Posted on December 6, 2023

How to Use Technology for Event Engagement

Creating memorable events takes more than proper planning and a suitable budget. You must also consider the technology to pull off a special occasion. 

Great technology can promote rigid event security, deliver immersive experiences, and improve engagement. If you’re planning an upcoming event, choosing the right technology can make or break your event.

Don’t worry. In this guide, we’ll cover some strategies to show you how to use modern technology to ensure your next event is a show-stopper.  

Use Digital Marketing Technology to Enhance Pre-Event Engagement

Building anticipation for an event is one of the hardest event-planning tasks. The good news is that technology makes it possible to keep event attendees informed and engaged until the big day (even if it’s a hybrid event). 

Here are some ways you can use technology to build anticipation for your upcoming event:

• Use social media and online forums to generate buzz for upcoming events.
• Leverage email marketing to keep subscribers in the loop. 
• Test the waters with gamification, such as quizzes, polls, and surveys, to boost involvement from your target audience.

Keeping your audience fully engaged before the event helps increase the buzz leading up to the big day. On top of that, you can share updates and additional information attendees need to have the best experience possible.

Here’s a simple example from Originality.AI that taps into the power of email marketing to engage with their audience before an upcoming event. Asking recipients to respond to the email is an excellent way to encourage engagement. 

Screenshot by Brandon Lee

Leverage Live-Streaming and Video Technology

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many event planners have pivoted toward live-streaming and video technology to increase their reach. 

Let’s face it. Virtual events are one of the easiest ways to tap into a global audience and break down those geographical constraints.

In other words, whether you’re hosting an upcoming webinar or live presentation, leveraging video technology can help refine your event’s accessibility and visibility.

If you want to make your event accessible to everyone, use live closed captioning to facilitate real-time content comprehension.    

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Unlock access to instant feedback, Q&A sessions, and audience participation, making virtual attendees feel as involved as those in person.

Plus, when you record video streams and post them on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, it allows people to relive previous experiences and share them with others. What’s not to love?

Don’t Forget About the Chat

It’s easy to get swept away by the newest gadgets and features. But let’s pause for a moment and think about what truly makes an event memorable. 

It’s the human connection. Shared laughs. Spontaneous conversations. 

That’s where the chat function shines. It bridges the gap. Now, attendees from Tokyo and Toronto can share a virtual handshake, a smile, or even a quick joke. 

The chat might be a small feature in the grand scheme of things, but its potential to touch hearts and forge connections is immense. These interactive features can improve brand loyalty, attendee satisfaction, and advocacy. 

Prioritize Augmented and Virtual Reality Technology

Augmented (AR) and virtual (VR) reality are two emerging technologies perfect for virtual and physical events. For example, AR is commonly used to overlay animations and sounds into physical events. 

VR technology creates a gaming atmosphere, immersing a person in a fictional, 3D world. Both of these technologies can improve your event content substantially. 

For example, let’s say you’re hosting a tech conference to demonstrate a new feature for your product. Instead of using an ordinary slideshow presentation to get your point across, you can opt for VR and AR technology. 

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VR technology can create real-world effects in a physical setting, showing off each new product feature right in front of your audience’s eyes. On top of that, AR technology can display creative visual effects to aid in storytelling and branding. 

Create a Post-Event Engagement Strategy

Creating a memorable event is only half the battle. The most successful event planners capture minds and hearts by engaging with attendees even after an event’s conclusion. 

This is especially true for webinars. Most webinars are the perfect medium to share thought leadership content to convert viewers. 

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Because of this, marketers don’t just measure a webinar’s success by sign-ups and in-video engagement metrics. They’re also tracking and engaging viewers down the sales funnel to see if:

• Attendees are embracing the points and strategies made in the webinar
• Viewers continually engage with a brand to consume more content
• Attendees enjoyed the webinar

However, you don’t have to keep event metrics to yourself. You can share event highlights, live chat, comments, and achievements on social media. 

That way, you can communicate the success of your event to encourage your loyal followers to attend in the future. 

Consider NFC Tags to Improve Security

Don’t overlook event security during the planning process. Keeping attendees and participants safe is essential to achieving successful present and future events. 

In some cases, relying solely on security teams can present a margin of error. To avoid security breaches, you can use NFC Tags. 

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NFC tags offer a streamlined way to manage event attendees. By setting up totems at your entry points, you can digitally track attendee movements. Gone are the days of physical tickets. 

This technology helps capture arrival and departure times. That way, you can facilitate precise attendee monitoring to keep everyone safe in the event of an emergency. 

For events with varying access levels, NFC tags can be preloaded to distinguish between VIP and regular guests, ensuring smooth access control.

NFC tag solution not only bolster security but also offer data-driven insights so you can personalize attendee experiences.

Harness Event Apps for Enhanced Engagement

Mobile event apps have become a cornerstone of modern event strategy. 

These apps not only provide a seamless experience for attendees but also offer a wide range of features like personalized event schedules, real-time updates, and networking opportunities. 

For event organizers, these apps serve as a digital hub to control the narrative and dynamics of the event. 

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Key Benefits:

• Real-time communication: Keep attendees informed with instant updates about schedules or venue changes.
• Networking made easy: Features like chat rooms and meeting schedulers can enhance the attendee experience, especially in-person events.
• Data insight: Track engagement and gain valuable feedback to refine future events.

Keep Up with Event Technology Trends

The event industry is rapidly evolving, and as event organizers, understanding how to leverage the latest technologies is crucial for creating engaging and memorable experiences. 

From mobile event apps to advanced event technology platforms, the array of digital tools available can transform any event type into an unforgettable affair.

Here’s to working smarter, not harder, by investing in event technology tools that help you with all the heavy lifting.

And you’re well on your way to boosting event registrations and creating memorable event experiences that your attendees will never forget. 

The authour Guillaume is a digital marketer focused on handling the outreach strategy at uSERP and content management at Wordable. Outside of work, he enjoys his expat life in sunny Mexico, reading books, wandering around and catching the latest shows on TV.