Creating The iEvent: Technology Tools For Audience Engagement

Today’s Audiences Want High Tech With High Touch

Today’s conference and event audiences are hungry to be engaged and involved in the experience. They want to participate in a variety of ways. They are willing to try new things.

95% of the attendees at my presentation at Event Solutions Idea Factory said technology changes audiences. The majority of them felt that when technology is used correctly at a conference or event, it can engage an audience. They found it exhilarating.

19 Tech Tools To Engage Attendees

Here are 19 technology tools I shared to improve conference and event engagement before, during and after an event. You can view screenshots of these presentations startying with slide 34.

1. TUFFtxt

An all inclusive audience response, gaming and texting platform. It includes text2screen, response filtering (if wanted), polling and customizable graphics and branding.

2. Wiffiti

A unique free text2screen platform that involves animation and includes pictures. Screen background can be customized and branded. Receives messages from SMS texting, Twitter and web interface. How to use Wiffiti.

3. Twitterfall

Displays tweets using specific hashtags or key words in a rolling top to bottom scroll.

4. Twitterfountain

Displays tweets using specific hashtags, key words and Flickr in a variety of animated ways. Photos with specific tags become the background.

5. Polleverywhere

Poll audience questions directly from your personal mobile device using SMS texting.

6. Mobilecause

Text directly to attendee’s mobile devices. Also allows text2screen and text2give donations.

7. Eventpilot

Event Solution’s Idea Factory mobile app provider. Great user interface that is extremely institutive. Includes up-to-the minute info, speaker profiles, session descriptions, venues maps, tradeshow floor interactive map, interactive Twitter feed, ability to log notes and favorite presenters for later reference and more. Created by Ativsoftware for iPhone and Androids.

8. Presdo Match

Provides your attendees way to setup one-to-one meetings onsite with this invitation-only social network. Creates profiles by merging information from LinkedIn and event registration. Communication, meeting requests and scheduling coordinated through Presdo. Mobile ready.

9. Poken

Cool anime-like character hardware that serves as your social business card. Just hold two Poken palms together in a High-Five fashion and boom, your connected. Great for networking events. Integrates with an online website to create your own digital business card. People collect the variety of exclusive characters too.

10. Foursquare

Geo-location gaming that can be used for onsite conference and event scavenger hunts, tradeshow crawls and check ins.

11. Gowalla

Like Foursquare, a geo-location game that can be customized for your conference or event. Create specific treks for attendees to follow. Also can pay Gowalla for customized event badge for those that check-in.

12. Scvngr

Create your own customized location-based mobile game built on a powerful game mechanic platform. Users scores points and rewards. Great way to increase onsite engagement.

13. Skype

With internet access and the Skype software on a computer, users can Skype in a presenter or group of presenters. Small groups can also Skype in remote attendees to participate in discussions.

14. Facebook Chat

Integrate your live stream feed with real-time Facebook chat. Great for remote participants and you can drop this into your Facebook page.

15. Issuu

Tired of spending your budget on printed programs and brochures. Upload your Word or PDF documents to Issuu to create your free digital publication. Then embed your publication on your own website. Pluses: HTML links become active links. And integrates with audio. Video integration coming.

16. Animoto

Turn your photos and Flip videos into a slick animated video production without spending thousands of dollars. Great for pre-event marketing, during the event videos and post-event recaps.

17. Vyou

Tired of answering all those phone call questions about the event or registration. Create a free customized video FAQ. Also allows people to ask you specific questions and you can respond via video.

18. Slideshare

Create your own event branded page for speaker presentations and handouts in PPT or PDF. Can be public or private. Allows for easy sharing on social networks, embedding on websites, downloading and comments. Great analytics too.

19. Zipcast

Create your own free public or private webinar using the presentations you uploaded to Slideshare. Invite others to join you. Use it to market upcoming speakers’ presentations at your face-to-face event.

What cool tech tools have you used that you would add to this list?