that over 80% of corporate event professionals especially those in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, consider sustainability when planning meetings and events. They implement this by hiring vendors with active green policies, eliminating paper usage, choosing locations that require minimal travel, and applying other eco-friendly practices.
At the heart of event sustainability, your embrace of event technology will be pivotal in facilitating eco-friendly, paperless events. It’s essential to cover the basics such as digital check-in procedures, virtual gift bags, and the use of carbon emission tracking apps. Furthermore, adopting event apps to replace traditional printed materials, offering virtual attendance options to minimize travel, and utilizing data analytics to optimize resource usage are all effective strategies in promoting sustainability in your events.
Event apps have become a staple in the industry, providing a one-stop solution for information, networking, engagement and community. Besides helping you as an event organizer to streamline operations , save time and money.
Event apps provide a central hub for all event-related information. Attendees can easily access schedules, speaker bios, venue maps, and updates in real-time. This not only keeps attendees informed but also significantly reduces the need for physical resources, contributing to a greener and more sustainable event.
Moreover, event apps are elevating attendee engagement to new heights. Features such as live polling, Q&A sessions, event gamification, social walls keep attendees actively involved, creating a more interactive and dynamic event atmosphere.
From personalized schedules and interactive maps to networking features and real-time updates, our event apps are designed to enhance the attendee experience and help event organizers manage their events more efficiently.
Finally, event apps are transforming the networking landscape. With features like private messaging, AI-powered match making, and digital business card exchanges, networking has becomes seamless and effective.
2024 is the year you create a private event network for your attendees, facilitated through your mobile event app.
Near Field Communication (NFC) is revolutionizing the events industry. NFC technology enables event organizers to speed up event entry and shorten lines for vendors within the event. In the future, attendees will expect an event that isn’t too crowded because event organizers have used NFC data to understand traffic flow around the event.
Metaverse is a virtual reality space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. It’s the next evolution of social connection and it’s set to transform the way we experience events. Imagine attending a concert from your living room, but feeling like you’re actually there in the crowd. Or networking with professionals from around the world in a virtual conference room. The possibilities are endless and incredibly exciting.
The adoption of blockchain technology is gaining traction in the event industry. Blockchain offers a transparent, immutable ledger, making transactions secure and efficient. Ticket sales, speaker payments, and vendor contracts can all benefit from this technology, fostering trust and streamlining operations.
In 2023, one of the most transformative elements in event technology is the extensive application of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). VR creates an immersive experience that transports attendees to a different world, while AR overlays digital elements onto the physical world. These technologies bring a unique dynamic, enhancing attendee engagement and providing unforgettable experiences. Expect to see more interactive presentations, virtual site visits, and immersive brand experiences that transcend the conventional boundaries of space and time.
2024: The Turning Point of Event Technology
The future of event technology is here. With advancements in AI, VR, RFID, and other technologies, the event industry is evolving rapidly. As we move forward, it’s crucial for you as an event planner to leverage them. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new technologies. The best way to learn what works is to try it out.
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