In Case You Missed It
Last week, we spotlighted 10 Industry Innovators who are leaning into innovative event technology to set new standards for engagement and efficiency. Whether it's finding new solutions for event scheduling, vendor payments, and sourcing talent, or using AI to create more sustainable events and travel programs, these pioneers are not just keeping pace with change—they are driving it.We also recently checked in with event professionals to learn which social media platforms are driving success for them now, and chatted with multimedia studio Moment Factory about its immersive art exhibit for UNICEF, which uses visitors' heartbeats and voices to create an emotional musical journey.
Spotlight On
This year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which took place over two weekends in April, debuted Coachella Quests, a new Avalanche-powered loyalty game that harnessed Web3 to reward festivalgoers for participating in virtual and physical experiences. As fans completed the Quests—which included engaging with the festival’s Discord and completing on-site scavenger hunts—they earned digital stamps (NFTs) and associated points that could unlock access to exclusive prizes and festival experiences, such as a mystery merch box, access to VIP lounges, unreleased music, and more. One fan who completed all Quests was randomly selected to win the grand prize: access to the Coachella Key, a rare NFT that comes with two free 2025 festival guest passes."The promise of using tokens to enhance live events and usher in a new era of fan engagement by blending the physical and the digital is very exciting, and there couldn't be a better use case than Coachella," said Paul Chodirker, director of enterprise business development for Ava Labs. "We're eager to witness how on-chain assets providing real utility could create new, sustainable relationships between music fans, festivals, and artists in the future.”
Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
To improve engagement at virtual eventsWebcasting solutions provider GlobalMeet has introduced new AI capabilities designed to create more natural interactions for a more engaging event experience. The company's Live Studio now uses AI algorithms to detect the faces of presenters and dynamically adjust face framing in real time, promoting greater eye contact, engagement, and inclusivity. In addition, both voice and visual detection features are now present for intelligent layout design that automatically allocates screen space proportionally by reducing unnecessary visual disruption, leading to a sleeker user experience.
“What makes a virtual event go from good to great is personalization, and artificial intelligence is a stellar tool for hosts to create events that are customized to their brand and audiences’ preferences,” said GlobalMeet CTO Ken Roberts. “Along with the updates to our video bridge, GlobalMeet is leading the way for virtual events that are more immersive and captivating than ever before.”
To help DMO professionals manage their data
Analytics and ad-tech platform provider Datafy has launched a new generative AI tool designed specifically for the needs of destination marketing organizations. The AI tool integrates into Datafy’s data analytics software technology and can synthesize large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. Datafy’s team designed two ways that users can interact with the new tool to identify KPIs, trends, and other insights: 1. For summarizing the data: With tight parameters, the AI can give short, succinct responses that are meant to be easy to digest.; and 2. For sharing insights: This is where Datafy prompts the AI modeling with more open-ended questions around interpreting the data.
“Many of our clients, even the larger cities, can be personnel- or resource-constrained, so as much as they want to spend hours down a rabbit hole of data, they typically need to get in and out as fast as they can and answer the question that’s been sent to them by their colleague or community partners,” explained Kelby Bosshardt, Datafy’s co-founder and president. “We feel like this really changes the game for destinations."
To host a fan listening party
It's been a good couple of weeks for Stationhead, a fan-led social streaming app that allows fans and artists around the world to connect, listen live, and stream music together. On April 24, Taylor Nation—the official Taylor Swift fan account—announced that they'd be hosting a listening party for the pop star's new album, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, on the platform. Following the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), fans flocked to the Swifties fan community on Stationhead and drove over 1 million streams on Apple Music and Spotify in under 24 hours.
Other Stationhead capabilities? The platform can sync songs for all listeners, regardless of streaming service. Each station can also have up to four speakers at once, and fans can interact by sending gifts, sharing emojis, and chatting with each other.
To simplify video creation
Pictory, which provides AI-powered video technology, has been awarded a U.S. patent for its video synopsis system. This newly patented technology leverages custom large language models to efficiently condense long-form videos like webinars, lectures, and meetings into concise, shareable clips. This process involves transcribing spoken words into text, which are then organized by similar topics to create ranked clusters—ultimately forming a streamlined summary.
"Our patented technology stands at the forefront of the AI video industry, setting new standards and pushing the boundaries of what's possible," said Vishal Chalana, chief technology officer for Pictory. "This patent underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that address real-world challenges. We are excited about the opportunities this patent opens up for us and our clients, and we remain committed to leveraging our technology to make a significant impact."
The Latest Updates, Promotions, Funding, and Merger News
Events and hospitality tech provider Cvent has named former SAP executive vice president Andreas Heckmann as its new chief customer officer. Heckmann—who brings nearly 25 years of experience at SAP and has led significant cloud solution transitions and customer service improvements—will now head Cvent's 1,500-plus-person client services organization to boost customer experiences and satisfaction.In lieu of a traditional runway show and to better engage with Gen Z and millennial consumers, David’s Bridal announced its fall 2024 collection via an all-digital strategy on TikTok in early April. In a first-of-its-kind reveal, part of Bridal Fashion Week, Jessica Vestal—a star of Love Is Blind season six—unveiled the collection on the social platform. Brides can now preorder the new styles directly from the David’s Bridal website for the first time.
IHG Hotels & Resorts launched AirPlay in the first phase of hotel rooms, giving guests the ability to stream content privately and securely from their iPhone or iPad to the TV in their guest rooms. AirPlay is available at more than 60 hotels in North America, including properties like Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata.
Sphere Entertainment Co. announced that Ned McNeilage, an award-winning creative leader with more than 30 years of experience, has joined the company as chief creative officer of Sphere. In this new role, McNeilage will help shape the creative and brand strategy for Sphere. He will lead the venue's in-house creative design studio and brand teams, overseeing all Sphere brand strategy and creative. He will also be responsible for content that runs on the Exosphere, the venue’s fully programmable LED exterior.
—With additional reporting from Sarah Kloepple
