VR goggles are one form of tech spicing up events, both for attendees and planners. Photo courtesy Adobe Stock
Tech remains top tier You’re probably tired of hearing about it, but this was undoubtedly the year of Artificial Intelligence. To wit, Special Events published an AI for Event Pros 101 in our Fall Issue. A report from event company Huddle shows that: • 36% of respondents currently use AI for daily tasks such as compiling RFPs, handling customer inquiries, and generating marketing copy • Only 22% consider their workforce to have a high understanding of AI usage • Just 24% have a policy guiding the ethical use of AI Time will tell how AI takes its foothold in the events industry, but there are other tech advancements that have been solidifying their place as well: virtual and augmented reality, drones, tech stacks, and data-driven everything have been on our minds all year. A report from Skift Meetings indicates two major highlights from the past year, the first being shifting needs for virtual events. “Recent movements, such as Webex’s decision to stop marketing products to planners, highlight the sector’s
ongoing realignments,” notes the report. Second, data privacy and ownership concerns are prevalent as ever. As far as the tech event pros are investing in, The State of Eventtech Report from BW Events Tech shows that event tech expenditure is the same as last year for 50.3% of respondents (42.9% saw an increase and 6.8% saw a decrease). Top types of event tech were 38% registration software, 16.1% speakers/ content management, and 15.1% marketing software. BW also shared the top services their clients look for in event tech, with the top five being attendee and experience engagement (UX), data and reporting availability, customization, budget management, and reducing complexity. Michael Nilsson, CEO and founder of AddEvent, predicts: “I see tools that make it easy for individuals to find and join the events they care about—like high-quality networking tools—coming to the forefront.... Individuals are being bombarded with emails, invitations, and meetings at every turn. They want to eliminate the noise and get only the most relevant, personalized messages and meetings to fill their time with.”
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SPECIAL EVENTS WINTER 2024
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