How technology will change the events industry in 2015 and beyond

As technology keeps evolving very quickly, events industry needs to adapt itself continuously in order to provide to customers new experiences, more connected. Based on these technological advances and social media, events have thus evolved toward the E³ model: engagement, experience and efficiency.

The new ways of communication as social media and mobile have taken a very important place within the communication tools. Technology advances have modified the established events cycles. They allowed an easier accessibility and use of information and data. Event planners could have real-time exchanges with potential attendees at any time before, during and after the event. The results would be a better understanding of the customer’s expectations, and not only a way to get them more involved in the event design but also to deliver them a unique and incredible event. With all these improvements, IT departments tend to have less and less importance.

An easier and cheaper access to big data via the cloud allows events managers to be better informed at any time about customers’ expectations. Hence, they could build events of better quality. The city of Rio is a very good example of city that makes a smart use of these technologies when hosted the world football cup in 2014, and for the organization of the 2016 Olympic Games. They understood the power of such information technologies if they are used in the good way, and took advantages of it by delivering high quality events. This trend reach every events planner from the smaller to the bigger and it will lead to creation of events more related to marketing (particularly with the experience, social and digital functions).

The mobile devices (as smartphones and tablets) are taking more and more importance as event guides, until they will definitely replace the print guides. In fact mobile guides allow event planners to be connected at any time, to stick to the reality in the real time, hence to be aware of the day-to-day trends and information and to be much more reactive than ever. The endless number of apps available is a goldmine for the event industry.

The main role of events stays the same: live an experience, or in case of business events create business relationships. But thanks to the increasing role of the new technologies, the experience of business events particularly takes much more importance in the brand strategy and development. The objective of brands is increasingly to be engaged with their stakeholders. The emergence of online tools allows them to do it easily. In fact tools as online registrations, management system and email (to cite only few), enable event planners to reach much more people, to deliver them a clear message and to get their feedback, hence to be engage with their audience and deliver them a better satisfaction. These events play a role in its own right in the success of a brand, and attendees are no longer spectators but have become participants of the event. The role of the consumer has changed. The expectations of attendees are currently the most important element to take in account when building an event. They want to take advantages of an event much more than before.

Furthermore, the event planners, in such a globalized economy, have more than never a need to prove the value, the quality and the important consequences that an event delivers. The technologies advances (particularly with communication tools) are a major factor to these changes, that events planners should uses smartly to provide the best event experiences. But a trend as its name indicates it is short-lived, and another one will certainly make its appearance. So event planners should continuously have their eyes opened and observe or even forecast the future trends.


Marine Pelletier & Marion Mortier


Sources
How technology will change the events industry in 2015 and beyond

http://www.marketingmag.com.au/blogs/how-technology-will-change-the-events-industry-in-2015-and-beyond-59754/#.VLkyR-k5DmJ

How evolving technology is changing the events industry?

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fb2bmarketing.net%2Fblog%2Fposts%2F2013%2F01%2F23%2Fhow-evolving-technology-changing-events-industry&h=MAQG0ZbTq