It’s really easy to get caught up with all of the amazing event technologies. We are in the middle of extreme growth in this area, and this technology is solving more and more problems in a very elegant manner.
But here’s the problem: The technology becomes absolutely useless at some events because very simple items were overlooked. So all of that money you spent to solve a problem ends up being wasted, and the problem still exists. Plus you likely have some very frustrated attendees as well.
Make sure your money is not wasted and that your attendees are happy with just these few tips:
Free, Reliable WiFi
You created the best app in the world, and you are ready to unleash it onto your attendees. Your attendees of course wait to download it until they are onsite. Just one problem: Your site’s WiFi keeps going down, or worse, it isn’t free. No one is going to use up their data by downloading that app now.
Think ahead by creating a sponsorship for WiFi. This sponsorship can pay for attendees’ WiFi or pay for more bandwidth so the WiFi can handle your event. You can even make sure that the password is the name of the company that sponsored it, which will help them stay top-of-mind as an event hero.
Test Your Tech
It goes without saying, but if the tech doesn’t work, it’s not going to happen at your event. Testing it when you are back at your office helps, but testing it thoroughly as soon as you are on-site is also necessary to make sure every feature works.
An easy way to foresee problems that could happen with your tech is to work with an A/V company that knows your event’s location and the capacities of each room. For example, Kingsgate Marriott Conference Center has on-site A/V staff that can give you advice about what will work and what will not. That means there is very little guessing and your on-site testing should go smoothly.
Market Your Tech
You could have the best event tech the world has ever seen, but if no one knows about it, it doesn’t matter.
Create a landing page on your website with any links to social media or apps that your attendees will want to download while at the event. Be sure to send this landing page to your attendees ahead of time and and then put it on signs, handbooks or any other collateral your event may have. The link could just be your website that redirects to a mobile site for your event or you could create an easy-to-remember shortlink to the landing page you created. Sites such as bit.ly do this very well. And be sure to mention it while your attendees are checking in at the registration desk. The more you talk about what you are doing, the more likely your attendees are to use it.
What do you do to make sure your attendees are able to use your event tech seamlessly?
