How important is the digitalization in events ?

    With the pervasion of technology in personal lives, people have more expectation on user expectations which transfer onto attendee expectation for events. Hence,In order to provide better service, the digitalization has been applied in event planning, presentation and marketing, ticket sales and registration. Not only these most common areas but also the works behind the scenes, for example: digitalization in event data analysis. In this way, the digitalization is indispensable for evetns.

© obs-commedia.com 

    In the next part, we are going to look preciously how important is the digitalization in event strategy.

1

Improving Engagement

The engagement among attendees is an essential indicator to define one successful event. The event planner can use technology to achieve that turning a smartphone into a personal viewing center, broadcasting slides and presentations directly to an attendee’s lap. Another method is that the projection real-time social media interaction onto a wall or website which bring the interaction between people. 

2

Saving time

Digitalization can help people to streamline effort by cutting down on the amount of time to accomplish the task. 

3

Providing answers on demand

The digital solution provides the information when they want them from anywhere they are. Besides, People can also use voice-activated search, and attendee can know the host city through the application on phone. 

4

Improving connections

First, the online community give attendees the opportunity to network and to exchange thoughts, best practices, innovations. Second, Mobile apps help people connect members with matchmaking capabilities and location services that can tell attendees when people they wanted to meet with are in range. Finally, the marketing automation can motivate people go for the ticket.

5

Facilitating feedback

Digitalization is a much more interactive way to collect feedback and the attendees can also upload a video review of events.

6

Speaking to the tribe

Through the social media platform, one of the most valuable forms of marketing: word of mouth can be achieved. It brings the opportunity of getting more attendees in the next event. 

© realtyplusmag.com

    As we can see that the digitalization can benefit events in several aspects, for instance, bringing more interaction with attendees, giving them answers in time and providing the social networking opportunity.

    Hence, on the one hand, the digitalization need to be seen more in events. On the other hand, the event planner should focus on the personalization of the digital marketing strategy, since different group has its own need and expectation. 

 | Original source:  EventMB Team - Online Editorial Team, The Disruption Factor: Digitalization in Events, Retrieved November 13 2017 from: https://www.eventmanagerblog.com/disruption-factor-digitalization-in-events

ITB Berlin 2017: New app guides visitors to the show

ITB Berlin 2017: New app guides visitors to the show

Gonting WANG, Xianqing DONG

Abstract:

During ITB Berlin 2017, there are some main breakthrough on event management technology. It launched an ITB App which provides participants with all the ITB Berlin information.

The first innovation for this app is the new 3D floor plan which shows all the exhibition booths and meeting session rooms. By aligning with GPS, the floor plan will guide participants to find ways and check their location if they get lost. The second function is the new private chat room which allows visitors to get in touch with each other more easily. The third thing is that by connecting to the virtual Market Place, business visitors can find those exhibitors they prefer to do business with. What’s more, the app also provides and update previous service, such as highlighting event date, “What’s on now” section and ITB Live Stream.

Our thoughts:

Thanks to SKEMA organizing the Berlin trip, we all have the chance to visit ITB Berlin in person. Without any doubt, the event App published by the event organizer and can be free download from the app store did help us a lot with tons of information.

What surprised me was the online stream function, which provided live stream for each convention. I was there attending the convention in the first day of ITB, honestly speaking, the speaker’s voice was not able to be heard clearly due to the noise caused by people coming in and going out. In the morning of second day of the ITB, I turned on the event app and tried to get some information about that day’s events. And I accidently open the live stream channel, which had better sound and view than visiting in person. Information sharing is a very important value for the event, the technology offers us the different form of communicating.

What is the biggest challenge for event app? As the visitor of the event, I feel disturbed when I have to download one app for one event, which usually will last for only three to four days. In order to increase the number of the users, the event app developer should try to figure out one way that people can easily get access to the function that provided by app without installing the app.

 http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/itb-berlin-2017-new-app-guides-visitors-to-the-show/

#Travel, Tourism Companies promoting their brands on Instagram

We have all heard about Instagram, followers, hashtags and so on.

Today, the social network is approaching tourism companies, as the latter can use it to communicate, promote their brands and target new customers.

Indeed, the largest sharing photo platform, launched in 2010, has reached a total number of 600 million monthly active users, and half of them are even considered as daily active!

More than 40 billion photos have been shared on the platform since its creation; and 75% of the most famous brands already use it, on a basis of almost 5 posts a week. Tourism brands use this network even more than other brands, and are for this reason, considered as the best Instagram presence at the moment.

But everyone can wonder, why tourism brands should communicate via this specific network?

Society has evolved; people and travellers want to be inspired and inspire others. They changed their way of discovering, consuming and sharing experiences. Indeed, 35% of Instagramers use the platform to discover new places and 48% to choose their travel destination. Statistics are even higher for Millennials who, for 89% of them, plan their travel activities according to fellow travellers’ content. 

Before booking any trip, travellers have the need to look at online reviews but also get “real” feedbacks. Millennials are aware of this new trend, as 97% share content of their travels.

Figures show that 75% of Instagramers act after seeing a post of a brand. They visit the website, research the brand’s products or even purchase it. They engage 10 times more than with Facebook! And the fact of having an active online presence, increase the brand perception up to 20%.

All in all, what tourism brands have to do, is:

• Create a brand identity and build positive brand awareness, by showing followers they are valued.
• Engage with users: communicate with them in real-time, encourage interactions, react to their complaints, and create significant relationships. It will humanize the brand, which will then be more appreciated and visible. 
• Use the network to build databases of consumers and keep widening it.

How to use Instagram?

• Be consistent: use high resolution images, and keep the same design (style or color). The objective is to create recognizable posts to represent the brand’s value and ideas; but also favor a long-term strategy by sharing posts frequently. (1/day or 5/week). Cross post pictures with other social media networks and marketing channels to drive people to the company’s Instagram page.
• Keep sharing relevant content: be informed about the latest news, but do not use clichés or fads.
• Think about Followers first: encourage interaction with them (comments), value followers generated content (pictures submission, photo contests), use influencers to boost the volume of users and enhance the brand (with the same values as the brand’s). Brands’ goal is to create a close relationship with its followers. All in all, tourists will become the brand’s promoters.

We can finally agree that this method is successful, as #Travel counts up to 162 million posts, so the market does exist.

Good examples of this success are: the official Tourism New Zealand account which has one of the biggest databases with more than 581K followers; but also, Fjord Norway, which succeeded in bringing the Natural Wonder Trolltunga to the world stage with Instagram.

Hurry up! Create your account and start positioning your brand! :)

References:

https://www.instagram.com

https://venngage.com/blog/instagram-for-business/

http://www.adweek.com/digital/four-ways-to-maximize-your-brand-presence-on-instagram-report/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286408

http://www.bandt.com.au/marketing/social-influencers-grow-hospitality-tourism-audiences-tenfold-hootsuite-research

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Leveraging-Influencers-Can-Enhance-Travel-Agency-Brands

https://www.trekksoft.com/en/blog/best-tourism-boards-on-instagram

https://www.omnicoreagency.com/instagram-statistics/