Event planners are always looking for a new way to catch the attention of attendees and enhance the event experience. With their conference venue experience, the event experts at Glaziers Hall understand that one of the best ways to do this is to bring out some cool new tech. With that in mind, we have created a list of the top tech to watch out for in 2018.
Facial Recognition
The first is facial recognition. Amazon has been trialing a very powerful facial recognition system with the Orlando Police Department. While there are a number of other companies with competing systems, the size and marketing capability of Amazon have given their product an edge. At recent shows they have been pointing their cameras at passers by and identifying them by their facial features. Seeing your name flash up on a screen might catch your attention but there is something else that may be more valuable at events: the quick identification of influencers. Companies presenting at events may soon be using facial recognition to pick out potential customers or buyers from the crowd. This would allow sales people to immediately engage and give them some background information on the person they were speaking to.
AR and VR
Augmented reality and virtual reality have been around for some time but there has been a bit of a disconnect until now. People finally have smartphones powerful enough to take advantage of the tech and there are consumer priced headsets available. These technologies allow event planners to show off products in a more immersive way. They also help users to experience a product or service rather than just looking at an image. There is also the draw of the VR headset. It is pretty hard to resist when someone hands you an oculus rift and invites you to enjoy a virtual world.
Proximity Sensing
A number of other companies have created proximity beacons which allow event organisers to pass location specific content to attendees. The apple version lets bluetooth enabled devices to pass small static bits of information back and forth between devices. That means you can push specific messages to users as they enter an area or interact with individuals on their personal device. Proximity sensors could also be used in conjunction with an event app to give a guided tour or supplier information, providing something akin to Google Maps but for a specific event.
AI
Chances are you have spoken to AI like Siri or Alexa. Well there are similar systems targeting events. Imagine a chatbot that functions like a personal concierge, answering attendee questions in real time as they are texted in. In fact, you don’t have to imagine, because companies like Sciensio have already built this. You can also use AI to conduct surveys and interact with attendees throughout the event.
Mobile based experiences
Finally we have mobile based experiences. This is the trend of mobile devices becoming more and more useful for events. There are app based experiences that help people schedule and navigate events, live tweeting at events and millions of other ways event organisers are trying to weave mobile devices into the event experience. The goal seems to be offering one of 3 things, convenience, Q&A or continued engagement. Convenience could help guests decide which talks to visit at an event. Q&A would be providing useful information tailored for a mobile device like maps or timetables. Continued engagement is the ability to interact with someone even after they have left a presenters stand or event.
If you are interested in using some amazing new tech in your next event, Glaziers Hall can help. Our event specialists have the experience that allows you integrate technology seamlessly to provide a great event.