Innovation continues to reshape event technology, redefining how events are hosted, organized, executed, and experienced. The world of event tech today offers dynamic possibilities for both attendees and organizers, giving rise to virtual conferences and immersive experiences.
In 2023, in-person and hybrid events are making a significant comeback, fueled by advanced technologies and online tools. Considering the ongoing digital transformation, attendees now expect more from event production and innovative technologies, that justifies their investment of time and money.
Hence, it’s necessary to make more strategic investments in the correct event technology. It is equally crucial to use the latest technologies and generate ideas to improve trade show booths and event flow, leading to better event execution and increased footfall.
In this blog, we will discuss the leading event tech trends that are all set to shape the future of events in 2023 and beyond.
The Event Tech Trends to Count On
In January 2023, BizBash reported a revival of in-person events. Tamara Mendelsohn, CMO, of Eventbrite, an international events and ticketing platform, shared that in-person event searchers have increased phenomenally.
Eventbrite conducted a survey that revealed most of the U.S. respondents are interested in attending more events in 2023. Nearly one-third of survey respondents are keen to spend on live events.
The leading trends trade shows and event organizers can count on are:
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AI In Event Tech
Even though AI (Artificial Intelligence) is new to events, its application is getting fine-tuned! And there’s more to it than ChatGPT.
A Skift Meetings 2023 edition report on “Event Technology Made Simple” dedicates a section to AI. The report states that close to 61% of vendors provide at least one AI-enabled feature. The predominant use is for matchmaking.
Simply put, matchmaking is all about pairing people depending on mutual interests and is essential for conferences, events, and trade shows. It helps in saving time by automating the discovery process. It’s a strong selling point for exhibitors and sponsors interested in matching with suitable buyers.
Leading names like MeetMatch, Grip, and Brella are the pioneers in AI-driven matchmaking. Brella shares that it can increase audience retention fourfold. The latest report by Grip states that event organizers can earn as much as 1 million dollars just by providing pre-scheduled meetings. MeetMatch asserts that AI matchmaking results in 50% more follow-up meetings, compared with the 5% attained through random matches.
Furthermore, there is an AI-based facial analysis tool by Zenus (a behavioral analytics company) that does much more than creating heat maps and tracking dwell time. It helps to evaluate attendee engagement and refine sentiment analysis.
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Trade Show Booth Tech Innovation
For your company’s trade show booths, you would want to make the best use of technology for seamless communication with your audience. What happens when comfortable furniture and living walls get jaded? That’s when you count on futuristic tech. In 2023, when it comes to trade show booth technology, we are speaking of trends like digital twins and holograms.
This year, there will be several hologram tech implementations than before! The Proto holograms help to beam people in the exhibit live from a distance, whether the person is a CEO, a celebrity, or even a product specialist. The individual who gets beamed can hear and see the crowd realistically.
On the other hand, digital twins and replications offer the online experience of any real product. Instead of getting several products on the trade show, get the prominent ones and digitize the rest.
The versatility of digitized products extends beyond trade shows, making them valuable assets that can potentially be funded from your sales team’s budget. Considering the budget constraints faced by numerous companies, trade shows this year will witness a rise in the adoption of dual-purpose solutions to optimize resources.
Classic Exhibits states that innovation is the key to success for trade shows and exhibitions. The leading players in this niche should stay open to innovative ideas and count on smart solutions to execute events. Additionally, open communication between the customers and service providers helps to arrive at the best results.
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Gamification Engage Attendees
Gamification strategies make your events more engaging. This interactive approach not only encourages participants to delve deeper into the event, but also enhances their understanding and connection with the overall experience.
Bingo is a popular example of this. As an event planner, you can provide attendees with personalized bingo cards containing information that they prefer. Participants have a chance to earn bonus points by completing a vertical column, horizontal row, diagonal row, or the overall board. This interactive bingo game adds a fun element to the event, encouraging active engagement and enjoyment among the attendees.
Conclusion
Technology continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of events and trade shows in 2023 and beyond. The key trends highlighted demonstrate the transformative power of event tech, from using AI in events to gamification that adds to better engagement.
Embracing the latest advancements and ideas to improve event execution and engagement will undoubtedly lead to memorable and successful events in this ever-evolving world, driven by technological advancements.
