18 May Event Tech That Is Helping the Event Industry Survive This Pandemic
The Coronavirus has affected revenue streams for businesses across various industries to different degrees. However, few industries have been impacted by the virus as much as the events industry.
Businesses in the events industry have seen a sharp decline in sales following the onset of the virus. As a result of these poor sales, many event production companies have had to postpone or even cancel their events. These poor sales could be attributed to people’s justified fears around the Coronavirus that are preventing them from attending events and large gatherings.
Events industry businesses that wish to survive this ordeal during this pandemic may have to get creative with technology. There are numerous technological solutions out there that could assist businesses in the events industry through these times. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Video conferencing software
Video conferencing software is the most commonly used technological innovation being utilized by event production companies during the pandemic. Certain events are too important to cancel or postpone, even during a global pandemic. Event organizers can use video conferencing software to host virtual events as a last resort for events that don’t require in-person interactions between event-goers and event hosts.
Most people should already be familiar with all the concerts and music events that have been live-streamed since the start of the pandemic. While musical live events seem like the obvious fit for live-stream software, virtual seminars have also been pulling in a significant amount of revenue for your average event management agency in London.
Unlike traditional live streams where interactions between participants and hosts are largely one-way, modern video conferencing software allows participants to interact with hosts. This enables two-way interactions between participants and hosts to occur easily.
This bridges the gap between face-to-face interactions at conferences and event live streams where the host is the only active participant. Conference attendees who are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to attend seminars should also be willing to pay to attend webinars during the pandemic.
The onset of the Coronavirus has given video conferencing software providers an incentive to improve and expand the functionality of their software. The ability to have two-way interactions with large groups of people on live streams was previously unheard of prior to the current state of events. So event organizers could benefit greatly by utilizing these video conferencing software to their fullest during this period.
Some of the most popular video conferencing software that is available for commercial use are shown below.
Zoom
Zoom is among the most widely used video conferencing softwares that was used for virtual business conferences prior to the pandemic. It can hold up to 1000 participants at a time and supports 49 HD videos on-screen simultaneously. In addition to being free to download and easy to install, Zoom is simple to understand and offers high-quality video and audio streaming capabilities, even when hosting a large number of participants.
Zoom also features a screen sharing feature that makes it a breeze to stream other media content to participants. Zoom conference hosts also have the option of letting participants share their screens, or disabling their capabilities to keep the presentation on track.
Demio
Demio is a lesser-known video conferencing tool that offers a few key advantages over Zoom. It allows participants to join webinars from their browsers directly and doesn’t require the installation of any software. It is also easy to join a webinar from your mobile device without having to download any special apps.
One other notable feature of Demio is that it allows hosts to stream a mix of live video and pre-recorded content. This gives organizers and hosts more freedom when sharing content with participants.
Using pre-recorded content allows hosts to stream content that has been optimized and is free of mistakes. It can also be used to share content that has been spruced up using effects, graphics, and other post-production tricks.
Webinar Jam
Webinar Jam is another video conferencing tool that doesn’t require participants to download software. It also offers features such as:
- Inviting speakers on stage.
- Hosting chat, polls, and Q&As.
- Room moderation tools.
- Automations such as launching webinars automatically and playing videos without being on stage.
- Webinar replays.
The platform can host webinars with up to 500 participants for a maximum time of 2 hours. The pricing plan for this tool can be found here.
Event Management Software
Event management software is another technological innovation that could be used to benefit businesses in the event management industry. This software is used to maintain high volume records and support organizers in planning, coordinating, and analysing data.
Event planning organizations with large amounts of past event data could benefit the most from the insight provided by event management software; however, a smaller sized event management agency in London could also make use of such software.
This software makes it easy to upload contacts from previous events and engage in email marketing and social media promotion campaigns, all from the safety and comfort of a computer.
Event management software also makes it easier to manage attendees. They enable event organizers to create event websites, registration forms, collect event registrations, and also process and keep track of payments from attendees.
They are also useful for coordinating between staff members, vendors, sponsors, and content providers remotely, which is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of this software allows event planners to simplify their communications between channels by letting them view and track all their event email communications in one place.
Some of the most popular event management software available today include:
- Eventbrite
- Planning Pod
- Whova
Nobody knows when the Coronavirus crisis will be resolved, so event production companies will have to utilize all technology available to them if they wish to succeed during this new era. Video conferencing software and event management software are their best bet for staying on top during these troubling times.