Each year, the events industry evolves in response to new event technology. In 2020, event professionals have more innovative tools at their disposal than ever before. From holograms to facial recognition software, new technology has the power to transform critical aspects of how events are organized and enjoyed.
To make your next event stand out, you need to employ tech trends that are dynamic, interactive, and memorable. It’s these elements and tools that make a live event so engaging to audiences. That’s why we’re here to highlight the most significant technology trends to watch out for in 2020.
Event Technology Trends 2020
The latest event tech trends will delight your attendees and enhance your company’s reputation. Many can even reduce the overall costs associated with putting on an outstanding event.
If you’re questioning whether tech trends are worth the investment, don’t take our word for it. Just look at these statistics provided by EventMB:
- 39% of event throwers believe audience engagement is the most important factor of live events.
- 6% of event professionals are investing more money into technology this year.
- 6% of event planners expect to use more technology this year.
- 71% of event organizers with budgets over $5 million plan to increase their tech investments in 2020.
It’s clear that tech is rising to the forefront of event management. You must either follow suit or fall behind. With this in mind, let’s examine the top five event tech trends of 2020.
#1 Wow Your Audience with Holograms
Holograms are taking over conference rooms in 2020. While you may be familiar with famous holograms adorning stages at music festivals, corporate events are capitalizing on this trend as well.
Holograms bring 3D visuals to life. As a result, they offer a wide range of practical corporate applications. Here are a few examples:
- Showcasing remote speakers – Holograms allow you to beam in coveted keynote speakers from anywhere in the world. This gives busy speakers more flexibility and convenience, without sacrificing the quality of their presentation. Their 3D presence can still be enjoyed by vast audiences.
- Reducing costs of keynote speakers – Holograms let you surpass the many hurdles involved in getting a speaker to your physical event space. Most importantly, you won’t need to foot the bill for their travel and accommodation expenses.
- Bringing presentations to life – People learn best with visual aids. There’s nothing like 3D imagery to enhance a technical presentation. Holograms help your audience understand content on a deeper level and keep them engaged while doing so.
- Sharing presentations at multiple event venues – With the help of holograms, you can show the same presentation to multiple audiences simultaneously. It’s as simple as beaming in your speaker onto each stage. You can even show pre-recorded presentations and make use of them for years to come.
As you can see, holograms are flexible and functional for events of all kinds. By hopping on the hologram presentation trend, you can generate a buzz within your audience and leave a powerful impression. Furthermore, holograms jazz up otherwise dry events and get people talking about them online.
#2 Enhance Your Venue with Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) adds computer-generated elements into the natural environment. It first captured widespread attention with the rise of Pokemon Go. This game enjoyed massive popularity since it was so interactive. It inspired people to explore their environment in a new way.
In the events industry, AR has been eclipsing virtual reality (VR) in many areas, due to its relative accessibility and affordability. Rather than offer participants an entirely virtual experience with VR, AR allows people to witness digital attractions mixed in with the real environment. It does so through the use of smartphones, special glasses, or LED displays.
There are many fun-filled, creative applications of AR within the events industry, including:
- Interactive venue maps
- Product demonstrations
- Engaging art displays
- Branded design elements
- Buzzworthy social media content
The Benefits of Augmented Reality at Events
The benefits of using AR in events are vast. First and foremost, AR is fun! It captures the attention of your audience and motivates them to interact with your event. Whether you want to attract participants to your booth at a tradeshow or encourage each attendee to explore your event space, AR is the perfect tool to do so.
Next, AR can reduce the required square footage you need to host a captivating event. Rather than take up space for bulky art features or elaborate product displays, use AR instead. This gives you more flexibility in terms of your venue options and budget.
Finally, AR will set your event apart. The creative potential of AR is truly endless. By adopting this trend, your event will garner more media attention, social media shares, and engagement.
#3 Create Your Own Event Apps
In 2020, there are apps for just about everything. Events are no exception. Event apps are becoming increasingly popular due to their amazing utility. Plus, they’re also easier than ever to develop.
These apps provide a centralized location for all relevant event information. They supply your attendees with the answers to all their questions at the touch of their fingertips. As a result, many audiences have come to expect them.
Here are some must-have items to include in your app that will make event planning easy:
- Schedules
- Agendas
- Venue maps
- Vendor and sponsor information
- Presenter information
- Notifications
- Ticket reservations
- Chatbots
- Surveys
#4 Streamline Event Check-Ins with Facial Recognition Technology
No one likes to wait in line. In the case of large business conferences and trade shows, long lines are often inevitable. However, facial recognition in events is solving this problem.
Facial recognition technology is biometric software that verifies a person’s identity based on the structure of their face. It translates a person’s photo into a mathematical algorithm, called a “facial fingerprint.” When that person arrives at your event check-in, all they need to do is quickly glance at a camera. This will verify their identity. In less than 5 seconds, they’re on their way to enjoy the event.
As you can see, facial recognition software streamlines the check-in process and adds another layer of on-site security to your event. It dramatically reduces frustrating lines and bottlenecks that can start an event off on the wrong foot. Facial recognition technology also guarantees that people are who they say they are. No one will get away with crashing an exclusive event by forging false identification.
#5 Connect With a Broad Online Audience Through live streaming
Live streaming is an affordable tech trend that allows you to amass a large online audience. As the name suggests, live streaming is the process of streaming live video in real-time. Free live streaming services are widely available on a platform like Facebook. This tech trend has become so popular that it’s grown into a $70.5 billion industry!
The applications of live streaming are truly endless. To get started, focus on sharing aspects of your event that are most relevant and interesting to your audience. The goal is to keep them engaged.
A livestream is the perfect medium to share exclusive content, like special interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, or special giveaway announcements. You can also share full-length event presentations, giving people who couldn’t make it to the event an opportunity to enjoy them.
The Many Benefits of Live Streaming
Live streaming offers many benefits that can grow your brand, satisfy your followers, and promote interactive engagement. Here are some of the most notable reasons to live stream:
- Increase event reach – Live streaming events allow a wider audience to access your event’s content. Your online audience can enjoy presentations and behind-the-scenes footage from the comfort of their own homes.
- Create a sense of connection – While edited videos can feel corporate and distant, live streaming provides a more authentic, raw look into your events. This will enhance the sense of connection between your brand and your audience.
- Real-time feedback – Livestreams allow viewers to share their commentary in real-time. This provides you quick feedback and the opportunity to get interactive. This is also a perfect medium to host a Q&A session.
- Affordability – Whether you choose to host a livestream on Facebook Live or Youtube Live, it won’t cost you a dime. It’s also important to note that 30% of livestream viewers will attend that event the following year. Thus, there’s impressive ROI for this free tactic.
- Repurposable content – Video is one of the most powerful content marketing mediums of 2020. You can repurpose your livestream content in a variety of ways. Chop it up into bite-sized snippets, share a written transcript, and post photos of notable moments on your social channels for additional event promotion.
Stay on the Cutting Edge of Tech Trends
By trying out some of these technologies in 2020, your next event will captivate audiences, improve logistics, and garner more positive attention. See how Vario can take your event management into the future with the latest event tech and learn more about our interactive technology for events.
To see some of these tech trends in action, check out one of Vario’s latest events —The Allergan Annual MIND Summit. This pharmaceutical conference employed several exciting tech trends, like holographic visuals, digital signs, and color-coded headsets linked to simultaneous presentations. Due to these elements, the event was a huge success and left a lasting impression on its guest list.
