Since 2020, the event industry has done some impressive gymnastics. In-person to virtual to hybrid and back to in-person again (sometimes with incredibly short notice) has event planners spinning.

However, some businesses and associations haven’t even thought about in-person events in over two years. Are you shaking off the cobwebs and returning to in-person events this year? Here, we have some tips on how event technology can make your in-person event a huge success.

Transitioning Back to In-Person Events

Virtual fatigue is a growing problem facing every aspect of our pandemic lives. From zoom calls to binge-watching Netflix to virtual events, your members are certainly ready for in-person events. Lately, it seems that there’s an ever-growing market of people hungry for in-person events. Even so, if you’re returning to in-person events this year, it's no easy task! Plus, there’s always still the risk of cancellations. And the truth is, people are still wary…

Let’s say, before 2020, someone attended 10 in-person events per year. In 2022, they might only attend three or four. That means event planners have an uphill battle making sure their in-person event makes the cut. Since attendees are limiting the number of events they go to, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd.

Event planners need to give attendees an exciting reason to come, a reason they can't say no to. And once attendees are in the door, they expect an experience that creates connections and authentic engagement. But with the right tools and planning, in-person events can be a breath of fresh air for everyone in the industry.

The Role of Event Technology in In-Person Events

Event technology offers a set of tools and features that can help you significantly improve the attendee experience at your events. But it also offers a way for event planners to include innovation into either their in-person, hybrid or virtual events through new features and experiences.

Studies show that using event technology can increase attendance by 20% and that 86% of event professionals believe that technology can have a major positive impact on the success of their events. The role of event tech will vary based on your event needs but when it comes to in-person events, event technology can still play a major role in increasing reach and scale, making your events more accessible and offering event assets to use after the event.

Increase your event’s reach and scale

Event technology can help increase the reach and scale of your in-person event in a variety of ways including:

• • Wide-scale marketing in the digital space
  • Easy event registration
  • Professional live-streaming and on-demand content

A streamlined, intuitive registration process may be one of the first interactions you’ll have with your attendees. With event technology, you can create easy registration processes that segment your audience and create a wonderful experience right from the start. And the better the registration process, the more people are likely to sign up.

Event technology can increase attendance by 20% and that 86% of event professionals believe that technology can have a major positive impact.

Professional live-streaming and on-demand content are also useful during in-person events. Whether a presenter is sharing information from across the globe or you decide to broadcast on-demand content to a live audience, making sure you have event technology on your side can help increase your reach and scale.

Your in-person event can also take advantage of event technology platforms offering lead generation and agenda hosting to create a fully automated event experience for your in-person meetings and conferences. It’s sure to bring the wow faction to any live meeting.

Improve Accessibility

From assisting those with disabilities to offering multilingual translation, there are so many ways to incorporate event technology that helps improve accessibility.

Multilingual translation that can be fed through a live-stream, for example, is a great way to offer both an in-person experience with the multilingual capabilities of a digital experience. Plus, event apps and closed captioning services can be a huge marker for accessibility.

With customisable features and services, event technology has something for everyone and not only brings your in-person events into the future but also can help more people feel welcome at your meetings and events.

On-demand Event Content

On-demand content is one of the best assets you’ll get from event technology at your in-person event. Instead of simply live-streaming your content, you can also record the presentation to use during other events or as a teaser for future association meetings, for example.

By using the broadcasting and A/V professionals that come with event technology as a service, you can create event assets that are incredibly valuable.

Event Data and Analytics

When you can see not only how many people attended your event but also what they interacted with in the technological space, you can learn more about your members and make better decisions moving forward. In short, event technology makes your in-person events more measurable and therefore more lucrative as a way to give attendees more of what they want and less of what they don’t.

Event Technology: Where To Start

So, you’re on board with the idea that event technology is worthwhile for your in-person event. But, which event technology features are best for you? It can be overwhelming to determine what best suits your event.

So, keep a tight focus on your event goals and overall vision, using them as a guide to find what’s right for you.

1. Outline the objectives and your event’s success indicators

   Outlining your event objectives forces you to create and prioritise the goals you wish to accomplish prior to, during and after your event. This also helps define the vital criteria you’ll use when considering which features of event technology you’ll seek out.

2. Research your audience and the type of experience they expect.

   Before you decide which features you want to incorporate, ask yourself: "Who is coming to my in-person event?” “What are they looking for with regard to their desired experience at your event?" Once you understand your audience and their expectations, you can start evaluating the technological solutions that will provide the greatest impact. Try emailing past attendees a quick online survey to gauge interest and understand how tech-savvy they are.
   
   In the future, once you start implementing event technology at your next in-person event, you’ll have clear data and analytics to go off for next time.

3. Base your tech choices on needs, not bells and whistles

   It’s easy to get distracted by the latest and greatest. When considering if a certain feature is a good fit for you, determine what value it adds to your in-person event. If you can’t provide a clear and specific answer to that question, chances are it’s not the right fit for you.
   
   Event technology is completely customisable, so there’s no need to overwhelm your in-person guests with absolutely every feature. And if you don’t know where to begin, start with the essentials and go from there.

Event Technology Features for In-Person Events

Ready to get started with event technology for your next association meeting or business conference? We have countless features that allow you to integrate event technology for in-person events including:

• Real-time tech support
• HD live-streaming and on-demand content
• Segmented registration and check-in
• Lead generation and agenda hosting
• Multilingual functionality

At the end of the day, technology is a part of our everyday lives and it means that whether you’re hosting an in-person, hybrid or virtual event, event technology features are a must-have. And if you’re still unsure how event technology can work for you, request a demo with our experts at Delegate Connect and we’d be happy to show you how event technology can make your next in-person event a success!