Technology touches event industry too

Technology has been influencing our lives in every way. Be it in the workplace, home, banks and financial institutions or schools, technology has changed the way we do everything and event industry is not an exception.

Earlier we had to subscribe to mailing list to get informed about new events now it has been replaced by social advertising. There has been massive use of social media by event industry to connect with people. Advertising in social media attracts more people likely to attend the event.

Because of increase in people engagement on social networking sites, event management firms find it beneficial to post ads on these sites. 36% of advertising agencies are planning to buy ads on YouTube, 39% are planning on twitter, 89% are planning on Facebook. Event industries have a keen interest in social advertising though 67% users rarely pay attention to ads on social networks. Social media has been really helpful for planning an event. It is easier to create a page, share photos, videos, send teasers beforehand and the like.

Social media allows live polling and users use a hashtag when they tweet about anything related to the event and make an event more popular. Before people used to buy tickets to an event on their own impulse, now they decide on the basis of peers’ decision. When they see on their timeline that their colleagues, friends are going to an event, they also show willingness for it. During unavailability of social media, people were clueless about who will be attending the event, with whom they are likely to run into at event. Social media allows interaction among possible attendees, they meet and greet on online backchannels. Once people get to know each other there is more chance of people to attend the event when they get accustomed to people. Such kind of networking makes people interested in attending the event next time as well. It forms bonding and at times long-term relationship among people. The online audience finds virtual environment helpful in making decisions to attend in-person next time.

Before, event planners used to select speakers for the event, with an adoption of technology in event management attendees, choose speakers. There are the self-participation and cooperation among the attendees. Access to varieties of technological tools doesn’t make you travel miles to be physically present at the event. Live streaming and video technology make us watch it wherever we are and whenever we like. Recording the event is also an easy task with these tools. On the other hand, companies also save much more in travel costs, publicity by engaging people in virtual environments.

 

There used to be event guide and brochures for a publicity campaign and now apps have made event management paperless. Apps are popular not only because of its accessibility but also of its feature of getting updated. Apps are more preferred as it allows interaction before as well as after the event. With advancement in technology we send ‘like’ offline if we are pleased with the event. Event planners collect information online that will be helpful for them to improve future events. They are more into social media monitoring and send feedback form online. With the growth in technology, it is changing the way we plan, publicize and organize events.

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