Recently, the National Event Plan was presented. The goal is clear: as of July 1, 2021, business and public events will again be held with a full audience and without 1.5 meters distance. A hopeful prospect for the fall season! Is your focus already on hosting hybrid and physical events? The tech trends below can help innovate your post-corona event.
CHECK-IN WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION
Organizing live events safely and responsibly will remain the norm for the foreseeable future. One consequence of this is that actions that do not require direct human contact are being automated. This already starts at the entrance.
Guests are checking in less and less with a hostess/manager and will use facial recognition to check-in completely contactless. In terms of logistics, this technology still has some snags, because not all software is able to identify people wearing masks. But: tech companies are working hard to be able to recognize only the upper part of a face, for example.
AUDIO-BASED PLATFORMS
We already mentioned it in our trend article: hybrid and digital are here to stay. Even after COVID-19. New ways of getting a message across to the target group and responding to their wishes and requirements are being sought. Audio-based platforms are proving to be booming. Just look at Clubhouse, the social medium focuses entirely on voice and is wildly popular. This way of conveying information is easily accessible and caters to user convenience. More and more companies are seeing that it works and are capitalizing on it.
DRONE VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Want to put your event in the spotlight? The sky’s the limit! Drones are increasingly appearing on the business market to capture events in a unique way. Drones create spectacular images and film from perspectives not seen by the visitor or photographer on the ground. Or how about a drone as an additional camera during your hybrid event? Plenty of opportunities. Always use an experienced drone pilot though!
HOLOGRAM AND PROJECTION MAPPING
Hologram and projection mapping are becoming increasingly popular in the business industry. It’s seen as a form of entertainment, but a 3D projection also increases knowledge of the content and engagement. For example, the company creates a life-size hologram, allowing you as a brand or person to be in direct contact with the target audience without being physically present yourself. This way, speakers from all over the world can still be present at your event. The projection can be recorded in advance, but a live stream is also possible. There is a camera in the box, so you can see the audience and interact. One thing is for sure: your event will not be easily forgotten with the use of mapping.
REAL-TIME TRANSLATION
Digital translation tools are nothing new in themselves, but integrating them into virtual event platforms is. We now know that virtual and hybrid events can reach a larger group than is possible in life. Meanwhile, technology has developed to the point where translation tools can convert your content into different languages in real-time. Practically speaking, it is now possible to reach people from all over the world with your message.
SMART BADGES
Recent research among 30,000 American event visitors shows that 95% long to visit events again. We do want to meet each other again! Human interaction is central and technology is used to support this. Smart badges are a good example.
No longer a keyword with a piece of paper in it, but a smart chip that helps you connect with others contactless. Smart badges such as KLIK and Tappy Card offer many more possibilities.
As an event visitor, you can, for example, ‘like‘ interesting sessions with the press of a button and receive more information about them later. For you as an event organizer, these new techniques make it possible to gain insight into visitor behavior: how do they move around the event, which sessions appeal to them, how many stands did they visit, with whom did they connect?
GAMIFICATION
Gamification is a recurring hot topic in the trend lists. The use of game elements in a non-game environment to motivate a target group and enrich their experience is seen as a valuable addition to (online) events.
Due to the lightning-fast technical developments that have taken place over the past year, this tech trend is becoming increasingly tangible and accessible to deploy. Event platforms, for example, already offer games to promote traffic, education, and networking before, during, and after events.
DIGITAL EVENT PLATFORMS
Although physical events make the most impact, this period has shown that online events are also a valuable addition to your marketing mix. But: a ZOOM event is not something you get away with anymore.
Post-corona, online events are also becoming an experience. Digital environments like GoMeet use gamification to take your virtual meeting to a whole new level. Visitors create an avatar and walk around in digital environments such as an expo hall, trade show floor, beach or park to meet and gain knowledge.
