How to use event technology for your conference
February 7, 2023 • 3 min read • By Nicholas Royal, Customer Success
How to use event technology for your conference
First things first, what is event technology?
In the past couple of years, the events industry has faced the most dramatic changes it has ever seen. The overnight appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the industry’s reliance on technology to deliver full virtual experiences. Digital meetings, conferences, and concerts have become the new face of the industry we thought we knew so well. Suddenly, event technology became critical to the industry’s survival. Event organizers had to adapt continuously to new sets of rules, month after month. What made that possible? Event technology!
According to its definition, event technology combines tools that help plan, execute, and measure event outcomes. More importantly, event technology can be accessed as a standalone tech stack or combined into an event management software that includes different tools grouped into features contributing to event success:
- Event management tools: ticketing and registration, access and contact management, reporting
- Event marketing tools: website builder, stakeholder email marketing solution, personalized registration flows, promo codes
- Event content tools: agenda builder, speaker management, content submission
- Event engagement tools: mobile apps, chat channels, in-session polls, social media integrations
- Networking tools: 1:1 messaging, community search, meeting bookings
- Streaming tools: Recording sessions for on-demand access
- On-site tools: Badge scanning, lead management, sponsor management
- Event intelligence tools: various analytic materials related to registration, networking, sessions, and cross-event analytics
8 Important Event Technology Features
In the aftermath of the pandemic, event technology is evolving faster than ever. Event organizers are mostly aware of the latest technology trends rather than technology stack features.
At this stage, it’s important to learn how to use event technology for your conference and where event management platforms can be extremely helpful.
1) Ticket sales
Selling tickets is the core business element for every event organizer. The ticket-purchasing experience must be excellent for all attendees and organizers. Event technology platforms like run.events enable organizers to track ticket sales in multiple steps. Organizers can choose beginning and end dates for sales, or whether the tickets are made public or are redeemable by vouchers. Organizers can use ticket add-ons to sell additional services that attendees can’t buy separately (e.g., train tickets).
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Define tickets
- Define ticket add-ons and options
- Sell individual or group tickets
- Issue vouchers
2) Invoicing and tracking
Providing invoices for all paid goods and services is mandatory. Issuing an invoice is obligatory each time someone purchases conference tickets. Besides its invoicing feature, run.events allows organizers to apply various taxes to different customers depending on their location.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Issue invoices
- Track payments automatically or manually
- Define tax rates to suit various taxation systems
- Customize invoices (e.g., text, footer, purchase order, reference number)
3) Sponsor management
Managing sponsors and sponsorship contracts is challenging. Event organizers have a specific event technology stack that supports initial negotiations, contact management, and invoicing.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Define sponsorship items and packages
- Store and track data about sponsors (CRM)
- Maintain contract management and invoices
- Onboard sponsors and other types of pre-event activities
4) Managing content and speakers
Speakers, content managers, and content teams define the content life cycle. From content submission, selection, and rating to defining the agenda and speaker management, covering content selection becomes crucial for event success.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Handle content submission and selection
- Monitor agenda development and publication
- Handle speaker management
- Manage content ratings
5) Reporting and finances
Event technology provides organizers with a continuous overview of different event aspects, such as earnings. It can provide exact data about how many tickets and sponsorships have been sold in real-time or what has been paid and which payments are still outstanding.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Create ticket reports
- Create sponsorship reports
- Create invoice and payment reports
6) Better resource allocation
Inflation and economic downturn present another set of challenges for conference organizers, as many event aspects become more expensive.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Access the agenda and select sessions
- Network
- Communicate internally or externally
7) Communication and collaboration
Successful internal communication and collaboration between event team members can make or break your event.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Benefit from a fully-fledged, chat-based communication and collaboration
- Send and access documents, pictures, and notes
- Create special topics and channels for each sponsor or session
8) Centralized reporting
Event technology doesn’t just provide large quantities of data to organizers and exhibitors but also to sponsors who are able to access it according to its relevancy.
Using this tool, event organizers can:
- Analyze expenses and profitability
- Report to sponsors and other stakeholders
- Get help with lead tracking
- Analyze attendee demographics and consumer behavior
Conclusion
Event technology simplifies all aspects of the event-organizing process, streamlines the attendee experience, and generates leads. Its unique feature of combining a comprehensive set of tools helps to know how to use event technology for your conference.