How to select venues for events?
Which venue you finalize depends on a number of factors forming your meeting management plan. Meeting management is not a logistical or tactical imperative. Given the immense value in-person meetings have and the strategic contribution they make to a business, they need to be handled carefully. The hotel plays an important role, and while cost will feature at the top of your list, it shouldn't be the only factor when you decide on the location. Meeting apps which offer information regarding airfare, room tariffs and other peripheral costs can come to your rescue here. Other than costs, connectivity issues like conferencing facilities, area and locality are also important. Long distance travel can also mean carbon emissions, and if yours is an environment-friendly organization, you need to be doubly sure of what impact your meetings will have. Thanks to mobile apps, you don't have to rely on guesswork anymore.
What's the key to a well-managed event?
Organizations spend about 9% of their total budget on corporate events. They are expected to allocate 12-13% in the next couple of years. With investment on the rise, businesses want to host events that provide a healthy return while having a long-term and significant impact. We are used to measuring and monitoring different aspects of business like sales, employee management and customer engagement. But in-person events have somehow eluded our quest for quantification.
Trade show apps make the transition easier by focusing on
- Attendee engagement, and not merely satisfaction: a mobile app allows attendees to connect with speakers and exhibitors, have a say in the different agendas and communicate their thoughts and ideas more effectively
- Events as a continuous process: An event isn't a solitary occurrence. Organizers need to take the data they gather through QR codes, NFC, social networks, surveys and feedback and utilize it post-event to enhance the value to participants long after the curtain falls
- Aligning the event closely with business objectives: A successful event needs to echo organizational goals, whether they are to introduce a product or service, reduce costs, drive sales or just deliver a message
What are the trends you need to look out for?
Technology is at the forefront of driving one of the biggest changes in the events history. Of all the tools available today, mobile is the one to look out for. Smartphones and tablets provide more touch points to the organizers, attendees, speakers and sponsors than ever before. With a mobile application for events, guests can now make or modify their travel itineraries, view agendas, engage with speakers and fellow attendees and even buy souvenirs with their mobile handsets.
Corporate events are also witnessing the increased usage of gamification. It uses the same principles of teamwork, healthy competition and engagement as traditional computer gaming and applies it to increase interest and participation among the attendees. From scavenger hunts and milestones to polls and virtual tours, there are some really interactive features present in meeting apps which help attendees connect better. Gamification is also regarded widely as effective training tools and helps enhance the educational value of an event. Your attendees remember your event and you get to communicate your message more effectively.