What To Expect When Integrating New Technology Into Your Event

Are you integrating new technology into your event this year? Congratulations! Isn’t it exciting? Whether you are adding a new event app or implementing online registration, one of the most important aspects to consider is your audience. We love to geek out about a new product, but we always have to remember not everyone is as excited about it as we are! Your audience is the key to your success. It is up to you to prepare them for anything you throw at them, especially if it something new and may seem scary!

Adoption Rate

How quickly are you looking for your attendees to adopt this new technology? What level of adoption rate are you looking to get? If you don't know these answers, take some time to determine them. It is important to be realistic with these answers.

Depending on the technology being implemented, these numbers can vary drastically - it depends on your goals and your plan. For example, if you are “going green” with a mobile app and immediately abolishing a printed program the first year of the app, you may get some pushback and low adoption rate in the beginning. The same goes for online registration. If your attendees are used to registering for your conference by calling, emailing, or mailing back a postcard (yes, it still happens!), it may take a few years to fully implement that online registration system and get to a high adoption rate. It will be worth it in the long run, though!

Communication, Instructions, and Support - Oh My!

While it may take some time for these examples to achieve your desired adoption rate, don’t fear (they can smell it!). With time, clear communication, and instructions, it can happen! During this time, you will need to be patient with those that do pushback, understanding that they may be scared or uncertain to jump into something new. Give them options, and be prepared for additional communication and long phone calls to help ease them into these new processes.

Finding ways to effectively distribute instructions will be vital as well. While some people actually do read every word in their emails, regardless of the length, there are plenty of people who only skim them, and rarely get through a complete email before moving on. You will need to adapt your marketing plan to fully include this exciting new feature. Let the attendees know the benefits of using the great, new technology! Hopefully, the product you choose is smooth, user-friendly, and intuitive. Even if it is, though, there always needs to be some instructions and tips. Embrace the early adopters and enable them as representatives, spreading the enjoyment to others, while helping them at the same time.

During this transition time, you may need to offer options to your attendees in order to keep everyone happy and give them the time to test the waters on their own before you force them into it! For a mobile app, you may need to offer a printed program while overtly pushing and advertising the mobile app for a year or two, as you gradually reduce the visibility and number of printed programs available. For a new online registration system, you may need to offer multiple ways to register while everyone gets used to and comfortable with the system. While this will end up taking more work on your part, it will help in the end once everyone is using the online system!

Don’t Give Up!

Ultimately, your attendees should determine your process. Make sure your adoption rate goals are realistic to the event. Some events may have very high adoption rates the first year, while it may take other events a few years to reach a high adoption rate. You, as the planner, have a unique understanding of what your event needs and in what direction it needs to move to stay successful. As you transition in this new technology, be open minded and request feedback from your staff and attendees. Be flexible if needed, but don’t necessarily give in to the pushback. People don’t like change, but once it is no longer new, they don’t know how they lived without it!

As a planner and a leader - embrace the change, and the challenges that come with it! Be confident in your path. Ask for help if you need it. We are here if you need anything!

What Is Your Time Worth?

Time...

Does your list seem to grow faster than you can cross things off? Whether it is to work more, finish a project, relax, or spend time with family, we all wish we had more time in the day. Your time is valuable, and some tasks often need delegating or contracting out to someone else. Letting go of tasks is sometimes difficult, but if you don't have enough time in the day, it has to be done to ensure you are successful. In the long run, delegating or contracting out some tasks helps to ensure the final product (and your sanity) will be better off!

When deciding if you should delegate or contract out a task or service, consider these factors:

• How much is your time actually worth?
• Can someone else do it better and quicker for a marginal price difference?
• Do you have the time and energy to complete it in the absolute best way possible?
• Can someone else do it better?
• How important is the task in question?
• What else is on your plate that needs your time that you may be more skilled at?
• Do you have the time and budget to invest in learning something new - and implement it without mistakes?
• How much time will that specific task actually take in reality?

While you probably already contract out some event services, let's take a look at your event technology. Just a few years ago, event technology was something that was simply a fun add-on to your event if you had the time. Since then, it has become a complete specialized industry of it's own, and a necessary facet of every event today. Event technology can no longer be put on the back burner. Attendees will base their event experience on the logistical smoothness and effectiveness they encounter during your event, and the event technology you put into place plays an integral part in this.

Expectation v. Reality

Using mobile apps as a specific example, many companies use the quick setup and intuitive design of their product as selling points. While these features may be true to set up a basic app, you can't forget everything else that goes into fully and seamlessly integrating that technology into your event, especially if you add in more advanced features. Just launching an app quickly does not guarantee it's success, nor does it get your attendees to adopt it on their own. To integrate your technology smoothly and seamlessly, and have it feel like a connected part of your event, there is much more behind-the-scenes work that needs to be considered such as a technology implementation, pre-event and on-site marketing plan. initial build out, content updates, testing, more content updates, pre-event and on-site attendee engagement, content moderating. attendee interaction and engagement, on-site attendee assistance and support, as well as more updates.

Attendees today expect magic when they use technology. They may not understand how it works, but they expect it to work flawlessly, and for it to be smooth and helpful, not clunky, buggy, and difficult to use. When implementing technology into your event, regardless of what it is, make sure that you have adequate time to do it fully and successfully. If you do not have the time or staff available to truly dedicate to your event technology, both pre-event and on-site, it may be time to delegate or contract that task to someone who does. Your attendees will expect it and be thankful!