Key vendors who service the events industry lost a great deal of experienced talent during the pandemic and they haven’t fully restaffed. Here’s how event organizers can ensure they are still getting the service they require. Catering and convention services managers, AV/production project managers/producers, general service contractors, and housing and registration service providers — these are the professionals who keep events humming. But during the pandemic, many account and project … [Read more...]
5 Improvements for Event Registration Data Collection
It’s difficult to determine what to include — and not include — when collecting attendee data at the time of conference registration. We need to make it easy to click “yes” during the registration process, while also collecting intelligence to drive personalization. Data fields and pick lists should be normalized and updated across membership, meetings, subscriptions, and all of the organization’s other programs and services. Mandatory fields should be kept to a minimum. Here are five data … [Read more...]
Looking into the Future of Event Tech
Your guidepost for event-technology decisions should be to put your customer’s experience before your staff efficiency. As the event-tech space continues to evolve with a number of mergers and acquisitions, I see four changes coming for larger annual conferences. #1. Security is Expensive, but Critical Conference organizers are generally unaware that last year most event-technology software companies lost three or more months of future development time to focus instead on compliance … [Read more...]
Event App Due Diligence
Editor’s Note: This article was originally penned for PCMA’s Convene in the beginning of August, early on in the discovery that the Apple App Store’s change in guidelines could affect branded mobile event apps. Much has been written since, including evidence that Apple is taking action with some event app providers. From our view, our opinions haven’t changed. Have discussions directly with your provider and request recent proof of Apple Review Board app approval from them. Also, any event app … [Read more...]
How Is Your Association Using Learning Technologies?
Improving digital learning and amplifying conference content to a larger audience is a high priority for many clients we consult with. With the advent of DIY solutions, business models that include sponsorship and the strategic alignment of reaching a global audience, we’re seeing an increased focus on expanding the impact of digital learning. If you work for a membership organization, whether or not you use technology to deliver or enhance your learning products, we’re asking for your … [Read more...]
Ten Criteria for Vetting Event Technology Solution Providers (Updated)
Over the past decade, there have been significant upgrades and newcomers in the event technology space. These solutions claim to increase revenue, streamline processes, drive attendance, improve the attendee experience, provide data/insight and/or deliver ROI. There are several hundred event technology providers competing to win your business. When you consider varying pricing structures, functionality, and built-for-purpose options, choosing the best solutions is no easy task. How’s an … [Read more...]
Hybrid Meetings Doomed to Failure? Not So Fast
I’ll admit that in 2011, when the Virtual Edge Institute (now called the Digital Experience Institute) first co-located its conference with the Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders, the experience fell flat for me. At the time, a mere six years ago, the fledgling for-profit entity that wagered its future on the potential of virtual meetings staged sessions that were too heavily weighted toward the online audience in the verbal communication and moderation by the … [Read more...]
Implicit vs. Explicit: Beyond the Badge Mass Personalization
Whether your data capture and personalization efforts are implicit, explicit or a combination, it’s critical to develop a rubric. When combined with behavioral data, paths for mass personalization will emerge. Many associations are at the beginning of this journey and will learn much from internet commerce best practices. My Big Move Late last year, I made the big move from a lifetime in Ohio to sunny Orlando. Our new home needed a bit of TLC so I’ve been doing a lot more online research … [Read more...]
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