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As an event planner, you must be on the lookout for ways to improve the event experience and ensure that your attendees make the most of their interaction. In the modern era, this means that you need to embrace the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) and understand that there are many ways to use these tools to make your event a success. Certainly, this is an ever-changing landscape as new products emerge, and existing products develop, and you’ll always need to be flexible and ready for the next “big thing.” In the meantime, here are six ways that you can capitalize on AI when planning your next masterpiece.

1. Early Planning

When you have to start with a clean sheet of paper, you need all the help you can get. You may be given a brief by a client but will still need to do a lot of detailed work. You have to locate venues, open discussions with appropriate vendors, and even reach out to people who may be interested in attending your event once it springs to life. In the past, you may have had to do all this manually, trawl through records or reach out to industry sources. Today, you may be able to use AI algorithms to find those perfect matches in a fraction of the time.

2. The Ubiquitous ChatBot

According to Exhibitor Magazine, the global chatbot market is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 24% per year, reaching a value of $1.23 billion in 2025. While this is hardly new technology and, in fact, can be traced back half a century, the chatbot is nevertheless an element of AI that you simply cannot do without.

When you incorporate chatbot software, it can interact with people with a very high level of efficiency and can mimic human conversation remarkably well. You can program your chatbot to handle a wide variety of different questions at the event, and this will take a lot of the pressure off your staff members. Users can “talk” naturally or type questions and expect a considered answer.

Use the chatbot to handle all your frequently asked questions, give access to the event schedule and provide valuable feedback at the end. This will generate real-time insight into how attendees feel, their satisfaction levels and their reaction to your overall support. And the good news is that chatbots are relatively affordable these days – and scalable to any size of event.

3. It’s All in the Presentation

If you’re organizing a multifaceted event where attendees can choose their own agenda and where you may have multiple breakouts or peripheral meetings, AI is your friend. You can create a matchmaking engine powered by AI, which can provide recommendations to each attendee, so they can make the most of their participation.

The AI can analyze each attendee’s profile or behavior to suggest the most appropriate breakout. This will overcome the random nature of large events and make sure that these people are using their time most efficiently. Use the information you may gather during registration or other accessible data (if you have the permission) to make this type of AI work best.

4. There Is an App for That

You can use a variety of other apps on the event to further personalize the experience. If you have attendees from many different countries, remove the language barrier with a translation app powered by AI. Create a separate application to provide collateral so that you do not have to rely on paper handouts or schedules. 

This AI can also generate a survey to gauge satisfaction, and this can be rolled out at the point of delivery or midway through your event. You will get timely feedback and won’t have to wait for attendees to respond manually, as this often leads to lower quality data. eShow Event Management Solutions created a personalized event app that can be used as a mobile hub for all info on your event, connect with all attendees, and provide event support from start to finish!

5. Handling Safety and Security

You need to ensure that your venue is as secure as possible and that attendees are well cared for. Use AI to help confirm each attendee through biometric registration or facial recognition. You’ll be able to scan your guest as they pass from one part of the event to another and avoid close contact with a human being. Of course, in these socially distant days, that can only be a good thing.

Utilizing a pre-existing RF ID method to contact trace and provide safe parameters for your attendees is a great way to increase non-invasive COVID event processes.

6. Help with Forward Planning

You may have a finely tuned “gut feeling” that can tell you whether your event was a success or not, but still, you need measurable data so that you can make the next event more successful. Consequently, you need to use AI to gather that data, examine your event metrics and calculate your bottom line. 

Using the aforementioned apps, you’ll be able to gather a lot of this data during the event itself and before your attendees forget the details. You may even be able to make changes on the fly, but principally, you will get granular and high-quality data that can aid with your future decisions and planning.

With this type of focused data, you will know whether your keynote speakers were a success, whether people could navigate their way through the event and whether they felt that their time was used effectively. Use the information gathered by your AI today to improve the performance of your AI software on future events.

Crafting Your Event Management Solution

Whether you plan something that is in-person, digital or hybrid, you will need a raft of support and specific tools to help manage your event ecosystem. This is why you should turn to an industry-leading event management company like eShow. Here you will find professional tools and web-based solutions that can help you plan any size of event from beginning to end – and all underneath one umbrella. For example, build a registration hub at the outset, create a floor management plan, or handle attendee housing and travel. Make use of the Virtual Event Management platform, an all-inclusive solution that is built on experience.

So, as you put more of your faith in AI, work with a company like eShow to integrate these methods and make your next event a roaring success.

When the effects of the pandemic first became evident, some people were quick to predict the demise of the event industry. People simply wouldn’t want to meet each other face to face anymore in this “new world,” they hypothesized. Every type of meeting or event would now need to become virtual, and the industry would have to adapt accordingly. Of course, this opinion was premature, and the long-term effect short-lived, as the human condition will always require one-on-one interaction. As such, events will undoubtedly survive, but organizers will need to look at their offerings in a new light. They will need to be more creative, and especially when it comes to those venues. What do they need to take into account going forward?

Technology Expands Choice

Connected technology has been around for some time and was a part of the event picture prior to the pandemic. Indeed, PCMA discussed the challenge to the event organizer back in 2018 but went on to talk about how this type of tech could impact venue selection. Today, cheaper and easier to access technology can open up venues that may once have been unable to cope or even impractical.

Moving Away from Predictability

This ties in nicely to a bigger overall trend in the event industry: to move away from the conventional and to “go rogue” when it comes to venue selection. Today, people want far more than just a predictable conference room, so organizers can often inspire attendees by choosing something unique or special based on the demographic or overall aspiration.

Safety First

Further, safety is still on the top of the list for event requirements and is likely to remain so for some time. While the pandemic should slowly fade into the background, the after-effects will linger, and potential attendees will make crucial decisions based on their perception of safety.

Off the Beaten Track

Consequently, why not move away from the traditional, easy to access convention center and look for something more rural. Your attendees may feel more inspired if they are closer to nature and safer when it comes to potential exposure to not just strangers but city center pollution and other factors.

Experiential

Many attendees are looking for a real experience in everything that they do. If your venue has a “wow” factor or can present them with an “Instagrammable” moment, they may be more likely to attend and give you positive feedback at the end. The venue’s draw will attract delegates, and your client may be far more likely to engage if they believe that their customers, suppliers or staff will be happier.

Better Learning Environment

If your event is educational, you may provide a more suitable and creative learning environment, should you go rogue. After all, adults are more likely to retain information if they receive it in a positive external environment. In this case, as they enjoy a positive sensory experience, they are likely to remain engaged and take on board more information. As such, you should find a venue that is as far away from a conventional conference room as possible. By doing so, you can avoid any predictable setup and get off to a better start.

Pros and Cons of the Conventional

It’s much easier to choose a conventional venue and especially when it comes to design, set up and delivery. After all, hotels are fully focused on this area as they earn the majority of their profits from events like this. They have full-time staff members who are only too keen to help an event organizer produce something special, and they will, within the constraints of the space available, do their utmost to please.

Yet, there is only so much that you, as an event organizer, can do with a space that is designed to please as many different tastes as possible. As “easy” as it may be to work within this environment, it’s a lot harder to be inspirational and to generate that much-needed “wow” factor.

Unusual Venues May Have Complications

If you set out to find an unusual venue, you have to take on the added complications. After all, meetings or events may not be their primary focus by the very nature of these venues. Some venues may never have organized an event of any kind, while others may be interested, but you may have to deal with additional issues.

Timing

Consider timing carefully. The venue may not be available around the clock like a typical hotel or convention center. The management team may have to consider business interruption and its effect on their existing clientele or bottom line.

Clarity

It may also be more difficult to get a clear picture of how your event will look when everything is set up, so you can create a successful event. You need to work closely with the venue to see exactly what they can achieve as you envision the end result. Above all else, make sure that you use all the available space effectively with creativity to the fore if you’re going to get the best return on both your objective and investment.

Fewer Restrictions

On the flip side, your unusual venue may come with fewer restrictions. As they may also be working with a clean sheet of paper and have not staged the type of event before, they may well buy into your creative thinking. This is not always the case when it comes to a conventional venue, where there are often strict rules and regulations to adhere to.

Budgetary Help

You may also find that you have more leeway from a budgetary perspective. An up-and-coming destination may not have set aspirations, and venue hire costs may be lower.

Blending Business and Leisure

The new venue may be a destination in itself, as well. You may be able to blend business and leisure by moving away from the corporate feel of that convention center.

Go outside the Box

As the event industry returns to normal, think outside of the box. Give your attendees a reason to commit and make sure that they will have the experience to remember. Sell your alternative venue on the basis of safety, accessibility and inspiration. Your delegates are far more likely to be engaged and help you achieve your ultimate objective.

Shouldering the Work

As you plan, work with partners who can make everything a lot easier. eShow can provide you with an all-in-one event management platform, from registration to session management, from general layout to revenues. When you work with eShow, you will get to worry less about the detail – and have much more time to focus on that unique venue.

As a tike, did you own a book that had (in addition to brightly colored images) little patches of wool-like fabric incorporated into the animal images, images that you could scratch and sniff, and buttons that made squeak or chime sounds when pressed?  If so, the author/publisher of that book was on to something.  They knew that if you used your senses of touch, smell, and sound in addition to your sense of sight, you would enjoy reading that book more than a book with only words and pictures. They offered you a multi-sensory experience. 

Children aren’t the only ones who find multi-sensory experiences more enjoyable. Adults (consumers) also appreciate them, and brands would be wise to keep this in mind when planning marketing campaigns and trade shows. As your clients, these brands will rely on you, the event manager, to ensure attendees have the most pleasurable experience possible. Therefore, the more senses your attendees can engage during your events; the more positive and memorable their experience will be.  Your objective should be to design your events in emotion- and thought-provoking way.  

1.  Benefits of Multi-Sensory Events

Not only do our senses affect mood and influence activity, but it’s a scientific fact that the senses of smell, sight, and sound tend to store memories in the brain when engaged. This means that the likelihood of attendees thinking about your event in the future increases if you incorporate elements that tap into one or more of these senses.  And, of course, you want them to remember your event and your brand message, and that’s the reason you’re holding the event in the first place.

Here’s how you can create a multi-sensory experience and increase engagement at your events:

 2.  How to Host a Multi-Sensory Event

Depending on your budget, there are two ways to create a multi-sensory experience for your event attendees. If you’re working with a limited budget (or don’t want to overstimulate attendees), you can create focal points by adding small elements of sensory interest to your event. If done right, these small moments of delight can make a significant impact. Think stimulating fragrances, stunning table décor, and upbeat music between speakers.

If your budget is less constrained, you may want to immerse your attendees in a multi-sensory experience fully. Attendees will use multiple senses throughout the event, not just at focal points. This approach provides a more significant impact on memory and will engage attendees on a much larger scale. They’re more likely to remember and share details of the event for years to come. If you’re considering this approach, take a page from Essence and Toyota’s playbook.

3.  Essence & Toyota Show How It’s Done

In December 2017, ESSENCE magazine partnered with Toyota to create #SensoryWonderlanda multi-sensory event that celebrated Afrofuturism while simultaneously generating buzz for the new 2018 Toyota Camry. The event brought attention to Toyota’s Sensations campaign, which focused on drivers’ emotions and sensations when driving.

The event offered six spaces that represented buzzwords from the campaign and was designed to stimulate multiple senses: Lust, Hunger, Throb, Boom, Pulse, and Drool. Afrofuturistic imagery from the magazine was placed throughout the event, as well as performers that fit the concept.

In the Lust space, attendees were instructed to feel around the velvet-draped environment with their hands.  The Drool room offered a virtual reality experience from inside the new Camry, and the Pulse room contained a representation of the inside of a car engine that revved at full speed. In each room, there was a placard that described the experience that attendees could expect to have.

Toyota aimed to show that they valued multicultural consumers and, along with Essence (a publication with a predominantly African American readership), created a multi-sensory experience that did just that.

4.  Know Your Audience

In addition to your working budget, your decision to either implement the focal point approach or fully immerse attendees in a multi-sensory experience should depend on their needs and interests. Will they respond to an immersive, multi-sensory approach, or would they prefer something more sedate.  Are you catering to a younger demographic who are used to lively, trendy events?  If yes, they would likely appreciate the fully immersed approach. If your demographic is older and prefers more calm experiences, engage their senses on a smaller scale. Here’s where doing your research and knowing your audience pays off.

Final Thoughts

In the world of corporate events, there’s a growing trend toward full-scale immersive experiences, and audiences have come to expect that.  If you’re not meeting those expectations, you’re likely to receive less than favorable feedback and see a decrease in registrations for future events.

But, creating an event with high production quality can be challenging. Among the most common reasons for event managers to forgo making immersive, multi-sensory events are the lack of budget and time. Although an immersive experience may require a heftier budget, budget constraints shouldn’t stop you from giving your attendees what they’re looking for. 

If you’re working with a smaller budget, take the focal point approach and pepper small points of interest throughout the event. If (after doing your research) you find that your audience would prefer an experience that tantalizes the senses but your budget can’t keep up, consider sponsorship. Companies with interests and a target market similar to yours may welcome the opportunity to help cover the costs of your multi-sensory production in exchange for promotion.

However you decide to engage your audience’s senses, you’ll need a partner to help you deliver a memorable experience.  Make your role as an event manager easier by partnering with eShowWe keep our finger on the pulse of the event industry and offer clients creative and innovative ways to bring their ideas to fruition – all within budget. With our fully comprehensive event platform, we can help you not only delight your audience through multi-sensory events but also manage all aspects of your event, from vendor management to data collection and analysis.

Contact us today for a no-obligation demo.

Thinking outside the box and keeping your audience engaged are two critical keys to any successful event. Now that virtual and hybrid events have become the norm, organizers must work even harder to keep energy high and hold their attendees’ attention.

Integrating games and competitions into events, also called “gamification,” is one of the hottest trends right now. Adding gamification to your event is one of the best ways to increase engagement, heighten brand awareness, and drive attendees to perform desired actions.

What is Gamification? The Basics

Despite its recent rise in popularity, there’s still some confusion about gamification and what it isn’t. It’s important to note that it’s not about turning your event into a big competition or creating something that resembles a fair; instead, event gamification is simply the process of incorporating game mechanics into the overall event experience. 

It works because humans, by nature, like to compete; they also feel a strong sense of satisfaction when rewarded for their efforts. Gamification taps into this psychology to drive desired behaviors in a fun and exciting way. 

Using Gamification to Drive Action

Defining your desired outcome is the first step to successfully incorporating gamification into your events. Whether you’re trying to build your prospect list, upsell to current customers, or increase brand awareness, it’s essential to know how you’ll measure your success.

While gamification can add a significant amount of entertainment to your event, this shouldn’t be the only purpose. Instead, it should always be linked to a specific goal that directly relates to the success of your event. For example, you may aim for a 30% increase in exhibitor interactions or a 25% increase in attendee referrals.

Once you’re clear on your goals, choosing the best gamification format for your event is much easier. For example, if you want to ensure your sponsors and exhibitors get plenty of traffic, you may offer points for each display they visit.

Some other ways to use gamification to drive action include:

  • Awarding points for correctly answering trivia questions during the event
  • Checking off boxes on BINGO cards for completing specific tasks
  • Hiding secret codes at various locations throughout the event space
  • Creating a scavenger hunt and awarding clues for taking particular actions
  • Offering the ability to earn titles and “level up” for completing several tasks
  • Giving points or rewards for inviting others to attend the event

Using a mobile app with gaming capabilities will help you design and launch your gamification plan. While it’s critical to have the right technology in place, simply providing access to an app isn’t enough. You’ll also need to motivate your attendees to participate in the games and make it worth their while. Do it right, and you’ll create loyal brand advocates who will be talking about your event long after it’s over.

Motivating Attendees

Since most people enjoy a bit of friendly competition, providing visual incentives like leaderboards, notifications, and personal scorecards can help keep your attendees motivated.

For in-person meetings, you may also consider giving out color-coded lanyards or badges for reaching certain levels. This will keep your gamification top-of-mind and encourage a competitive spirit.

Make sure your games are challenging enough to give participants a sense of achievement, but not so difficult or complex that attendees get frustrated or lose interest. It’s also essential to monitor your gamification in real-time. Keep an eye on how close participants are to earning awards and how engaged they are. If enthusiasm seems to be waning, make sure to send notifications reminding them how close they are to receiving a reward.

Choosing Rewards and Prizes

If you want people to get excited about your games, you’ll need prizes or rewards they want. While there are many options, ultimately, you’ll want to make sure the rewards you choose surprise and delight your guests.

For multi-day events, you may consider awarding experiences such as a VIP happy hour, a special dinner, a massage at the hotel spa, or an exclusive outing for those who reach certain levels.

Some organizations offer to donate to a charity of the winner’s choice, while others stick to traditional prizes, like a t-shirt and a coffee mug. As you choose the awards for your event, it’s crucial to think about what the prize says about your organization and the lasting impression you want to make.

Benefits of Gamification

Adding gamification to your event is an excellent way to guide your attendees to the actions you want them to take. It also makes them more comfortable, because they’ll know exactly what’s expected of them. In addition, when attendees are fully engaged, they’re more aware of their surroundings, allowing for deeper interaction with presenters and exhibitors.

Properly implemented, gamification converts “attendees” into “participants.” It helps them become fully immersed in the moment, learn new things, and get more out of the event than they otherwise would.

Gamification can create a fun and relaxed atmosphere and ensure a positive and rewarding experience. It can also significantly increase your return on investment by helping you to reach your predefined goals.

Add Gamification to Your Next Event

While the concept of gamification has created a lot of buzz lately, only a small number of organizers are currently using it to its full potential. By using gamification to upgrade your event experience now, you can ensure your events will stand out from the crowd. It will also allow you to increase both participants and sponsor engagement, encourage deeper connections, increase your session attendance, and improve the overall experience.

To learn more about how eShow can help you add gamification to your next event, request a personal demo. We’re happy to show you exactly how our mobile app works and help you choose the perfect line-up of products to ensure your next event is a stellar success.