As we begin the New Year, we are eager with anticipation about what the future holds regarding meeting planning. We are on the verge of adopting new technology that will shape how individuals interact with one another. Meeting venues, event planners, and other various meeting organizers will want to consider what is trending in the meeting planning industry to facilitate the best overall experience for attendees. Listed are some of our favorite tech trends forecasted for 2018 from an article featured in MeetingsNet:
Planners Will Have Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Other Technology at Their Disposal
Have you ever gone to a conference or trade event and realized that you had no idea where you were going? One of the ways event planners are optimizing the experience is by considering how various technologies can improve this and other concerns. For example, AR could potentially be used to provide hyper-local directions to attendees who are trying to find the next conference session. AI could serve as attendees’ own personal concierge and answer questions on event times, where to eat, etc. It is up to planners to best consider how and when to use these technologies to ensure they are being used to enhance the experience of those who attend.
Mobile Event Apps Will Be Everywhere
Planners can’t be everywhere at once. This means it’s usually up to the attendees themselves to decide which sessions they want to attend, what booths they want to visit, how they network, and more. A mobile app can go a long way to help event guests navigate and maximize their experience without wondering what to do next. In addition to being an important resource for attendees, a mobile app can provide planners with significant data on what people are saying about the various sessions and speakers. This data can then be used by planners to optimize and personalize the event experience.
Planners Will Track Customer Feedback Prior, During and After the Event
There are numerous ways planners will attempt to learn what their attendees are thinking about the event throughout. Prior, they may survey the attendees about the various sessions and speakers, so they can have a better idea of idea of what the people expect or want to learn. This may be done via social media, email marketing, etc. During the event, they may encourage social media activity by creating a hashtag or posting a live feed where people can watch and provide their own posts on what their experience is like. Finally, planners will welcome post-event feedback and personalize outreach to keep the conversation going. These efforts provide invaluable information for the planners and show attendees that those planning the event care about their satisfaction.
These are just a few of the many technology trends we plan on seeing in 2018. If you are organizing an event and are looking for meeting rooms for rent, be sure to inquire about the technological amenities the venue provides. In addition to that, always remember that most experts still agree that live meetings are the best. While webinars and virtual meetings can be informative and convenient, they do not take the place of face-to-face meetings.