Meeting and Event Apps:
Hosting a meeting or event is a big deal. Planning and organising, promoting, facilitating and engaging in post-event activity can all require a significant investment in time and money. So when it comes to the 'big day' or night itself, ensuring that your delegates are fully engaged and getting maximum value from their attendance is paramount.
Setting clear objectives, doing your research and tailoring your content accordingly is a great start, but in this brave new world of technology, there is so much more that can be done to promote audience participation, encourage engagement and create a real buzz around your event.
Meeting and Event Apps are by no means 'new'. For years event managers have been able to provide delegates with apps pre-filled with meeting notes, schedules, downloads and more, but these facilities are the tip of the iceberg.
Combining apps like these with user-generated content, often the holy grail of marketers, really can super-charge your event - here are just some of the best ways that meeting and event apps can help transform your event from mediocre to memorable...
If you've ever sat and watched a gameshow on TV, you'll likely have seen audiences clutching little hand-held devices that enable them to answer simple questions asked by the host, with results then displayed on a live screen.
Similarly, there are a number of excellent apps including Meetoo and Whova that can be downloaded directly to attendees' own devices that will enable them to actively participate in meetings and live events.
These can be used to conduct live-polls or ask single or multiple-choice questions on the topic at hand - keeping your event or meeting relevant and participants energised throughout.
Presentation-heavy meetings and events can often leave your audience distracted - usually through taking notes or concentrating heavily on the screen behind the speaker. Common practice is to supply attendees with handouts or 'packs' either during or following the event, which can be cumbersome to carry around or easily misplaced.
To combat this, use an app to instantly share slides with participants - giving them the confidence to listen and engage freely, without worrying about whether they will be able to remember the content later.
For large audiences too - sharing slides to tablets positioned on cabaret-style tables will also enable attendees to participate without straining to see.
Populating meeting apps with attendee details, including Linkedin profiles, will enable your delegates to familiarise themselves with others in the room, drive networking opportunities and forge connections - something that will continue to add value even after the event is over.
Displaying a social media wall is a great way to encourage interaction and generate a buzz around your event - both for those in attendance and for those who couldn't make it.
These can consist of single or multiple screens that display posts, including text, photo and video, in real time (although you can set a 'delay' in order to moderate posts if need be).
They work through hashtags that participants need to tag all of their posts with, so part of your event promotion should be centred on a unique hashtag for attendees to use.
Be sure to include this on any event materials before and during the event - it's also useful to use your hashtag as the wifi code for example, so that it's always front of mind. And make sure, too you’ve been offered enough bandwidth by your venue if you’ve a big meeting.
Drive debate and discussion during your meeting or event. Allowing attendees to ask questions for hosts or panels to answer as well as asking for live feedback can strengthen your offering an enable attendees to feel as though they are actively shaping and influencing 'their' event.
You can also display answers to Q&As visually, in the form of charts and graphs on the day, as well as download into Excel spreadsheets for analysis after the event.
This is a popular way in which to incentivise attendees at conferences, meetings and events to fully participate. Using many of the concepts mentioned above, delegates can 'earn points' by visiting exhibitor stands, attending breakout sessions, contributing answers to polls, sharing photos or using event hashtags on social media.
You can keep track of scores and display on a live leader board to create a sense of competition between delegates as well as, depending on how you organise it, promote teamwork and collaboration. Check out Kahoot! For Businesses to add a game show feel to part of your next meeting.
Many of these apps can be scaled up or down to suit your meeting or event set-up, with many offering one or more elements for you to tailor to your needs.
For further insights into how you can integrate apps such as these to encourage people to become more actively involved in your live event, give us a call on 01787 378422 or contact us here.
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