Top 5 Event Tech Trends for Business

Event tech trends have changed dramatically over the last few years. Mega-corporations and small businesses are turning toward technology to reach their audience in new and engaging ways. Of course, utilizing tech isn’t a new idea. However, with so much riding on the customer’s digital experience in the events industry now, we need to ask, “What are the trends that professional event planners need to leverage that keep brands in front of customers?”

Trend #1

Virtual Events

With the rise of streaming over the past couple of years, people have become very familiar with the idea of hosting events through a virtual environment. Virtual events allow organizers to host events that would have previously only been possible in a physical location but can now be held in a digital space.

This concept has grown in popularity for numerous reasons, predominantly because of the freedom that streaming an event online offers both hosts and users. Some of this freedom includes perks such as endless digital space for attendees, management systems to help with the workload, a significant reduction in costs, analytics on event success, simplified lead retrieval, and much more.

Also, with virtual events, you’ll need to be sure to use an efficient and reliable streaming company to help you share your content. That’s why we designed Resi with users in mind—taking the stress out of streaming for all virtual and physical events.

Of course, you’ll want to use a great virtual event platform as well, which is where our post on this exact topic could help!

Trend #2

Hybrid Events

While virtual events may seem like the best option to incorporate a tech trend into your next event, avoid moving too quickly without considering a hybrid event option. Hybrid events refer to events that are held both in a physical location and in a digital space. As you can guess after learning about virtual events, hybrid events are a leading event tech trend thanks to their long list of advantages for hosts and attendees.

For starters, while virtual events can bring in a limitless digital crowd, hybrid events are what would be described as “the best of both worlds,” as you get to offer an in-person experience as well. Attendees are given the option to choose whether they’d like to join through their computer or physically attend, providing valuable flexibility.

But that’s not all! Hybrid events also allow hosts to offer more content and activities, plus all the added benefits explained in the virtual event section. This combination of advantages provides for a highly successful event. It pushes hybrid events to one of the top event tech trends.

Trend #3

Exclusive Content

Another leading tech trend for events is a strategy involving exclusive content. Yes, as in creating exclusive content that can only be accessed through your event. Seriously though, what’s more exciting to audiences than feeling special?

That’s why preparing content specifically for an event can draw people in and excite them at the chance to be a part of something. There are tons of options when choosing exclusive content (Think downloadables, event swag, and experiences.). One of our favorites, even from a tech perspective, is creating tangible items that arrive on doorsteps before the event. Something that adds value to their event experience will always be the most exciting and buzz-worthy idea.

Let’s face it, FOMO is a powerful tool when it comes to a successful event!

Trend #4

VR Environments

The metaverse is here, which means there’s a lot of new attention on the VR industry, and everyone wants to get in on the action. It’s no wonder that the event industry (and the house of worship vertical) has begun offering hosting capabilities in virtual realities, making virtual environments one of the freshest event tech trends. With countless new virtual event platforms, like Horizon Venues and Altspace VR, creating a virtual environment for events has never been easier.

With benefits like immersive interactions, unlimited capacity, and unique experiences for hosts and viewers alike, VR environments truly add a whole new dimension to the events space. So, whether you want to invest in some new hardware from Oculus, Microsoft, or Playstation, looking into how VR environments can transform your events seems to be very a strategic plan indeed.

Trend #5

Digital Communities

Our final event tech trend that’s a sure-fire way to generate success for your event revolves around a concept that has been around since, well, forever—building community. Fostering a digital community can take your events from cold and disengaging to lively and interactive in no time! Not to mention the deeper connection your audience will feel to your brand and content.

It’s critical to take steps to encourage relationships digitally. Such as creating an inclusive space for attendees to communicate, producing content that leads to conversation, aligning your event to a shared cause, incorporating audience-led activities, and much more, you can foster true online communities that will make your events feel all the more amazing. Plus, with such massive growth in using digital environments for connection over the past few years, it makes sense that fostering communities in these same spaces is the obvious next step.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a variety of significant tech trends for events this year, and they all have a range of benefits for all of those involved. By implementing one of these trends, you, too, could have the opportunity to host a successful and engaging event that adds more than a simple experience to your roster. With technology constantly evolving and adapting to serve your needs, it’s essential to utilize it to create effective connections for your brand or content.

It’s also why we hope our research sheds some light on tech trends that lead to better experiences for you and your audiences. When you decide to begin streaming your events, we’ll be here to help.