By Conor Romig
Throughout the years, the number of event technology solutions on the market have grown. Systems promise to ease the planning process and elevate your attendee experience, but only if chosen wisely. With so many options on the market, picking the right solution might seem like a daunting task. While there is never a one size fits all solution, there are several key principles to keep in mind when searching for the next solution for your event.
Event Goals
First and foremost, keep your event goals front and center. You should have a good idea of why and how your new tech solution will be implemented. Focus on the degree of impact. In the case of a fundraising event, will the solution help to raise more dollars? Will it elevate your attendee experience? Will the planning processes be simplified? In doing so, you will be able to focus on the core functions of the software that are essential to the execution of the event, rather than all the fancy “bells and whistles.”
Innovation
Innovation is important, especially if you are entering a multi-year contract. Technology is ever-changing, so having a technology provider that is pushing boundaries and simplifying user experience is important. As organizers, we know the essential qualities a platform must perform but may not always be aware of innovative new features. Get to know the company and the people behind it through research, product demos, and product reviews. Organizations are always looking for the latest and greatest.
Ease of Use
Make sure the technology solution is the right fit for your audience. Ease of use is important to keep in mind for both the attendee and the organizer. A platform with high ease of use will mean everyone will be able to get involved. If every attendee can use the platform with ease, it may mean a greater ROI for your organization. While attendee ease of use is important, also make sure the system is functional to the organizer. A clean and easy to use system on the back end leads to increased efficiency and saved time for busy event organizers.
Data Integration
Data integration is equally as important as attendee experience. In a data-driven world, a system with strong capabilities for data collection, storage, and reporting is key. Data provides event organizers insight into attendees and their experience. The organization of data can cause many headaches, so a system that makes data reporting and management easy are invaluable in today’s times.
Reliability & Support
Event technology should be reliable. A few minutes of a system going down during an event can create frustrated event goers, lost data and chaos. There is no sense in investing in a system that you have to worry about working efficiently on the day of your event. Not all of us are tech wizards, so having 24-7 personalized support and tutorials is key to the successful implementation of your event technology, just in case something does go wrong.
When reviewing options the next time your organization is in the market for an event technology solution, keep these ideas in mind. Need more help in elevating your event experience? We’re here to help you in the implementation of your organization’s next big idea! Email us at info@dogoodevents.com