Event Planning 101: Trends in Event Management Tools
Today’s event industry is driven by technology. But with so many options that are constantly changing and evolving, we wanted to know what to look out for in our tech tools. So we asked our resident IT guru, Martin Stevens, and tech savvy Event Manager, Andrew Tyne, to share the latest trends.
Trend #1: Stay connected, anywhere and everywhere
With multiple device functionality and cloud based software, it has never been easier to use the latest and greatest tools. Programs such as Ungerboeck, the event management tool our Halifax Convention Centre team uses, allow staff members from multiple departments to access and update event information from anywhere – whether they are at their desk or on the trade show floor. An added bonus: The ability to view and access event information digitally has limited the need to print and distribute event materials, helping to reduce our environmental footprint.
Trend #2: Integration is key
Breaking down silos to have multiple programs functioning together allows you to work seamlessly from a central place. For example, manage expenses, organize calendar schedules, send follow-up surveys or messages, or cross-post promotions to your website and social media channels all from a single platform. This allows you to easily share and gather details important to your event. We like how MailChimp, an online email marketing tool, makes it easy to connect with customers by offering integration with many different programs – almost 800!
Trend #3: Collaboration made easy
Collaboration is an important part of the event management industry, and technology is making it easier to join forces in an interactive way. Between managing events, working with venues and dealing with attendees, it’s vitally important to have the ability to communicate with your partners. Tools such as Ungerboeck help to connect everyone involved in organizing an event, no matter where they are located, by allowing them to work together using portals with real-time updates. A favourite of some of our third-party planners is Basecamp, a cloud based platform. It allows all members of a project to share ideas, find information, assign tasks and connect in one place.
Trend #4: Evolving program updates based on user feedback
We're seeing a growing trend in tools and programs that incorporate user feedback into their tech updates. Users are encouraged to share ideas for improvement, which may later be developed and implemented into the newest version of the program. This helps to ensure that tools are meeting user needs to deliver a more practical and richer experience. Office 365 is a great example of a program that uses customer feedback to improve the overall experience.
Trend #5: Up your game by building efficiencies and staying organized
We all want to be more efficient and work smarter, and with so many cool new project management tools available, being productive has never been easier. Evernote is another cloud-based app that stores hand-written notes, and allows you to create project to-do lists and share ideas across multiple device platforms to help keep your day on track.
While face-to-face interaction will always be important in the event planning process, technology can be used to improve the experience by helping to build more efficient ways to communicate and share information.
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