2019 should be an exciting year for the event industry as new technologies and software systems continue to revolutionize the way in which processes are streamlined and sharped, ultimately resulting in greater ease of use and engagement. We wanted to get a head start on understanding the latest trends and have listed our top technologies to watch below.
Facial Recognition Software
Facial recognition software, which can facilitate faster and safer access for meeting attendees and event organizers, is poised to takeoff in 2019. It can being used during check-in and registration to monitor and manage participants, as well as provide deeper insight for attendee personalization.
Our Prediction: While there is a lot of hype surrounding facial recognition technology, we are still a few years off from a widespread adoption in the event industry.
Do you think facial recognition will be a hot trend in 2019?
Beacon Technology
Beacon devices, whether situated throughout the event space in a fixed position or in a wearable form, will provide planners with a massive amount of data on participant behavior patterns and preferences, which can enable greater customization and personalization. When paired with the appropriate applications, beacons can offer attendees the opportunity for increased networking and dynamic interaction.
Our Prediction: We are still a few years away from beacon technology reaching it’s precipice in the event industry, but continued innovation in the space will ensure that there will be increased use in 2019.
Will beacon technology be on the rise in 2019?
Event Management Software
Software products and tools that help meeting planners maximize their time and resources are likely to continue as a top trend, with innovative systems for a variety of event-specific areas such as speaker management, multi-event management and interactive programs to create e-posters.
Our Prediction: 2019 is going to be an important year for Event Management Software. Today’s event planners are becoming increasingly tech savvy, and as a result they are looking for intuitive software options to run better events and save time.
Will 2019 be the year of event management software?
Chatbots and Voice Assistance Programs
People are using voice assistant systems and chatbots such as Siri and Alexa in their everyday life, and are thus, likely to utilize them onsite at an event for simple tasks such as locating an exhibitor space at the meeting or making group dinner reservations. If you’re hosting an international meeting, see if you can provide multiple language options to better assist everyone.
Our Predictions: Chatbots will continue to rise in popularity. With web trends leaning towards conversational design, you can expect to see more Chatbots providing information and support to attendees during and prior to events.
Will chatbots be a rising trend in 2019?
Meeting Apps
Meeting apps should continue to dominate in 2019 due to their ability to enable and support communication and engagement among attendees and sponsors. New innovations for apps specific to the event management industry include app translators and interpreters, which make bringing together diverse audiences a sync.
Our Prediction: 2019 will be a defining year for event apps. Whether attending a festival or training summit, having an event app will be the golden standard. Event planners will need to step-up their app game in 2019 to keep pace with increasing tech demands and expecations of attendees.
Will event planners need to step-up their event app game in 2019?
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Attending an in-person meeting requires a significant time commitment, and augmented and/or virtual reality can mitigate this, as these technologies allow attendees to have more immersive experiences by altering the event interaction. Utilize these innovative technologies to create the experience you want and one that your attendees and exhibitors will never forget!
Our Prediction: Augmented reality will see an increase in use and innovation at events in 2019. From interactive displays to innovative vendor booths, expect to see some cool uses of this tech.
Will augmented reality have an impact on the event industry in 2019?
Enhanced Sponsorship Opportunities
Customize your exhibitor and sponsorship packages with innovative and interactive technologies including artificial intelligence, social media walls and opinion mining. Event organizers can also better demonstrate a sponsor’s ROI by tracking attendee movement and patterns via proximity sensors and beacon devices.
Our Prediction: As we’ve written before, sponsorship and technology go hand-in-hand. Expect to see event organizers utilizing new forms of tech to drive sponsorship revenue.
Will event organizers take advantage of emerging tech to increase their sponsorship offerings?
RFID Tags and Transactional Texting
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and transactional texting eliminate the need for paying with cash and printing associated receipts or invoices for your exhibitors or attendees. RFID enables data transfer through a tag that can be embedded in items such as key cards, name badges and lanyards.
Our Prediction: Keeping with current trends, RFID use will continue to increase in 2019. Event planners will continue to explore the various use cases for RFID techlogy, and that will continue in 2020.
Is RFID here to stay? Take Our Poll.
Data Privacy and GDPR
The EU General Data Protection Regulation has brought about a slew of new challenges for event managers, who must now ensure that personal attendee data is securely collected and protected. New technological systems that streamline GDPR requirements such as consent and anonymization, are likely to see an increase in use now that the deadline for compliance has passed.
Our Prediction: In 2019 we will see increased scrutiny on data privacy. While newer technologies pave the way for a more personalized attendee experience, they also open the door for additional concerns over privacy. Today’s consumers have a heightened awareness of data privacy and we expect this to affect everything from registration to lead retrieval.
Do you foresee increased concern over data privacy in 2019?
Live Streaming
Live streaming meeting content allows for increased attendee participation and engagement with additional options for branding and customization. Encourage your attendees and sponsors to live stream the event on their favorite social media platform for additional promotion and recognition.
Our Prediction: Live streaming will continue to rise in 2019. More events will offer remote attendance options to increase attendance and connect with customers across the globe.
Will live streaming events continue to be a rising trend in 2019?
Drones
Drones are being utilized at meetings as both tools and toys. Need a group photo, but can’t fit everyone in? Use a drone and get the perfect shot. Looking for an extra measure to monitor security, but don’t want to scare people with uniformed personnel? Deploy your drone and no one will even notice.
Our Prediction: While drone use at events will increase in 2019 this will most likely be reserved to larger scale trade shows and outdoor festivals. The restraints of the current drone technology and concerns over privacy will mean you won’t get your agenda delivered to you via robot just yet.
Will drone use at event takeoff in 2019?
