Trade shows and conferences have come a long way from the fishbowl and printed pamphlet days. Today, exhibitors can choose from a wide range of leading-edge event technologies that foster lead capture, real-time engagement, data analytics, and branding with a capital “B”. The only problem is some marketers haven’t mastered the art of event technology and therefore are experiencing low returns on their trade show/conference investments.
Why Event Technology Matters
Most brands who participate in events say that their number one reason for participation is to increase sales. Yet, according to a report by Salesforce, 80% of trade show exhibitors don’t follow up on their trade show leads. Why? It might be that marketers are struggling to quantify data received from attendee interactions, as many recent industry reports suggest.
But advances in event technology, like event management software and digital document distribution, can make a difference in not only drawing traffic to your event, but also quantifying attendee interactions.
Unfortunately, many event planners are still unsure of how to use the latest event technologies to optimize engagement in their exhibits. It sometimes helps to move things along when you know what NOT to do. With that in mind, here is a list of things to consider when planning your next event.
Avoid These Common Event Technology Mistakes
- Remaining in your comfort zone. If your exhibit is using the same technologies as it was several years ago, it’s time to explore new leading-edge event technologies. This includes everything from giant smartphone video displays, interactive kiosks and charging stations to lead retrieval software and scanners, beacon software to generate behavioral data and leverage it for enhanced attendee experiences, as well as mobile event software to deliver real-time news and information for engaging attendees, attracting them to your booth, and capturing valuable data.
- Taking a do-it-yourself approach. To fully leverage the features and benefits of these sophisticated event technologies, it’s important that you rely on an experienced technology partner. This technology partner has skilled field engineers and technicians who will expertly set up and install your event technologies, and guide your staff on their proper use.
- Not being social. If your exhibit doesn’t have a social networking/media strategy, you are missing a large opportunity to engage and capture new followers and potential customers. Interactive event technologies promote full engagement on multiple platforms including social media.
- Neglecting the “wow” factor. There’s no excuse for any exhibit today to not knock the socks off of attendees. You can have a tremendous impact with an LED or 4K display that promotes your brand message, products/services in Hollywood style. By linking multiple displays, you can even create a video wall that tells your entire brand story in a captivating, memorable way. Other technologies like interactive kiosks can also be used to project videos, contests, games and other infotainment applications.
Making technology a top consideration when planning an event can help ensure that your engagement goals are quantified and easily managed after the show, which makes proving ROI much easier.
For more information about how to incorporate the latest event technology into your next show, please visit our Event Solutions webpage or contact one of our seasoned technology experts at (844) 428-6475.
